Page 60 of So I Won a Werelion

“The question is, why are you feeling it if you’re human?” Saint asked.

“Maybe because she’s the mate of a shifter,” Bibi offered. “Laura, do you feel anything?”

“I think so. I don’t want to get too close because—”

Pearla wailed. It was nothing like her earlier cries. It was stronger, like it came from a grown woman.

“Put it away. Please.” Laura backed away from the table. “You can come back and look at any book you want when my daughter isn’t here, but that thing is freaking me out.”

My knees were jelly as I rose from the table. The book didn’t want to be closed, forgotten, and I had to be careful even if it didn’t have power radiating from it. I placed it back on the shelf and made sure the door was securely closed behind me.

“That thing needs a special section. So I can make sure it doesn’t fall into the wrong hands,” Laura added.

“Why don’t we go for a walk? Maybe to the mercantile for a little lunch?” Bibi suggested.

I wasn’t surprised Laura came with us. Something told me the library would be closed for the rest of the day.

We tried to act cool as we ordered our salads and sandwiches. Pitchers of fruit-infused water were brought to the picnic tables outside, and we all drained our glasses immediately. I needed to write down what we’d discovered as soon as possible.

“Work on Ranchero Hills will stop for seven days,” Gabe said. “That’s all we were able to get the permit pulled for.”

“For now, unless we can prove that there are ancient artifacts on that land. Or that the land should rightfully still belong to my pack,” Saint added. “And that book probably will go a long way in helping us.”

“Does my sister know?” No wonder Bibi didn’t want me going home today.

“She will soon enough,” Saint said. “We need to work fast to shut that site down for good.”

“What do we do?” I looked at Bibi, then Gabe. “We have seven days to prove we’ve found the most important artifact in shifter history.”

“Can we incorporate our research into our dates?” Bibi asked. “Although I reserve the right for at least one fun date that doesn’t have to do with dirt or ancient curses.”

Gabe smiled at me. It made me want to rip his clothes off. “I’ve got some ideas.”

Chapter

Nineteen

Gabe

Wendy’s eyes lit up. “What kind of ideas?”

“Remember when we were on stage, and my name was Shifter Number Two?”

She nodded.

“You asked what I’d do if I got to take you on a date, and I told you I wanted to see Sunset Springs through your eyes?”

“Everyone in the crowd swooned.”

“I didn’t care about what everyone else did. I only cared about you.” I rose from the table and Bibi gave me the thumbs up. She’d helped me set this up perfectly. The only variable was if Wendy went for it. “I’m not sure where I stand with you. I don’t want to play second fiddle to the Scepter. When we go back to that stage in a couple of weeks, I don’t want to be wondering if you’ll ask me to spend forever with you or not.”

“Gabe.”

“So I’m gonna seal the deal.” It wasn’t a sure bet, but it was time to lay all my cards on the table. “Make you look at this town in a whole new way. Get you excited about Sunset Springs again. And maybe excited about me too.”

Wendy steeled herself.

Don’t let her say no,my lion grumbled.It’s time to make her an offer she can’t refuse.

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