Page 13 of Backstage at the Freak Show
"The land of ice and snow," he chuckled before pulling back to look at me, creating some distance between us. "You ask a lot of questions. Are you this curious about everyone you meet?"
I hesitated before answering. "No." With a newfound boldness, I stepped in closer and slid my hands up to his biceps. "I'm very curious about you, though."
He looked surprised but a pleased smile lit up his hard, rugged face. "That's a refreshing change. A lot of people are afraid of me."
"Why?"
"Because of what I am," he answered softly. "And what my species is purported to have done in the legends of the Inuit humans."
My curiosity overwhelmed me, threatening to spill over. I was brimming with excitement that this man was a creature out of a legend, probably one rarely heard of this far south.
But he was also a person and I had to check myself. All shifters hated being treated like zoo animals on display, especially if they were a rarer species. Right now, Tak was a man dancing with a woman at a wedding and nothing else. He was essentially a guest in my home, and I wasn't about to be rude by asking invasive questions.
"I'm not afraid of you," I told him. "I'm happy you came all this way to celebrate my friends' love."
His gaze heated as he tentatively pulled me even closer, his forearm wrapped entirely around my waist now and my hands nearly braced against his chest.
"You're an interesting shaman, Miriam," he breathed. "And if you don't mind me saying so, absolutely lovely. Your men are lucky."
"You're sweet, Tak," I smiled. My cheeks heated as I watched his lips move. "Do you have someone back home?"
"No, I don't." He said it lightheartedly, but I didn't miss the longing in his voice.
"Well, maybe you'll meet someone special here."
He said nothing for a moment, his eyes flickering to mine before glancing away. "Maybe I already have," he murmured so low I nearly missed it.
I'd been so mesmerized by the movement of his lips, I didn't notice when the music stopped. My peripheral vision told me we were standing at the edge of the dance floor, but I barely paid attention to my surroundings. My focus was all on him.
His two different colored eyes were fascinating to look at and I couldn't tear my gaze away. He radiated strength and power, still holding my waist in a firm, but not restrictive, grip. I didn't even know what this man shifted to, but just the human side of him drew me in like a moth to a flame.
"Miriam," he voiced in a low growl after what had to be several minutes of just holding and staring at each other, "can I--"
"Please, Tak." I breathed eagerly, standing on tiptoes as I fully braced my forearms on his chest now. For some reason, this man was a mystery I was dying to uncover. I barely scratched the surface and needed to explore him deeper.
His hand on my waist slid up my back to palm the nape of my neck. I leaned into the rough, callused skin of his thumb tracing light circles at the base of my skull.
I lifted my face to his and watched his lips lower to mine through heavy eyelids. In that tense, brief moment before our mouths would meet, a hard banging sound made me shriek and jump against him.
Both arms closed around me like a shield as the exit door down the hallway burst open from the outside. A human, rage etched onto his face to match the guns, knives, and various homemade weapons strapped to his body, came toward us.
"I'm going to kill all you dirty animal fuckers and send you straight to Hell!" he screamed.
6
Miriam
Tak shoved me behind him, completely blocking my view of the human with his body. "Tak, no!" My voice rose to a panic. The human had enough weapons on him to arm at least ten more people.
"Miriam!"
I heard my name from behind me, then someone jerked me into their chest. The familiar smell told me it was Gabe, though it barely registered in my mind.
Where the hell was security?Tak getting killed to protect me was all I could think about.
"Tak!" I screamed again, fighting to reach him but strong arms held me back.
The large man's shift was immediate. His suit fell apart in ribbons as he stretched to the height of the ceiling. Black claws extended from his hands as grey, black, and brown fur covered his body.
