Page 20 of So I Won a Werelion

“Not yet, but Leo’s kids are sure to be there if they heard you’re coming,” I said. Bibi and the crew had made visits to the house, and my nephews and niece had been enamored by the drag queen.

“Ooh, I can’t wait to see them.”

I led the crew down the path to the camp area. My heart pounded. Living so close to a ski resort brought my last days in New Zealand back. I’d sworn I was done with snowboarding, but if I wanted to be involved with my pride, I’d have to face those dark memories.

My nephews Liam and Lance, and my niece Layla ran to greet Bibi.

Leo turned to me. “Are you okay with this?”

He was the only one who knew why I’d come home.I hoped to never have to tell Bibi or Wendy.

My animal growled every time I thought about her. He never agreed to the ‘do everything throughThe Mating Game’ arrangement, and he was convinced precious time was slipping through my paws. That Wendy could move on. Bibi could be here to tell me she’d picked another contestant for her.

No. Mate.

“Gonna have to be.”I sighed.

Bibi approached us with Lance on her hip. “So what do we have planned for the day?”

“I was hoping you’d have some good news from me. Any word from Wendy?”

She managed to crush my hopes with one sympathetic look. “Patience, Gabriel. We can’t rush these things. Today is about you.”

“Summer camp sessions haven’t started yet, so we’ll have the place to ourselves,” Leo offered. He’d had to listen to me be a sad sack about Wendy since my usual confidante had sent me packing, so he was more than ready to change the subject. “But wish me luck getting these guys out of here at the end of the day. I swear they were born with boards strapped to their feet.”

“I can’t wait to see it.” Bibi clapped her hands together. “Think there’s anything there I can try?”

“Ready to rock climb?” I asked. Leo had taught lessons for years. The harnesses and equipment were ready to go.

“Got any high-heeled climbing boots?” She waggled her brows.

“Can Bibi go on the trampoline?” Liam bounced up and down between us.

Her face brightened. “Sure. As long as my wig stays on.”

“We’ve come a long way since I used to tape my shoes to a board and jump on a two-liter soda bottle to stay nimble.” I chuckled.

I was in awe of the new ski resort.The Woodland Pride 2.0 had built their village around it. Almost everyone played a role in its operation. It was late spring, and we were officially in limbo. Stubborn snow still clung to the mountaintops, and no one had started their summer schedule yet.

But it was perfect for this. The boys were already grabbing their boards and gear. I considered the choices. There was some impressive equipment.

Leo had done good, and I was proud of him.

“We’d love it if you taught some lessons,” Leo said quietly. “I’ll understand why you’ll probably say no, but at least you could go out on your terms. People come here because they want to have fun. It wouldn’t have to be your whole life.”

“Wait, you don’t want to snowboard anymore?” Bibi’s purple lips gaped. “If I asked you to do something that makes youuncomfortable, please, speak up. It’s my nature to push people’s limits. But when I hit them, say ouch.”

“I don’t want to snowboard competitively anymore,” I corrected. “I’ll always love the sport, even if these kids can do things that put this old cat to shame.”

Bibi sized me up as I strapped my foot into my board. “But you were willing to compete for Wendy on the show.”

“Wasn’t a competition,” I growled. She’d hit one of my limits. “She’s my mate.”

“That’s the fire I want to see. There was a glimmer of it when I found you with Lucy. One of the reasons we’re putting together this package is because we want to show it to Wendy. Give her a taste of what her life would be like with a rumbly lion shifter by her side. This is your chance to shine, Gabriel.”

I nodded and turned to Bjorn. “Got a camera I can wear on my helmet as I go down the run?”

It wasn’t close to the real thing, with AstroTurf instead of snow, but it would actually make the run faster. Trickier. The slope wasn’t as steep as a mountain for that reason, but it would still give enough velocity to get onto the jump.

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