Page 49 of So I Won a Werelion

Wendy’s muscles relaxed under my touch.

“We have the Scepter under lock and key at our office. We’d be more than happy to keep this new acquisition with it,” Bibi said.

“It should be on shifter land,” I growled.

Bibi shook her head. “I would normally be all for that, Gabriel, but I saw the effect it had on you last night. In the wrong hands, this could be dangerous. I’m concerned about its hold over humans too.”

“The council will decide where the Scepter is safest,” Leo said.

I didn’t argue with him, because I was tired of talking about the damn Scepter when we needed to take action. Now.

We followed Bibi and the crew back to the van and I slid into the backseat next to Wendy.

She gave me a tentative grin. “Thanks for making sure I’m a part of this.”

“If it wasn’t for you, we would have never found the Scepter.” I grazed my lips against her cheek, dying to kiss her again. The tension was back. “Are you comfortable with this plan?”

“I’m worried that everyone will think I have all the answers. I don’t. A lot of research is knowing how to ask really good questions, forming a hypothesis, and then proving it right or wrong. So I hope everyone can be patient with this process, even if we have to move quickly. And to be honest, I’m terrified of having to get my sister involved. She’s never understood anything I’ve done and she won’t make things easier for us—especially considering she’s got a weird, massive crush on the developer.”

“What’s his name, Derek Jared?” I asked.

Wendy nodded.

Bibi turned around. “Are you sure he’s human?”

Chapter

Fourteen

Wendy

The reporters hadn’t gotten the memo about my resignation.

There were more of them in the parking lot of Woodhead Family Realty than ever. This time, they’d brought the fancy vans with the satellites and actual camera crews that rivaled the one I had in tow. They’d gathered in the area around my car, which was covered with flowers and pictures of me.

“She’s alive! Thank the moon, she’s alive!” the barista from my favorite coffee shop emerged from the crowd and hugged me. “Once we heard the news that you were missing, we feared the worst. We were about to organize a search party—”

“Wendy is back onThe Mating Gameand last night was her first date. You might say she’s still on it.” Bibi patted Gabe’s arm and beamed at him.

I couldn’t even be upset that she’d announced my return to the show to the entire world or embarrassed that she insinuated this was the world’s most public walk of shame because what in the actual fuck was going on?

“So you’re saying this was a publicity stunt?” Reporters shoved their microphones our faces. A few boos rang out from the small crowd.

I slid my gaze to Bibi. If anyone could make this stop, it was my fairy dragmother.

“Absolutely not. We don’t have to resort to cheap tricks when mates are fated.” She waved her hand, and the reporters parted.

I followed her toward the office.

“The nerve of them.” It was the first time I’d heard her growl in her human form. “I shouldn’t be mad. They’re talking about us. All publicity is good publicity.”

They’d thought I was dead, so I wasn’t sure I could agree.

My ex-coworkers gasped when I walked in.

This was ridiculous. I charged right into Wanda’s office without knocking on the door.

“What the hell is going on out there? Everyone in the company looked at me like they thought they saw a ghost.”

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