Page 39 of Backstage at the Freak Show
I hugged her close, pulling her sweet body against me. “Thank you, my beautiful wife.”
13
MELODY
Iheaded for the side exit the moment the stage went dark.
“Steluta?” Raz called after me, his breath coming in soft pants from the exertion of the performance.
The audience was going nuts and didn’t hear his pet name for me, but he was close enough that I heard him just before going down the narrow stairs. He’d figure out where I was going eventually.
My legs hit a solid wall of fur after only a few feet. Arjun’s massive feline head pressed against my hip, rubbing affectionately with that deep, rumbling purr.
What’s wrong, love?His mental voice was full of concern.
“Nothing.” My own lungs labored for breath, pulse still beating wildly.
Raz and I finished off the show with a sexy dance number, complete with his fire and knife tricks of course. We rehearsed it for months under a world-class choreographer. This was supposed to be our big comeback after taking time off from my pregnancy. But all I could think about while on stage was my son and two other mates back home.
It’s obviously not nothing, so try again.Arjun nipped my hand playfully. Anyone else would have been terrified to have their hand anywhere near a Bengal tiger’s mouth, but I trusted my mates implicitly. Which meant I had to come clean about this too.
“Mel?” Raz’s footsteps echoed softly down the side stairs behind me. The use of my real name and not my nickname showed he was also worried about me. “They’re expecting an encore. Are you okay?”
“Yes.” My dragon slid an arm around my waist, dark tattoos blending with the fleur de lis pattern on my corset. “I just need to talk to them real quick.” My fingers closed around Raz’s, my other hand stroking down the side of Arjun’s neck. “I miss them. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about them all night.”
“I miss them too. But if we call now, will you want to go back out there when we hang up?”
I turned around to face Raz, finding the warmth in his metallic gray eyes. “How do you think we did out there?”
“Honestly?”
I nodded, working the nervous swallow down my throat.
“Steluta.” Raz gripped my shoulders, squeezing gently. “We were incredible. It was like we never left.”
“Really?” I squeaked out. That was not what I expected to hear.
Listen to them, love.Arjun headbutted my lower back.Feel them.
I did. I heard the collective shouts of,“Encore! Encore!”as one voice. I felt the stomping of feet traveling up my legs through the floor. The claps of hands made the air vibrate like it fizzled with magic.
“But I didn’t feel it like before,” I confessed to my mates. “I felt distracted and just went through the motions. I felt like I was faking it.”
“You’re a different person now.” Raz lowered his forehead to mine. “Your priorities have changed. The stage isn’t an escape for you anymore, because there’s nothing to escape from. It’s a means to an end. A way to support your family, and there’s nothing wrong with that.” His hands slid down my arms to clasp loosely around my fingers. “Let’s finish off strong, ringmistress. Then let’s call home so we’re not rushed.”
I pulled in a long breath. He was right about all of it. The audience couldn’t see it but everything was different. Ever since having Mason, my abilities seemed more honed and sensitive. I could smell as well as Hunter now, was in control of my reflexes like Arjun. When I was pissed or frustrated, I swear I felt fire building in my chest like Razvan. And when I was away from Connor, Mason, or any of my loves, my heart felt stretched too tightly, like they were holding it from a distance and waiting for me to come back.
But was that shaman or mom instincts? I should probably make more mom friends either way. This was my first time being away for work since early in my pregnancy, so my hormones and maternal urges were probably just going nuts. But Raz had a good point. If I called Connor now, I’d want to curl up with the phone in the hotel room and never go back onstage.
One more show for tonight. Just one.
Arjun’s presence behind me morphed, stretching taller as he shifted to human. Standing buck naked without a care in the world for whatever the stage assistants saw, he pressed his broad chest against my back as large hands came around my waist.
“It’s your decision, love.” His ocean-colored eyes were devilish. “I certainly wouldn’t mind cutting this evening short.”
I looked up at him, my head barely hitting the top of his chest even with heels on. “One more?”
My tiger grinned and dropped a fast kiss to my mouth. “One more. You want me out there?”
