by Nina Bruhns
She didn’t fool him for a second.
“How much have you learned? Enough to foil our attack? Have you warned him, that hyena of a brother of yours?”
Like she would tell Ray the truth. “Of course I warned him! The spell worked perfectly,” she said smugly. “Seth knows everything, so you can call off your dogs. It won’t work.”
A muscle worked in his jaw. Pinpoints of flame shot from his shoulders. “I am very disappointed in you, meruati. See how easily you lie to me. And how readily you betray me, your future husband.”
She was not about to feel guilty. “I learned both skills from the master,” she retorted.
He sighed, and to her surprise, the flames died down. She could have sworn she heard a hint of weariness in the low rush of his breath as he approached her. “Such bitterness. Where did it come from?”
“You know very well what caused it, Ray. You did.”
He reached out and stroked along her cheek with his warm fingertips. “Nephtys, I can sense your hurt. It is like a living thing, eating you alive. But it’s old news. Let it go. I was young and foolish and didn’t know what I had in you, didn’t understand how precious your love and devotion were. Nor how rare. Not until you were taken did I even begin to understand. But then it was too late. Does it count for nothing that I have been trying to get you back from the bastard who took you from me for five millennia?”
She refused to be placated by the false sincerity of his words.
“Took me?” she spat back, the pain and outrage flaring up within her like a backflash of flame from the embers she’d carried for so long, burning her from the inside out. “Took me? You sold me, Ray.”
“No, Nephtys. You were stolen from me. By Seth-Aziz’s father.”
Lies!
“Why would he steal me? Did he not offer you enough gold to satisfy your avarice, so you refused him a sale? Perhaps he would not pay your asking price because I was spoiled goods, tainted by your insatiable lust and infected by your vampyric poison?”
“There was no asking price!” Haru-Re snapped, grasping her arms. She thought he would shake her, but he just held her with a grip like the talons of a falcon, his favored Ra-animal. “He knew you were from the far north, a princess of royal blood. He wanted to open trade with your people. He thought your ‘rescue’ and a match with his son would pave the way. He made me several offers, yes. But I turned them down. Every last one. And not because they were too miserly. Trust me, they weren’t. But nothing would tempt me. So he took you from me. I did not sell you!”
Momentary shock sliced through her. This was the first she’d heard of such a scheme by the man she’d come to think of as a second father. The plan to marry her to Seth was perfectly plausible and not terribly surprising. But the other—the betrayal—had that really been her adopted father’s lie all along, and not a heartless cruelty by the man standing before her?
That betrayal had been the reason she’d hated Ray with a vengeance. Had cried and mourned and plotted revenge and been a wretched mess for five millennia over his callous rejection of her true and faithful love.
“I saw the scroll!” she cried. “Your written agreement. The bill of sale for me, signed by you.”
His fingers gentled on her arms. “Forged by Seth’s father, no doubt, to turn you against me, meruati. He knew you had feelings for me. That even though you were a slave, you were my lover. My favorite. My refusal to sell you told him as much. He lied to you. He must have known you’d never agree to wed Seth if you still loved me.”
She stared at him, her heart squeezing as if caught in a vise. All these years…
“You’re lying,” she whispered hoarsely. “You’re lying.”
She wrenched herself free of him and started to run.
It couldn’t be true.
It couldn’t.
Because if it were, it meant she’d wasted her entire life in heartache and misery.
And all for nothing.
Chapter 12
“My God!” Joss exclaimed for the dozenth time. She felt exhilarated, awestruck, captivated and more alive than she’d ever felt in her life. “Seth-Aziz! That was amazing!”
The huge lion regarded her with half-lidded, unreadable feline eyes. His head was lowered and his mouth slightly open as he fed his winded lungs with air. His upper lip curled in a snarl, showing vicious teeth as long as her fingers.
But she was no longer afraid. Lions were supposed to be scary. But this was Seth-Aziz. He hadn’t hurt her before. He wouldn’t now, even in his majestic ba form.
He padded closer to her on paws the size of her whole head, his unruly black mane falling about his leonine face as he looked down at her from high above. She could smell him, the strong, musky scent of a wild animal.
“This was what you wanted to show me?” she said, flinging her arms out in a sand angel, unable, unwilling, to quell the joy in her voice. “Thank you,” she said. “Oh, thank you! I shall never forget that ride as long as I live!”
She reached upward and touched the riotous fur of his shaggy mane. It was thick and coarse, yet the strands were light as air between her fingertips. She lifted her other hand and combed her fingers through the formidable black halo. He stared down at her. She touched his rough cheeks, and drew her palms over the warm, bristly fur that covered his face. His nose was broad and flat, reminding her of a mysterious sphinx.
His nostrils flared, and he came closer, within inches, bringing those enigmatic eyes close enough to see the striations of his irises. They were on her like lasers, watching every move she made, drilling into her with a predator’s intensity.
She wasn’t worried. Gemma had told her story after story of his enlightened leadership and his immense love for his people—everything he did, he did for the good of Khepesh and his followers.
A man like that would never hurt her.
She stroked the backs of her fingers along his massive jaw. Okay, so he wasn’t exactly a man at the moment. She knew she should be scared witless of this giant beast with its deadly strength and its saber-like teeth, but she was unable to summon any emotion save awe.
“You’re magnificent,” she murmured. “Truly.”
She lifted up to place a kiss on one surprisingly smooth-haired jowl. A low, rumbling growl sounded deep in his chest.
She smiled and lay back on the ground and closed her eyes, just savoring the moment.
He let out a roar.
Startled, she opened her eyes again. He was now standing right above her. His large body blocked out the spangle of stars above, his paws on either side of her, not touching her but effectively pinning her down.
She felt a brief pang of apprehension. Not fear, really. But… God, what was he doing?
“Seth-Aziz?”
His head lowered toward her, coming closer and closer, until his large, cool nose touched her cheek. She could feel his hot breath on her skin, and smell the distinctive scent of his lion’s pelt. Under it, she caught a drift of the man himself, the unique sage and spice his skin carried, that she remembered so well from this afternoon.
“Seth…” she whispered, lifting her hand to the edge of his face, sliding her fingers into the fringe of mane that rimmed it.
With another growl, his mouth opened, and opened more, and then the angle of his head turned, and he placed his jaws around her throat, spanning it from ear to ear.
She could feel the pointed tips of his huge teeth scrape against her tender skin, the hot lion saliva soaking her in its languorous warmth.
Like blood.
Oh, Lord. Her heart thundered.
His body crouched down, lowering itself until she could feel the hair of his belly poke into the soft fabric of her tunic, and the muscles of his massive haunches press into the sides of her thighs.
He was aroused.
Oh, dear God. Okay, now she was getting scared. She grabbed handfuls of his mane, tried to drag him away, but it was no use.
With another low growl, the sandpaper touch of his t
ongue scraped under her ear, a solid, living, vibrating force against her fluttering throat. The spell of the vampire bite under her opposite ear came instantly to life, sending a dark, agonizing ribbon of want through her center, just as he’d warned her it would.
Jesus. What was he doing?
The points of his teeth clamped a smidgen tighter around her throat, just enough so she didn’t dare try to move away. The twin bite marks throbbed erotically, sending pangs of need shooting through her veins, the spell working its undeniable magic on her flesh. Her body awakened with a sensual jolt, quickening with a burst of desire. His supple lion’s tongue moved slowly along its path with powerfully restrained intensity, toward the center hollow of her throat. When he reached the shallow dip, she wanted to swallow but didn’t dare. His teeth were like an iron maiden around her vulnerable flesh. One slight move could slide his tongue onto the vampire bite and send her body into a mortifying paroxysm of pleasure.
The speed of his breath had gotten faster, the sensual crush of his body over hers a fraction heavier. His thick arousal pushed more insistently against her belly.
Ohgod ohgod ohgod.
She knew what would happen if his tongue went any closer. She could feel it already, the explosion that tingled and teased at the fringes of her physical craving.
His tongue moved. Blinding need tore through her. Her nipples zinged painfully. The pulsing pearl of want between her thighs begged for more, more, more. His tongue kept moving.
“No,” she whispered desperately. “Not like this!”
But it was too late. The tip of his tongue glided hotly over her vampire marks. They flared to life.
She started to come apart. With a cry, she threw her arms around his head…and suddenly realized he’d shifted. It was Seth’s lips and tongue bringing her to climax.
She plunged into the blissful agony of orgasm. She bucked and quaked and finally just let herself go, abandoning all vestige of control. She rode the storm and soaked in the pleasure, dizzy with its preternatural intoxication.
Suddenly her clothes were gone, and his were, too, and their naked bodies slid together, causing a cry of excruciating need from the core of her being. She opened her legs and rejoiced when his body surged between them. He thrust, and his cock plunged into her. He was long and thick, and filled her to the hilt. She moaned in exquisite pleasure.
His mouth moved up and covered hers, latching on with toe-curling erotic suction. The wet thrust of his tongue imitated the movements of his cock between her legs. In and out. In and out. Hot. Hard. So good.
Too good.
She cried out as another orgasm swept through her body.
This time he came with her.
He roared his release with a shiveringly familiar, growling timbre to his primal mating call.
After the quivers subsided, a moan of pleasure and fulfillment soughed through her. Every nerve in her body felt wonderfully sated. “Ohhh…Seth…”
She clung to him, her arms surrounding his muscular back, the weight of him substantial and solid between her legs. Even in human form he was impressive…and impressively large. “That was…” She swallowed. The most incredible sex she’d ever had in her entire life. “Unexpected.”
He grunted, rolling her so she lay on top of him. He folded his arms loosely around her.
She opened her eyes and with a shock realized there was a bed under them. “How on earth—” she began. “Right,” she corrected herself. She didn’t think she’d ever get used to his world of magic and spells and shape-shifting. “Is there anything you can’t do?” she asked, gazing down at him.
He took a final deep breath and let it out. “Unfortunately, yes.”
Once again he didn’t look like a happy camper.
She felt a crush of disappointment. Apparently she was alone in thinking their lovemaking had been amazing.
What. Ever. She was a big girl. She’d live.
With an effort, she summoned the proper sangfroid appropriate to a moment of passion that had caught them both by surprise. “You needn’t worry,” she reassured him. “Just because we made love, believe me, I’m not going to demand you take me as your consort or anything. I know you didn’t really want this, or me.”
He gazed up at her for a moment with those black, black eyes that made her shiver. “Gemma’s been talking to you, I see.” His voice was cool and neutral.
She nodded and slid off him. He didn’t try to stop her. She landed on the mattress and sank into it. It felt good under her body. Like a soft, cradling embrace. Unlike him. So much for the vastly exaggerated “romantic vampire” myth. “Yeah. She told me about Nephtys’s vision and the rest of it. Something you probably should have done.”
“Why?”
“Why?” She rolled her head to give him an incredulous look. “You don’t think that might be something I’d want to know, and, oh, maybe have a say in?”
“Why?” he repeated.
“Are you serious?” Wow. “So it never occurred to you that I might not want to marry you, or whatever being a consort entails?”
“No,” he said.
Incredible. No ego there, or anything.
“Anyway,” she said. “You’ve obviously changed your mind, so it doesn’t matter anymore. And I’m fine with that.”
More than fine. Honestly.
She gazed up between the four tall corner posts of the bed he’d conjured for them, artfully tied with sheer silk curtains wafting in the breeze from the finials. The square of indigo night sky above was spangled with a million stars, glittering and winking like diamonds.
It was so beautiful. Like everything about Khepesh and this man. And for a single, crazy moment she thought, jeez, too bad he didn’t want to marry her. Because where would she ever find another man who was quite so handsome, sexy and…thoroughly magical? But…
“Sex isn’t everything, Seth-Aziz,” she said, figuring that was the reason he couldn’t understand why she wouldn’t want to become his consort. He’d only see how much she enjoyed their bed play.
“Call me Seth,” he said, ignoring the real substance of her statement. Apparently vampire demigods were no different from other men when it came to being obtuse. “I appreciate the show of respect,” he told her, “but we’re lovers now. You can drop the formality.”
How casually he made the mental switch from adversary to intimacy. For her the transition wasn’t so easy. Nor was the assumption of their relationship quite so simple.
“What I mean is,” she said, “lovers or no, we just met. We might not even like each other. Hell, fifty percent of mortal unions end in divorce. And, well, forever is a really long time.” A hell of a long time to be tied to someone who openly resented you. Even if he was a god in bed.
“None of that matters,” he said, not looking at her.
Was he even listening?
“In any case, it’s all moot. I’m glad you changed your mind. About both things,” she added. “I’m not usually one for jumping into bed with a man five minutes after I meet him, but…I’m glad I made an exception with you.”
“You didn’t have a choice,” he said impassively.
She hiked a brow. His aloof tone was really starting to bug her. “Are you saying you wouldn’t have respected my wishes if I’d told you to stop?” A strange thing to tell her now. Kinda spoiled the mood. “You wouldn’t have told me to stop. Your mortal blood in my body has bound us physically. If I want you, and bid you come to me, it’s impossible for you to refuse. You’ll never want to refuse me.”
She blinked. She could have sworn it had been her own idea to sleep with him. But this unnatural world was so insane, she supposed it could be his influence making her think so.
“Oh,” she said, even more deflated. “That sucks.”
“Why? You just said you enjoyed our coupling.”
“I did. At least I think I did. But if that’s true, how much of my desire was real? How do I know if I really enjoyed it, or if your vampyric powers j
ust made me think I did?”
He finally looked over at her, his eyes questioning. “What difference does it make?”
Double wow. He really had to be kidding. “A big difference,” she said. “Like, oh, the difference between mutual consent and rape.”
“Rape?” he echoed. “Surely not, if you enjoyed it? If you wanted me?”
“But if you caused that want, if it’s impossible for me to refuse…” She turned away and gazed back up at the stars, extremely unsettled. She sighed. “I guess we’ll never know the truth.”
Fabulous. He’d managed to totally ruin the moment. Now all she wanted to do was forget all about it.
“Josslyn—”
She sat up. “I think you’d better take me back to my sister now.”
He sat up behind her. His hand touched her shoulder, and she tried not to shudder. His other hand extended a goblet of wine around to her. “There’s no hurry. Let’s just relax for a while before—”
“No, thanks. I’m really not in the mood any more.” She looked about for her discarded tunic and pants. Not that she remembered taking them off… “My clothes?”
Again he ignored her question. “Josslyn, there’s something I need to—”
“I’d also like to see my parents,” she went on, taking a page from his own playbook. “Hopefully I can arrange passage back to the States for all of us. They’ll need new passports and—”
His hands grasped her arms from behind. “Josslyn, stop. You know that’s not going to happen.”
She frowned at him over her shoulder. “The passports? I think it’ll be possible. Somehow I don’t believe the State Department is so organized that they know my parents are supposed to be dead.”
He lifted her from the mattress as though she weighed no more than a feather pillow and turned her to face him. “I’m not talking about the passports, Josslyn. I’m talking about you leaving Egypt.”
“What’s the problem?” She summoned forth her most indifferent mien. “As I recall, this afternoon you couldn’t wait to for me to leave.”
He didn’t even have the grace to deny it. “Things are different now.”