An Ellora’s Cave Romantica Publication
www.ellorascave.com
Lynx to the Pharaoh
ISBN 9781419922206
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Lynx to the Pharaoh Copyright © 2009 Shelley Munro
Edited by Mary Moran
Cover art by Syneca
Electronic book Publication June 2009
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This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the authors’ imagination and used fictitiously.
Lynx to the Pharaoh
Shelley Munro
Acknowledgements
Thank you to Mary Moran, my awesome editor who helps make each book better. I can’t thank you enough for your patience and thoughtful comments.
And as always, a special thanks to Paul. My best friend, I’d be lost without you. Love always.
Chapter One
Patria Oasis, Egypt, 1835
A blood-red moon shone over the desert, tinting the rocks and sand scarlet. An omen, the locals whispered as they bolted for their camel-skin tents, dropped the flaps and hid from the fearsome sight.
Sethmet Khalil stared into the night, sensing the upheaval in the air with every particle of his tense body. Muscles twitched beneath his skin, itching for the freedom of a nocturnal run across the dunes at the edge of the oasis. It was his normal routine, but tonight he resisted, testing the air. Listening.
Evil whispered from the shadows. Menace thrummed in the air, making the night birds jabber uneasily on their roosts. Sethmet sensed danger too but had no intention of running to hide like the villagers. His was a secret duty, sworn in blood many centuries ago and passed down through the generations from father to son. A sacred promise to the pharaoh to protect the tombs of the cat.
The wind picked up, sending the scent of exotic spices and perfumes swirling through the air. The papyrus reeds on the edge of the lake rattled, warning of the approaching storm.
With a loose-boned gait Sethmet walked from the oasis, past the caravanserai—the inn where travelers resided—and past the pens where restless camels were hobbled for the night. When the faint glow of lamps and candlelight faded, he rapidly stripped off his boots and stockings, coat, silk cravat, shirt and finally his trousers. He stuffed them under a rock he’d used in the past and stood for an instant to let the chill of the rising wind caress his body. His broad chest rose and fell and he let the cat take him, reveling in the pleasure-pain of the transformation from man to beast. Bones lengthened, stretched. Hands converted to clawed paws and a fine brownish-red fur formed on his skin. Sethmet dropped to all fours, his large fur-tufted ears twitching with pleasure and the buzz of intensified senses.
As a caracal, he tested the air. Along with the storm and the myriad scents from the oasis, he smelled the campfires of the English tourists. Sethmet had visited them already in his position as family head, hiring out his guiding services in order to keep an eye on them—a case where his years of education in England helped. Amusement flicked through his mind when he recalled his loud protests about leaving Egypt. Now with a few years of added maturity, he recognized the benefits to both him and his family.
A burst of wind whistled over the hill. A sandstorm fast approached, allowing the bloody moon to play peekaboo behind the clouds. The air sizzled with tension, communicating unease and something out of tune with nature. His eyes scanned the vicinity for anything suspicious. He listened. Nothing. Apart from the coming storm, all seemed as it should.
Sethmet’s slow trot hastened into a full-out run, just for the pleasure of feeling his muscles work and for the heady rush of air blowing through his coat. He rounded the end of a rolling dune, his sharp eyes picking up the Englishmen’s camp at the base of the next sand hill. The tents rattled faintly, the white canvas billowing with the building storm. The flicker of a lamp caught his attention, moving slowly away from the glowing embers of the campfire. Sethmet checked the air, smelling for danger again and paused in surprise. Subtle perfume—flowers of the lilac. Woman.
Sethmet sat on his haunches, blinking while he considered this new development. It was unusual for Englishwomen to come to his family’s oasis because it was so far from the big towns, several long days of riding camels that tested the temperament of a strong man let alone a delicate female. Perhaps she came with one of the local men. A wife or a lover. He hadn’t seen nor smelled evidence of her in the camp when he’d visited earlier. Not that the Englishmen had welcomed him with open arms.
Secretive bastards. He knew they were treasure hunters, intent on raping the pharaoh’s tomb. The greedy expression in their eyes when they thought no one noticed gave them away. No, they hadn’t made him welcome. They’d conducted business, looking down their sharp English noses at him. Sethmet blinked, thoughts of the treasure hunters dissolving as the light moved farther away. The steady retreat of the light piqued his curiosity.
On the unprotected side of the dunes, the wind tugged his fur, blew particles of sand in his eyes, bringing discomfort. He never considered ending his pursuit because something inside the cat urged him to keep following the bobbing light. A flash of white petticoat told him he’d almost caught the woman. His heart beat harder, faster.
Would she take fright at seeing the cat? Probably. Shifting wasn’t an option, not with an Englishwoman present. Nudity made them nervous. They didn’t even like to look at their own bodies. No, shifting wouldn’t work.
His ears flicked back and forth while he determined a course of action. Even if she had a link to the treasure hunters, the ones intent on finding the lost tombs, the approaching storm presented a danger to her. What was her protector thinking?
A powerful gust of wind, the dull roar of the swirling sands and the startled squeak from the Englishwoman made up his mind. Sethmet padded up to her swaying form, intent on herding her to safety.
Long ebony hair streamed out behind her while black skirts blew up and outward, baring her legs and white frilly undergarments. Her seductive scent filled his nostrils—flowers and woman. His heart jumped, astonishing both beast and man. The urge to shift and claim her sprang into his mind, shivered the length of his body. Suddenly, he wanted to sink into the warm softness a woman. This woman. The need to touch her velvet skin beat like an urgent drum inside his head. A soft snarl erupted in protest from his feline side.
The woman heard, despite the wail of the wind. She whirled, her blue eyes widening in astonishment.
But not fear, Sethmet thought with a sense of pride. He knew then this woman would be a worthy consort for the man who claimed her. Sethmet desperately wanted to be that man, envy bolting through him because he suspected it was too late.
Charlotte froze, staring at the big cat stand
ing a foot from her. Its golden eyes fixed on her, unblinking and solemn.
“I hope you’re not hungry,” she whispered, not taking her eyes from the caracal. What had her stepbrother called them? That’s right. Desert lynx. The cat prowled closer, and she trembled, unsure of whether to stay where she was or to run for cover.
In the flickering light of her lamp, the cat seemed big—huge—and heavily muscled. Its pointed ears appeared long because of the black tufts at the tips. Golden eyes gleamed with intelligence. Was it hungry? Or curious? Either way, uneasiness skittered through her veins, and she cursed her stupidity in thinking it was safe to walk alone at night.
Her husband would have scolded her soundly and shut her in her room for days in punishment with only bread and water to eat.
Charlotte squared her shoulders. Since her husband’s death, she’d made decisions on her own, be they good or bad, facing the consequences too. She clutched her easel and paint box a fraction tighter. Perhaps painting by moonlight hadn’t been such a good idea.
Charlotte scanned the sky, frowning before she glanced back at the still cat. Imagine capturing the beauty of the beast on canvas. Her gaze traced the muscular lines of the animal before clouds obscured the red moon and the scant light faded. A sigh escaped, the deteriorating weather defeating her urgent need to capture the scene in a painting.
“I…ah…think I’ll go back to camp now,” she said. “But I’ve no idea why I’m telling you.” Charlotte sidled past the cat, and at the last moment, when she was almost clear, it moved to block her retreat. Her heart thudded. Was it her imagination or had the creature opened its mouth a bit wider? Charlotte tried to keep each breath even and attempted to step around the caracal again, despite her knocking knees. “Good kitty. I don’t have time to play now. Off you go, kitty. Back to your friends.”
The cat’s top lip curled upward and a hiss, scarcely louder than the wind, trembled in the air between them. Charlotte stilled then rapidly backed up without taking her gaze from the cat’s golden eyes. “My, what sharp teeth you have. Very…ah…white.” So, she’d go back to camp the long way. She had her lamp. And she had all night.
The wind rose, a strong gust sending her stumbling, her skirts flying up around her waist. Embarrassed, she fought to push them down and dropped the lamp. It rolled end over end, toppling down a slope with a loud clang. The flame flickered and blew out, leaving deep, pulsing darkness.
A cry of dismay escaped her. Charlotte bit into her bottom lip. Run or not run? Before she could decide, something brushed against her hip.
The cat.
Her mouth dried, and she fought to draw a shaky breath into her starved lungs. A sharp nudge against her thigh pushed her away from camp in the opposite direction. Off balance, her arms flailed. Her painting materials fell from her grasp and dropped to the ground. Charlotte scrambled to retrieve them, but another abrupt push moved her three unladylike steps before she could dig her heels into the shifting sands.
“My paints,” she protested. “I don’t have any more.”
A brusque growl stopped further complaints cold. Her life was more important than her drawing materials. Another impatient shove forced her to move, but it was in the slow, uneasy gait of a blind person.
“How can I see where I’m walking?” Charlotte muttered crossly, coming to an immediate halt. The cat seemed to understand her difficulty and stepped so close to her she could have run her hand down the animal’s back without stretching. Her fingers slid across the soft fur and curled into the cat’s scruff for better balance. It surprised her that she wanted to stroke the beast, to feel the sensual slide of fur beneath her fingertips. Her heart jolted erratically and her breasts peaked beneath the stiff stays she wore. Astonished by the unusual reaction, she missed her step and tripped over a partially embedded rock.
She hit the sand with a thump before sitting to rub her leg briskly. How could she see where she was going when she couldn’t see her hand in front of her face?
The cat paused and prodded her with its head. Seconds later, she felt a damp sweep over her cheek. It was licking her, and the sensation was a little rough but not unpleasant. The wind howled, an eerie sound that raised the hairs at the back of her neck. The cat growled, following this with an insistent butt on her upper arm.
Charlotte pushed to her feet. The sand stirred, blowing in pounding waves like the ocean. It roared like a ferocious beast in a foul temper. A shiver crawled across her body at the fanciful thought and she started to worry about being in the open.
The cat kept moving steadily through the night without hesitation. Charlotte followed, wondering if she was wise to place her trust in a beast that could eat her for dinner as quick as look at her. She hesitated, her steps faltering and almost decided to turn back, to go with the survival instinct shouting she was a fool. Then the ground under her stout boots changed from sand to rock. Footing became easier. Unerringly, the cat moved through the darkness before stopping. The cat’s low growl sounded as if it wanted her to do something.
“Kitty, I wish I could understand you,” Charlotte murmured. “And I have to say you’re very bossy.”
The cat rubbed its head against her hip, giving a soft purr before shunting her toward what felt like a wall of rock. Charlotte held out her hand to stop herself from pitching forward and thumping her head. Her palm caught the edge of an overhanging rock then nothing.
“A cave,” she said, not trying to hide her amazement. “Good, kitty.” Charlotte stumbled into the dark cavern, fully trusting the cat now that it had shown her to a refuge from the storm.
Outside, the wind wailed. Sand whipped through the air and into the mouth of the cave. Charlotte moved cautiously, making her way deeper into the dark hole in the rock. Once she was out of the range of the wind and sand, she sank to the ground, settling on a sandy patch with her back against the rock wall. The cat sat beside her, a welcome warmth in the damp cave. Bone-deep weariness seeped through Charlotte. Her eyelids drooped after her adventure. Aware of her vulnerability, she fought her tiredness, but the soft breathing of the cat at her side lulled her senses and she fell asleep.
Sethmet guarded the woman throughout the night, content to doze at her side. When the storm passed, he stood and stretched. He studied the sleeping beauty, intrigued by her presence with the English. His top lip curled at the thought. Tomb robbers disguised as tourists. His gut instinct had never failed him before. His gaze drifted across her peaceful face. It was difficult to believe that a woman with the innocence of an angel could endanger his family with her greed. A part of the deception? Or the innocent she appeared?
Time would tell.
Sethmet would protect the tombs from robbers. He would not fail in his duty to his family and the pharaoh. Shapeshifting was part of their heritage. A gift they treasured and did not intend to give up lightly. If the woman was involved, he’d find out and deal with the matter. Meanwhile, it wouldn’t hurt to get to know her better. Sethmet ignored the jolt of pleasure to his cock, trying to tamp down the desire flooding his body, his mind. This was business, not pleasure.
Decision made, Sethmet prowled to the mouth of the cave and tested the air. With nothing to alarm him, he moved swiftly into the gloomy dawn. He paused at the spot where the woman had dropped her paints, but they had disappeared with the gusts of wind and swirling sand. No matter. His sisters had paints and books they could spare. He moved on, a silent sentry in the early dawn as he stopped to survey the tourists’ camp.
Camped at the base of a dune, the English had escaped serious damage—a supply tent slanted drunkenly and some of the items left out overnight strewed the surrounding desert.
Sethmet loped back to his clothes. Acute anticipation pulsed through his mind, the like of which he’d never experienced before. Though eager to return to the woman, he didn’t forget the caution that had become second nature. He paused by the rock where he’d left his clothes. Nothing disturbed the still of the storm-washed dawn, so he seamlessly shif
ted from caracal to man. He pulled on his clothes with a sense of purpose and haste. The chore of protecting the pharaoh’s treasures and ensuring his comfort in the afterlife had taken an interesting turn. Sethmet’s mouth lifted in a slow, feral grin. If the woman wasn’t under the protection of another man, he could use that.
Use her.
Gain inside information and learn what the English were up to. She’d felt the simmering attraction between them even if she hadn’t fully understood the implications, that they were compatible, should they want to take the relationship further.
Sethmet wanted.
His smile eased into intense and carnal. He prayed she was unclaimed by another male. A surge of heat shot straight to his groin. He’d teach her to call him kitty.
Sethmet ghosted through the oasis, his silent, rapid footfalls eating the distance to the villa on the hills at the opposite side of the oasis—the home his grandfather had built for his English bride. The mournful bray of a donkey broke the silence, reminding him it wouldn’t be long before the locals stirred. As he hurried through the village, past the marketplace, the bathhouse and the gracious columns that decorated the square, he felt a trace of satisfaction and pride. The oasis of Patria was prosperous, the inhabitants happy yet hardworking. The gods and the pharaoh had been generous indeed.
A sleepy servant let him into the villa. Halfway across the marble floor, he paused and turned. “I would like food and drink to take with me when I leave again.”
The servant nodded, more alert now, and hurried off to carry out the instructions, his leather sandals slapping out his retreat.
Restless, Sethmet wandered the villa before finally seeking his mother to take his mind off the tension simmering inside him.
“Son, you are up early.”
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