Backstage at the Freak Show (Harem of Freaks #7) - Crystal Ash Page 0,39

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?”

“Yeah,” I grinned back. “Let’s do shifter magic.”

He chuckled against my lips, then patted my butt as he stepped away. “We really are ending this with a bang now, aren’t we?”

“No better way to do it.” Raz was already twirling his knives.

I quickly checked my makeup, my clothes, then nodded to the stage managers that we were going back out. The crowd went from stomping and chanting to loud cheers and whistles as the dark stage once was bathed in bright lights.

Alone, and with my wide ringmistress smile, I walked out in front of the curtain to address the smiling, cheering faces.

“What’s that, you say?” I bowed forward with my hand cupping my ear. “You want more?”

The screams and energy lifted several notches. The air crackled with so much sound and magic, it could have been solid enough to walk on. I was never fully convinced that non-shaman humans didn’t have magic on some level. Connor didn’t have my abilities, yet he was so in tune with me and my shifter mates. I always knew there was something extraordinary about him, even if his magic didn’t present itself like mine.

Most humans would run and scream in terror at the sight of a shifter. That, or try to capture and exploit them like my mates had been. But if Connor could be the exception to the rule, surely others could too.

I straightened up, velvet-gloved hands on the