Vaudeville Runaway, page 18
Matteo glared, clearly not pleased with the situation. “I’m not going to drop the charges. And if you try anything, I’ll put all of you behind bars too. You could even make Kitty your bitch,” he said, jerking his chin at Laura. “But there’s nothing you could say or do to make me change my mind.”
Calvin was already moving before Matteo finished speaking. His hand was around his throat a second later and he had the large man pinned to the wall behind the booth, choking and trying to pull Calvin off.
The girl screamed and chaos ensued. Adam and Damien each took down a bouncer, barely having to exert themselves. Damien held the third in a chokehold while Laura told the girl to leave if she knew what was good for her.
Snarling in Matteo’s face, his claws extended and Calvin couldn’t help but flex, digging those claws into the fleshy skin until the scent of blood perfumed the air. “Drop the charges, sell the club, and disappear. If you don’t I will find you and tear you into a thousand tiny pieces and feed you to my pigs just like I did to the bouncers I found trying to rape her.”
He squeezed his hand, enjoying the feel of this bastard’s blood pulsing quicker and quicker. Open the right artery and he would bleed out in seconds.
It was tempting.
“Calvin,” Laura warned.
Right. Matteo had to drop the charges first.
“Drop them, or I pay another visit. And that one will be a lot bloodier. You have twenty-four hours.” Calvin pulled back, feeling the unsatisfied growl in his chest rumble through the room. He ran his tongue over his teeth in annoyance.
His lion wanted blood.
But he had to do this the right way.
“Do we have an agreement?” he asked, licking the blood from his claws.
“What the fuck are you?” Matteo’s fear and that of the bouncers was nearly too much. Calvin nearly lost control of his lion.
“I’ll be the monster hiding in your closet if you don’t drop the charges right now.” Calvin looked to Adam and Damien. “Make sure he does it. You come with me,” he told Laura.
Walking out of that club was the hardest thing he’d ever done when his lion was roaring at him to eliminate the threat to his mate and family.
“You’re going to let him live?” Laura asked, jogging to keep up with him.
Calvin turned back and studied the club one last time. “For now. I’ll be reporting him to the Alpha of the Blue Mountain Pack. Kai will make sure Matteo stays in line. If he doesn’t…I’ll come back and take my kill.”
They were both silent for a moment and then Calvin sighed, releasing as much of the bloodlust as he could. He opened the passenger side door for her. “We need to get back to the Cirque and wait for Melissa’s call. Adam and Damien will take care of this.”
She nodded. “You don’t want me to stay and make sure nothing else needs to be done?”
Calvin was lucky. He was the Alpha, but those in his pride were what gave him the strength and clout he had. He knew without them, he wouldn’t be who he was today. “If you want to stay you can, that’s your choice. But I need to get out of here before I kill something.”
“Let me set up a silencing spell so these fuckers can’t talk about what they’ve seen. Then we can go.”
He grabbed her arm as she started walking towards the club. “Hey Laura, thank you.”
She nodded. “Of course. You know I would do anything for the Cirque.”
When they were young she used to say she would do anything for him, but now…he couldn’t feel more relieved they’d managed to come out the other side without causing too much damage. “Do you think we could be friends again?” he asked.
“I suppose we have to since your mate is my best friend.”
Calvin nodded. “Good. Now go take care of that spell so we can get the hell out of here.”
He needed a good run. Calvin would have to ask the wolf Alpha if they could change and run in his forests before they moved on. It would do them all some good. Maybe then he would feel a little less murderous.
Not that Matteo didn’t deserve it. But this was about Kitty, not revenge.
Calvin would get her out. He’d promised he would. And he would do whatever necessary to make that happen.
And Matteo would find out what that was if he didn’t make the call.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Kitty
Reading was pretty much the only thing she found interesting other than working out. Kitty enjoyed a good book, but she couldn’t imagine years of this with the limited library the prison had. At some point she was going to lose her damn mind, Kitty just didn’t know when.
At least the day wasn’t as cold as it had been recently. The sun was shining despite the frigid morning air and Kitty breathed in deep, enjoying her little sun patch. She’d only been there for two days and it already felt like forever.
But the Cirque had taken care of the guards. No one else was bothering her after that first day. And she was never really alone despite her self-imposed isolation. Two female guards followed her everywhere – they were even posted outside her cell.
Kitty didn’t have a cell mate either.
Small mercies she supposed.
One of the guards banged on the bars and she looked up from her book, eyebrow raised in question. “What can I do for you this fine morning?” she drawled, giving the guard one of her flirty winks that hid how alone she felt – how much her body ached at being separated from her mates.
“Warden wants to see you.”
No explanation was offered and she hadn’t really expected one. Kitty set her book down and stretched before getting to her feet.
She didn’t know anything about the warden or what she was like. Hopefully this would be a Mama Morton kind of situation. If the warden was out to get her there was no way Kitty was going to get out of here early.
The long walk from her cell to the warden’s office went by in a blur. Time was strange to her now without the usual ways to mark the day. Instead of waking up to her alarm so she could eat in the mess tent and practice with her mates, her entire life revolved around what she was told to do and when to do it.
There were large blocks of time when she had no set activity and if it weren’t for the meals Kitty would only have the sun to mark time.
One of her guards opened the door to the warden’s office after knocking and made room for Kitty to pass. It looked like she would be alone for whatever this was then. She had protection from the inmates, not the warden after all.
The professional blonde at the desk looked up from her paperwork and smiled. “Please sit, Kitty.”
Kitty did, holding onto the arms of the chair like it could anchor her in a windstorm. Was she in some kind of trouble?
“I got a call this morning and paperwork faxed over. It looks like all charges against you have been dropped and you’re free to go as soon as we finish this paperwork.”
It was hard not to stare, but all Kitty could do was gape at the warden. “I’m free to go?”
“Yes, just sign a few things and we’ll finish processing you. You’ll be out of here in no time. I’m glad it all worked out,” the warden said, folding her hands on top of the papers to smile at Kitty. “We have too many girls in here for this kind of bullshit. I’m always grateful when the real justice is served.”
She had so many questions, but it would probably be best if she didn’t know. Kitty knew whatever the reason she was being let go – Calvin, Adam, and Damien had something to do with it.
They had come through for her.
Despite everything they’d done for her and the promise they’d made, Kitty had doubted. She hadn’t thought they could really reach her in this place. What power did they have that wouldn’t cause the human world to come hunting them down?
The warden kept talking; explaining the process to her, but Kitty was lost and signed the papers on autopilot. Then they stood and the warden shook her hand, wishing her luck and Kitty remembered thanking her but she was dazed as she went through the motions.
Part of her was annoyed as she wanted to remember this feeling – but her realism made her cautious. Until she was in her own clothes breathing free air she couldn’t get her hopes up.
The guards then took her to processing – nothing in her cell was actually hers anyway – and she only half-listened as they instructed her on the steps.
As she went through the whole thing, all she could think about was how close she had been to losing everything she’d come to love and cherish.
Life at the Cirque was anything but mundane. She had crashed into an opportunity that was once in a lifetime with men who loved her for exactly who she was – they were completely devoted to her.
And Kitty had almost chosen to go to Vegas.
She nearly lost them all because of Matteo and the fucked up human world.
Why would she ever want to go back to a world that had done nothing but punish her over and over?
Kitty dressed in her own clothes and it felt like a dream. Part of her wasn’t sure she was even awake as the guards led her out of the prison toward the front gates.
Before the trial, Kitty had told Calvin she would stay. Granted it had been conditional due to the trial, but now she was a free woman. As she stepped outside into the frigid January weather, she breathed deep. The cold, fresh air had never smelled sweeter.
Looking up at the vibrant blue sky, and the sunlight that gilded the trees, Kitty knew what she wanted now. It had been ripped from her and knowing the despair that waited for her without them…Kitty was never going to let anything separate her from her family ever again.
“Kitty!”
She followed the sound of that voice and saw Damien jumping out of a car that had barely stopped moving, yelling her name. He ran towards her and Kitty felt tears prick her eyes. They’d even come for her here. She smiled through her tears and ran towards Damien.
Adam and Calvin and Laura piled out of the car by the time Damien reached her. She slammed into him, wrapping her arms around his neck and practically sobbed into his shirt. Kitty could barely breathe he was hugging her so tight, but she never wanted him to let go again.
Then Calvin and Adam were hugging her and Kitty was surrounded by the three of them. Nothing in the world had ever felt more natural. She held onto them tight, wishing she never had to let them go.
“You got me out?” she asked, wiping her cheeks.
Kitty pulled back and looked up at Calvin who nodded.
“We convinced Matteo to drop the charges against you and close down shop.”
She laughed and kissed him hard. “Just like that, huh?”
“Yeah Kitty, just like that,” Adam told her, pulling her in for his own kiss.
The three of them together made her feel complete and that terrible pain in her chest was completely gone.
“Nothing is going to happen to the Cirque, right?” she asked, eyeballing each of them.
“I made sure it didn’t,” Laura said, crossing her arms over her chest. “Shifters can be…volatile. So I went with them.”
Kitty let go of her mates and took two steps to Laura. She hugged the witch tight, ignoring the grumbles that were half-hearted. After a few seconds Laura hugged her back and it felt like finally all was right in the world.
“Couldn’t let my best friend rot in jail,” Laura muttered as she pulled away. “Who else is going to push me into being social?”
Laughing she took Adam’s hand and walked them back to the Cirque’s rental car. She pinched herself and grinned when it hurt like a bitch. All of this was real. It wasn’t a dream.
Her mates had gotten her out just like they’d promised. She had her best friend, and a future to look forward to now that she was a free woman. What more could she ask for?
Adam opened the door for her and she slid in, pressing against Damien on the other side. He put an arm around her shoulders and she sighed happily, snuggling closer. Adam rested a hand on her thigh and Kitty laced her fingers through his.
“Thank you,” she murmured. “I honestly thought I was going to be there for a long time.”
“Even if Matteo hadn’t dropped the charges I would have ripped open the fences and sprung you,” Calvin snarled, slamming his door closed harder than necessary. “I would never have left you.”
She smiled at that, finding his eyes in the rear view mirror. “I believe you.”
“What now, Kitty?” Laura asked, buckling her seatbelt in the front seat. “What’s the plan?”
It was a loaded question – or it would have been just a week ago. But Kitty no longer had any doubts about what she wanted, about what she was going to do with her life. Calvin and Adam and Damien had shown her a new world she never wanted to leave – they’d shown her the kind of love she thought only existed in movies and books.
“I’d like to stay with the Cirque indefinitely,” she said, feeling shy for some reason. “If that’s all right with everyone.”
“Nothing could ever be more right, Kitty,” Calvin told her. “You belong with the circus – with us.”
Adam kissed her forehead. “And now that you’re a free woman you can go wherever you want and do whatever you want.”
“Does that include you guys?” she asked with a smirk. “Because I don’t want to stay just for the circus. I want to stay for you.”
Damien took her hand and he must have sensed it before any of the others. “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying that I love you,” Kitty laughed pushing him as her cheeks burned. “I love you.” She kissed Adam’s cheek, breathing in his masculine scent. And then she looked to Calvin sitting in the driver’s seat. “And I love you.”
Something settled deep inside and Kitty somehow knew their mate bond was there – waiting for the official claim. No one had to say it out loud. But they all knew. Kitty saw the way they all glanced at each other and she knew she wasn’t the only one who felt it.
“Ready to run away with the circus?” Calvin asked as he pulled out of the parking lot and onto the main street.
Kitty grinned and snuggled into Adam once more. “I’ve never been more ready for anything in my life…except maybe a breakfast burrito.”
The sound of her mates’ laughter filled the car. Damien kissed her knuckles and smiled down at her. “We’ll make sure to stop for breakfast burritos, mate. Anything for you.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Kitty
She’d been practicing for weeks and Kitty had killed her audition. Not one person in the troupe had voted against her performing with them. Knowing they thought she was good enough…it felt better than she thought it would.
Damien worked with her the most. They’d decided to have her do a solo act for now as the choreography was easier. They’d added a bit of flair that she just adored.
And she wasn’t going to do the trapeze – at least not yet. Calvin had finally convinced her to try it, but it was still so new and different. It was also the most terrifying thing she’d ever experienced while somehow also being the most amazing. Kitty would have to practice for a few more months at the very least before they could entertain the idea of adding her to a new trapeze act.
She had the hoop though and that was enough to start with. The silks were easier, but still not to the point where she felt comfortable performing in front of a thousand people with them, even if Adam was there to make sure she did it right.
They wouldn’t let her fall.
Every day Kitty reminded herself of that, and every day she learned what that meant as it spread to all aspects of her life.
They’d officially accepted the mate bond, but the claiming thing wasn’t something she felt ready for just yet. There was still so much to get used to, so much adjusting to do. This was a whole new way of life for her, and Kitty just wasn’t ready to deal with turning into a lion on top of everything else.
But sometime in the future? Yeah, it was definitely something she wanted one day.
They had all the time in the world.
A few changes had been made though. Kitty had moved into Calvin’s tent and Damien and Adam had connected theirs to his so they had this big-ass tent that they all shared with one big bed. She loved it all.
She loved the tents and she loved the train and she loved working with the other performers.
“Ma chérie, if you don’t hold still I’m going to end up poking you,” Mamie warned.
It was difficult not to twist and turn so she could see every sparkle and shimmer of her new costume. “I wouldn’t even care. Mamie, this is amazing.”
“I based the design on my first costume,” Mamie told her, tugging the leotard here and there, adjusting the skirts she’d attached. “This pattern of crystals is one of my favorites. And this goes with it.”
Mamie turned to a wooden box and pulled out a beautiful little crown. “It’s made of the very finest crystal,” she explained. “It was a gift from the female Alpha, my mate’s mother.”
Kitty barely breathed as Calvin’s grandmother placed the crown on top of her carefully coiffed curls. “You didn’t give it to Calvin’s mom?”
“She never performed. His mother was one of the musicians.” Mamie pinned the crown and made sure it was just right. “You’re going to do wonderfully tonight.”
“Of course she is.” Calvin stepped into the tent with a slight smile. He slipped his hands into his pockets and eyed her from head to toe. “You look absolutely divine in that. You’ve outdone yourself Mamie.” He kissed his grandmother on the cheek and then reached for Kitty. “Are you ready for tonight?”
“I think so.” Kitty felt breathless. This was going to be her opening night. It hadn’t been advertised so there would be no pressure. But she still wanted to do her best. She still wanted to make the audience feel.
Calvin grinned down at her and pressed his lips against hers. It made her feel…alive and vibrant and connected to everyone and everything in this place. Calvin was the Cirque and he was somehow hers.
She would never get over just how lucky she was to have not one amazing guy, but three.
Calvin was already moving before Matteo finished speaking. His hand was around his throat a second later and he had the large man pinned to the wall behind the booth, choking and trying to pull Calvin off.
The girl screamed and chaos ensued. Adam and Damien each took down a bouncer, barely having to exert themselves. Damien held the third in a chokehold while Laura told the girl to leave if she knew what was good for her.
Snarling in Matteo’s face, his claws extended and Calvin couldn’t help but flex, digging those claws into the fleshy skin until the scent of blood perfumed the air. “Drop the charges, sell the club, and disappear. If you don’t I will find you and tear you into a thousand tiny pieces and feed you to my pigs just like I did to the bouncers I found trying to rape her.”
He squeezed his hand, enjoying the feel of this bastard’s blood pulsing quicker and quicker. Open the right artery and he would bleed out in seconds.
It was tempting.
“Calvin,” Laura warned.
Right. Matteo had to drop the charges first.
“Drop them, or I pay another visit. And that one will be a lot bloodier. You have twenty-four hours.” Calvin pulled back, feeling the unsatisfied growl in his chest rumble through the room. He ran his tongue over his teeth in annoyance.
His lion wanted blood.
But he had to do this the right way.
“Do we have an agreement?” he asked, licking the blood from his claws.
“What the fuck are you?” Matteo’s fear and that of the bouncers was nearly too much. Calvin nearly lost control of his lion.
“I’ll be the monster hiding in your closet if you don’t drop the charges right now.” Calvin looked to Adam and Damien. “Make sure he does it. You come with me,” he told Laura.
Walking out of that club was the hardest thing he’d ever done when his lion was roaring at him to eliminate the threat to his mate and family.
“You’re going to let him live?” Laura asked, jogging to keep up with him.
Calvin turned back and studied the club one last time. “For now. I’ll be reporting him to the Alpha of the Blue Mountain Pack. Kai will make sure Matteo stays in line. If he doesn’t…I’ll come back and take my kill.”
They were both silent for a moment and then Calvin sighed, releasing as much of the bloodlust as he could. He opened the passenger side door for her. “We need to get back to the Cirque and wait for Melissa’s call. Adam and Damien will take care of this.”
She nodded. “You don’t want me to stay and make sure nothing else needs to be done?”
Calvin was lucky. He was the Alpha, but those in his pride were what gave him the strength and clout he had. He knew without them, he wouldn’t be who he was today. “If you want to stay you can, that’s your choice. But I need to get out of here before I kill something.”
“Let me set up a silencing spell so these fuckers can’t talk about what they’ve seen. Then we can go.”
He grabbed her arm as she started walking towards the club. “Hey Laura, thank you.”
She nodded. “Of course. You know I would do anything for the Cirque.”
When they were young she used to say she would do anything for him, but now…he couldn’t feel more relieved they’d managed to come out the other side without causing too much damage. “Do you think we could be friends again?” he asked.
“I suppose we have to since your mate is my best friend.”
Calvin nodded. “Good. Now go take care of that spell so we can get the hell out of here.”
He needed a good run. Calvin would have to ask the wolf Alpha if they could change and run in his forests before they moved on. It would do them all some good. Maybe then he would feel a little less murderous.
Not that Matteo didn’t deserve it. But this was about Kitty, not revenge.
Calvin would get her out. He’d promised he would. And he would do whatever necessary to make that happen.
And Matteo would find out what that was if he didn’t make the call.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Kitty
Reading was pretty much the only thing she found interesting other than working out. Kitty enjoyed a good book, but she couldn’t imagine years of this with the limited library the prison had. At some point she was going to lose her damn mind, Kitty just didn’t know when.
At least the day wasn’t as cold as it had been recently. The sun was shining despite the frigid morning air and Kitty breathed in deep, enjoying her little sun patch. She’d only been there for two days and it already felt like forever.
But the Cirque had taken care of the guards. No one else was bothering her after that first day. And she was never really alone despite her self-imposed isolation. Two female guards followed her everywhere – they were even posted outside her cell.
Kitty didn’t have a cell mate either.
Small mercies she supposed.
One of the guards banged on the bars and she looked up from her book, eyebrow raised in question. “What can I do for you this fine morning?” she drawled, giving the guard one of her flirty winks that hid how alone she felt – how much her body ached at being separated from her mates.
“Warden wants to see you.”
No explanation was offered and she hadn’t really expected one. Kitty set her book down and stretched before getting to her feet.
She didn’t know anything about the warden or what she was like. Hopefully this would be a Mama Morton kind of situation. If the warden was out to get her there was no way Kitty was going to get out of here early.
The long walk from her cell to the warden’s office went by in a blur. Time was strange to her now without the usual ways to mark the day. Instead of waking up to her alarm so she could eat in the mess tent and practice with her mates, her entire life revolved around what she was told to do and when to do it.
There were large blocks of time when she had no set activity and if it weren’t for the meals Kitty would only have the sun to mark time.
One of her guards opened the door to the warden’s office after knocking and made room for Kitty to pass. It looked like she would be alone for whatever this was then. She had protection from the inmates, not the warden after all.
The professional blonde at the desk looked up from her paperwork and smiled. “Please sit, Kitty.”
Kitty did, holding onto the arms of the chair like it could anchor her in a windstorm. Was she in some kind of trouble?
“I got a call this morning and paperwork faxed over. It looks like all charges against you have been dropped and you’re free to go as soon as we finish this paperwork.”
It was hard not to stare, but all Kitty could do was gape at the warden. “I’m free to go?”
“Yes, just sign a few things and we’ll finish processing you. You’ll be out of here in no time. I’m glad it all worked out,” the warden said, folding her hands on top of the papers to smile at Kitty. “We have too many girls in here for this kind of bullshit. I’m always grateful when the real justice is served.”
She had so many questions, but it would probably be best if she didn’t know. Kitty knew whatever the reason she was being let go – Calvin, Adam, and Damien had something to do with it.
They had come through for her.
Despite everything they’d done for her and the promise they’d made, Kitty had doubted. She hadn’t thought they could really reach her in this place. What power did they have that wouldn’t cause the human world to come hunting them down?
The warden kept talking; explaining the process to her, but Kitty was lost and signed the papers on autopilot. Then they stood and the warden shook her hand, wishing her luck and Kitty remembered thanking her but she was dazed as she went through the motions.
Part of her was annoyed as she wanted to remember this feeling – but her realism made her cautious. Until she was in her own clothes breathing free air she couldn’t get her hopes up.
The guards then took her to processing – nothing in her cell was actually hers anyway – and she only half-listened as they instructed her on the steps.
As she went through the whole thing, all she could think about was how close she had been to losing everything she’d come to love and cherish.
Life at the Cirque was anything but mundane. She had crashed into an opportunity that was once in a lifetime with men who loved her for exactly who she was – they were completely devoted to her.
And Kitty had almost chosen to go to Vegas.
She nearly lost them all because of Matteo and the fucked up human world.
Why would she ever want to go back to a world that had done nothing but punish her over and over?
Kitty dressed in her own clothes and it felt like a dream. Part of her wasn’t sure she was even awake as the guards led her out of the prison toward the front gates.
Before the trial, Kitty had told Calvin she would stay. Granted it had been conditional due to the trial, but now she was a free woman. As she stepped outside into the frigid January weather, she breathed deep. The cold, fresh air had never smelled sweeter.
Looking up at the vibrant blue sky, and the sunlight that gilded the trees, Kitty knew what she wanted now. It had been ripped from her and knowing the despair that waited for her without them…Kitty was never going to let anything separate her from her family ever again.
“Kitty!”
She followed the sound of that voice and saw Damien jumping out of a car that had barely stopped moving, yelling her name. He ran towards her and Kitty felt tears prick her eyes. They’d even come for her here. She smiled through her tears and ran towards Damien.
Adam and Calvin and Laura piled out of the car by the time Damien reached her. She slammed into him, wrapping her arms around his neck and practically sobbed into his shirt. Kitty could barely breathe he was hugging her so tight, but she never wanted him to let go again.
Then Calvin and Adam were hugging her and Kitty was surrounded by the three of them. Nothing in the world had ever felt more natural. She held onto them tight, wishing she never had to let them go.
“You got me out?” she asked, wiping her cheeks.
Kitty pulled back and looked up at Calvin who nodded.
“We convinced Matteo to drop the charges against you and close down shop.”
She laughed and kissed him hard. “Just like that, huh?”
“Yeah Kitty, just like that,” Adam told her, pulling her in for his own kiss.
The three of them together made her feel complete and that terrible pain in her chest was completely gone.
“Nothing is going to happen to the Cirque, right?” she asked, eyeballing each of them.
“I made sure it didn’t,” Laura said, crossing her arms over her chest. “Shifters can be…volatile. So I went with them.”
Kitty let go of her mates and took two steps to Laura. She hugged the witch tight, ignoring the grumbles that were half-hearted. After a few seconds Laura hugged her back and it felt like finally all was right in the world.
“Couldn’t let my best friend rot in jail,” Laura muttered as she pulled away. “Who else is going to push me into being social?”
Laughing she took Adam’s hand and walked them back to the Cirque’s rental car. She pinched herself and grinned when it hurt like a bitch. All of this was real. It wasn’t a dream.
Her mates had gotten her out just like they’d promised. She had her best friend, and a future to look forward to now that she was a free woman. What more could she ask for?
Adam opened the door for her and she slid in, pressing against Damien on the other side. He put an arm around her shoulders and she sighed happily, snuggling closer. Adam rested a hand on her thigh and Kitty laced her fingers through his.
“Thank you,” she murmured. “I honestly thought I was going to be there for a long time.”
“Even if Matteo hadn’t dropped the charges I would have ripped open the fences and sprung you,” Calvin snarled, slamming his door closed harder than necessary. “I would never have left you.”
She smiled at that, finding his eyes in the rear view mirror. “I believe you.”
“What now, Kitty?” Laura asked, buckling her seatbelt in the front seat. “What’s the plan?”
It was a loaded question – or it would have been just a week ago. But Kitty no longer had any doubts about what she wanted, about what she was going to do with her life. Calvin and Adam and Damien had shown her a new world she never wanted to leave – they’d shown her the kind of love she thought only existed in movies and books.
“I’d like to stay with the Cirque indefinitely,” she said, feeling shy for some reason. “If that’s all right with everyone.”
“Nothing could ever be more right, Kitty,” Calvin told her. “You belong with the circus – with us.”
Adam kissed her forehead. “And now that you’re a free woman you can go wherever you want and do whatever you want.”
“Does that include you guys?” she asked with a smirk. “Because I don’t want to stay just for the circus. I want to stay for you.”
Damien took her hand and he must have sensed it before any of the others. “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying that I love you,” Kitty laughed pushing him as her cheeks burned. “I love you.” She kissed Adam’s cheek, breathing in his masculine scent. And then she looked to Calvin sitting in the driver’s seat. “And I love you.”
Something settled deep inside and Kitty somehow knew their mate bond was there – waiting for the official claim. No one had to say it out loud. But they all knew. Kitty saw the way they all glanced at each other and she knew she wasn’t the only one who felt it.
“Ready to run away with the circus?” Calvin asked as he pulled out of the parking lot and onto the main street.
Kitty grinned and snuggled into Adam once more. “I’ve never been more ready for anything in my life…except maybe a breakfast burrito.”
The sound of her mates’ laughter filled the car. Damien kissed her knuckles and smiled down at her. “We’ll make sure to stop for breakfast burritos, mate. Anything for you.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Kitty
She’d been practicing for weeks and Kitty had killed her audition. Not one person in the troupe had voted against her performing with them. Knowing they thought she was good enough…it felt better than she thought it would.
Damien worked with her the most. They’d decided to have her do a solo act for now as the choreography was easier. They’d added a bit of flair that she just adored.
And she wasn’t going to do the trapeze – at least not yet. Calvin had finally convinced her to try it, but it was still so new and different. It was also the most terrifying thing she’d ever experienced while somehow also being the most amazing. Kitty would have to practice for a few more months at the very least before they could entertain the idea of adding her to a new trapeze act.
She had the hoop though and that was enough to start with. The silks were easier, but still not to the point where she felt comfortable performing in front of a thousand people with them, even if Adam was there to make sure she did it right.
They wouldn’t let her fall.
Every day Kitty reminded herself of that, and every day she learned what that meant as it spread to all aspects of her life.
They’d officially accepted the mate bond, but the claiming thing wasn’t something she felt ready for just yet. There was still so much to get used to, so much adjusting to do. This was a whole new way of life for her, and Kitty just wasn’t ready to deal with turning into a lion on top of everything else.
But sometime in the future? Yeah, it was definitely something she wanted one day.
They had all the time in the world.
A few changes had been made though. Kitty had moved into Calvin’s tent and Damien and Adam had connected theirs to his so they had this big-ass tent that they all shared with one big bed. She loved it all.
She loved the tents and she loved the train and she loved working with the other performers.
“Ma chérie, if you don’t hold still I’m going to end up poking you,” Mamie warned.
It was difficult not to twist and turn so she could see every sparkle and shimmer of her new costume. “I wouldn’t even care. Mamie, this is amazing.”
“I based the design on my first costume,” Mamie told her, tugging the leotard here and there, adjusting the skirts she’d attached. “This pattern of crystals is one of my favorites. And this goes with it.”
Mamie turned to a wooden box and pulled out a beautiful little crown. “It’s made of the very finest crystal,” she explained. “It was a gift from the female Alpha, my mate’s mother.”
Kitty barely breathed as Calvin’s grandmother placed the crown on top of her carefully coiffed curls. “You didn’t give it to Calvin’s mom?”
“She never performed. His mother was one of the musicians.” Mamie pinned the crown and made sure it was just right. “You’re going to do wonderfully tonight.”
“Of course she is.” Calvin stepped into the tent with a slight smile. He slipped his hands into his pockets and eyed her from head to toe. “You look absolutely divine in that. You’ve outdone yourself Mamie.” He kissed his grandmother on the cheek and then reached for Kitty. “Are you ready for tonight?”
“I think so.” Kitty felt breathless. This was going to be her opening night. It hadn’t been advertised so there would be no pressure. But she still wanted to do her best. She still wanted to make the audience feel.
Calvin grinned down at her and pressed his lips against hers. It made her feel…alive and vibrant and connected to everyone and everything in this place. Calvin was the Cirque and he was somehow hers.
She would never get over just how lucky she was to have not one amazing guy, but three.
