Page 8 of So I Won a Werelion

“Say whatever you need to.” Bibi said. “We can fix everything in editing later.”

I hoped the self-proclaimed fairy dragmother meant it when she said she could fix everything. I was gonna need all the help I could get to fix these mistakes.

“It was torture to listen to every detail of all the dates you went on with other shifters. There was nothing I could do to stop them from hurting you.”

She crossed her arms tightly in front of her chest, pushing a delicious swell of cleavage up from the neckline of her sparkly dress. “You could’ve claimed me then.”

“Yeah, I could’ve. But I didn’t.” I deserved the boos raining down on me, courtesy of the audience. “I’d made my decision, and I thought I had to live with it. I wasn’t brave enough to change the course of history. But now, I like to think I’m lion enough to claim you.”

I’d tucked tail and ran out of Colorado the moment I could. Found a snowboarding team in New Zealand, but that wasn’t far enough away to make me stop thinking about her. I put every single thing I had into training. Made myself a champion.

And then I lost it all. It was time to take back control of my life.

“The lions who took mates were shunned from the pride.” Bibi frowned, trying to drum up some sympathy for me from the crowd—and more importantly, from my mate. “I went against my pack. At first, I lost everything. I understand why Gabriel made such a difficult decision.”

“But Leo and Dylan claimed mates.” Wendy tipped her chin up. I loved so many things about her, and her take no shit from anyone—especially me—attitude was one of my favorites. “Pretty much started a new pride.”

My cousin Leo was the new alpha. He’d been a kid when I left. Now he’d built a growing business, an amazing family with a doe mate, and a growing lion and deer alliance.

“Fate didn’t give a shit about timelines,” I said.

Wendy shook her head again. “But I do.”

She was so close I could feel her body vibrating. Her sweet scent filled my nostrils. But she’d never been further away fromme.The next words out of my mouth were make or break. I never imagined I could fucking lose her.

“I fucked up. I’m asking you to forget everything that happened in the past. Wipe the slate clean. I’m not that guy anymore, and I’m willing to bet you’ve changed, too. So if you can tell me right here, right now, that you’re not willing to take a chance on me…”

I couldn’t finish the sentence. I couldn’t walk away from her. Not now.

Fix it,my lion demanded.

“I’ll do whatever it takes to change your mind.”

Wendy raised a skeptical brow. “Did Bibi put you up to this?”

Bibi gasped and her hand flew to her chest. “Absolutely not. Gabriel came to me, and I’ve been keeping the world’s biggest secret that he was interested in vying for your affection. I told him if he wanted to claim you onThe Mating Game, I could give him absolutely no advantages. He’d have to win you over, just like any other shifter. And he did. That means something, Wendy. You chose him.”

“Kiss him! Kiss him!” The chant had started again.

Wendy’s eyes widened and her lips parted as she backed away from me. “Gabe, you lied to me.”

She turned and hurried down the stairs, a flash of sequins, hair, and heartbreak.

The crowd booed their disapproval. “Claim her!” was the new chant.

Go after her, my beast demanded.If you don’t, you’ll lose her. Forever.

The last thing I could let happen was Wendy calling one of those smug assholes that had sat beside me on the stage so she could try to make a go with them. It had taken everything I had not to punch them in the faces when they talked about what a sure bet Wendy would be.

Not a fucking chance. She belonged to me, and it was time to show her what that meant.

I stalked toward the staircase, but Bibi took hold of my arm. Her grip saidnot so fast. I needed this wolf on my team. She promised she’d fight for me like she planned to fight for Wendy.

“Wendy needs a minute,” she said.

“Go! Go! Go!” The audience didn’t agree.

I shook my head. “I ran away from her once, but Wendy’s been retreating her whole life, too. We both played small and settled for what we thought we deserved. I don’t want to do that anymore, and as her best friend, I think I can say she doesn’t either.”

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