Page 36 of Runt's Haunted Ride
The crowd erupted in appreciative murmurs and applause.
Kai's eyes scanned the crowd, and I knew the moment she found me. Our gazes locked, and the mate bond surged between us with such force it nearly drove me to my knees. I saw her hand move—subtle, casual—sliding under the edge of her costume to touch the inside of her right wrist.
Our mark.
My hand immediately went to my chest, pressing against the phoenix feather burned over my heart.
Her lips curved into the tiniest smile.
We've got this,I tried to tell her with my eyes.Together.
She stopped next to a golden table that the clowns placed near Mortis. She turned her attention to Mortis as he continued his speech, her chin held high.
That's my girl.
"The royal phoenix is a magnificent creature," Mortis said, circling her like she was a prize he was showing off. Which, to him, she was. "Born of flame, sustained by sunlight, capable of regeneration that defies death itself."
The crowd gasped appropriately. Mortis was playing them perfectly, building anticipation. My eyes caught our President and Fang—both of them appeared to be just as captivated.
"But tonight," he said, moving to stand beside Kai, "you will witness her transformation. Her rebirth. A sight normally reserved for gods." He turned to face her, and his voice dropped to that commanding tone I'd heard him use before. "Transform, my pet. Show them your true form."
His words, "my pet," caused me to place my hand on my gun. My gorilla roared, preparing for battle. Kai was no one's pet, and anyone who thought differently could deal with me.
You fucker, just for that comment alone I'd kill you.
My eyes never left Kai. For a moment, nothing happened. Kai stood there, still human, still beautiful in that red gown. Then I saw it—a flicker of gold in her eyes, a shimmer of heat distortingthe air around her. She rose to her tippy toes, then jumped and transformed.
A massive bird with a wingspan that had to be twelve feet across flapped, suspended next to Mortis. Her feathers weren't really feathers. They had the shape, but they looked as if they were made of fire flames. Her body burned brightly like the sun. The beak that had burned her mark into me blazed orange. Those same amber eyes I'd fallen in love with shone.
She was the most amazingly beautiful creature I'd ever seen.
I'm just a dumb lug gorilla,I thought, completely mesmerized.But she—she's a fucking blazing phoenix. My mate's a damn phoenix.
The crowd's reaction was immediate and explosive. Gasps, shouts of wonder, and thunderous applause as Kai bounced up and down, slowly pumping her wings. The movement sent reflections of golden light cascading through the tent, and I swear I felt the temperature rise ten degrees.
Then she took off.
Kai launched herself into the air with a single powerful beat of those massive wings. She soared toward the peak of the tent before banking into a graceful spiral. She flew with the confidence of a creature born to the sky, her feathers leaving trails of golden sparks in her wake. Her spectacular tail feathers streaked behind her.
The crowd was on their feet, phones out, capturing video even though Mortis had explicitly forbidden recording. But nobody was paying attention to his rules now. They were captivated, mesmerized by the phoenix dancing through the air above them. As was I.
And she was magnificent. Every movement was grace and power combined—aerial loops, dives that brought her skimming just above the crowd's heads, climbs that showed off the full spread of her wings. The musical score swelled to match hermovements, and I realized just how many times she'd done this act before. My heart ached for her. Trapped, made to perform whenever Mortis demanded it.
She's a phoenix. A strong, valiant phoenix. She wasn't made to be his prisoner. She was made to soar.
"Beautiful, isn't she?" Mortis' voice cut through my awe, bringing my focus back to what I was here for. I glared at his back. "She's a creature of legend made flesh. But even legends must come to an end. Or do they?"
He snapped his fingers, and Kai's flight pattern immediately changed. She wheeled around, heading back toward the stage. She landed on the golden table with precision.
Smart move, Mortis,I thought bitterly.You get your show, a damn phoenix to impress the crowd, and a golden table to hide the gold that's coming. No one in the crowd's the wiser.He calculated and controlled everything.
The golden table gleamed under her light.
Mortis circled the table slowly, building the tension. "And now," he said, his voice dropping to that hypnotic cadence, "witness the ultimate transformation. The death and rebirth that defines the very essence of the phoenix." He turned to face Kai directly. "Rejuvenate."
Kai went absolutely still on that golden table.
Then her feathers shook as she turned, those amber eyes finding mine one more time through the crowd.
