Vaudeville Runaway, page 4
“Oh man,” she said, wiping more tears from her face. “No wonder you laughed when I asked if you were going to feed me to the lions. Holy shit. Adam is a fucking lion.”
She was like…ninety percent sure she’d been drugged or something and this was all some kind of dream or hallucination. Because honestly, paranormal shit actually existing would be too cool to be real. The world didn’t work like that.
“Come here,” Kitty said, still snickering as she held out her hand. “I want to pet you.”
The lion chuffed and then slowly walked toward her, glancing at Calvin and Damien like he was waiting for them to yell at him.
“In charge of the fucking lions,” she snickered. “You’re so stupid Calvin.”
Damien coughed and it sounded suspiciously like a laugh.
Then Adam bumped his head against her hand. Kitty stroked his mane, studying the black hair mixed in with all the tan. He certainly had some interesting coloring for a lion.
“Change back,” she demanded.
And suddenly he was standing in front of her, giant cock in her face.
Kitty flew backward in shock and tumbled out of the chair.
Then Damien laughed for real.
“Isn’t there some rule against telling me this?” she demanded, getting to her feet with a glare.
She was ready for this dream to be over, for reality to come crashing back down. Because this? It was too much fun. Too much gorgeous man who could turn into a lion.
Calvin nodded slightly. “Kind of. But you’re also our mate.”
“Our?” she screeched, getting to her feet. “Mhm, I think my weirdness meter just exceeded capacity. I’m out.”
Before she could get more than two steps Damien was in front of her, glaring. “You agreed to hear the secret. You can’t just leave now. There are rules for humans to follow once they know about the paranormal world. After that’s squared away, you can leave.”
Kitty just stared at him. This one barely had a sense of humor, or if he did he hid it well. This last bit was too…serious for her to believe he was just playing around. “Did you drug me?”
Calvin sighed. “Get some rest Kitty. In the morning Laura will go with you to get your stuff from the motel. Once we’ve settled the particulars of this situation you can leave. But don’t try to run off before then. Or I will feed you to the lions.”
And she could have sworn she heard a growl come from deep in his throat. Did his eyes just glow a little? Kitty shook her head and turned to leave. Then she realized she had no idea where she was supposed to sleep.
“A little help?” she asked.
“Adam, take care of her.” Calvin stood and gave her one last nod, but even that somehow seemed to say ‘I told you so.’ Then he left with Damien following close behind.
“Are you going to put on pants?” Kitty snapped.
The ‘lion’ grinned at her. “You seemed to like looking at me so I wasn’t sure if I should. Wouldn’t want to impede your view.”
For the first time in years Kitty fucking blushed. “Maybe later. But right now I think I need to sleep this shit off.”
“Whatever you say, sweetheart.”
Yup. Her curiosity was definitely going to get her killed.
Laura didn’t say anything as she drove from the circus fairgrounds to where Kitty’s seedy motel was located.
She hadn’t slept well after the weird lion thing, but Adam had let her keep the bottle of wine. After killing the whole thing she’d passed out finally right before the sun completely rose.
Kitty still had a headache, but Laura wasn’t one of those people who took bullshit. She’d woken Kitty up and gave her ibuprofen and told her to get her ass in the car. Not only had she woken up with a headache, but she’d checked her feet and the various scrapes and bruises.
They were all almost completely gone. Whatever Laura had put on them was more than efficient. It was like magic.
“Are they still lions?” Kitty asked. She pressed her forehead to the passenger window, hoping the cold would ease some of her hangover headache. “Turn here.”
“Last I checked they’re as much a lion shifter as I am a witch,” Laura snapped. “I don’t know why they even told you.”
“Something about ‘our’ mate,” Kitty muttered, closing her eyes against the bright light. “Hey, could we stop for a breakfast burrito on the way back?”
“It’s past noon.” Laura was definitely annoyed with her for some reason. “And what do you mean ‘our mate’?”
“That’s what I’d like to fucking know,” Kitty said, sitting up and glaring at the witch. “Calvin said it in passing like it was no big deal, but I would have to disagree. I watch TV. I know what a mate is.”
Laura grumbled something nasty under her breath and then said, “I can’t believe I’m the one who has to explain this to you.”
“This one,” Kitty said, interrupting her. “Right here.”
“This place is a shithole,” Laura told her.
“Yeah, no duh. Now, are you gonna judge me or are you going to come with me to get all my stuff?” Kitty eyed the so-called witch. “Do some magic or something.”
Laura glared at her as she parked; slamming on the brakes so Kitty’s head nearly hit the dashboard. “Do some stripping or something.”
They glared at each other for a moment, and even though Kitty currently hated Laura and Calvin, Damien, and yes – even Adam and his giant cock, she really liked this chick. It was like they were soul sisters or something with their mutual hatred for the world.
“Fine, I’ll strip for you. Give you a private dance when we get back since my feet are practically back to normal. Now do some magic.” She crossed her arms over her chest and just waited. “By the way, one of my private dances went for five hundred dollars for ten minutes. So you’re getting a deal.”
Laura snapped her fingers and muttered something. “Check the mirror.”
Kitty eyed the other woman suspiciously but pulled down the visor. “Holy fuck! You made my hair look pretty!”
Not only was it magically clean and brushed, it was curled in gorgeous waves that made Kitty look and feel like a model.
Then she realized her hair had not been that nice a second ago. “Aw, fuck.” Kitty slammed the visor up and rested her head back against the chair.
“Believe us now? And your injuries should be completely gone by tomorrow thanks to that salve I used.” Laura gave her an annoyed look. “And you still owe me a dance, but at least now you won’t look like shit while you do it.”
Kitty reclined her chair as far as it would go and then covered her eyes with her arm. It was so much darker and the sun didn’t hurt anymore.
They were fucking lions. And this chick was a witch.
Part of her still wanted to laugh because, dude, she would never have thought Calvin could be so punny.
But also they were lions.
Kitty felt like that was definitely something she was allowed to freak out about.
And oh, right, a goddamn witch with magical salve.
“What else is there?” Kitty muttered, wishing she could hide under a blanket while she processed all this shit.
Laura sighed like she felt bad, but probably not. The witch was definitely going to call in that dance. “Anything you can imagine.”
“Demons?”
“Yup.”
“…vampires?”
“Obviously.”
“What about werewolves?”
“They’re called shifters, not ‘were’ whatever. There’s pretty much a shifter for every animal that exists.”
Kitty lifted her arm up a bit so she could look at Laura with one eye. “Even raccoons?”
That actually made the cranky doctor grin. “Even raccoons.”
“Seriously?” Kitty sat up and studied her for a moment. “Well, I don’t believe you’d lie to me. It would be too much work at this juncture. Holy shit. Magic and shifters. How have I not been aware of this my whole fucking life?”
Laura rolled her eyes. “Magic, duh.”
“Duh,” Kitty repeated stupidly. “Okay fine. Let’s move onto the really important thing here. What is a mate and why did Calvin specifically use the word ‘our’?”
“Let’s get your stuff before we freeze to death,” Laura told her, opening the car door. “I’ll tell you as we work.”
Kitty scurried out of the car as she thought of a thousand more questions. The freezing winter air had her tucking her hands in her flimsy jacket. Christ, she couldn’t wait to get all her clothes back.
At least a witch had her back. Kitty didn’t feel like she had to constantly look over her shoulder and wonder. Matteo was probably still in the hospital which meant it would be at least another day or two before she had to worry.
By then she’d be deep in the Cirque though…and if lions ran the place she doubted she had much to be worried about.
“So did they send you with me because they think I hate them, or because you’re stronger than they are?” she asked as they walked to her room.
For the first time Laura gave her an impressed look. “What makes you think witches are stronger?”
“Magic, duh.”
That made Laura actually smile. “I’m not physically stronger than them. But yes, my magic gives me the ability to be stronger in other ways. Nothing will touch you while I’m here.”
Kitty grinned. “My hero.”
The witch snorted as she drew something that looked like a rune on the door. The lock clicked and the door swung open.
“I had a key.” Kitty held it up and waved it around a bit. “That was just showing off.”
Laura rolled her eyes and they walked through the door into the dark, dirty space. The twin bed was ratty and the bedspread old – like from the 70s old. There were cracks in the walls and it was freezing in there. Laura wrinkled her nose in disgust.
“It was the only place I could afford after I got mugged,” Kitty muttered, grabbing stuff as she went. “So explain this mate shit.”
Laura didn’t help or touch anything. She just watched Kitty work, one eye on the door. “Every shifter has a mate thanks to the magic that makes them what they are. Part of it is biology and genetics and compatibility – strengthening the species kind of stuff. The other part is a magical bond that ties the mates together.”
Kitty closed one suitcase and started on another, tossing three pairs of stripper heels in there before grabbing her costume jewelry. “Okay, so fine, but why did he say ‘our’?” She had a feeling she already knew the answer, but she wanted it spelled out.
The witch ran a finger across the dresser and then made a face at the dust she found there. “Different shifters mate differently. Wolves mate to one person as do most shifters. Some have some leniency and it will change from shifter to shifter. Like there’s a triad of foxes who mated to a witch, or so I’ve heard through the witch grapevine. The Midnight Coven in Portland wouldn’t stop talking about it. Anyway, that’s not always the case with foxes. A lot of the time they will mate to one person. Some people think it’s because they’re so much like canines and felines.”
There was a feeling in the pit of her stomach and Kitty had to sit down while she absorbed all this. With her hangover she had to be careful or she was going to puke everywhere.
“Felines,” Laura went on, “always mate in triads. So when he said ‘our’ he meant him and the other two who are a part of that triad. Sometimes they know who the second and third are, sometimes they don’t. But as the Fates would have it, usually the felines who gravitate toward each other through life end up in a triad together. Almost always the Alpha, Second, and Third of a pride.”
There was so much that went into this Kitty could only stare at Laura as her addled brain processed words like ‘Fates,’ ‘triad,’ and ‘alpha.’ “Is there a choice?” she asked.
Laura sighed and waved for Kitty to keep packing. When she didn’t move the witch crossed her arms over her chest and glared. “I will only talk if you keep packing. The less time we spend here the better. It’s disgusting.”
So Kitty yanked all her clothes out of the closet and gave Laura a pointed look.
“There isn’t a choice usually. But you don’t have to take them on as mates. They will always know you are their mate and it will never be the same for them. They won’t be as fulfilled or happy as they would be with you. But you can walk away right now and nothing bad will come of it.”
That sounded ominous. “And if I don’t walk away right now?” Kitty asked.
Okay, she was a seriously open-minded person who took life as it came and usually with gumption. Adam was extremely hot and funny. Kitty didn’t want to just walk away from that because of some weird magic hoodoo that said she had to take Calvin and Damien too or no dice.
And for fuck sake they were all glorious specimens who wanted to share her…who was she to deny them that and then wave goodbye when they had to leave for the next city?
“If a permanent bond is formed – which happens when both parties accept the mate bond – then it could potentially kill the males when later rejected. Sometimes the female as well, but she usually has to be a shifter for it to be that strong. Penetrative sex can make it stronger, but isn’t permanent.”
So no P in the V unless she was considering this.
Okaaaaay. That wasn’t really Kitty’s style. She didn’t do ‘slow’ when it came to sex. Why waste so much time and energy getting to know someone to find out they had a tiny winkie?
“This sounds ridiculous,” she muttered.
“Of course it does, it’s the paranormal and you’re human. Are you done yet?” Laura demanded.
“Just need my toiletries. Hey, so is that why you broke up with Calvin?”
It was a totally inappropriate question, but Kitty figured it would be better to rip that Band-Aid off than baby it for days. Christ, why did she have so much makeup?
“I can’t believe you’re actually a stripper,” Laura muttered as she came up behind Kitty to eye all the crap she had all over the counters.
“Normal people need six different kinds of body glitter that can pair as eye glitter too you know. Don’t be such a judgy prude Laura.” Kitty blew some of that very glitter right in the witch’s face.
Served her right for talking shit.
Laura glared as she wiped the glitter off, but glitter was forever and it would be with her always to remind her of this very moment. Kitty gave her a wink and then just swept the rest of her stuff into a bag.
“Not that it’s any of your business, but yes. We broke up because I wasn’t his mate. It’s not like either of us didn’t know the relationship had an expiration date. We’ve known since puberty we weren’t mates. So we decided to date until he found her.” Laura grabbed one of Kitty’s bags and hefted it. “Let’s get out of this place. They probably have bed bugs. You’re going to have to wash everything before mixing it in with our stuff.”
Kitty grabbed the two carry-on bags and her other suitcase before tossing a ten on the bed for the maid. “All right, laundromat then breakfast burritos. There’s this amazing place right around the corner.”
Laura held open the door for her and they loaded up the car. “Fine, but you’re buying. Now go sign out.”
“One last thing.” Kitty ran back and went to the safe in the closet. A few numbers and it popped open to reveal a meager stack of cash and then all her important papers. She tucked those in her bra and left the room.
For what it was worth, Kitty would never forget this place. It held some of the worst and best memories she had in her life.
Then she saw Laura leaning against her car as she waited.
This chick was the bee’s knees. Kitty really liked her – snarky attitude and all. Actually, that was probably the main reason she liked her. Laura took no bullshit which made her wonder.
“Why would you do that to yourself? And did you end it early or did he? Doesn’t seem fair to you either way,” Kitty said as she walked toward the office. Laura fell into step beside her – her very own personal witch bodyguard.
“I was young and stupid. I broke it off before I went to university.” Laura glanced over at her. “I also had a vision of you right before I left. So I knew you were real and it felt weird to date him. Like…I was helping him cheat on you…or something like that.”
Kitty grinned and nudged her with her shoulder. “You’re a cool chick, Laura. Let’s be friends.”
The witch laughed but she didn’t come back with attitude. “Yeah, I guess we can be friends. But don’t forget you owe me a private dance.”
“And a burrito,” Kitty said with a massive smile.
This whole thing was definitely weird.
But the best kind of weird.
Chapter Six
Damien
Where the fuck was everybody? They were supposed to be practicing and why Damien found himself alone in the tent again was beyond him. He understood there was admin shit that needed to be done with the Cirque, but there was only about six hours before their first show for the night and he was the only one out here?
Then he heard voices, female voices. And one of them was his mate. The other was Laura. He listened for a moment and then realized they were coming into the main tent.
Weren’t they supposed to be doing a myriad of other things that day?
Shit, he wasn’t ready for this.
Damien would never admit to anybody he hid under the bleachers. Hopefully Laura would show her the ‘cool tent’ and then they’d leave. He was nowhere near ready to talk to the woman who was supposed to be his mate.
The weird thing was he had no idea why he was so fucking nervous about it either. Maybe because she was so outgoing. Damien wasn’t used to women looking at him the way she did. Being in a circus was like living in an extremely massive family who all got into each other’s business all the time.
Damien didn’t like people in his business so he mostly kept to himself aside from Calvin and Adam.
“Are you sure there’s a pole in here I can use?” Kitty asked. “What about a solid floor?”
