Howling Mad: A paranormal wolf shifter romance (Badlands Book 2) by Rebekah Blue Page A
Authors: Rebekah Blue
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he said. “It’s nothing to worry about. It’s something happy…I hope.”
They dressed quickly in the dark and opened the door of the trailer. Naomi peeped out cautiously. The night air was pleasantly cool and the smells of popcorn and candy apples seemed stronger than ever. The music from the carousel drifted through the night.
Byron took her hand in his and pulled her away from the trailer and towards the center of the fairground, ignoring her questions. The look on his face was happy and excited, his silver eyes glowing. He seemed a different person to the wolf she’d seen at bay in the back of his cage, those pale irises haunted.
They rounded the edge of the funhouse and Naomi gasped.
The whole carnival had turned out. They were gathered around the carousel, an expectant audience. Auntie Mae was there with her blue-dyed skin. Uncle James had donned his spotty suspenders, and his lugubrious face split into a big, rubbery grin at the sight of them. A spurt of water jetted from a big fake flower in his lapel. The Road Wolves revved their engines, like a muted chorus of cheers.
Many of the carnies wore black armbands in mourning for Anton, but they were smiling as they looked at Byron and Naomi, hand in hand.
Naomi turned to Byron. “What’s this?” she asked. She couldn’t help smiling too as she looked up into his face.
He shrugged. “We’ve got things to do before we can get married properly,” he said. “People to find. People to help… People to stop.”
She must have looked stunned, because he added, “I mean…that’s if you want to. If you think… I just thought, if you’ll have me…” He was tripping over his words, at a loss for what to say. It was sweeter than any silver-tongued speech he could have made.
Auntie Mae stepped forward. “What my idiot boy is trying to say is that there’s an old carnival tradition. When a couple fall in love, they ride the carousel at midnight. It makes you man and wife more surely than any silly old piece of paper.” She waved her hand, dismissing the idea of traditional marriage.
“I don’t know what to say,” Naomi whispered. Even after all the sad and scary and horrible things that had happened, she was so happy she wanted to cry.
“Say yes,” said Mae. “And just so you know, tradition has it that if you ever want to dissolve the marriage, you ride the carousel backwards.”
“Don’t tell her that!” Byron smacked his forehead with his palm. “Oh man, this proposal has turned into a literal freak show.”
“Hey, less of that,” said The Incredible Tattooed Lady. “You aren’t too big to be put over my knee, you know.”
“Sorry, Auntie Mae.” Byron looked at the carousel. “Does this thing even run backwards?” he asked.
Uncle James took Auntie Mae’s hand gently in his. They looked at each other with the love light in their eyes. “We’ve never cared to find out,” he said.
Naomi looked at Byron. His face was so beautiful in the strange, artificial carnival light. His eyes were as pale as the moon rising behind him, and there was no madness there at all – not unless you counted the crazy spark of love.
“We don’t need to know either,” she said.
And as the carnival folks laughed and cheered, and the Road Wolves whooped and high-fived, Byron climbed onto a painted carousel horse and lifted Naomi onto his lap and kissed her. The merry-go-round began to turn, the music began to play, and the carved horses bobbed up and down as the carousel spun them into their future.
THE END
I hope you enjoyed Howling Mad! For news about my latest releases as well as competitions, freebies and more, please sign up for my newsletter at http://eepurl.com/b0UFID
Other books in the Badlands series:
Trouble Bruin
http://amzn.to/2960fEf
Bounty-hunting bear shifter Art is a loner, and he likes it that way…until curvy pilot Charlie literally crash-lands in his life.
Charlie’s in the Badlands to wipe out a drug that
They dressed quickly in the dark and opened the door of the trailer. Naomi peeped out cautiously. The night air was pleasantly cool and the smells of popcorn and candy apples seemed stronger than ever. The music from the carousel drifted through the night.
Byron took her hand in his and pulled her away from the trailer and towards the center of the fairground, ignoring her questions. The look on his face was happy and excited, his silver eyes glowing. He seemed a different person to the wolf she’d seen at bay in the back of his cage, those pale irises haunted.
They rounded the edge of the funhouse and Naomi gasped.
The whole carnival had turned out. They were gathered around the carousel, an expectant audience. Auntie Mae was there with her blue-dyed skin. Uncle James had donned his spotty suspenders, and his lugubrious face split into a big, rubbery grin at the sight of them. A spurt of water jetted from a big fake flower in his lapel. The Road Wolves revved their engines, like a muted chorus of cheers.
Many of the carnies wore black armbands in mourning for Anton, but they were smiling as they looked at Byron and Naomi, hand in hand.
Naomi turned to Byron. “What’s this?” she asked. She couldn’t help smiling too as she looked up into his face.
He shrugged. “We’ve got things to do before we can get married properly,” he said. “People to find. People to help… People to stop.”
She must have looked stunned, because he added, “I mean…that’s if you want to. If you think… I just thought, if you’ll have me…” He was tripping over his words, at a loss for what to say. It was sweeter than any silver-tongued speech he could have made.
Auntie Mae stepped forward. “What my idiot boy is trying to say is that there’s an old carnival tradition. When a couple fall in love, they ride the carousel at midnight. It makes you man and wife more surely than any silly old piece of paper.” She waved her hand, dismissing the idea of traditional marriage.
“I don’t know what to say,” Naomi whispered. Even after all the sad and scary and horrible things that had happened, she was so happy she wanted to cry.
“Say yes,” said Mae. “And just so you know, tradition has it that if you ever want to dissolve the marriage, you ride the carousel backwards.”
“Don’t tell her that!” Byron smacked his forehead with his palm. “Oh man, this proposal has turned into a literal freak show.”
“Hey, less of that,” said The Incredible Tattooed Lady. “You aren’t too big to be put over my knee, you know.”
“Sorry, Auntie Mae.” Byron looked at the carousel. “Does this thing even run backwards?” he asked.
Uncle James took Auntie Mae’s hand gently in his. They looked at each other with the love light in their eyes. “We’ve never cared to find out,” he said.
Naomi looked at Byron. His face was so beautiful in the strange, artificial carnival light. His eyes were as pale as the moon rising behind him, and there was no madness there at all – not unless you counted the crazy spark of love.
“We don’t need to know either,” she said.
And as the carnival folks laughed and cheered, and the Road Wolves whooped and high-fived, Byron climbed onto a painted carousel horse and lifted Naomi onto his lap and kissed her. The merry-go-round began to turn, the music began to play, and the carved horses bobbed up and down as the carousel spun them into their future.
THE END
I hope you enjoyed Howling Mad! For news about my latest releases as well as competitions, freebies and more, please sign up for my newsletter at http://eepurl.com/b0UFID
Other books in the Badlands series:
Trouble Bruin
http://amzn.to/2960fEf
Bounty-hunting bear shifter Art is a loner, and he likes it that way…until curvy pilot Charlie literally crash-lands in his life.
Charlie’s in the Badlands to wipe out a drug that
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