Page 19 of Tamed By the Lion Freak

Leo said he would do it again, as well.

An image flashed unbidden through Kitty’s mind, her beloved lions, alive and well, performing alongside her and Leo. Her family would be complete. But at what cost? Would she also be turned into a lion at night?

"Thank you, Sally," Kitty said, her voice unsteady. " I should go."

“It’s not as bad as you think it is. But power always exacts a price.”

If it wasn’t for Leo being a lion during the night, Kitty would never have believed this was possible. She wandered the carnival grounds, only half-aware of her surroundings. Everywhere she looked, she saw hints of the bargains that had been struck. The strongman who lifted impossible weights with ease, yet winced at the slightest touch of someone’s hand. And then there were other creatures that resided in the carnival that made the hairs on her arms stand out: a mermaid, a fire eater and a fortune teller. All of them seemed the real deal and none of them appeared to be cursed. Logic told her this was all an elaborate ruse, but she couldn’t doubt the very proof she saw with her own eyes.

If she had been an attendee at the carnival, Kitty would probably explain away all the creatures and shows as just a well rehearsed group of actors providing chills and thrills for a price. But standing here as the people rushed by her from exhibit to exhibit, she felt the pulse of the crowd's emotions—fear, excitement, anger, desire. The air buzzed with it. Out of the corner of her eyes, she could almost see the carnival itself drink it in, growing stronger with each passing moment. The colors on the tents had become more vibrant in the last few days. The carousel and the Ferris wheel were bright and shiny like they were brand new. Had the carnival fixed itself with the emotions it was feeding off of?

Almost without realizing it, Kitty found herself near the animal enclosures. She could hear the soft growls and rustling movements of the carnival's menagerie. How many of these beasts were also shapeshifters? She went over to Leo, wishing they didn’t have to be apart at night.

His massive form was curled up on a bed of straw, his sides rising and falling with each breath. In sleep, he looked just like Brutus, a large alpha male lion. But Kitty knew the truth, that somewhere inside that powerful body was a man, trapped and bound by magic she was only beginning to understand.

She pressed a hand against the bars of the cage, feeling the cool metal beneath her fingers. She wished he could talk to her and tell her everything. She wanted to know why he agreed to perform in this circus. What miracle had Madame Noir performed for him that he thought being half man, half lion was worth it?

She thought of her lions, of the betrayal that had cost her everything. Of Marco, and the life she had left behind. The smart thing, the safe thing, would be to walk away now. To leave this strange, seductive world behind before she was in too deep. But even as the thought crossed her mind, she knew it was impossible. No one would hire her. She would never be able to make the salary Madame Noir agreed to pay her anywhere else.

And she didn’t want to leave Leo and their newly awakened romance, even if it was all a fake to feed the carnival. It was still better than being alone. The Twisted Carnival could be her home. Kitty could start a new life here with new friends and a new lover. And if Madame Noir truly had the power to make the impossible possible—bring the dead back to life—Brutus wouldn’t have to pay for her mistake in getting involved with Marco.

The carnival's music drifted off as the last of the patrons left. It was a haunting melody whispered of secrets and desires. Of bargains struck in the dark of night, and the intoxicating allure of the impossible made real.

Kitty closed her eyes, letting the fetid darkness wash over her. She saw herself in the center ring, Leo by her side, and her lions all around her. The crowd screamed their approval, their emotions a heady mixture of awe and fear and exhilaration.

And standing in the shadows, watching it all with a knowing smile, was Madame Noir.

Chapter Seven

Kitty drove to thenearest town with Leo in the seat beside her. He was still a stranger to her in so many ways, and she worried again if this crazy attraction would fade when they were out of range of the carnival’s influence. But when they pulled onto Main Street, the carnival was far away. And when Leo's hand found hers, the same spark of desire she felt last night flooded through her.

"Remember," Leo said, his voice tinged with that ever-present feral edge, "we need to be back three hours before showtime."

Kitty nodded, the weight of Madame Noir's rules settling on her shoulders even outside the carnival's boundaries. "What happens if we're late?"

Leo's grip on her hand tightened. "Trust me, you don't want to find out."

---