Page 78 of So I Won a Werelion

“How are you feeling right now?” Bibi asked as I unlocked the door.

“Like I don’t belong here. There’s no energy.” The Village at Colorado Ranch always felt so alive. So many new things were happening there. Or maybe I felt that way because I had a camera crew and a security detail following my every move.

“A lot of exciting things have happened since you were here last. Can you tell me more about how you feel?” Bibi would never let me off easy.

“Something inside me changed once I found the Scepter.”

“Do you think Gabriel has changed too?”

“Maybe. How much can I say about his old teammate?” I asked.

“Say whatever comes to mind and we can edit it.”

“Gabe was withdrawn when he came home, and I think that he might have felt like I do right now. Everything was familiar, but wrong. Like he didn’t belong here. I felt like I didn’t know him. And if we hadn’t found the Scepter, I’m not sure what would have happened to our relationship.”

“Don’t take this the wrong way, but you’re giving those artifacts too much credit,” she said as she took a seat on the leather armchair near the bookshelf. She looked so out of place here. “You and Gabriel denied your feelings for each other for what? Almost thirty years? You had to get reacquainted with each other, but of course things are intense when you stop holding back. There must be a flood of emotions, and to be honest, I think you’re both hiding behind the Scepter. It’s safer to say it’s the cause of these feelings instead of admitting that you’d feel this way about him no matter what.”

“That’s what Gabe says, but still, way to drop a truth bomb.”

She patted her wig. “That’s what I do best. Well, there are a few other things.”

That got Hugo’s attention.

“The reason the Scepter, well, the Hudaknocker changed everything—”

“Excuse me? Hudaknocker?”

“Yeah. It doesn’t represent immortality. It represents fertility.”

“Mating,” Bibi clarified.

“Exactly. Anyway, I think Gabe and I were together before. Like we lived in that village, and I was his mate. Not sure if I was human or not, but things ended badly for me.”

Bibi’s mouth dropped, but she didn’t have a chance to ask any questions before someone knocked at the door.

Hugo growled.

It was probably Wanda, which made me want to growl too. She must have come home on her lunch break and discoveredThe Mating Gamevan in my driveway. If I didn’t answer the door right away, she’d call her friends at the police department and report a robbery.

Which could be accurate. I still hadn’t had a chance to take an inventory on those missing texts…

Derek Jared was on the other side of the door. He wore a button-down shirt, too-tight jeans with a giant belt buckle, and a cowboy hat that looked like he’d ordered it off the internet.

Ugh.

“What are you doing here?”

“Looking for you.” He moved like he wanted to come into the house, but like hell I’d let him inside. “I was disappointed when Wanda told me you quit real estate. I liked your style, Wendy. The two of us could have done some really good work together.”

His gaze raked over my body. This outfit was a far cry from the slacks and cardigan he’d last seen me in. I shuddered at his implication.

“I’ve heard work’s been shut down on Ranchero Hills. Indefinitely.”

“Yes.” Was that a growl? “That’s what I came to talk to you about.”

“Oh, hello.” Bibi opened the door wide and struck a pose for Derek Jared. “I’m Bibi le Bonnet, host ofThe Mating—”

“I know who you are,” he said between gritted teeth. “Your pack is responsible for shutting down work at one of the premier housing developments in the West. We have a waiting list of families eager to buy our beautiful homes. I don’t know what you said to convince Ms. Woodhead to abandon the project, orwhy your pack insists on babysitting her, but if this project gets shelved indefinitely, your pack’s grandchildren will be paying off the lawsuits we will slap you with.”

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