Page 28 of Tamed By the Lion Freak

Try as he might, though, he was unable to shift back. He was stuck in this form until dawn. Resigned, he decided he might as well join the rehearsal. The other three lions snarled and postured at him, but he didn’t back down. Through it all, Kitty moved with calm efficiency, guiding the lions through their paces. She didn’t even seemed fazed.

He watched as she maneuvered Brutus through a series of jumps, her commands sharp and robotic. The resurrected lion obeyed, but there was a wildness in his eyes that set Leo's fur on edge. This wasn't the well-trained animal from Kitty's stories. This was a demonic force barely contained.

Nala and Sarabi, at least, seemed to be adjusting well. They responded to Kitty's commands, though Leo noticed they kept casting wary glances at Brutus. They sensed the wrongness too, he realized.

As the day wore on, the danger of their situation became increasingly apparent. Brutus grew more agitated with each run-through, his movements becoming erratic and unpredictable. Twice more, Leo had to intervene, placing himself between the unstable lion and Kitty.

But it was Kitty herself who worried Leo the most. She showed no joy in what she was doing, and more alarming, no concern for her own safety. As she pushed forward relentlessly, drilling the lions again and again, heedless of the growing danger in the air, she never touched Leo, not with warmth or for assurance. It was if he was a stranger to her or just another carnival attraction.

The sense of foreboding grew stronger, settling like a lead weight in his stomach. Something was going to go wrong. He could feel it in his bones, in the prickle of his skin, in the lingering ache of his transformations.

But as he watched Kitty move through the tent, checking and double-checking every detail with cold precision, Leo knew he couldn't stop this. Whatever Kitty had sacrificed to bring Brutus back, it had fundamentally changed her.

All he could do now was be there. To watch, to protect as best he could, to catch her if she fell. Because despite everything—the curse, the danger, the chilling change in her demeanor— Leo loved her. And he would do whatever it took to keep her safe.

Chapter Ten

The tent flaps billowedin an artificial wind, carrying the scent of cotton candy gone sour and metal gone to rust. Kitty stood in the shadows of the entrance tunnel, her hand resting on the leather of her whip handle. The emptiness inside her chest matched the hollow echo of the calliope music drifting through the big top.

She watched the crowd settle into their seats, their excitement already feeding the carnival's dark appetite. Children clutched their parents' arms, torn between delight and terror. Couples pressed close together, anticipating the thrill of controlled danger. They had no idea what was really about to unfold.

The previous acts had built the tension perfectly. The Flame Eater had breathed streams of blue fire that formed screaming faces in the air. The Contortionist had twisted herself into impossible shapes that made audience members squirm in sympathetic discomfort. Now the crowd was primed, their fears tender and close to the surface, ready to be harvested.

"Ladies and gentlemen," the ring master’s voice slithered through the tent like smoke, "you've seen many wonders tonight. But nothing –nothing– can prepare you for what follows." He turned slowly, addressing the entire audience. "Our next performer walked away from fame and fortune after a tragic accident. Some say she was cursed. Others say she was cruel. Tonight, Kitty Wylde returns to prove them all wrong."

The words should have stung, but they didn’t. She forced herself to focus on the technical aspects of what was to come. Four lions. Twelve minutes. Twenty-seven precise movements. No room for error.

"But this is no ordinary lion-taming act," the ring master continued. "Tonight, she faces the infamous Lion Freak, whose unparalleled strength has already claimed three lives this season."

Lies,Kitty thought dispassionately. But the audience ate it up.

Madame Noir had told her that the curse would take away only her feeling of love. But Kitty was having a hard time feeling anything at all. She felt numb. It should have made her excited or nervous, facing four lions. Instead, she felt nothing but hollow disinterest. That wasn’t part of their bargain.

But she was having a hard time finding the will to care about that either.

"And finally, making his triumphant return from beyond the grave itself, the very lion that ended her career—Brutus!"

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