Page 10 of Tamed By the Lion Freak

Kitty spun, nearly losing her footing on the loose gravel. The surly man from earlier leaned against a nearby tent post, his expression unreadable in the gathering gloom. But his eyes... A jolt of recognition shot through Kitty, leaving her breathless. She recognized where she had seen his eyes before. It was impossible. And yet...

As the carnival lights flickered to life around them, bathing everything in an eerie, pulsing glow, Kitty stood frozen. The invisible barrier crackled at her back, the promise of pain. Before her, the man with a lion's eyes watched her, before he turned away and disappeared into the shadows of the approaching sunset.

Was she going mad?

Did she just see what she thought she saw?

Chapter Four

The stench of fearand excitement saturated the air, seeping through the bars of Leo's cage and stoking the fire of his rage. He paced, each movement a battle between the remnants of his human mind and the feral beast that threatened to consume him entirely.

The curse that bound him to this form from dusk till dawn flooded through his veins, a constant agony that fueled his madness. Memories of his human self flickered like dying embers in the inferno of his bestial mind. Leo snarled, snapping at shadows, at the very air that caged him as surely as the iron bars.

If only he could break free, tear through the crowd, and escape into the night. But the invisible chains of dark magic held him as surely as any physical restraint. Leo's massive paw swiped at the air, claws extended, fighting an enemy he couldn't see or touch. And if he did escape, would that mean Laura’s sickness might come back?

Voices approached, piercing through the red haze of his fury.

"This is crazy" Kitty's voice was tight with barely controlled panic. "You can't expect me to perform that act tonight. It would take months of training to even attempt something so dangerous. Leo and I need to ease into this partnership. He has to trust me and I sure as hell have to trust him."

Madame Noir's silk-over-steel tones sent a shudder of revulsion through Leo's body. "You underestimate both yourself and our Leo. He is no ordinary lion, I assure you. He understands his role perfectly."

Leo's lip curled in a silent snarl. Oh, he understood his role, all right. Captive. Freak. Monster. But what of Kitty's role? Would she be like the others—cruel with her whip, quick to exploit his pain for the audience's pleasure? Or would she be too afraid, unable to command the respect a beast like him required?

"You will enter the ring after he has been let out of the cage. You will perform for the crowd, a dance of danger. You’ll walk a tightwire of risk and safety. At the climax of the act, you'll kneel before Leo. He'll rear up, put his paws on your shoulders and roar. When he drops down, he’ll keep his jaws open, and you'll place your head in his mouth. Wait for the screams to reach a delicious crescendo. And just when they think Leo’s jaws will bite your pretty head off, you'll emerge unscathed, mount him, and ride him around the ring. Is that clear?" But Madame Noir wasn’t looking at Kitty. She was asking Leo that last question.

He stared at her unblinkingly.

"But..." Kitty started to protest again, only to be cut off by Madame Noir's sharp intake of breath.

"Enough! You will both perform as directed, or you will both face the consequences. Do I make myself clear?"

A long pause, then Kitty said," Yes, Madame Noir." Then to him. “I hope you got all that.”

Footsteps retreated, leaving only the scent of Kitty's fear lingering in the air. It mixed with the ambient energy of the audience, creating an intoxicating cocktail that made Leo's head swim. He shook his mane violently, trying to clear the fog of bloodlust that threatened to overtake him completely.

Time blurred, marked only by the increasing volume of the crowd. Then, without warning, Leo's cage began to move. The sudden motion sent him stumbling, a snarl of surprise and anger erupting from his chest. Carnival workers pushed his wheeled cage through a narrow passage and into the blinding lights of the big top. He hated when they wouldn’t let him walk in on his own. But Leo figured this was all part of Kitty’s new act.

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