Page 82 of So I Won a Werelion

“Absolutely. You’ll be so handsome in a tuxedo.” A production assistant pushed a director’s chair to the center of the stage, facing the leather chair. Bibi sat in it and crossed her legs. She looked like something straight out of a superhero movie. “Mind if we chat before your date starts?”

“Always happy to talk to you.” I took the seat across from her.

“Tell me how you’re feeling. This is the first time Wendy’s had a chance to choose a date.”

“A little out of my league.”

Bibi raised a brow. “Don’t tell me you’ve never brought a lady out for a nice night out before.”

“I have, but it feels like tonight will change everything. What I’ve done in the past doesn’t matter anymore. I’ve got to prove myself here and now. Maybe because I know Wendy’s been cooking up something to impress me. She’s lousy at keeping secrets.” I chuckled. She’d been hinting at this the last couple of days, and pretty much had given it away. But if I saw her up on that pole, all bets would be off. “Whatever she does, I’mgonna love, so if you’re heading back there, you can let her know because she’s probably nervous as hell.”

“She’ll be amazing tonight. And she’ll be coming out in just a moment. First, I have a few more questions for you.” Bibi leaned forward. “This has been a very unique episode. The two of you have a long relationship that could be considered intimate on a totally different level, and we’ve been on the adventure of a lifetime, searching for ancient treasure. Technically, this will be the last date before you go on stage and commit to each other—”

“Something’s wrong.” A redheaded woman in a pinup-style sundress ran onto the stage. It was Blaire, who’d been one ofThe Real Werewives. “The backstage door is jammed shut.”

Bibi did her best to hide her panic, but she couldn’t fool another shifter. I could smell it. Between her and the human, I could’ve choked on it. “Maybe Wendy’s still getting dressed?”

“Not the dressing room door. The swinging door that separates backstage from the main hallway. It’s like someone moved a boulder in front of it. I can’t get it to budge.”

Bibi rose from the director’s chair with a growl resonating low in her throat.

She charged off the stage and I followed. My lion was rising, ready to rip this fancy suit to shreds if anyone laid a fucking finger on my mate.

Bibi raised her high-heeled boot and gave the door a flat-footed kick. It didn’t move. Another growl, and she turned to me.

I’d never seen Bibi pissed off before. Even in the midst of chaos, the fairy dragmother always kept her cool.

I jammed my shoulder against the door. Whatever was behind it barely budged, but it was moving. Bibi’s eyes were on fire. I wouldn’t be surprised if I was seconds away from seeing her wolf.

“I have two words for you. Derek Jared.”She grunted as we finally got some momentum on the door.

Blaire pushed too, and I didn’t have the heart to tell her she was mostly getting in the way, because she was trying to help.

“The guy from Ranchero Hills?” Bjorn joined us, and the task of moving the door got much easier.

“Derek’s a wolf. He came knocking on Wendy’s door the other day when we went back to her house to pick up some things.” Her sentence ended in a groan, because we’d moved the massive safe they’d used to block the door.

I held back a roar. “And I’m hearing about this now?”

“I thought we had things under control.”

Blaire slipped past us, her heels clicking on the linoleum as she led the way backstage.

“Wendy!” she called out, and then clapped her hand over her mouth and turned to us with wide eyes. “She’s gone.”

“Fuck.” I surveyed the room. A red corset lay forgotten on the floor. Wendy’s purse was still here. Her sneakers and clothes. It felt wrong fishing in her bag, but her phone was in there, complete with a notification she’d had a message from me.

No. I’d spent too much time without this woman by my side. I refused to lose her now.

Bibi scanned the room and jabbed at her phone screen. She held it to her face, tapping her foot. “C’mon, Hugo. Answer. This can’t be happening again on your watch.”

I turned to Blaire. “Did you see anyone back here?”

She shook her head. “I left Wendy when Bibi did so she could get dressed. Then I went out to the lounge to say hi to the crew. What I don’t understand is how they did this that fast.”

She pointed to the safe that blocked the way. The thing weighed a couple hundred pounds. No human could have blocked the door that fast. Bibi and I together could barely budge it.

Bjorn and I looked at each other. “Shifters.”

---