Page 3 of So I Dared a Dragon (The Mating Game #6)

three

. . .

Bibi

Several weeks later…

“Welcome back.” Tina picked up her phone and snapped a picture of me as soon as I walked into the meeting, which was sure to be posted online immediately.

“Yes, I was gone longer than planned. I missed you too.” I grinned as I took my seat at the head of the table. My trip to Vegas with Hugo was only supposed to be a weekend getaway, but extenuating circumstances kept us there much longer. “It feels amazing to be back in the same room with the team. But if I’d known there was going to be a photoshoot, I would’ve swung by the makeup trailer first.”

Tina glanced up at me from whoever she was texting, with look only a mom could give. “I have to prove to Calista that you’re actually back.”

Her name made my heart constrict.

“Keeping her in Sunset Springs was a challenge,” Marissa added. “Every day you were gone, I expected to have to book a last-minute flight to Vegas and go on a wild Calista goose chase.”

“I never expected to be gone for a month.” It still felt surreal to be back. “But when a unicorn shifter male stripper got murdered on stage during The Horny Hunks revue, there was no way I could say no when they asked for my help finding the perpetrator. What happens in Vegas is never what you have planned.”

“We’ll need to come out swinging on this episode to quiet down the forums.” Hannah barely took her eyes off her laptop screen. “There are some loud voices who are convinced you stayed in Vegas so long to avoid actually filming Calista’s episode. They’re calling you the Fairy Ghost Mother.”

Ouch. But I deserved it. “They could easily look up where I was.”

“There are pictures of you on stage with the Horny Hunks.” Hannah grinned, and held up her tablet.

“Not only that, but reports of the murdered Horny Hunk were all over the news. The case rocked the Las Vegas entertainment scene. There was no way I could walk away from the situation, not even for Calista. Not even for my own show. I didn’t want them to think we were an easy target. I assure you, all that time away will only make this episode the best one yet. My best friend deserves nothing less. And I know the three of you have been working tirelessly to make that happen.”

Tina, Marissa, and Hannah beamed at me, confirming my suspicions. I’d been spoiled rotten with the best team in the business.

“We’ve come up with some impressive options to put on stage with her,” Marissa said with surprisingly worrisome sigh. “It wasn’t without challenges.”

“Oh?” I had to admit, I had mixed feelings about all these good options. Was there a piece of me that wondered if I belonged to Calista?

Of course there was.

There was no way to share a bond like that and not love someone. But my gut, my wolf instincts, knew she wasn’t my mate.

My heart…well, that was another story.

“Despite numerous attempts to find out who Calista’s ideal partner was, she only gave us one answer,” Tina said.

She didn’t have to tell me what that was. “Me.”

“We weren’t sure if we should be looking for a male or female mate for her.” Marissa’s face brightened. “So we did something we’ve never done before and asked some of the ladies who’ve applied to be contestants if they were willing to appear on the other side of the stage.”

“Of course, we made sure that they signed NDAs,” Hannah said. “The element of surprise is important not only for the viewers, but especially for Calista. There’s a faction of forum regulars who think the show is getting predictable.”

“How could they possibly say that?” I shook my head with disbelief. “In our last episode, we brought Bigfoot himself on stage and barely held off a war with dire wolves and zombie beasts.”

“Think of it as their way of saying that we need to outdo ourselves with this episode.” Marissa grinned as she slid a pile of manila folders across the table. “These are our top choices. But we wanted to let you make the final call because you know her so well.”

All eyes were on me as I opened the first folder. The smiling face of a blonde woman greeted me. I perused her bio, learning that she was long-distance runner and adrenaline junkie who described herself as a plant mom. She’d definitely make an amazing contestant…on another episode.

The next one was a gorgeous male lion shifter. Dark skin, sparkling eyes. A smile that would make the butterflies in almost anyone’s belly flutter. He’d worked for special ops in the military and loved mountain climbing.

Maybe we could set these two up on their own episode… No. Even if I could talk the network into another episode, it wouldn’t help me find the perfect mate for Calista.

On to the next folder.

A curvy lady with light blue hair, bubblegum pink lips, and gorgeous blue eyes smiled back at me. She was a mural artist, and her file included some truly incredible photos of her street art from all over the country. Would she be happy settling down?

“I think Calista’s mate is a man,” I said softly.

“Have you seen the hockey player yet?” Marissa asked, wiggling her eyebrows.

“Someone, probably from his team, leaked that he was a potential contestant and the forums have been going wild,” Hannah sang the last word. “Not that we’re hurting for viewers, but he could bring us a whole new audience.”

She leaned over and slid his folder out of the pile.

He was a Canadian with long, sandy brown hair and a grin that promised trouble. There was no doubt he’d make for a great episode, but this episode?

Why was I having such a hard time with this?

“I think these are all incredible choices, and there are strong arguments for every one of them—”

“But?” Marissa said with a cocked brow, sliding her gaze to Tina.

“We had plenty of time to prepare for this intervention,” Tina said, leaning forward. “This isn’t me speaking as a producer, it’s me talking to you as your new best friend. The Bibi that everyone in this room knows and loves isn’t afraid of anything. But something about this episode has you off your game.”

Hannah scraped her teeth over her bottom lip. “There’s another very loud contingent of forum regulars who want to see you answering questions on stage. Obviously, they want it to be a surprise for Calista, which might be a little hard to pull off since you’re the host of the show. Their argument is the only way to prove you’re not her mate once and for all is to have you go head-to-head with the shifter she ultimately winds up picking.”

“It’s a pretty strong argument,” Marissa added.

“If it was anyone but you, we’d all be lobbying hard for this arrangement.” Tina gave me a sympathetic smile. “But again, I have to be honest with you. Maybe this isn’t the way for the two of you to settle your differences.”

I threw my shoulders back, straightening my spine before pushing the folders to the middle of the table. “You’re right. You all are. This episode won’t be easy, but it’s important that we see it through. Pick your two favorite contestants, and I’ll join them on the stage.”

Three shocked faces looked back at me.

“We can do that,” Marissa said as she gathered the folders. “But if she picks you, we might have a logistical issue, because she’s scheduled to move into the spare boudoir later today.”

“I’m barely unpacked from Vegas!” I exclaimed. “But there’s no way I can postpone Calista’s move in.”

“You went to the mercantile and got fresh-cut flowers for her room,” Tina said as she helped me put the lavender satin fitted sheet on the bed. “That seems ready to me. And she’s checked out of the chalet. She’s coming whether you’re ready or not.”

“I’ve got bath bombs, that amazing moisturizer from the chalet spa, and the shampoo and conditioner Calista likes.” Hannah stood in the doorway of the en-suite bathroom. “I’ve got towels in the warmer, but I’m not sure if I should turn them on? I don’t think she’ll need them right away. How long are we staying?”

“I ordered catering from the mercantile. Jenny promised she’d have it here as soon as Gretta and Sunny were done cooking. There’s dessert too. Chocolate-covered cherry cheesecake. You’re welcome to stay as long as you want.”

Tina pulled comforter over the bed. “We’ll stay, make sure Calista is settled, and have something to eat. But then we need to head out and give the two of you some alone time.”

“I’ll be here,” Hugo growled. He stood behind us with his arms crossed. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“To say Hugo wasn’t happy when he heard the plan for me to go on stage would be a gross understatement,” I said as I placed the pillows.

“It’s reckless. Dangerous,” he said. “It won’t fix any problems.”

“It’s a strategy.” It would take some time for him to understand, but hopefully he wouldn’t have to. There was no way Calista would pick me.

Hannah gasped. “You don’t think Bibi and Calista are in danger, do you?”

Tina glared at her.

“Oh. Right.” Hannah smiled at Hugo apologetically. “Listen, I can sympathize more than most with why you hate this. After all, I didn’t choose the right contestant at first.”

The sound that came out of him was between a groan and growl.

“But if Bibi doesn’t go on stage, the viewers will always question who her mate truly is.” Hannah went over and put her hand on his arm. My wolf didn’t budge. “You deserve better than that. The few moments of discomfort will be worth it, I promise.”

I’d make her a full-time producer if she and Lars didn’t have a budding off-the-grid concert-experience business in the works.

“What happens if she picks you?” Hugo’s question made a chill go down my spine. “No matter what you say, there’s a chance it could happen. She’ll know something’s up when you’re not hosting the show, and you have a distinctive voice. There will only be three contestants. As soon as she figures it out, she’ll choose you just to prove her point.”

He was more right than I wanted to admit. I went over to him. I wanted to hug him, but a forcefield had formed around him. “By then, she’ll already know I belong to you.”

Tina and Hannah’s mouths dropped. I’d just admitted the thing that scared me more than anything.

He narrowed his eyes. My confession didn’t soften him at all. “Then don’t do it. End it now. It’s that simple.”

Before I had a chance to say anything else, he turned and left the room.

“Hugo,” I said, but the door slamming behind him was the only response. My heart smashed to pieces with the impact.

“Go after him,” Hannah urged, but I was already on my way to the backyard, where I found Hugo in one of the lounge chairs by the fire pit.

I took the one next to him.

“I’ll call it off,” I said. “We have a bunch of great contestants who’d be delighted to go on stage. I’ll call Marissa and have her book Calista another room at the chalet. Chances are, she’ll refuse to do the episode.”

“You don’t get it, do you?” Hugo turned to me. “I brought you to Vegas because I wanted nothing more than for you take a weekend to yourself. Let yourself relax. But you figured out a way to jump back into work immediately. I know you’re gonna say you love it, but I have to wonder what you’re so afraid will happen if you take a break. If you’ll ever let yourself be with me.”

My lips parted.

“I never felt like I could be myself with my pack. They’d trained me to be a killing machine. I tried to put a stop to it, but they didn’t listen.” This never got easier to talk about. “Once I left, I realized I could fix people’s problems. I could make them happy. Now, I have an entire production team depending on me for their livelihood. If we alienate the viewers and the show gets canceled, they’re all out of a job. We’re out of a job.”

“I understand how hard it is to be yourself when you don’t fit in with your pack,” he said. “I followed Pedro for a long time because I didn’t think I had any other options. But then I took a chance on you, and I thought it was the best thing I ever did. I could finally be myself. Use all the things I learned working with Pedro on a much bigger scale than I ever imagined. I met the wolf I thought was my mate, but the crazy thing is, I have no idea how to make her happy.”

“That’s not true.” Tears stung my eyes, but I couldn’t cry. Bjorn was in the living room, setting up for Calista’s imminent arrival. “You make me happy just by being you. We just had a wonderful adventure in Vegas, and there is no one I would’ve rather had by my side while we found Jesse’s killer.”

“I thought things would change once we got back to Sunset Springs.” He shook his head. “But it’s business as usual.”

“Hello! We’re here!” Marissa called out. Sweet moon, Calista was in my house .

Hugo tented his fingers, pressing the tips together, with his elbows resting on his thighs. “I gotta let you in on a little secret. I didn’t stop working while we were in Vegas, either. I wanted to find out what Calista was up to while she was missing, and why those wolves might have taken her into captivity. But it turns out, she was involved in something much more dangerous.”

“Tell me everything you know.” Why hadn’t he done so before now?

Marissa knocked on the door. “We’re thinking it will be more authentic if we film you greeting…oh, you’re in the middle of something. We can make it work.”

She turned on her heel and disappeared.

I threw my shoulders back and fluffed my hair. The show was calling, but my wolf needed me more. “What happens now?”

Hugo rose from his chair, all gorgeous muscle. His body was vibrating wolf energy, and it was only moments before he shifted.

“You’ll start filming. I said I’d be here, no matter what, but I’m not so sure that’s the right move. If I want things to change, I need to change them.” He shook his head and walked away.

“Hugo.”

By some miracle, he turned around.

“Are you quitting The Mating Game , or are you quitting me?” I braced myself for the answer.

“I’m not quitting anything,” he said. “When you’re ready to go all in, you know where to find me.”