Backstage at the Freak Show (Harem of Freaks #7) - Crystal Ash

1

Miriam

Snow fell all around me as tiny, glittering specks across the dark grey landscape. My paws, despite being the size of motorcycle tires, barely made a sound as I lumbered on toward my destination.

It was bitterly cold. Far too cold for humans but my thick fur kept me at a comfortable temperature. Excitement brimmed within me and I picked up my pace, my breath creating soft puffs of vapor in front of my snout.

A wedding! Perhaps the first wedding between a shaman and her ila in a generation. There was hope on the horizon yet for our kind.

I let out a short howl as I ran. Crossing thousands of treacherous miles in a single night was no hardship for me. Soon the temperature would rise and the snow would melt. Sun and heat were not part of my typical environment, but I could adapt.

A new scent on the breeze made me growl. Gunpowder, quickly followed by the stench of human fear.

What are you doing out here, little human? Surely you know better than to hunt alone at night?

A shot rang out, going wild and harmless over my head and I came to an abrupt halt. Lifting my nose in the air and swiveling my ears, I pinpointed the foolish human’s location within seconds.

Perfect. I needed a snack for the long journey.

He made a hell of a racket scrambling out of the bushes he was hiding in.

“Holy shit!” he cried out, stumbling backward in the snow like a newborn deer. “It’s real! Oh my God, it’s real!”

I roared in his fear-stricken face until the smell of piss reached my nose. He held his gun but seemed to completely forget how to use it while he cried and pleaded. Hungry and bored of his whimpering, I swiped a paw and knocked him into a nearby tree.

Finally silent, he laid in a crumpled heap at the base. My stomach growling, I ambled over and tore off his clothing with my teeth and claws for easier access to his flesh.

I always hated getting fabric stuck in my teeth.

“Guh!”

Cold sweat bathed my body as I jolted awake, sitting straight up in bed as my heart raced like I just ran a mile. My stomach sloshed dangerously, already queasy from the neverending flow of champagne from last night’s bachelorette party. Now I had the taste of human flesh in my mouth to go along with it.

“Mir?”

Colt stirred next to me, barely awake but still wrapped an arm around my waist protectively. “Another vision?” he asked, gently pulling me back down the mattress until I laid next to him.

“Someone’s coming to the wedding.” My whisper came out hurried as I struggled to catch my breath. I never saw through the eyes of a shifter like that before and struggled to make sense of what I just experienced.

“Lots of people are,” he chuckled, pressing a kiss to my temple. “I hope Mel’s ready. It’s going to be quite the affair.”

I turned on my side to face him and nuzzled my head under his chin. My handsome wolf shifter enveloped me in a cocoon of warmth and strength. He was just what I needed to chase away the intense sensations of cold and bloodlust from what I just saw.

“This one is different,” I muttered against his throat. “He’s dangerous. He’s on his way to the wedding right now and attacked a human so… casually.”

Colt’s arms tightened around me. “Do you think Mel’s in danger? Or you?”

“I don’t know,” I admitted. “He seemed… excited for the wedding. I don’t think he has anything against shaman. But he killed and started eating a human like it was nothing. Ugh, I can still taste it…”

“There’s going to be lots of guests with open disdain for humans,” he reminded me. “Many who have no problems doing unsavory things to them. In their eyes, it’s justice. But this wedding is going to be symbolically about bridging the divide between us. I think lots of guests are looking forward to seeing that progress.”

“God, I hope so,” I sighed, leaning my cheek against his heart. “I am a little worried, though. I mean, most of the wedding guests are strangers. We don’t know what they’re capable of.”

“It’s a risk,” he agreed, smoothing his hands down my back. “But Mel and the guys insisted on doing it this way. It’s their wedding and we have to trust their judgement.”

“You’re right,” I sighed, trailing my fingers along his biceps.”

“We’ll let the security team know,” he kissed the crown of