Page 6 of Backstage at the Freak Show
“Mir, you okay?” Mel’s large brown eyes focused on me, wide and concerned.
“Yeah,” I flashed her a strained smile. “Just shaman things, you know.”
She frowned, glancing up to Lana and Jeanie. “Hey girls, can I get five minutes with Miriam?”
“Mel, you don’t have to—”
“Yes, I do or I’m going to worry about you all day.” She ushered Lara and her sister out of the room before spinning the makeup chair to make me face her. “What did you see?”
I blew out a long breath, knowing she wouldn’t let up until she knew. “I saw through a shifter early this morning, nothing like I’d ever seen before. That was why I asked about the guest list.”
“And just now?”
“I saw, I think it was him. A few hours from now at the ceremony. Just sitting there and smirking at me.” I wrung my hands in my lap. “He seemed excited about the wedding but I watched through him while he killed a human on his way here.”
Her eyebrows lifted. “For what?”
“Nothing. Just for being in his way. But,” I grabbed her arms, “I told Colt and he’s telling the security team.”
She nodded, her expression thoughtful. “Now that you’ve seen him in human form, maybe tell security what he looks like. We don’t have many humans involved with the wedding, but can’t be too careful.”
“Connor,” I breathed. Mel hired almost all shifters in the wedding, from the catering to the photographer. Her fiance Connor was the only human present who wasn’t also a shaman.
Mel threw her head back and laughed at that. “I’m not worried about Connor. He’ll have this guy dancing like a drunk fool before the end of the night.”
3
Gabe
“Ow! Geez, pierce my damn nipple, why don’t you,” Hunter growled, flinching as Razvan pinned the boutonniere to his suit jacket.
“I could if you’d like,” the dragon shifter grinned, securing the purple lily with his tattooed hands before straightening my brother’s lapels. “I did a brief piercing apprenticeship back in Romania. Did one of the studs through my cock myself.”
“Every time I see you, Raz,” Colt laughed from his spot on the couch, “I learn something new about you.”
“I’ve led an interesting life, what can I say.” The small tattoo near the dragon shifter’s eye compressed as his grey eyes roamed over Hunter. “And now I’m marrying the two loves of my life.”
“You guys nervous?” Colt looked over all four of the grooms— Raz, Conner, Arjun, and our middle brother, Hunter.
“Not about getting married, no,” Connor, the only non-shifter fiddled with his cufflinks. “About some of the guest list? Absolutely.” He gave a hard look to Colt and I. Colt told him about Miriam’s vision the minute we arrived at their house.
“Whose bright idea was it to invite a bunch of strangers to our wedding again?” Arjun clipped in his posh English accent. The tiger shifter was of Indian descent and was the only one to wear a non-traditional tuxedo, although his colors of purple and pale grey matched the other grooms. Rather than a jacket and tie, he wore a slim-fittingJodhpurisuit with ornate buttons and a relaxed collar that made me envious. Mine felt like a fucking dog collar in this heat.
“Your future wife’s,” Raz jabbed at him. “A little late to worry about it now.”
“Mel insisted on it and we all understood her reasons, despite the risks. She always thinks of others first. It’s how she is,” Hunter added warmly.
“You’re quiet today, Gabe,” Connor observed, fixating his dark green gaze on me. “Aren’t you thrilled? A celebration with 99% shifters and one human. Seems like your kind of party.”
My wolf wanted to snarl but I forced him back down. It was true that I didn’t care for most humans, he and a select few others being the exceptions. I personally wasn’t a fan of a bunch of strange shifters congregating in one area either, but this wasn’t my wedding.
I was admittedly rude to Mel when I first met her, and Connor never seemed to let it go. We weren’t buddies by any means but over time developed a cordial, mutual respect for each other. Still, he never failed to bring up my feelings toward humans as a dig at me. And still he wondered why I continued to not be a fan of them.
“Strangers of any kind are a risk,” I responded coolly back to him, keeping my face blank.
“I’m glad we agree on something,” he replied.
“Hey, so what’s up with you two and Miriam?” Hunter changed the subject. “Is she going to be front and center for the bouquet toss?”
