Page 61 of So I Won a Werelion

“It has been a minute since I’ve been excited about Sunset Springs.” She gazed over my shoulder. The only part of the town visible from this vantage point in Colorado Ranch was Wolf Rock. It had always been a symbol of Sunset Springs for me. Of the things I thought would never change. Now I wasn’t sure if that monument would be my biggest nemesis or my greatest ally.

“What about me?”

She shrugged one shoulder. “You’re okay.”

“Just okay,” I growled. “That means I better get you on this date and show you I don’t do anything that’s just okay.”

Her throat bobbed with a hard swallow. “You know the paparazzi are everywhere.”

“Not where I’m bringing you.” I held my hand out to her and she hesitated before she took it. “The dick relic will be here when we get back.”

Our audience at the lunch table snickered.

The corners of Wendy’s mouth quivered. She wanted to laugh at what I’d said, but she wouldn’t let herself. It was her life’s work, even if she’d been kept away from it, and me talking shit about it probably wasn’t my smartest move. But if I expected to win her over, I couldn’t play it safe. “That is a very important dick relic and you need to show it proper respect.”

“Oh, I respect it. It’s the only reason I’m getting to take you on this date in the first place. But I’m making a rule.” I tugged on her hand, a move which brought her lips dangerously close to mine. Heat wafted between us that had nothing to do with the summer sun. “We don’t say one word about the Scepter, Wolf Rock, or anything that has to do with the relic.”

“Oh, you’re bossy.”

“Do you like it?”

She took a moment before she answered. “It always shocks me there are things I don’t know about you, after all these years.”

“Well, if you’d like to get to know them, I suggest you follow Bibi back to her house. She’ll help you get ready. I’ll meet you at the chalet in an hour.”

Wendy startled when Bibi put her hand on her back. She was a vision in purple today. “I’m biased, of course, but I would not want to miss this date if I were you. The glam squad is waiting for you back at my house. Shall we go see them?”

Wendy’s mouth formed an O. “You knew about this?”

“Darling, I know about everything that happens onThe Mating Game.”

Bibi led Wendy down the dirt road that wound through the heart of The Village to her cabin. Little did she know thatThe Mating Gameglam squad was waiting to make her over for the date.

Not that she didn’t already look gorgeous in her off-the-shoulder shirt and jeans, but it was time for something different.

Saint tipped his cowboy hat as he rose from the table. “Good luck today. I know Wendy doesn’t always believe we’re rooting for her, but there’s no one else I’d rather see her with.”

“She only agreed to do this when she found the relic.” It wasn’t often I revealed my weaknesses to any shifter. But I needed Saint’s advice. Wendy and I talked all the time when I lived in New Zealand, but now I saw that was no match for actually being here with her. I’d missed so much. Only saw what she wanted me to.

And I wanted all of it.

Saint quirked a brow. “You think she’s gonna reject you once she gets what she’s looking for with the relic?”

I growled. There was no need for him to twist the knife and add again, but it was there.

“The Mating Gameis a little tricky, because the ladies have an out when you go back to this stage. I don’t know what you have planned for this date, Gabe, but I’d suggest making sure she’s only thinking about one thing that looks like that relic.”

He headed back to the village, which just left me, Lars, and Hugo. The wolf shifter gestured to a tablet on the table, and Lars stared at the screen liked he’d never seen such a thing before. If it were anyone else, it would alarm me. But Lars seemed like a quirky dude who’d spent a lot of time deep in the forest. It wasn’t unusual for some of the old timers to shun human technology. Some of them even laughed at it, bragging that information came from instinct.

I couldn’t tell how old Lars was. Maybe around my age? Our generation embraced our human sides.

But the big guy was the least of my worries right now. This date had to be perfect.

“We’ve talked to all the vendors, and everything is a go as soon as we arrive at the site,” Hugo said. “Safety plans are in place. There won’t be a huge presence at the beginning of your route because Bjorn will be filming and Bibi hopes to use some of the raw footage from the date tonight. Since we left the episode a bit unsettled with the two of you running off the stage, she’s excited to show them that the two of you are on the right track.”

I appreciated his optimism. But. “Is this level of security the norm on all the dates?”

“To some degree, yes. Usually the dates are a little more contained than this one, and we can have a smaller crew dedicated to it.” Hugo glanced at the tablet again and frowned. “Usually, our contestants aren’t quite as controversial—”

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