Page 9 of So I Won a Werelion

Show her you’re the lion she deserves, my animal said.That’s what she wants. Show her how you’ve changed.

Bibi tightened her grip on my arm. My speech hadn’t swayed her. “We must proceed with the utmost caution, Gabriel. You asked for my help in claiming your mate, and that means I have to tell you, I think you’re dangerously close to making a mistake that none of us can fix.”

The audience had fallen to silence, like they agreed with her.

I knew Wendy better than all of them. Even if we weren’t seeing eye to eye right now, I was the only one who knew how to fix this. The only thing that was different this time was I was the asshole that broke her heart.

I managed to slip out of Bibi’s hold and charged down the stairs.

“This episode is far from over,” Bibi’s promise to the crowd reverberated backstage. “Thank you to all of you for joining us tonight. Make sure to stay tuned to our website—”

Marissa held her hands up. She was half my size, and I could’ve blown right past her. But like Bibi said, I only had once chance to get this right.

“Where did she go?” I growled.

“Come with me.” She practically had to run to keep up with my strides. Bjorn followed close behind with his camera.

We reached a maze of trailers. Marissa stopped, put her hand on my arm, and frowned. If she thought this was the part where she let me down easy, I had news for her.

“Listen, Gabe, I have no idea if she’s even still here. She could’ve left. If she’s actually in her trailer, I can’t guarantee she’s ready to talk to you.”

I nodded. “I can’t lose her.”

There was no masking the sadness in Marissa’s eyes. I was used to long odds. Shocking my competition. The producer didn’t think I had a chance.

“We’ll do everything in our power to help you claim her. AtThe Mating Game, we’re in the business of happily ever after. But if you go barging in there…” She shook her head. “It could make things worse. A lot worse. Let me talk to her. Get a feel for where she’s at. This isn’t over. Not by a long shot.”

The human might be tiny, but she had a hell of a fight in her. She didn’t wait for my answer before she headed on her mission.

“Sometimes, you’ve got to be patient when it comes to humans,” Bjorn spoke in a low tone as Marissa approached Wendy’s trailer. “We can overwhelm them. We offer a level of protection and security they can’t even comprehend. Humans don’t understand love in the same way we do. They think they have to earn it.”

“Tell me about it.” I let out a long sigh, but it didn’t come close to letting go of all the frustration I’d felt for twenty-five years. “Wendy’s my rock. I like to think I’m hers, too.” I couldn’t take anything for granted anymore. Especially when it came to Wendy. “It’s fate. Even if I fucked it up. But she’ll never believe it can be that easy.”

“She believes. You need to make her believe in you.”

Dude was speaking some truth.

Had I chosenThe Mating Gamebecause I always knew Wendy would reject my claim? Did I think she’d be less likely to do it in front of the cameras? I’d told myself she blossomed in the spotlight, but I was no stranger to being in front of cameras either. Maybe it was me who needed the reassurance of the audience.

I had literal seconds to figure out my next move, because Marissa nodded at someone on the other side of the door, and then headed down the stairs.

In forty-two years, no other man—or beast—had stepped up to the plate for Wendy. Because she didn’t belong to them. She belonged to me. I’d had one hell of a scare, and it was time to fucking fight for her.

“What did I miss?” Bibi skidded to a stop in between Bjorn and me. “Is Wendy still here? Sorry, I had to close the show or everyone would’ve stayed, waiting for us to come back.”

Marissa shook her head as she headed down the stairs.

Bibi gasped. “What did she say?”

Marissa didn’t answer right away. Fuck, that couldn’t be good news.

“She thinks she made a mistake by coming on the show. She doesn’t want to talk to any of us right now,” she finally said, and put her hand on my arm. “I’m sorry. I tried.”

Bibi put her hands on her hips and stared at that closed trailer door. “No, this isn’t over. I need to talk to her. I promised I’d find the shifter meant to spend forever with her, and I believe I did just that. This episode just got a bit more complicated, but that’s okay. Wendy might be giving up on herself, but I’m certainly not ready to throw in the towel.” Bibi turned to me. “I’m not giving up on you either. I’m your fairy dragmother too, Gabe. I’ll do everything in my power to make sure you get your happily ever after.”

“We need a plan,” I growled.

“A little fight looks good on you.” She patted my arm. “And you’re one hundred percent right. Let me go talk to her, and I guarantee this episode will end with the two of you on that stage, promising each other forever.”

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