AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Then why did you reject her?” Roxy asked. I appreciated that she was the one asking the questions because she knew precisely what the gossip rags would be looking for. As hard as this was in the moment, she’d leave no stone unturned for them to discover later.
“I didn’t. I was very clear with my intentions as soon as becoming mates became part of the discussion. It still hurts to think about today, as much as it did in the moment. My pack, my family, and Calista’s family didn’t understand what I was trying to tell them. This is me.” I gestured to my fabulous outfit. “Not some brute of a wolf. I could’ve been that beast for her, but neither of us would have been happy. Even if it would have been the easy thing to do, I would’ve broken her heart.”
“I’ve been trapped in a marriage with a wolf I didn’t love,” Roxy said. “Pushed into it by the people who should’ve been looking out for me when they were only looking out for themselves. Now that I know what it’s like to be claimed by my fated mate, I can assure you, you did the right thing, Bibi.”
The crowd cheered, and my heart was overflowing. “I always kept the story to myself because I thought everyone would react the way my pack did. And I came to Sunset Springs to break free of those limitations. I want you to know me as Bibi le Bonnet, not a wolf I was never meant to be.”
Roxy’s mouth dropped. “Would you like to show us? Maybe with a little drag performance?”
The crowd went wild. I’d never been so relieved to have them on my side. I promised myself I’d never let them down again.
For a moment, I thought of Hugo. My heart swelled. That trip to Vegas needed to go from maybe to booked. The two of us would benefit from some alone time.
Was my past with Calista the reason I insisted on keeping him at arm’s length? What would happen if I didn’t?
“Like I could even think about saying no after that reaction.” I blew them a kiss. “And just for the record, nothing I do is little, darling. But I can’t do this alone. Would you give a warm Mating Game welcome to my fabulous new friends, Sally Sublime, Lu La Rosa, and Rayven D’Lite?”
The queens I’d met outside HQ practically floated onto the stage. They looked so fierce. Each one of them was wearing a hot pink gown and matching platinum blonde wigs. We’d only had a few chances to practice our number, and I had to admit, I was nervous. The music started playing. We went retro, with a big band-style song, even though I was dressed like I’d landed here from another planet. That was the beauty of drag. We could make anything work. The song gave us a chance for long, slow movements that would give us all the opportunity to sparkle.
The queens absolutely crushed it and took multiple bows at the end of the number. I was so proud of them, and if I could convince them to stay in Sunset Springs, maybe we could put together a regular show.
Roxy was out of her seat, giving us a standing ovation at the end of the number. The queens waved to the crowd and blew us air kisses on their way off the stage.
“Now that was a show!” Roxy exclaimed before pulling me aside.
All those cheers turned to concern, and those awful boos were back.
“What’s wrong?” I whispered. We wore clip-on microphones, and the crowd would hear everything.
“There’s another development with Calista,” she whispered, biting her lip and throwing a cautioned glance at the crowd. “She’s missing.”
“What do you mean, missing?” My voice was too loud, but it was better that the audience heard this from me. Not from Suzanne or some other source who claimed to have the scoop.
Roxy looked at the tablet screen one more time. “Reports are that she went to find you before you came here, and no one’s heard from her since. Your pack assumes she’s dead.”
Dead. With that one word, the world lost some of its sparkle. My body was numb, and I had no idea what to say.
Roxy put her hand on my arm. “I’m so sorry you had to learn about it like this. But I panicked. The story is public. I didn’t want someone to shout it out from the audience.”
“You did the right thing.” It didn’t make it feel any better. I’d thought leaving Calista behind so she could start a new life was best for her. “I never wanted something like this to happen.”
Roxy led me back to the chairs. “How do you want to end the segment?”
“I’d been tipped off that Suzanne was interested in the time between leaving my pack and coming to Sunset Springs. I never imagined it could have something to do with Calista’s whereabouts.” I hated that she’d had this information and did the grossest thing possible with it. I could’ve sent wolves out looking for her. I wanted her to find peace. “So I brought in the band I’d been on tour with to play for you. It seems so trivial now, but would anyone be interested in watching Wolfsbane play?”
The band came out on stage without waiting for an answer. The crowd went wild at the sight of them, but the guys made a bee line for me. They were the first ones to ever accept me as Bibi le Bonnet, and I owed them the world.
Jase Wolfsbane wrapped me in a hug. “We’ve got your back, Bibi. No matter what.”
ChapterTwenty-Eight
Marissa
“How are you feeling?” Tina had to shout to be heard over the wail of the guitar. Leave it to Bibi to have a full-blown rock concert during her confessional.
I’d seen the queens backstage, and I thought they were over the top. But apparently, I’d forgotten who I was dealing with.
My mother—who’d dropped a bomb on Bibi that none of us had seen coming. I would never forgive her for blindsiding Bibi with such awful news. Even if that woman wasn’t her mate, it was obvious from the shell-shocked look on Bibi’s face that she’d cared about her a lot.
