Page 11 of So I Dared a Dragon (The Mating Game #6)

eleven

. . .

Calista

“Oh, look!” I exclaimed when I stepped up into the trailer. Tonight was my first date with Aarix and I shouldn’t have been so nervous. We’d been together so many times before, but never like this.

“How beautiful,” Bibi gasped as she spotted the giant bouquet of red roses and the white box. “I wonder who left it for you.”

“Like you don’t know.” I rolled my eyes playfully.

Bibi put her hand over her heart. “I swear to you I don’t!”

I’d been worried about how things might go when I moved into Bibi’s spare boudoir, but I was thrilled to report that so far, it was going amazing. We’d stayed up way too late most nights, catching up and laughing. Deep down, Bibi was still the same wolf she had been with our pack. The parts of her that were so predominantly Bibi were the parts she didn’t let our pack see. But I recognized them.

Sweet moon, I missed them, and I was sad we missed so much time together, but I was very thankful to have her back in my life.

It gave me the opportunity to fall in love with her all over again—not as a mate, as my best friend. For the first time in a long time, I felt like I could truly be myself.

I had to get reacquainted with that woman too.

“Sure, I’ll totally believe you didn’t order this for Aarix and tell him what to put on the card.” I snagged the envelope from the top of the box and tore it open. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was in her handwriting.

Didn’t make the sentiment any less sweet.

Bibi popped open the box, revealing white chocolate-covered strawberries.

Eww. I loathed white chocolate.

Wait. Bibi should’ve remembered that. It was a major part of my personality growing up. It was always around, since chocolate and wolves didn’t mix.

My heart sank. Had she forgotten everything about me? It shouldn’t have bothered me as much as it did.

She was too busy considering the selection to notice there was a problem.

“What does the card say?” she asked.

I slid my finger under the flap and pushed it open. The card inside was plain, almost sterile, which seemed odd, especially if this was from Bibi. She usually didn’t miss a detail. Maybe this really was from Aarix, and he was trying his best, which was absolutely adorable.

She popped the strawberry into her mouth and closed her eyes, emitting a happy sigh. I prepared to read her own words back to her—

We’re still watching you, little wolf. You can run but you can’t hide.

“Spit that out!” I cried.

Instead, she swallowed. Noooooo. “What’s wrong?”

My she-wolf was on point inside me, and my heart was beating hard enough to shatter my ribs and let her out. I was afraid if I opened my mouth to speak it would trigger my shift, so instead, I handed her the note.

Her brow furrowed. Clearly she’d expected a cute message from Aarix. Same, girl, same. And then her lips formed an O as she read the actual message.

“Is this similar to the notes you’ve received in the past?” She’d just potentially eaten a poisoned strawberry and still, she managed to read a note from our anonymous enemy and keep thinking clearly.

“Almost exactly.” I paced the tiny space of the trailer. “They usually come right before room service or get left on my pillow when housekeeping takes care of my room. And they’re always plain paper, with messages that are short but not sweet. But my question is, how the hell did they get this past security and into my trailer?”

“A very good question.” Bibi pursed her lips. “We’ll check the delivery logs and all the security footage. That should provide answers.”

“Are there cameras in here?” I scanned the ceiling along the seam where it met the wall. I found a camera before Bibi had a chance to answer and climbed onto the couch cushion to examine it more closely. Fuck. Just what I feared. “The wire’s been cut.”

“No one who doesn’t work at HQ should’ve ever gotten this far.” Bibi didn’t have to stand on the couch to examine the tampered camera. A growl admitted from her throat. At least, that’s what I hoped it was and not a poisoned strawberry fighting back. “There are cameras all over the property. We’ll be able to easily distinguish a trespasser.”

“But how did they get in here?” I exclaimed as I lowered myself onto the couch cushion and buried my face in my hands—only for a second because my makeup looked freakin’ phenomenal after going through the works.

I so did not need this bullshit right now.

“We’ll put out an alert.” Bibi pulled her phone out of her purse.

“What about Hugo?” I asked.

She startled like I slapped her. “He’s not here.”

“Well, if he still considers himself the head of security, he needs to be.”

“It’s complicated.”

“No, it’s not.” I let out a frustrated sigh. “Bibi, I’m sorry I came between you and a wolf who obviously adores you. But now that we’ve established the fact that I was mistaken about you being my mate, it’s time for all of us to be adults and have a conversation about how we move forward as a part of each other’s lives.”

“You’re right.” Bibi took a seat next to me. “Hugo’s insisting that he’s on a top-secret assignment deep in the mountains. Considering Aarix’s claim about the potential missing dragons, Hugo’s work could be valid and important.”

“He should still be answering your calls. I hate that you die inside a little every time his name is mentioned.”

“Hugo was taught to hold a grunge, and apparently he’s very good at it.” Bibi attempted a smile, but the corners of her mouth twitched, fighting her. “It makes him an excellent head of security. And terrible at admitting there’s a problem.”

“We have a big security problem on our hands. These beasts are right under our noses laughing at us.” Heat rose in my body. No, I refused to shift. The only reason I’d even gotten this far was because I’d learned not to react. I only responded.

“You’re right. We should postpone tonight’s date.” She rose from the couch and headed to the door like she was about to deliver the news to everyone.

“Wait. No, I don’t want to do that.” My declaration stopped her dead in her tracks.

“It will still happen, as soon as our security team has a chance to check surveillance and call in backup. I won’t let anyone think it’s okay to threaten you.”

“That’s exactly why we need to have the date tonight.” I got up from the couch and threw my shoulders back. “Whoever’s doing this wants to see us cancel. They want to make me run. But I won’t. Let them come for us tonight. Do you think a bully who sends anonymous nastygrams really stands a chance against a fire-breathing dragon?”

This time, Bibi’s smile didn’t waver. “You make an excellent point. But I’m still investigating this.”

“Does that mean calling Hugo?”

“If calling him was enough to get him back, he’d be here already.” There was heartbreak in that sigh.

“What if I called him? Or went to see him? Someone has to know where he is. The two of us need to talk, maybe even more than you do.”

“I’m willing to try almost anything at this point.”

“Good, because I can tell you it’s a surefire way to getting what you want.” I squeezed her hand. “And I’m not sure if you’ve met my best friend, but she never gives up on anyone. Especially herself.”

Bibi brightened. “Even fairy dragmothers need reminders sometimes. Get dressed, and I’ll make sure everyone’s ready for the best first date The Mating Game has ever seen.”

Once Bibi left the trailer, I locked the door and stood against it for a moment. I just gave her a camera-worthy pep talk, but the truth was I was terrified. The Mating Game security team might have more holes than a piece of Swiss cheese, but there was no way that should’ve happened.

Which made me wonder if it was an inside job.

The threats started long before you were offered an episode , my she-wolf reminded me. She was right, sick of my shit, and exhausted from working so damn hard for our survival. But I’d always been looking for Bibi.

I moved slowly through the trailer. It only had enough room for a table, a love seat-sized couch in the sitting area, a bathroom, and a changing area where my outfit hung, breaking my heart by looking so hopeful.

Nothing else looked off. So I got dressed in my leopard-print wrap blouse that made my cleavage look fantastic and dark jeans that fit like a second skin. I slipped my feet into the red stilettos and blew myself a kiss in the mirror.

A chill went down my spine when I realized they could be watching me. Just because they’d cut the cord on the official camera didn’t mean they hadn’t set up a secondary method of surveillance.

Let them. And while they were at it, they could kiss my ample ass. It might have seemed trivial to insist on going through with the date, but it wasn’t just about me. Aarix had suffered for far too long. And he was determined to make good on his promise of claiming me. The least I could do was show him it was worth it.

And Bibi needed to show the world she didn’t need any wolf by her side to pull off an amazing episode. I hated that she was going through this because of me.

I vowed to myself that I’d fix this, another mess in my long line of disasters.

This was my chance to be a better wolf, and I refused to squander it.

Instead of Bibi, I found Marissa waiting for me outside of the trailer.

“Is everything okay?” I didn’t want to alarm her, in case Bibi kept the security alert on the down-low.

“Everything’s great.” But Marissa was a wolf too, and I didn’t miss the hint of hesitation in her voice. Even if she hadn’t been briefed, she had to know something was off. “Bibi and Tina are in a last-minute production meeting, so I’m doing your predate interview.”

“Ask away.” I liked Marissa. She’d been the crew member tasked with babysitting before my episode started, when Bibi and Hugo went to Vegas for much longer than anyone expected. Her episode had become a comfort watch for me. She knew what it was like to be the outsider, the one who changed everything. It made me believe all this was worth it.

“How are you feeling right now?” she asked.

My mouth dropped, and my internal hackles went up, before I remembered this was the quintessential question of the show. For her to ask meant things were business as usual.

“Excited and nervous about my date.” I’d started to learn to ignore the cameras, but tonight I was looking at everyone on the crew differently. Maybe they weren’t the ones leaving me love letters, but had they helped the culprit skulk away without a trace?

She gave me a megawatt, camera-worthy grin. “I can tell you that Aarix is very much looking forward to seeing what you planned for him. This isn’t the first time you’ve been together. But your previous meetings were very different.”

I nodded.

“What can you tell us about them?”

“The Night God wasn’t all work and no play.” I had to be careful about how I spoke about this evil creature. Aarix said he wasn’t dead. He’d just been sent away to an undisclosed location until the equinox. “He charged admission to that mountain for anyone who was brave enough to play with a dragon. Looking back, I realize how cruel that really was. We could come and go as we pleased, while Aarix and the rest of his thunder were trapped down there.”

“But you managed to form a bond with Aarix,” Marissa said.

“He made me feel safe. Which was crazy because those caverns were the darkest place I’d ever been—not because they had no light. They had no hope. But Aarix showed me even in the worst place imaginable, kindness and love still existed.”

Marissa put her hand over her heart. “Say no more. That’s the sound bite right there. Cut.”

The camera crew got ready to move, and Marissa turned back to me. “That was incredible.”

“Aarix is more than a sound bite or an advertising gimmick,” I said.

“Of course he is. I’m sorry if I made you feel that way.” She gave me a sympathetic smile, then scanned the crew before stepping closer and lowering her voice. “Can I tell you something that will never make it to air?”

My heart started thundering all over again. “Did something happen?”

She shook her head. “Nothing new. It’s just that I don’t think any of this is a coincidence. Wendy quit the show and went back to her day job when she found the Hudaknocker. That stupid—I mean sacred—relic led me to Bjorn. I couldn’t even look at the bear without red-hot rage before that thing showed up. Then Hannah would’ve died if Lars, who claims to be older than time, hadn’t rescued her. While all this was happening, you were in the Smoky Mountains entertaining an ancient, imprisoned dragon. We might have come to this show as strangers, but there’s a definite tie between all of us.”

“You’re right.” A chill went down my spine. “Do you have any theories what it might be?”

“Not yet, but I’m glad we’re in this together.” She gave her head a slight shake. “We should head out there.”

The setup brought tears to my eyes. The forest wasn’t safe right now, so Bibi and the crew had found a way to bring the forest to us. They'd brought in trees and flowers to create the scene. Tables were set up under string lights, but they were all bare.

A strong gust of wind blew, and the temperature rose with Aarix’s arrival. There was no mistaking that not only was he a man who belonged to a different world, but he was also insanely powerful.

I was sure I’d enjoy many parts of this episode, but watching this dragon remember who the fuck he was would definitely be one of my favorites.

He didn’t come alone—I’d invited Magnus and Luca to join us. Everything was unfamiliar to them, and they’d just escaped one prison. They deserved better than being stuck in a hotel room.

Aarix wore a black button-down shirt than hugged his muscular frame and accommodated his wings. The dragons probably hadn’t shifted since they arrived in Sunset Springs, but the sun exposure had yet to make them more human.

As much as it hurt my heart, I had to admit it turned me on. But the way Aarix looked at me, with his green eyes sparkling like precious jewels, wasn’t the only thing that gave me butterflies.

It was the element of danger being with him promised.

“Greetings, everyone!” Bibi arrived on set, bright and bubbly, like she hadn’t just been investigating a major security breach. “I’m so excited that this episode is officially underway.”

I hoped no one asked me how I was feeling because I was definitely looking at everything differently after Marissa’s revelation. Her theory that all these seemingly unconnected events very much were intertwined made it more feasible that someone on the crew was the one threatening me.

But why?

“Calista.” I jumped when Bibi said my name. “What will we be doing tonight?”

I was doubting everything. I hadn’t wanted to postpone the date, but seeing these dragons, so trusting…Aarix with eyes only for me, while Luca and Magnus chatted with Bjorn about camera stuff.

The enemy could be right here. Laughing and joking with us.

They wouldn’t get the best of us. I threw my shoulders back and smiled at Aarix. “Have you ever done wine and paint night?”

He shook his head, his gaze never leaving my body. “I like wine, art, and spending time with you.”

Heat rose in my cheeks…and everywhere else. “Good, because we’re doing it our own way tonight.”

“Ooooh, do tell.” Only a dragon could make me forget that Bibi was here. “Calista was always very artistic. Unfortunately, that wasn’t always encouraged in our pack.”

She gave a tight smile, and Aarix furrowed his brow.

“We all had duties, and we were expected to help our alpha realize his plan. Which was always destructive.” I sighed. “I know you can sympathize with that.”

“You never spoke much about your pack,” he said. “I could tell they hurt you.”

“It’s not that they hurt us.” I felt comfortable including Bibi in this explanation. “But they didn’t celebrate our individuality. We were all supposed to serve our alpha on their latest unhinged mission against whatever pack got in their way. We had more alphas than I could count because they had a tendency to get themselves killed.”

Bibi shuddered in confirmation, and I had a terrible thought.

“Have you heard from any of them lately?” I asked.

“Not since I let Declan know you had been found, safe and sound.” She grimaced. “It was a short conversation that only covered the necessities. Why do you ask?”

“Just curious.” We’d have to talk later. I didn’t want to let Aarix know about the latest note. Not tonight. This dragon deserved to have a little fun. I needed to keep control of the narrative before I let something slip. I turned back to him. “I thought it would be fun to see what you’d create. Usually when we do wine and paint nights, we have a facilitator and it’s a paint-by-number situation. But tonight, I thought we might work together and use the mountains as our inspiration?”

“I’d like that.” Aarix said.

“Excellent!” Bibi exclaimed. “This will be your table, and your supplies are right here. I’ll be on the other side of the table, working on my own design, and I’ll occasionally ask some questions. The camera crew will be capturing everything.”

Aarix and I settled at our table, with the easel in the middle. He was so big, his legs hardly fit underneath. It would make painting a challenge. Bibi set up at the end of the table and dove into her supply box.

I opened ours and set it between us. “There are watercolors, but I thought it might be fun to make it mixed media. So we have glitter, sequins, stones, and some glue.” I dug a little deeper. “There’s also some scrapbook paper that we could tear or cut to give the piece more texture.”

Aarix grinned. “You sound like an expert.”

I shook my head and chuckled. “Far from it. But I was a pretty passionate scrapbooker back in the day, right, Bibi?”

“Oh, I hope you still have all those books.” Her head popped around the easel. “We had such a good time putting them together. I’d love to see them again.”

“I’m not sure.” I sighed. “I left a lot of stuff behind when I left the pack. There’s no telling if my family kept it.” We’d become estranged since I left. I wasn’t exactly sure why, but I would assume there had been consequences from current pack leadership. Whatever the reason, it broke my heart.

“Would you like to go home? To your pack?” Aarix asked.

“There are a lot of people I love there, and a lot of good memories, but I don’t agree with the direction they’ve taken. And I’m not sure I’d be welcome anymore.”

“Is this how shifters find mates now?” He motioned toward Bibi and then over to Bjorn.

It took me a second to figure out what he meant. “Oh, you mean the show? No, this is unusual. It started with The Real Werewives , and then Bibi put her spin on things. Usually, mates are fated. Some things never change.”

“But things changed a lot,” he said.

“They do, especially when you take them for granted.” I picked up a brush and dipped it into the water. It had been a while since I’d painted, and I reminded myself no one was expecting this to be good.

I wanted to impress Aarix. He’d crashed the party when I was at my most vulnerable. Swooping in at the perfect moment, my knight in scaled armor.

I wanted him to know I was worth the trouble.

“How did your pack expect you to find a mate?” he asked.

“We mostly hoped for the best.” I chuckled nervously, because I wasn’t the only one who thought Bibi was my mate. “I hoped someone in the pack would be fated to claim me.”

“And if they weren’t, what would happen to you?” he asked.

“They would’ve found a mate for me, if I had stayed.” I concentrated on filling in the mountains, picturing them at their most magnetic, when the setting sun glowed against their surface. I didn’t come close to doing it justice. “Did you have a mate? Before you were imprisoned?”

He was immortal, so I would assume all the dragons were. Things had been brutal in that mountain, and there was no telling what had happened to their customs. Their modern thunder had not mated with other dragons.

“We mated for the good of the thunder,” he said. “Our mates weren’t always dragons we grew up with. Sometimes, we mated to strengthen alliances, especially for our most powerful members.”

And now he was here with me, watching me paint. “You didn’t answer the question.”

His gaze shifted toward the mountains. “I had my eye on a dragon from the Rocky Mountain thunder.”