Read Online Carnival of Hearts: BBW Paranormal Shape Shifter Romance by Scarlett Rhone - Free Book Online Page B

onto his shoulders, and bit down on the skin of his neck as well. She bit as hard as she could, Marcus roaring against her, the sound inhuman and guttural, and then she tasted his blood and let go, falling back to the grass.
    With his blood on her mouth, and her blood on his, they looked into each other’s eyes until Marcus’s rolled a little upward and he came inside her, hips bucking, a look of wild joy on his face.
    In that moment, Clara felt it. The mark, the bond. It burned from the bite on her throat all the way through her, a fire searing them together for eternity. She gasped and then it faded, smoldered down from a fierce conflagration to a soft, warm candle burning away in her heart, and in his. It was more than magical. It was everything. Marcus wrapped her up in his arms and curled around her on the grass, kissing her shoulder, her arm, and nuzzling against her skin. Clara knew that soon he would have to face the Ringmaster if they were going to have their freedom, but for that moment, everything was perfect. They were together and not even life and death could separate them. The mark was forever, Clara could feel it. She would never doubt her own heart, or Marcus, ever again.

Chapter 14
    The carnival found them a few hours later, just as dusk had begun to lighten the sky. They’d slept in each other’s arms, and then gotten dressed and simply waited, knowing the hunters would come. It was Liam and Baptiste, of course. The gigantic, black-eyed bruiser of a man and the lithe fox-faced tamer with his silver-tipped whip.
    “Not much of a chase,” Liam remarked as they passed between the trees encircling the spot where they’d slept. “I’m kind of disappointed.”
    As Marcus got to his feet, pulling Clara with him by the hand, he saw the flicker of Baptiste’s whip and issued a warning growl towards him.
    The whip’s snap hit the air, but fell harmlessly to the grass in a countering message.
    Liam held up a hand, looking at them. Marcus perceived his eyes traveling over them, and lingering, of course, on the blood that had dried on their mouths, and necks.
    “You fool,” he said, eyes wide. “You marked her.”
    Marcus felt the power of the mark scorching through his veins, and he smiled back at Liam. “Yes, I did.” He jabbed a finger at Baptiste. “If that whip hits the air again, I’m going to strangle him with it.”
    “What’s your play here, Marcus?” Liam asked.
    Marcus gritted his teeth and held tight to Clara’s hand. “You can take us back. I know those are your orders.”
    Liam must have known then, Marcus reasoned. He must have known that Marcus was going to challenge D’Orfeo. But there wasn’t anything he could do about it. He couldn’t return empty-handed. So he gestured for Baptiste to put away the whip, and the smaller man did. Then he waved them forward and turned, leading them back towards the carnival grounds.
    By the time they arrived at the big top, the whole carnival had gathered to watch them walk up the lane to the main tent. Marcus caught sight of Kat in the crowd and was relieved to see that she was unhurt, at least physically. He met Mabel’s eyes, too, as they walked to the big top, and saw the faintest flicker of pride touch one corner of the older woman’s mouth. Familiar faces, all, amassed outside, and there was Lucien D’Orfeo himself, waiting for them at the entrance to the big top. He’d abandoned shirt and tails and stood barefoot and bare-chested, in only his fitted black trousers, an expression of beautiful fury on his face.
    Marcus squared his shoulders defiantly as they came to a stop before him.
    “What is this bullshit?” D’Orfeo hissed at him.
    “This is my mate, Ringmaster,” Marcus said, lifting his voice so that the gathered den could hear him. “You have no power over her. And none over me either.”
    “You gave yourself to me willingly,” the Ringmaster snarled.
    “And I’ve given myself to her now instead,” Marcus replied.