Page 5 of Tamed By the Lion Freak

The ringmaster's voice boomed out, amplified by magic to reach every corner of the tent. "Ladies and gentlemen, do not move. Do not breathe. Do not draw attention to yourself. We cannot guarantee your safety.”

He heard gasps as he padded into the center ring, his massive paws leaving imprints in the sawdust. Leo let out a thunderous roar that shook the very foundations of the tent. He felt the wave of fear that rippled through the audience, saw Madame Noir's satisfied smirk from her perch high above the ring.

Unlike other carnival acts, Leo's performance relied on pure, primal fear. He stalked the perimeter of the ring, muscles rippling beneath his golden coat. The audience's terror spiked as they felt on a primal level that he wasn’t an ordinary lion, that there was something unnatural about him. No one would ever guess the truth. Or they wouldn’t be still sitting in their seats. He held on to his humanity in this form by an ever decreasing thin line.

Handlers entered the ring, brandishing whips and chairs. Leo snarled, batting the props aside with ease. He lunged at one, stopping mere inches from the man's throat. The audience screamed, their fear a force of energy that pulsed through the carnival.

Throughout the act, Leo was acutely aware of Madame Noir's presence. He longed to turn on her, to break free of her spell, but his bargain with her was absolute. Laura lived because of the deal he made, and no matter how much he hated his existence, the fact that his sister was safe had to be enough for him.

As the act reached its climax, Leo's gaze swept the crowd. And then he saw Kitty Wylde at the edge of the ring, her face a mask of conflicting emotions. There was fear there, yes, but also something else, a glimmer of professional assessment and a flicker of happiness.

The moment passed. Leo completed his act, charging at the audience one last time before being herded back to his cage. As he caught Kitty’s scent, it stirred something in him, a longing he couldn't quite name, quickly buried under layers of rage and pain as the beast took over completely.

Hours later, Leo was jolted awake by the sound of someone approaching. He leapt to his feet, a growl rumbling in his chest. Who dared enter his domain? It was hard to think like a human when he was this deep in his lion form.

"Easy, big guy," a soft voice said. "I'm not here to hurt you."

Kitty Wylde stood just out of swiping range. Leo's nostrils flared, catching her scent—a mixture of nose tickling lavender.

"Madame Noir said I should get acquainted with you," Kitty continued, taking a cautious step forward. "We’re going to be working together."

Leo's hackles rose. He bared his teeth, torn between his instinctive rage and a confusing urge to not frighten her.

“You’re no kitten, but I don’t think you’re the monster they’re making you out to be either.”

Kitty took another step closer, and Leo found himself retreating. Not out of fear, but out of a strange desire to protect her. Didn't she know how dangerous he was? How close to the edge of sanity he was this late at night?

"It's okay," Kitty said, her voice low and soothing. "I've worked with lions all my life. I can read them better than I can read people most days."

Can you read the rage beneath the fur?Leo wanted to snarl.Can you see the freak I've become?Leo stared at her, a war of emotions raging within him. Part of him wanted to trust her, to believe in the understanding he saw in her eyes. But the larger part, the part twisted by years of pain and captivity, recoiled from the idea.

Before either of them could move, the sound of approaching footsteps broke the tension. Madame Noir's voice slithered through the air. "I see you two are getting along."

Leo's entire body tensed, a low growl building in his throat. Whatever fragile moment had been building shattered under the weight of Madame Noir's presence.

"He's intense," Kitty said, her voice carefully neutral. "It'll be a challenge to work with him."

"I'm sure you're up to the task," Madame Noir replied, her tone dripping with false sweetness. "But be careful. In this carnival, things are rarely what they seem."

With that ominous warning, she gestured for Kitty to leave the area. Before she did, Kitty glanced back at Leo. Their eyes met once more, and in that look was a complexity of emotions Leo couldn't begin to untangle, not when his humanity was hours away yet.

As their footsteps faded away, Leo was left alone with his torment. The curse still bound him. Madame Noir still pulled his strings. The carnival still fed on fear and pain. And now there was this new variable–Kitty Wylde, with her knowing eyes and gentle voice.

Leo paced his cage, claws scraping against the battered wooden floor.

As the night wore on, Leo's thoughts grew darker, more fragmented. When the first rays of sunlight pierced through his window, Leo braced himself for the pain to come. Another day in hell was beginning. But at least in hell, he knew the rules. At least in hell, he was beyond the reach of foolish things like hope or love. By the time dawn was finished with him, bringing with it the agony of transformation, he had convinced himself that Kitty was just another of Madame Noir's tricks. Another way to torment him, to keep him off balance.

He wouldn't fall for it. He was the Lion Freak, a monster, a creature of nightmares. And that was all he would ever be.

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