Embarrassment reached inside me and wrenched my insides.
There was no way.
I’d been so careful and quiet.
“I-I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I stammered.
He chuckled once and tapped his ear. “Did you know that alphas have heightened senses of hearing? No? I wouldn’t expect a beta like you to know about that.” He closed the distance between us again, and a heartbeat throbbed to life between my thighs.
For a moment, staring up at him, the circus melted away, and I forgot what was happening. My brain shorted out, and my omega instincts screamed at me, tearing me apart from the inside, urging me closer.
I backstepped instead. “Then yours doesn’t work very well.” I refused to give this clown any more satisfaction.
“Maybe you’re right,” he said. “Maybe I heard what I wanted to hear, so it would help me get off too.”
My eyes widened in horror, and my jaw fell slack, but it didn’t stop the throb between my legs from picking up its pace. Not only had he listened to me masturbating—to thoughts of him, no less—but he’djacked off to it.
My head swam, and I needed to sit down.
“You’re disgusting,” I spat.
“And you like it,pet. There’s no use denying it.” His laugh crept over my skin. “Too bad I won’t get to work you up again tonight with my blades. I was almost looking forward to it.”
I paused, my brows furrowing. It almost sounded like he was insinuating that… I wouldn’t be part of his act tonight.
But that couldn’t be right.
“What do you mean?” I didn’t want to entertain him any longer than I had to, but my curiosity was too much to ignore.
Confusion—fake, if I had to guess—crossed his face. “No one told you?”
The eerie violin song started up in the arena, making my hair stand on end. Though I wasn’t part of the opening number, it wouldn’t be long until I took the stage. And Zero was here, messing with me, forcing my anxiety higher with every second he kept talking.
I huffed, my patience running thin. “No, no one told me anything. But I’m guessing you’re going to.”
“Hmm… strange.” He tapped his chin, exaggerating the motion. I wanted to break his fingers, but I settled on an intense look of annoyance. “I thought surely Daze would have told you. There was a last-minute change; you’re swapping places with Sevyn.”
Sevyn?
I knew her name from the clown bus, but I hadn’t met her yet. She was always in the company of another extra, and they looked kind of similar, even though they weren’t twins.
“Why? I haven’t practiced anything else,” I said, feeling uneasy.
He shrugged a single shoulder. “That’s above my pay grade. All I know is I’m performing with Sevyn tonight.”
I crossed my arms haughtily, which only pushed my cleavage up more and left me feeling self-conscious, so I dropped them again.
“That’s fine. I wasn’t really excited about performing with you again anyway,” I grumbled, trying to fight my annoyance at the last-minute change. “What am I doing then? Am I even going on stage?”
It wouldn’t have been the worst thing in the world if he said no. I could find Bobbitt and help her in the stands or something, get another night to watch the show and learn. It was just a shame that we’d spent so long getting me dolled up for it not to be seen.
“Oh yeah, you’re performing in another act. But don’t worry, you’ll just be standing there again,” he said, looking at his nails pretentiously. “Hard to fuck up, even for you.”
I glared, wishing I could slap him just once. The sick fuck would probably enjoy it. Maybe even ask for seconds.
I huffed.
“Okay, then where am I standing?”
