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“I’ll do it, only because I want to see what amazing outfit you have in store for me next.” I dragged myself out of bed.
“Excellent. I will bribe you with fabulousness as long as it takes.” Bibi handed me a caramel latte. Of course she had an espresso machine in her kitchen. “Don’t worry about anything else, we’ll take care of it when we arrive at HQ.”
Bibi drove a vintage Firebird, and I felt a little underdressed climbing into it in my jammies. I slipped on a giant pair of cat-eye sunglasses and took a long sip of my latte.
Traffic slowed as soon as we got into Sunset Springs. Not unusual, but the crowd was different this time. Instead of the usual young women hoping to get closer to the cast ofThe Mating Game, the roads were lined with pickup trucks outfitted with hunting gear.
I gasped at the spray-painted sign. ‘Squatch Hunting Supplies Here.’
“Some people will try to make a buck off anything,” Bibi groaned.
“There are reports of sightings. Are you sure Lars is safe?”
“He’s under twenty-four-hour surveillance. If there was a way for him to be safer, we’d already have made it happen.” There was no missing the sharpness in her voice.
We didn’t talk for the rest of the trip. I was questioning everything as we pulled into the parking lot. I followed Bibi toward the trailers, where we were intercepted by Wendy and Laura.
“Oh, I have a feeling we have a juicy discovery on our hands.”
“We might,” Laura said, opening a binder full of plastic page protectors. “We’ve found some texts that seem to refer to the village that Lars and Armand lived in. There are no references to specific shifters, but some of the issues Lars has mentioned are definitely in here.”
“There’s also some wall art that refers to the conflicts,” Wendy added.
Bibi’s fingers flew to her lips. “This sounds fascinating, and your discovery came at the perfect time, as Hannah is scheduled to meet with Armand tonight. The more information we have at our disposal, the better.”
“Do you want to take a look at that while I’m in hair and makeup?” I suggested.
“Yes! That’s a perfect plan. Can’t wait to see the final result.” Bibi blew me an air kiss before she turned back to the book of ancient shifter secrets.
I waited until she went around the corner and then headed into the building. With cameras and security everywhere, I was sure to get caught, but I didn’t give a damn. There was no way I could be this close to Lars again without at least trying to talk to him.
I could only hope that he’d still want to see me. Sweet moon. I never considered that after I didn’t pick him, there was a possibility that he wouldn’t want me.
ten
Lars
Nothing felt right.
I didn’t have any reason to complain. Bibi had set up some incredible accommodations at the blink of an eye. She’d turned a large stage into what she called the “ultimate man cave,” with a comfy bed, oversized couch, and what Hugo called an entertainment center. He’d taught me how to use the TV to search for programs, and suggested I start with watching Logan Mathis’s hit show,A Wolf’s Moon. I didn’t think I’d be interested in watching humans and shifters pretend to be someone else, but I’ll admit it, I binged all ten seasons.
Now I was catching up onThe Real Werewives. I liked it even better thanA Wolf’s Moon, because it was so much fun watching people that I’d met in real life fall in love.
Not to mention I was picking up a lot of dating tips. Modern courtship was nothing like the rituals I’d relied on to woo Tanyth all those years ago.
I chuckled to myself. She’d love this place. Would’ve admired Bibi, but I couldn’t see her wanting to go on camera. Tanyth had never liked being the center of attention. But it was a different time. Our women had been strong in different ways.
And she would’ve loved Hannah.
My heart ached at the loss of the two women that I cared for more than anything. Both were out of my reach.
If I dwelled on what I didn’t have, I’d go feral. Do something I’d regret. Make it so I could never fight for Hannah. And fight, I would.
So I started another Werewives episode and focused on what I did have. A safe place to stay, people who cared about me, and nothing to worry about. I had a huge array of snacks—fresh fruit and vegetables, jerkies, and cheeses at my disposal. A few times a day, a production assistant would come tell me what meals were available—and then bring me back whatever I requested. Usually fish or game, vegetables, and berries.
But I felt restless. I wasn’t used to being inside all the time. Feeling trapped.
Hunted.
