Page 82 of Two For the Show
“Damn, bossman,” Dario coos. “You look delicious.”
The showrunner’s face turns red as Dario raises himself to his toes and plants a kiss smack on his lips. I struggle to hide my laughter at Jude’s stricken expression.
“Get out of here, Dario,” Jude chastises. “You’re distracting Alex, and we need to be on our A-game.”
Dario hums and bounces on the balls of his feet. “Heard. But don’t forget the line I gave you.”
“I’m not saying that.”
I look between the two of them. “Saying what?”
“Nothing,” Jude says, waving his hand at Dario. “It doesn’t matter because I’m not going to say it.”
Dario leans over and stage whispers to me, “He will say it. Because he liiiiiiikes me.”
“Get out of here!” Dexter snags Dario by the arm at Jude’s words and drags his cackling brother into the makeup tent.
I can feel Jude’s embarrassment and nerves down the bond, and I slide next to him, intertwining our fingers. “No need to be nervous, Alpha. We’ve got this.”
He nods. “I know. But this is going to make it real, Alex. We’ve been hiding you away while the country wonders where you are and mourns for you. We’re going to blow all of that up as soon as you step into the ring.”
I’ve thought about that, too. Rich hasn’t tried to get into the circus again, but he has increased his media presence, going so far as to offer a reward for my safe return. Even Tripp’s dad has gotten in on it, declaring that even one Omega missing is too many, and he’ll do whatever it takes to ensure my return.
“I need to do this,” I tell my Prime Alpha. “This is me taking my power back. And showing Frankie fucking Adams that even though she got picked to be the magician’s assistant in high school, I’m the fucking ringmaster.”
He laughs loudly, pulling me to his chest and capturing my lips in a kiss. “Did you know she did an interview about you? About how you were friends in high school, and it was so sad that you were missing?”
“She didn’t!” I exclaim. “We were not friends. Especially not after she stole my role.”
The lights drop low, Edmund’s cue that it’s time to begin, and Jude squeezes my hand. “Wait for me to introduce you. Just do what we practiced. No big deal. It’s just us, okay?”
I watch him walk into the ring, my heart beating out of my chest.
I can do this.
My pack won’t let me fail.
Jude’s voice rings out loudly from the speaker system.
“Welcome to Cirque de Mordu. The circus with a bite.”
Chapter 33
My hands are vibratingas Jude warms the crowd up, getting them excited for an evening of danger and intrigue.
I know he’s about to introduce me, and I have to face the fact that I’m going to need to put on a show. But as I fiddle with my lavalier mic, making sure it’s turned off, my stomach starts to drop.
What if I fuck this up?
What if this doesn’t work, and it’s all my fault?
Before I can spiral, Dario and Quinton step out of the dress tent together. Dario is shirtless now but hasn’t put on his hot pants yet, and Quinton is barefoot and dressed in all black, with neon yellow bracelets on his wrists. Their scents combined, Quinton’s chocolate pastry mixing with the changed profile of Dario’s candied apple is like the best pie in the world.
“You’re going to be great,” Quinton says, squeezing my side. He’s looking healthier than ever now, his Rot lightening up and hopefully heading toward remission. “Don’t stress out. No matter what happens, we’re a pack, okay? This is going to be perfect.”
Dario gives me a wet, sloppy kiss. “What he said.”
Before I can respond, Jude’s voice booms from inside the tent. A reluctant sigh is followed by the words, “Is there a doctor in the house?”
