Page 201 of Galaxy Circus Act One

“Begin.” She smashes a mallet into a gong sitting next to her, and it rings throughout the stadium. People start to yell, scream, and cheer.

Natalia immediately fires up her lightning, aiming it at me. I use my speed and quickly step to the side, and it hits the ground where I had been standing, sending up sparks.

“You’ve got to be quicker than that,” I taunt the hell beast, knowing the angrier I make her, the worse her accuracy will be. I wonder if the lightning is unlimited or if her ability to use it will wane as she tires.

“I will eat your intestines when I gut you, and then I will gut that pathetic abomination of an omega, but not before I fuck his mate in front of him and have him knot me,” Natalia spews at me, and I feel my fangs drop and my bloodlust rise at the thought of her hurting the pretty, soft omega. There’s just something about him that makes me want to protect him.

“Hahaha. How are you even going to do that? You don’t have the right parts. A beta can’t take an alpha’s knot,” I goad, and she smirks as the two of us circle each other, trying to make the other flinch with sudden movements. We must look ridiculous.

“When your mother controls the illegal trade of omega hormones, you can. Where do you think all the male omegas go? Killing them would be a waste when we can milk them for their slick and synthesize a drug for betas. There’s a reason my family have been matriarchs for so long. We are smart,” she gloats quietly, and it’s so loud with the crowd screaming encouragement, I don’t think anyone else hears it.

“Maybe instead of killing him, we’ll add Echo to our milking stock. His mother’s omega mate has been an absolute asset to our program, and I’m almost certain he’s Echo’s biological father. It would be quite the turn-on for Maxsim if I smelled like his mate.”

I was angry before, but now I see fucking red. “Why don’t you shut your fucking mouth?” I growl at her, and it’s like I flipped a switch.

She stops talking instantly, and her eyes widen in shock. I’m not sure what just happened. Did I just compel her to be quiet? When I had tried compulsion yesterday with Saxon’s and Xenos’s clans, I wasn’t able to successfully compel any of them. They thought I hadn’t received that ability.

She lunges at me with her claws out in front of her, and I dodge, but I’m not quick enough, and she rakes them over my arm. I scream in pain. It’s not deep, but it hurts like a bitch.

I hear my family and mates shout in distress, but I don’t let it distract me. If I turn my head, I’m as good as dead. I quickly move farther out of reach and bring my arm up to my mouth, swiping my tongue along the wound, and the venom in my saliva quickly heals the lesions.

Again, her eyes widen, and she screams in frustration.

“Now, now, no need to be sad. Why don’t you smile?” I tease her, and she is suddenly wearing a joker worthy grin.

Holy fuck, I really can compel her.

I take the opportunity her surprise gives me and dart forward, throwing a huge punch at her. She flies backward, landing on her ass and groaning in pain.

“Lila!” a voice calls, and I turn to see Maxsim’s mother standing on the edge of the arena. She beckons me over, and when I see Natalia is still down, I speed over to the female.

“What?” I ask the woman, and she grabs my arm.

“Listen, don’t talk. You are a whisperer. Natalia is going to have to obey anything you say. I have no idea how. It is a Skarrian ability that was hunted into extinction many, many years ago by lightning cats who didn’t want anyone to control them. Use it and end this.”

I’ve been keeping an eye on Natalia, and she is finally back on her feet. Astrea steps back, nodding her encouragement, so I use my speed to get back into the fight. Natalia tries to strike with her lightning again, but she’s too slow, and I roundhouse kick her in the head at the same time I say, “Sleep!”

She twirls around from the force of my kick before landing flat on her face. She doesn’t move a muscle, since the whisperer ability put her out like a light. I’ve done it, I’ve won. A small amount of guilt fills me, but when I turn to see Maxsim and Echo embracing, I feel a sense of satisfaction and a small amount of jealousy—damn horny kraken—but when the two of them turn to look at me, Echo is staring at me the same way he looks at his mate. I feel a pang of longing, but Maxsim is still scowling despite what I just did for the two of them.

He’s off-limits. He has a mate, and we need to leave them be,I tell my inner kraken, but I freeze, paralyzed with shock, when another voice answers.

They are yours, they just don’t know it yet.

Holy fuck, just what I need, another damn voice in my head. Is this a whisperer thing? I need to find Astrea and demand she tell me everything.

The arena continues to chant my name, and it echoes around the huge space. I’m slightly dazed at the new revelation, but I hold up my hand to wave to everyone. I hear Minx scream my name from the dais, and I turn to look just as a bolt of blue lightning hits me directly in the chest.

I seize up, and the pain that jolts through my body is so bad I can’t even scream. My limbs convulse furiously, and then there’s blackness.

BONUS SCENES

ATTENTION

If this is your first time reading the Galaxy Circus, I would suggest skipping this scene until you have read it in its entirety because it may contain spoilers for future books. If you have already experienced this wild ride, then please continue. Hopefully these new scenes add another layer of enjoyment to the experience.

Caspian

I was terrified when Lila stepped forward to take Echo’s spot in the mate claiming fight against Natalia. How could she be so reckless and thoughtful at the same time? I know carrying my babies is a hard concept for her to wrap her head around, but she had completely forgotten about the fact that the cats have lightning and claws that could either electrocute or eviscerate, putting her and the babies in danger.