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So I Fell for Bigfoot
Bibi
My violet lips curled into a smile the moment Lars came into view. He was a delightful creature—gentle even though he was huge, powerful, and full of insight that could only come from centuries of truly being alive.
But at this very moment, he was still in his natural form, and as much as I hated to admit it, his fuzziness could cause some major problems.
“Did you bring me flowers?” I put my hands on my hips and gave him my bestoh, you shouldn’t havepose. Not that I was someone who rejected gifts. To make the magic happen, I always had to be ready to receive abundance in all forms.
If it was possible for Lars to blush, his cheeks would have been as pink as my favorite wig.
“They’re for Hannah.” His gaze darted away from me. There was no way he’d miss the Colorado Ranch wolves who’d come out of their cabins to see a sasquatch up close and personal with their very own eyes. He’d been little more than a hardly-believed legend until now. Butheonly had eyes for one woman. “Is she here?”
My heart broke at the uncertainty in his voice. “I’m so sorry. She’s not. I thought you knew I brought you here so we could have a chance to chat candidly before your episode started.”
His body stiffened, and his grip on the flowers tightened. “Is something wrong? Did something happen to Hannah?”
“No!” I said quickly. Maybe too quickly. Lars had spent too many centuries by himself on that mountain. He’d fallen head over fuzzy heels for a human who’d come to Sunset Springs to star inThe Mating Game.He was stretching himself far beyond his limits to make her happy and for that, he deserved nothing less than the truth. “Hannah’s fantastic as always. Very excited about starting her episode. But I have to be honest with you, we hoped you’d shift into your human form before filming began.”
He nodded and lowered his gaze.
No. Making him feel bad about something beyond his control was the last thing I wanted to do. I’d warned him we needed to be candid. And even he couldn’t deny all that fur could be a major stumbling block.
Don’t get me wrong. I knew my way around a beast. But what I couldn’t plan for was how humans would react to him, especially when he took one of their own as a mate.
“We can make it work,” I insisted. No sad sasquatches on my watch. We’d make everyone fall in love with him. This was a tall order, even for me, but I couldn’t be the reason he went back to that mountain alone with a broken heart. “The most important thing is for you to be comfortable during this process. That’s one of the reasons I wanted to bring you here today, to see how you do around people. You’ll be taking the stage in front of a packed audience, taking Hannah on dates, and of course, the show is watched by millions around the world. You’re a private beast, Lars. If there’s any reason you think this won’t work, we need to know upfront. Everyone atThe Mating Gameis ready to do everything in their power to make sure you claim your mate.”
“Maybe this isn’t such a good idea,” he rumbled softly.
“Oh, Lars, the last thing I want to do is discourage you. But it’s important that you go into this with your eyes wide open. As you know, mates are—” I wasn’t one to bite my tongue, but Lars had lost his mate. Using the F word would have been a serious faux pas. “Your life will change the moment you step on that stage. I’ll be supporting you every step of the way, and being less than transparent won’t help any of us, especially you.”
“Then I need to be transparent with you, too.” Of course the big fuzzy guy would pull a wildcard. “I got a visit from some wolves I haven’t seen in a very long time.”
I gasped. “By any chance, was one of them Calista?”
He furrowed his brow. “No. Hugo’s had me on the lookout for her, but there’s been no word.”
Calista had been my packmate and my best friend, but one thing she wasn’t was my mate, no matter what anyone in my pack said. After I’d left Montana to become Bibi le Bonnet, she’d gone missing. I had absolutely no idea about her disappearance until our last episode when Suzanne Marlowe dropped a bomb on me on the very stage that Lars was about to take to claim Hannah.
I’d been searching like crazy for Calista ever since I’d learned of her fate to no avail. Had it made me less prepared for this episode than I would’ve liked? I’d make sure the viewers never knew the difference.
Hannah and Lars deserved nothing less than the full Mating Game experience.
“Tell me about these wolves.”
He ran his big paw over his furry head. “I might have imagined the whole thing. These wolves have been dead for centuries. Or so I thought. They claim the discovery of the Hudaknocker brought them back to life.”
It wasn’t often that I was rendered speechless, but this was definitely one of those times.
“They thought the flowers were for Tanyth,” he continued, sadness flickering in his eyes at the mention of his lost love. “And they’re looking for revenge from my brother.”
I managed to raise a well-sculpted brow. “But he’s gone too, correct?”
There was no way to ask and not seem callus. But a certain fairy dragmother needed all the details.
“I don’t know what to believe anymore. These wolves should be dead.” Lars shook his head like it would make him wake up from a bad dream. “They think I’m protecting Leif, my brother, and if they don’t get what they want, they’ll makemepay.”
