"You little minx," Nitro breathed out, his gaze darting between me and the monitor where our bodies still moved in silent ecstasy.
Asher leaned against the doorframe, a wolfish grin spreading across his face. "I see a lot of home videos in our future."
The other three Alphas remained silent, their intense stares making my skin prickle with awareness. The air in the smallroom seemed to thicken, charged with the same electricity that had filled the pack suite the night before.
Nitro stepped forward, holding up two fingers as his dark eyes locked with mine. "Living room," he proposed, his voice rough with need. "Round two?"
I bit my lip, watching as their expressions darkened further, pupils dilating in response to the spike in my scent as arousal flooded my system. Five Alphas. My Alphas. And they wanted me again, already.
I nodded, not trusting my voice, and was rewarded with five identical predatory smiles that sent a delicious shiver racing down my spine.
This new life might still feel like a dream, but it was one I never wanted to wake from.
64
LUCY, XANDER, ASHER, NITRO, FALLON, & KANE
{A week later}
LUCY.
Cirque du Sang’s opening night was beautiful insanity.
The crisp leather of my new jacket creaked as I nervously shifted my weight from one foot to the other. I reached one hand over my shoulder, fingers grazing the top edge of the embroidered “Venom” there. A reminder for me, and the rest of the world, that I belonged tothemnow. I still couldn't wrap my mind around it. Me, Lucy Graves, the girl who'd spent most of her life in sterile isolation, now standing at the edge of chaos, preparing to watch one of my Alphas as he risked everything for the roar of the crowd.
The air around me buzzed with anticipation, thousands of people waiting to see Xander’s stunt. I took a deep breath, the mingled scents of beer, buttered popcorn, and collective sweat assaulting my nostrils. A haunting melody wove through the craziness of it all. The DemonX logo on a gigantic bannergleamed under the harsh spotlights. I loved it here. The Cirque du Sang on opening night. There was nowhere else I’d rather be right now.
I tugged the collar of my jacket higher, trying to shield myself from a chill that was all anxiety and nothing to do with the weather. Giant pole lights came to life suddenly, and the crowd's excitement swelled in waves, their faces illuminated by the crimson-tinged glow. The Circus of Blood lived up to its reputation.
My gaze locked onto the massive pit at the center of the open-air arena. Water sloshed against concrete walls, disturbed by the prehistoric monsters that called it their temporary home. crocodiles. Real ones. Their scaled backs broke the surface occasionally, teasing glimpses of predators that could tear a person to pieces with little effort. Someone had already dumped pounds of raw meat into that water, stirring the reptiles into a frenzy that made my stomach clench.
And Xander was about to jump over them on a motorcycle.
I’d seen plenty of videos of successful jumps andterriblecrashes, but this was the first time I was seeing him ride in person. Now, watching him check his bike at the far end of the arena, my emotions were all over the place.
"He'll be fine," a gruff voice said beside me. Kane stood there, arms crossed over his chest, eyes fixed on Xander. "He could do this jump blindfolded."
"That doesn't make me feel better," I muttered, wiping damp palms against my jeans. Sweating. Freezing. My mounting anxiety was doing a number on my body. Even my stomach was cramping like crazy, a million knots tugging tighter.
Kane's lips quirked into that half-smile that somehow managed to be both cocky and endearing. "Nervous for your Alpha, little Omega?"
"Shut up," I hissed, but there was no real bite to it. I didn’t have the ability to be angry right now; there was too much fear flowing through every part of me.
The crowd's roar swelled as Xander raised a gloved hand, acknowledging their adoration. The spotlights found him, turning his black helmet into a gleaming beacon. Even from a distance, I could feel his intensity, that laser focus that made him dangerously captivating.
"Ladies and gentlemen," the announcer's voice boomed over the speakers, "prepare to witness the impossible! Xander of DemonX will perform a brand-new, long-distance stunt over our pit of hungry crocodiles! And don’t worry, folks! No reptiles will be harmed in the process!"
My heart slammed against my ribs as the crowd went wild. The crocodiles seemed to sense the change in energy, their movements becoming more agitated, tails slapping against the water.
"I can't watch this," I whispered, more to myself than Kane.
"Yes, you can," he countered, his hand finding the small of my back. "This is the life you’ve signed up for, Lucy. He’s jumping for you not this crowd of strangers."
The creepy lullaby that had been playing changed, transforming into an energetic tune that built louder and more chaotic by the second. Giant screens blinked to life, displaying close shots of Xander and the crocs. The reptile handlers tossed more chunks of meat into the water. One of the beasts snapped its massive jaws, another tried to claw its way up the retaining wall, the largest began to death roll. A strange bellowing sound echoed through the arena.
“I thought crocodiles didn’t get aggressive like this. I mean aren’t they supposed to be docile unless threatened? I read something like that in a profile of the Everglades.” I bit my lower lip, worrying at the skin until it cracked and bled.
“You’ve never met a Nile croc apparently.” Kane rubbed his hand back and forth across my lower back.
