Chapter Thirteen
ZERO
I blinked several times, wondering if my eyes were deceiving me.
This is who Revel wants to keep out of the circus?
I wasn’t sure what to expect, but Arina wasn’t what I imagined. There wasn’t a single special thing about her.
She was pretty, sure, but not a bombshell like Revel normally chased after. She was soft, but not delicate, with plump lips, a round face, and wide gray eyes that observed me with a familiar terror.
She was afraid of me. Good .
Most people were.
I thrived on their fear, letting their pure, raw emotions fuel me. Their screams, their plights—they were all delicious.
While Arina didn’t seem delicate, I could tell it wouldn’t be hard to break her.
What a spectacle she could be on stage. The audience could watch her shatter over and over again.
I liked the sound of that, but I immediately stuffed down the thought.
I can’t pop wheelies on Revvy’s motorcycle and have my way with her in the ring. I had to pick one, and I wasn’t giving up the crotch rocket.
The beta would have to leave.
“What’s your act?” I asked, before I indulged in the fantasy further. “What would you bring to the Knotty Sideshow?”
I expected a little hesitation, but not the deadpan stare that followed.
“I—” Her voice trailed off.
Daze answered instead, swishing his rainbow hair out of his eyes. “She doesn’t have one yet, but I told her that didn’t matter. I didn’t have an act when I came to the sideshow either.”
That was true. Very few troupe members showed up well-trained and ready to perform. Night was one of the exceptions; he’d already been practicing magic for years when we took him in.
Others came to the show with their hearts set on one act, only to discover a different passion beneath the big top.
That was me.
I came in thinking I would be an extra or one of the crew members behind the scenes, but once I realized how many people were terrified of clowns—especially ones with demented cackles and throwing knives—I found my calling.
I wanted to entertain, to terrify. And, one day, if everything went according to plan, I’d succeed Hallow as ringleader and turn this whimsical sideshow into a true display of horror.
The thought alone had a wicked smile curling my mouth. I just had to bide my time, be patient, and do whatever the fuck Hallow said in the meantime.
Easier said than done.
Hallow stepped up next to me, their shadow morphing with mine and falling over Arina.
They were several inches shorter than me but carried themselves with every ounce of confidence that an alpha would.
They were an alpha—at least, that was what we believed—despite their wonky pheromones that seemed to bleed in and out of existence outside of their control.
An anomaly, but we respected them all the same.
Arina tried to steel herself, her jaw hardening as she lifted her chin, but I could see the fear banked in her eyes. The rapid flutter of her pulse in her throat, the sweat beaded on her forehead. She could put up her best front, but I saw straight through it.
“No talent?” Hallow repeated, their voice flat and uninterested.
Had I not already filled them in on Revel’s disposition toward her, the ringleader probably would have heard her out with an open mind. They were normally cold and standoffish, but that didn’t mean they weren’t sympathetic to individuals looking for a home with us.
However, I’d just finished convincing them to turn her away when Daze bounced through the doorway with her on his heels. Not a minute too soon.
“What skills would you bring to our troupe?” Hallow asked, pretending like they hadn’t already made up their mind.
They’d said as much; she wasn’t getting in.
This was all for show, something they were good at.
They might have been a recluse outside of the circus, but performing was in their blood, whether they wanted to accept it or not.
“How could you contribute to the circus? You see, we’re a team.
A family. We don’t tolerate those who don’t pull their weight. ”
With a smirk, I retreated, but my eyes never left Arina.
I leaned back against the railing wrapped around this level of the stands and crossed my arms over my chest. Questions played in my mind as I watched her pale.
She wasn’t Revel’s type, but could she be one of his one-night stands? A crazed fan? A stalker?
That could be fun ...
I rubbed my chin as my eyes fell down her body and crawled back up again. Her petite frame screamed omega, but I hadn’t scented anything when I was close to her. Besides, omegas were rare gems, and the odds of one masking their scent and running away on their own was… nonexistent.
Clearly, she was a beta.
What kind of beta would make Revel so desperate that he sought me out?
It didn’t make sense.
“I’m organized and punctual,” she answered, counting the skills off on her fingers.
I choked back a laugh. She couldn’t be serious.
“I’m a decent cook, but I doubt that’ll help.” She pursed her lips. “Unless you can work baking into the set somehow.”
She was serious.
I cleared my throat to cover the chuckle working up my throat, and Daze snorted a laugh beside her.
“Funny, isn’t she?” he asked, shooting me a glance.
Unintentionally, maybe. She’d hardly make it as a clown.
“Honestly, I’ve never done much of anything,” Arina continued, and I watched her expression darken. “This is my first time away from home—yes, even though I’m twenty-one—and I have no idea what I’m actually doing. I just have to get away…”
When her voice trailed off this time, the weight of her words hung in the air between us all. It shouldn’t have resonated with me as much as it did, but at the end of the day, regardless of who we were or where we came from, we all ended up with the circus for a reason.
We were all running from something, and it seemed Arina was no different.
If she joins, I won’t get to ride Revel’s pride and joy, I reminded myself and dragged my eyes away from her. I looked at Daze, at Hallow, at the brick wall behind them. Anything to keep my eyes from trailing back to her smokey-gray irises and the look of disappointment on her face.
She was plain, boring, and useless. We didn’t need her.
“Is there a particular act you’re interested in?” Hallow went on.
I fought the urge to roll my eyes, wondering what game our ringleader was playing. Both of us already knew what the outcome would be.
Why waste the girl’s time?
Or ours?
Still, I’d earned my position in the circus by bending to Hallow’s whims and humoring them. I’d sit back and listen until they got bored and turned her away.
I should have grabbed some popcorn for the show.
“Honestly… no.” She shrugged. “I’ll try anything, do anything.
I’m not the biggest fan of heights, but at this point, I’ll swing on a rope if that’s what you need.
My only request—it’s a bit silly—is for my face to be covered.
I can wear a mask or a lot of makeup. I just don’t want anyone to recognize me. ”
My ears perked up, and my eyes finally flicked to her again. I canted my head to the side.
Interesting.
Most of our performers wore makeup of some kind but, even so, it was an odd request. She didn’t want anyone to recognize her. That could only mean one thing: she was hiding.
Ironic considering she wanted to be center stage.
And clearly, Revel wasn’t who she was hiding from. Could he have something to do with her running away?
I hated how quickly more questions formed, but I hated my curiosity even more. I wanted answers.
“Hmm,” Hallow hummed and paced a half-circle around Arina. “I’m afraid all of our performance acts are full. I don’t have a place for you on my stage.”
Her face fell, and her eyes flicked to me briefly before snapping back to the ringleader.
“Please,” she begged, and the desperate word made my cock twitch.
Fuck .
I stared, wondering how a single word could ignite such a feral fire within me, and wished she was begging me instead of Hallow. She could beg me for anything—my approval, my knives, my knot. As long as her voice kept that pitiful, desperate lilt that made my knees weak.
“I can be an extra you stick in a corner,” she offered. “I can be someone’s assistant.”
“Assistant?” Hallow repeated, then looked back at me over their shoulder. “Could you use an assistant, Zero?”
“Hmm. I’m not sure. What about Night? He keeps scaring off Syxx and Sevyn.” My eyes met Arina’s, and I grinned with malice. “He gets a little crazy with a saw sometimes.”
The mention of a saw made her shift uncomfortably, and a giddy wave washed over me.
She was so easy to scare. So innocent, so weak. It was such a shame she couldn’t stay. I could have so much fun with her, in so many ways. My fingers were already itching to pull out my throwing knives, which were tucked into my belt.
“I’m not afraid of a blade,” she said, directed straight at me.
I laughed out loud, the sound echoing through the empty hall.
She was afraid—that much was obvious—but somehow still managed to run that bratty little mouth. If there was one thing I got off on, it was a stubborn attitude. That and knife play.
I wanted to show her, to prove to her just how terrifying my blades could be.
I wanted to break her, ruin her.
If we couldn’t convince her that she wasn’t made for the circus, I’d show her, along with everyone else.
“I don’t know, Hallow,” I said, pushing off the rail and slowly making my way back over. “Why don’t we see what she’s made of? If she can hold her own with me, maybe we can fit her in somewhere.”
“That’s not fair, and you know it, Zero,” Daze snapped, but I ignored him. There was only one person’s opinion that mattered, and that was Hallow’s.
The ringleader smirked at me, their dark eyes glinting with intrigue. It was a bluff, and they knew it, but I could tell they were up for a little excitement.
There was no way Arina would survive my knife throwing routine—no one ever had. They always bowed out before we got to the good part. And, if well-seasoned circus performers who’d seen me throw a thousand times wouldn’t stand in front of my target, neither would she.
“That’s a good idea,” Hallow said with a nod. Then, they locked eyes with Arina again. “If you can survive Zero’s act, I’ll consider it. Otherwise, my answer is no.”
Daze looked stunned, Arina skeptical.
“What exactly do I have to do?” She cocked an eyebrow, her gaze bouncing between Hallow and me.
“You’re just gonna stand there and look pretty,” I assured her. “And try not to flinch.”