Pulling back, Marcus broke our kiss, his pupils now narrowed like a cat’s. He adjusted me against him, positioned my slit to slide over his cock in one, swift move.
I sucked in a deep breath, my gaze staring directly into his as I took him whole, the thick length of him stretching me and setting off little spasms along my inner walls.
Marcus picked up the pace.
I held on to him tighter, my spine burning against the wall’s rough caress as the back of my sweater now hiked up to my shoulder blades. It remained up there as he continued ramming into me. But I didn’t give a damn. The pain only added to my pleasure as I knew Horatio with his healer’s touch would seek me out later. It always happened that way, it was the way my guys worked. I belonged to all three of them and they all worked together when it came to sex, just like they had with everything else in our relationship.
I parted my lips, my breath growing ragged. I’d never get enough of Marcus.
He dug his fingers into my ass cheeks and growled.
My vision shifted to take in less of the color spectrum than my human sight allowed. Kitty was definitely coming into her own while Keti…well, Keti was just losing herself completely and utterly to one fuckingly apt lion.
“Oh, gods, Marcus.” I cried out, my eyes narrowing as an orgasm rocked my core.
Marcus tossed his head back and with a final thrust, spewed into me. He quivered.
A few seconds later he rested his head against my shoulder. “I love you, babe.”
I knew he meant those words. He always did.
I held him close, the beat of his accelerated heartbeat, though now easing, thumped against my chest.
The skin along my spine burned, so I shifted slightly.
Marcus pulled out of me as if on instinct. I slid my legs from his waist and landed my feet on the floor.
I took a moment to regain my breath.
My sight shifted back to normal. “I think my cat might be back…on her own.”
“Maybe it’s the scarab,” Marcus said, his words little more than a whisper at my ears. He nipped my neck with a tender, playful bite, then backed away and redressed.
I missed his warmth as I grabbed my jeans and torn panties from the floor, wadding them into a ball and shoving them under my arm. No sense putting the pants back on without the undies. My sweater went almost to the knees anyway, so it wasn’t like I’d be walking around with any vital parts exposed.
Marcus checked his watch. “Horatio and Lucius should be back soon. I’ll go get you that hot chocolate.” He left the vestibule and trekked into the hall.
I snatched the lapis from the alcove. No way was I going to allow the stone out of my sight, not even for a single second.
Cradling the fragment in my palm, I wrapped my fingers around it. A glow illuminated my hand. Pulses of blue and gold shot from and around my fist like flashes of a strobe light.
I purred.
My hand mutated.
A massive lioness’s paw appeared at the end of my arm, then vanished, only to be replaced with one that looked very much like a black pantheress’s. I’d never taken on either form of big cat while I’d lived in Bubastis. I was always a small, domesticated kitty or a tigress.
Something wasn’t right.
And I hadn’t a clue what or why.
5
Keti
I followed Marcus straight through to the kitchen, my big cat problem kept to myself. He’d have a cow and put an end to my involvement in this whole mess on the instant. And I was not going to be sidelined like a damsel in distress while I had the chance to get my scarab back. Whatever was plaguing the feline in me, I’d straighten it out on my own.
At the sink, Marcus washed his hands before grabbing one of the mugs off the wood stand and proceeded to make me a hot cocoa. “Was there anything different about the Cat’Hu you worked on tonight?” A slight flush remained in his cheeks.
I dropped my clothes on a stool in front of the marble-topped island. “Other than a few curses I couldn’t undo, no. Why?”
He shrugged. “I’m just trying to figure out what brought the Praetorian back after all these years.”
“I don’t think the cheetah had anything to do with it. He was beaten badly when he appeared in the examining room, so I doubt he’d have had the energy to raise the dead. Besides, if he was the cause, and Selene wasn’t behind her warrior returning to earth tonight, she had made sure the cheetah never arrived at the clinic for a proper burial.” My mother’s sacred texts contained hundreds of papyri dealing with the dead, but only a small section discussed resurrected warriors under Selene’s rule. The ghostly Praetorian was the first of the sort I’d encountered.
Setting the broken piece of lapis in the center of the island, I stood back and studied the fragment.
With its rich blue hue, it stuck out displayed on the white marble, a single basket of fruit its only companion. I wished it was more than just one quarter of my scarab.
I sighed.
Heat singed my palm. I checked my hand, but the gash created earlier by the lapis had already healed over. Though that didn’t mean the warming sensation wasn’t a result of the wound. Scarab energy could have entered my veins when it pierced my flesh. And if so, that could very well be why my feline side stirred even before Marcus and I finished doing the nasty. As for the big cat issues, I could now be pulling in all forms of Cat’Hu energy now that I had a chunk of the scarab in my possession.
Marcus handed me the mug of cocoa, mini-marshmallows floating on its steaming surface. “I know it doesn’t help when I say don’t worry, but everything does have a way of working out.”
Of all my guys, Marcus was ever the optimist. “What if this is all I’ll ever get back? What if by this piece breaking off, it’s destroyed the scarab to the point it can never be whole again? Then what will I do?” I really had no clue what to expect.
“Let’s not worry about that yet.” He gave me another of his soulful stares.
I hated when he did that, it made me feel like I might not have him forever. “Is there something you’re not telling me?”
“Just remember your destiny, Keti. That’s what the four of us are about—you saving the Cat’Hu. Can you promise me that?”
I nodded but it was an outright lie. My guys were everything to me. That damn omen of troubled times yet to come was going to haunt me until the day I died. I raised the mug of cocoa to my lips and sipped.
Lucius strutted in to the kitchen, back from his nightly neighborhood patrol. “Not a Selenian in sight.” He snatched the light blue slouched beanie off his head and tossed it onto the desk in the side niche before turning to stare back at me. “What?”
“We ran into one of Selene’s Praetorian’s tonight behind the clinic,” Marcus said.
“Julius Fucking Caesar. Are you kidding me?” Lucius pulled out one of the high-backed steel stools lined up in front of the island and plopped his jeans-covered ass down. A tousled look capped his wavy blond hair. “I thought we slayed those savages when Octavian took over.”
“We did,” Marcus added.
Lucius shot me a glare. He pushed up the sleeves of his gray sweatshirt and leaned forward. “Keti?”
I twirled the mug in my hand, the warmth coming off it kissing my fingers. “The beast Marcus and I encountered tonight was the very Praetorian who’d captured me back in Bubastis.”
Lucius didn’t utter a word. He just sat there, a look of disbelief glazing his green eyes.
My guys had their own hatred for the Praetorian who’d nearly captured me, and Lucius took it the hardest. He hated the beast who’d desecrated his mother’s grave.
“He’s only a ghost, but as formidable an opponent as ever.” I took another sip of hot chocolate, my gaze rising over the mug’s rim. I waited for a reaction from Lucius, but one never came. He simply sat back and ran a hand through his golden hair.
Horatio appeared in the doorway, his black shirt and matching slacks giving off a priestly v
ibe, but there was nothing even remotely pious about my sexy protector. H was more apt to side with the devil in battle, and in everything else, for that matter. But I loved him just the same.
He smiled at me as he leaned against the doorjamb, a black leather cuff hugging his right wrist.
“Where have you been?” Marcus asked.
“Conducting business.” Horatio was cryptic as ever. Right from day one H was a secretive soul. Initially I’d made the mistake of just pegging him as quiet, but that was not the case. He’d been trained as a spy and never conducted himself in any other manner. I could only imagine what magickal secrets his soul held. But I trusted him with my life. I had no reason not to. He’d been loyal from the moment he came to stand over me on the barge I’d escaped on. He alone tended my injured leg.
“Selene’s Praetorian is back,” I said.
He nodded. “I know.”
Shock coursed through me. I nearly dropped my mug.
Marcus huffed. “For fuck’s sake, H. Why didn’t you say something earlier?”
“I didn’t know then.” Horatio crossed the kitchen and came up behind me. He plucked an orange from the basket next to my jagged piece of lapis, a trace of lime coming off his black hair. “I had a meeting with my contact tonight. We discussed the matter while walking through The Met.”
Horatio often spent time in the museum, his attachment to Imperial Rome and ancient Egypt, very much a part of his contemporary life.
“Let it go,” Marcus said. “We can’t afford to have the authorities—mortal or supernatural—breathing down our necks. Not now.”
“You’re assuming I can let it go.”
Marcus fisted his hands. “Never once have I interfered in your private world. But whatever the hell you’re planning on buying, you don’t need it now.”
Not the sort to wear his anger on his sleeve, H simply peeled the orange he was holding and refrained from commenting. Though I had to admit, I was curious as to why he spent so much time with information traders and antiquities dealers. He didn’t have a library stocked with first editions and hexed grimoires like Marcus owned. Nor did he have a dungeon armory chocked-full of cursed weapons like the one Lucius had assembled in the basement. All Horatio had was his bedroom and the space hadn’t contained a single painting, alabaster bust, or even a curio with priceless urns or vases. H was the minimalistic type of guy. Yet he spent countless hours in museums and with dealers who were known for selling on the black market.
“You have to let it go,” Marcus added. “Because Selene’s Praetorian isn’t our only problem. Shortly after the two of you left here tonight, Ra called in Keti’s scarab. He wants proof she still has it, or she’ll no longer be allowed to prep Cat’Hu souls for Duat.” He gazed at the lapis on the island. “The good news is, the Praetorian has the scarab. The bad news, it won’t come off his neck. At least not whole. That fragment is all Keti managed to get tonight.” He pointed to the chunk of stone.
Silence hung between my guys and that concerned me because when together, they were a chatty bunch. Add in Marcus’s earlier reminder about the reason for our foursome and my worry meter spiked to new levels. Something was shifting in my world.
Popping a slice of orange into his mouth, Horatio turned to me. “You need the blade that killed your mother. Then you can use it against the Praetorian and put him down for good. In the process, you should get your scarab back.”
He stepped away.
I didn’t know how to respond to his comment. Horatio’s blasé tone made it sound like killing a phantom warrior was a simple everyday occurrence.
Marcus glared at H. “What the hell are you talking about?”
Horatio leaned back against the counter. “The dagger is cursed with Bastet’s blood. Given the chance, it will turn against the Praetorian for murdering the goddess.”
Lucius rested his elbows on the island and inspected the piece of lapis. “I can see the whole dagger thing working,” he said. “But we don’t have the weapon in our possession.” He flicked his finger over the smooth stone, then pulled back.
“As I said before, unlike what our dear Marcus believes, there’s a purpose to me doing what I do.” Horatio ate the last slice of orange, then tossed the rind pieces into the garbage compactor under the counter. “The dagger is currently on exhibit at The Met.”
That was news to me. “I don’t ever remember seeing the Praetorian’s blade in the museum. And I’ve been there enough times to know every relic in both their Egyptian and Roman collections, even those no longer on display.”
Horatio reached into his back pocket and withdrew his phone. He brought it into my view. After he swiped the screen, a view of the dagger propped in a display case, appeared.
Marcus fumed. “In the name of the gods, H, what the hell did you do?”
“Save for hacking into the museum’s live security feed, I did nothing.” A sheepish look crossed Horatio’s face. “However, someone who owed me a favor, did. And for the record, it wasn’t anything underhanded.” He paused. “Well, not technically. The piece was originally part of a collection that ended up donated to the Met. But somewhere over the years, the blade went missing and never made it to the museum. I simply found it and had it returned to the collection where it rightfully belongs. But I needed a human to intervene as the only immortal who can now touch the blade and survive, is Keti.”
“Why would you do that without knowing the Praetorian had been resurrected?” I wanted answers.
H turned my way, his vibrant blue eyes focusing solely on me.
I licked my lips. It didn’t matter that Marcus and Lucius were in the room. When Horatio gave me his undivided attention, I was alone in the world with him. And he with me.
He took my right hand and massaged my palm, circled his thumb over the spot where the lapis had gouged my skin but was now healed. “A bit of information crossed my path about a month ago and it concerned Selene and her Roman warriors. But I couldn’t verify it, so I took out my own insurance should any of those bastard Selenians from Bubastis return from the dead. The dagger being found, apparently, forced Selene to resurrect her Praetorian.”
Heat warmed my cheeks. I swallowed and pulled my hand from Horatio’s grasp. The tips of my breasts puckered, my nipples straining against the wool of my sweater. Despite all the attention Marcus had just given the greedy little buds, they now ached for H’s touch.
And Lucius’s mouth.
Gods, but I need to curb my cravings.
The cat in me purred. Kitty also had a sudden hankering to get on all fours, my ass and clit both yearning for a few good smacks.
I gasped, a slight little ‘Oh’ escaping my mouth.
Horatio rubbed the small of my back as if he’d read my mind. He had a healing touch, but also a wickedly masterful hand that often left my ass with a reason for him having to soothe me.
The stinging at my back cooled. “It’s all starting to make sense,” I said. “About a month ago, I picked up traces of my scarab’s energy. Maybe what I’d actually sensed was the Praetorian returning to life. He was wearing the scarab tonight, so me homing in on that vibe a month ago would have been easy. And I sensed it in Central Park, so making the connection to the Met isn’t a far stretch. When did your mortal contact start working on getting the dagger back to the museum?”
“As soon as I’d located it. About a month ago, though it wasn’t finalized until tonight.”
Lucius slid off the stool. “How does it help Keti if the dagger is in the museum?”
The question was an important one. “Lucius is right. I can’t just walk in and lift the item from its display case.”
“There’s nothing saying we can’t borrow the dagger for a night or two,” Horatio said. “And if we do it magickally, then no one will even know it’s on loan, as I’ll make sure a replica will take its place in the interim.”
I didn’t like the idea of borrowing a relic when I hadn’t asked the proper authorities, but I also didn’t
want a phantom Praetorian showing up on my doorstep poised to kill and me having no means of defending myself. I had to stay alive for the sake of my race. Or at least until Selene and Maahes no longer posed a threat to us. And my brother having been quiet these last few weeks wasn’t necessarily a good thing, either. “I think H is right.”
Marcus gave up a little huff but didn’t protest.
Neither did Lucius.
“I take it we’re all in agreement with Horatio, then?”
Lucius nodded. “I’ll be in the armory gathering weapons. We’re going to need a boatload of cursed blades to do in that Praetorian bastard, so I’ll get out the dangerous ones. Maybe only the dagger can kill him for good, but the others will help cut him down and make the final blow easier for you to deliver.” He was out of the kitchen in a flash without even giving me a chance to respond to his comment.
My worry meter spiked a second time, sent goosebumps dotting my flesh. Lucius only brought out the cursed weapons when he knew serious trouble was on its way.
“I’ll go see what I can find in the library,” Marcus said. “The dagger won’t do us any good if we don’t know how to call out the Praetorian.” He stopped just before stepping into the hall and glanced over his shoulder. “You do realize if we do this magickally, we may very well have to pay a price for it down the line.”
“I am very much aware of that.” But I didn’t see any other way to put down the ghostly Praetorian. With Selene upping her game, I didn’t give a crap what we had to do to save the Cat’Hu. “I don’t think we have a choice in the matter. Besides, it’s not like we haven’t used magick in fighting this war in the past. We probably have a whole string of sins that are one day going to catch up to us.”
Realms and Rebels: A Paranormal and Fantasy Reverse Harem Collection Page 111