Page 59 of So I Fell for Bigfoot

He gave a grim chuckle. “It’s a little late for that.”

“No, it’s not.” I couldn’t believe anything else about the situation. To save her and everyone else who could be involved in Armand’s ring, I had to be sparklier than I’d ever been in my life. “I’ve received two notes recently that I believe are from her.”

“You have?” Declan’s tone completely changed. We’d all grown up together. Had truly been a pack. Even though he wasn’t as close to Calista as I was, he still loved her like family. Because that’s what a pack was. “Is she okay? What did they say? Why didn’t you tell us before?”

This wolf was going to help me. I’d made the right decision, calling him. I knew he’d be able to put the past aside and do the right thing.

“I want to believe she was okay. The notes had blood on them. But the important thing is that she’s still alive.”

The silence was heavy between us.

“Have you had any contact with her?” I asked hopefully. “Has she told you where she is?”

“Why are you calling me about this now, Bronson?”

“Bibi.” It wasn’t that hard, but I had to stay focused. “Because the last I heard, Calista had left Montana looking for me. And if that blood is hers—”

“You didn’t care about what happened when you left,” Declan rumbled. “This pack had your back. We reached out to you. Multiple times.”

“You didn’t have my back. You wanted control.” I needed his help, so I had tread carefully in these stilettos.

“Then why are you asking us for help?”

“Because I’m worried sick about Calista. I have a capable team here that could handle this situation under normal circumstances, but I’m sure you’ve seen the news. These aren’t normal circumstances. That sasquatch that seems to have a taste for humans? I believe he’s tied to the shifters that have Calista. I don’t have proof yet, but all signs point to them being up to some real bad business.”

“Listen, Br-Bibi.” Declan’s voice sounded different, like he’d walked away from wherever he was to somewhere private. “I can get the pack to help, for Calista’s sake. But they’re gonna want things from you.”

Of course they would. “Like what?”

“You need to step away from that show and come back to your pack,” he said. “Calista was distraught when you rejected her. She can’t go through that all over again.”

There was no way I was giving up the show or who I was. But I refused to give up on Calista. Still, I was putting everything on the line. The Montana wolves had been warned there would be hell to pay if they ever set foot on Colorado Ranch again. I could be reigniting a pack war.

It was the last thing I wanted. I loved my life here and everyone in it. But I wanted peace. There had to be a way to find that with these wolves that had been woven into the fabric of my life. That didn’t go away, even if we no longer understood each other. If this incident with Calista had taught me anything, it was there was no room in life for regrets.

“I’m willing to put our differences aside to help someone we love. Are you?”

He let out a deep sigh. “I’ll see what I can do. But I make no guarantees.”

“I appreciate that.”

“What will you say to her if you find her?” he asked. “She’s in love with you.”

So many feelings were stirring inside me that I couldn’t make any guarantees, either. “We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.”

twenty-seven

Hannah

“We have two goals with this trip.” Bibi turned and addressed us from the front seat of what I’d lovingly nicknamed The Getaway Van. The regular Mating Game van was white and fully equipped with everything Marissa, Bjorn, and Tina needed to film a reality show on the go, including seats that folded out into beds. Now we were in a black van with tinted windows as we rolled through Sunset Springs. It had been stripped out, and as much equipment had been loaded in as was possible.

“It’s a good thing for all of us to get away for a bit. We’ve all had a lot on our minds,” she continued. She was so ready for this trip in her purple-camouflage-print jumpsuit, purple scarf tied around her throat, and a purple safari hat. I had some serious outfit envy. “We can consider this a fresh start.”

“Feels a little selfish,” I said. Wendy and Laura were deep in research, my friends were ghosting me to have sex with possible mad scientist wolves, Bibi’s friend was sending blood-stained pleas for help, and Lars’s brother had an affinity for swatting humans like flies. And here we were, getting out of Dodge in an unmarked van so we could have a cute date.

Bibi took a deep breath. She’d been on edge since our trip to the library. I’d asked her about it, but she tried to make it seem like it was nothing. Sometimes even fairy dragmothers were full of crap. Since we were roomies, we pretty much spent twenty-four seven together. Usually, she could shake off a bad day with margaritas and a moisturizing face mask. But this time, sweet drinks and skin care were no match for whatever was bothering her.

“You’re right. It is selfish. But this entire episode has been hijacked by unforeseen circumstances. It’s time for us to be a little selfish. The two of you deserve to spend time together without anyone else around. Once this goes to editing, all the subplots will most likely wind up on the cutting room floor, hopefully because they’ve all reached a happy resolution.” Her gaze fell to Lars. “And, on a darker note, if Leif has anymore unfortunate interactions with humans while we’re away, we have a rock-solid alibi that you’re not responsible.”

---