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“No, you’re right. He needs us.” Was Bibi flustered? “Get dressed, and we’ll meet out in the van.”
All the cute date-worthy dresses were at HQ, and it seemed wrong to wear the same outfit I’d worn to see Armand. That awful date already seemed like it happened in another lifetime. I pulled on my favorite shiny silver leggings, a plaid button-up shirt, and my combat boots to remind myself I was a badass, and headed to the van.
My head was spinning. I always knew that eventually Lars would shift. But I thought I’d have more time with him in his natural form. He’d had such a hard time shifting, there was no telling when he’d be able to do it again.
Why did I feel like I’d lost something? Lost him?
Would he still want me?
It could just be my total guilt for choosing another beast over him. Not being able to fix my mistake in time. But there was no denying him being human would change things between us.
Was our attraction magnetic only because we were so different? Would I be as attracted to him in his human form?
“How are you feeling?” Bibi asked when I climbed into the van, like she could hear my thoughts. Bjorn and Marissa were here too. Hugo was behind the wheel.
“Excited. Terrified.”
She raised a brow. “Are you worried this will change things between you and Lars?”
“I don’t see how it won’t. Eventually, he’ll shift, I know that. But I’m scared it will change our attraction for each other.”
“Doesn’t mean it won’t be for the better.” She put her hand on mine. “We have to think that these obstacles are working in our favor.”
“He’s still in danger, isn’t he?”
Bibi hesitated for a moment. My heart fell into my stomach. Everything was always safe onThe Mating Game, no matter what the big bad of the moment had in store for us, simply because Bibi was fearless. She always knew what to do, and she fixed everything. She lovingly called herself a fairy dragmother, but there was no denying she’d come by the name honestly. Bibi le Bonnet had superpowers.
“The whole world saw him shift. Those hunters might think he’s an easier target now that he’s human. That they have a fair fight on his hands,” she said.
“We could put him in a disguise,” I suggested.
“I considered that, but the more I thought about it, the more I hated the idea. Lars was so brave to go pubic to claim you. He already feels othered. If we did put him in a disguise, the hunters would figure out that he was the new mystery man that you couldn’t tear your eyes away from. It’s not a permanent solution, and you’re already concerned that you might not be as attracted to him.
“All solid reasons.” I let out a long sigh. “I feel like he’s being held prisoner. Like I did this to him.”
“Hannah.” The word came out sharp, like a reprimand. “Never apologize for caring about someone. Lars knew the consequences of his own actions every step of the way. And of course, we have too. We’ll be at HQ any moment, and we’ll decide which way is best for us to proceed with this episode.”
It was instinct to reach for my phone. The forums had to be going wild with this latest development.
Weird. No messages from Zoe or Destiny. This was the type of juicy gossip we usually lived for, and it killed me that I couldn’t take to the forums to participate. It was late, and maybe they were still out with their wolves. They couldn’t possibly be mad that I’d cut my date with Armand short.
The forums were indeed crazy, but not so much about Lars. It was the middle of the night for much of the country, and they’d be waking up to the news of his shift soon. So that wasn’t what they were talking about.
All the buzz was on one of my posts from earlier today.
Wait, I didn’t post earlier today….
Oh, shit. It looked like I mistakenly uploaded that video I was recording when Bibi came in.
I’d have to figure how to do damage control soon, but right now, it was the least of my worries. Hugo carefully navigated through the frenzied throng of reporters, fans, sasquatch hunters…anyone who could possibly be interested in this episode had found their way to HQ.
Hugo and Bjorn jumped out of the van first. Bibi took my hand and squeezed it.
“As long as you follow your heart, nothing you do is a mistake,” she said.
I nodded.
Reporters shouted questions at us as we headed inside. There were more than I’d ever seen before, and their words were unintelligible.
