Death and Desire (Love in Cairo #1)

Chapter Twenty-Four

V iolet looked at the stalwart presence beside her. Khalid remained impassive as he listened to David and Isaac’s chatter. Dina excused herself shortly after David announced his plans to remain in Egypt. There was certainly something between the two of them, but Violet’s questions would have to wait. They had time.

Come, little flower. There is someone who wishes to meet you. Khalid’s deep voice echoed in her mind with seductive promise.

When Violet stood, both David and Isaac went silent and stared at her.

“You truly love him?” Isaac asked, rising to his feet.

“I do.” Violet took Khalid’s hand.

“I don’t mean anything by it, but it’s all so sudden.” He glanced at his friend for support.

David rubbed the stubble on his jaw. “Let her decide what she wants for once.”

“Thank you, David.” She rested a hand on his arm. “I shall return later.”

Isaac reached down and scooped the cat into his arms. “Did you hear that? She no longer needs us.”

Violet stifled a laugh when the cat looked between them and sneezed.

Khalid tugged her hand, pulling her close to him, then whispered for her alone, “Come along before she makes a scene.”

She followed willingly. When they reached the small garden alcove, he drew her into his embrace. His spicy scent made her sway deeper into his heat. A curl of black smoke entwined them, drawing them together until she saw nothing but the brilliant gold of his eyes shining in the darkness.

Violet clung to him, and his grip on her hips tightened. In the darkness, she felt his shift from human to god. The lengthening of his limbs, his expanding height, the widening width of his shoulders. Gold armor formed over the linen he wore. Long, clawed fingers pressed the small of her back. A low growl wrapped around them.

When the smoke cleared, she beheld him in his true form, and an ember of adoration flared to life inside her.

“You prefer the other form?”

“I prefer you .” Violet traced the soft skin of his muzzle. His eyes drifted closed at her gentle caress.

She nearly drowned in the emotions rushing through her. Pride, love, need...she gasped when he growled low in his throat. Not a threat, a rumble of contentment. How could she live knowing he existed, that he loved her and not return the sentiment tenfold?

“Anubis. To what do I owe the pleasure of your unexpected visit?” A deep baritone echoed behind her. The words held a teasing amusement she found curious.

Violet turned to find a man hewn from gold with hair the color of the deepest blue standing beneath an oversized palm. It was as if the sun radiated from his skin as he stepped closer. He glittered like a diamond refracting morning light. His lapis-lazuli eyes fixed on her as a sincere smile curved his lips.

“Ra,” Anubis bowed. “Forgive me. I did not mean to disturb you.”

Ra ? The god of the sun? The head of the Egyptian ennead? Violet’s head spun with this new information. She glanced at Anubis before returning her curious gaze to the sun god. She sketched an elegant curtsey. What else should one do in the presence of a deity?

Ra waved his elegant hand as though dismissing the apology. “You are always welcome, my son.” His brilliant attention shifted to Violet, and she straightened under his scrutiny. “What have we here?”

“Violet,” Anubis said, his voice as steady as the firmament. “My beloved and keeper of my heart.”

“Your heart?” Ra’s brow rose. “Fascinating. Tell me, Violet, how did you come to be in possession of the thing he chose to discard so long ago.”

“Thieves.” Violet replied quickly, before she could think. She shook her head, gathering her wits. “What I mean was...” She took Anubis’s hand in hers and held tight as she began the extraordinary tale. “The jewel bound him to me.”

“Bound in what way?” Ra asked, regarding her carefully.

“He came to me in dreams when I was young.” She borrowed strength from Anubis as she regaled the tale of how he’d called her, drew her to Egypt, how they met, the gifts they shared.

Ra stroked his jaw with a bejeweled fingers as she explained how they communicated without speaking. “Show me.”

Anubis, I don’t think he likes me very much.

A soft chuckle filled her head. He adores you, but you are mine. Do not let his golden appearance tempt you.

Nothing could tempt me. Not when I have you.

“Very interesting indeed.” Ra watched the byplay between them. “The bond you share is quite strong. And extremely rare.”

“Rare?”

Ra solemnly nodded. “It is a bond only those destined by fate can form.”

“But what does it mean?” She clutched Anubis’s hand, ignoring the swarm of angry bees buzzing in the pit of her stomach.

“Nothing.” Ra smiled. “And everything.”

Anubis inhaled sharply.

“She carries your heart,” the sun god stated with a lingering half smile.

“After Seth attempted to steal it and bring her harm, I did what needed to be done to protect her.”

“Ah. Seth.” Ra’s amusement faded. “What have you done to him?”

“Nothing.” Anubis growled low as he steadied himself. “Yet.”

“One cannot blame him for being true to his nature.” Ra sighed. “He is the god of chaos and destruction, after all.”

“If he dares to touch the woman I love, I will finish what I began years ago.”

Ra clicked his tongue. “I will ensure no harm befalls your beloved, Anubis. You have my word.”

Anubis relaxed beside her, and she leaned into him, absorbing his warmth.

“I have another request,” Anubis said.

“Ask, and it shall be given, my son.”

“Violet carries my heart, which makes her immortal.”

“Yes, it does.” Ra held his gaze. “You wish for her to remain in the Netherworld by your side.”

“I wish for us to divide our time between my world and hers.”

Ra laughed. “A bold request, but I believe it is one I can grant...at least until it becomes unsustainable due to her inability to age.”

The joy infusing her suddenly vanished. “What do you mean?”

“You will never grow old, my dear,” Ra said, his tone sober. “But your friends and family will. You cannot remain in the mortal realm when it becomes obvious you are no longer entirely human.”

Fear and regret choked her. How could she abandon her father, her brother, her friends to the wheel of time and fate’s design? She swallowed a lump rising in her throat.

“Am I...can I tell them the truth?” Tears pricked her eyes, but she forbade them from falling.

“If you believe they can comprehend the truth, then yes.” A shadow of sadness crossed his handsome face. “Sadly, most humans cannot, but I shall leave the decision in your capable hands.”

Violet nodded, struck mute by the overwhelming pressure of such a decision. Perhaps David and Isaac would believe her, but her father...she blinked twice, and the tears fell freely.

“Go in peace and prosperity. You have my blessing, both of you.” With those words, Ra retreated to his golden arbor beyond the swaying palm, taking the warmth of the sun with him.

Violet shivered, her thoughts conflicted and her heart aching.

Anubis swept her into his embrace, and darkness swirled around them once more. Holding her close, he transported them through the void of the Netherworld, the smoke clouding her vision.

When it finally unfurled, Violet blinked at the radiant moonstone and marble surrounding her. His chamber. The place he’d brought her after she’d nearly drowned in the Nile. When she’d learned he was no ordinary man, but a god.

With tender care, Anubis lowered her to the ground. The ache in her heart remained, but she refused to let it fester. She would talk to her family, tell them the truth. But that was for another time.

This moment was hers...and his.

She pivoted to face him. His midnight skin glowed with ethereal light against the white surrounding them. His gold, jeweled collar began at his neck and spread across his shoulders and chest like armor. A matching belt hung low on his hips holding a linen around his muscular thighs. Every time she saw him in this form, he wore the same items. Were they part of him or merely garments denoting his position? Curious, she brushed her fingers over the gold above his heart.

“Can you remove these? Or are they part of you?” Violet asked. The question sounded ridiculous now that she’d voiced it. Was it strange that she longed to see him bare in this form? She wanted to see all of him. Explore him as he’d done her. Would they even be able to...? She ducked her head to hide the heat climbing into her cheeks at the indecent thoughts in her mind, but he caught her chin in his long fingers and lifted her gaze to his.

“There are no questions I will not answer. No matter how ridiculous you think they are.” He brushed his thumb across her lower lip.

“You’re in my thoughts again.” Violet pouted. “It’s unfair.”

“I rather enjoy your...curiosity.” A soft rumble sounded deep in his throat.

“Why can I not hear your thoughts?” She ignored the way his voice tugged at some deep desire twisted inside of her, hidden from the light.

“No one should bear such torment.”

Her bravado faltered at his simple statement. “I cannot imagine the burden of memories spanning several millennia.”

“I can share more, if it is your desire.”

Violet pondered the offer with serious consideration but shook her head. There was something to be said for innocence in such matters, and although he easily penetrated her mind, she could use it to her advantage in the future. He may be a god, but he’d already proven he had desires to rival any mortal man.

“Perhaps another time.” She let her gaze drift to the bed covered with a plush sapphire blanket and soft downy pillows.

Her mind filled with memories of them together. Him tasting her, filling her, teasing her until she found sweet release. Heat bloomed across her skin. The softest brush across her mind betrayed his presence. She smiled when a deep growl permeated the silent room.

“You torment me, Violet.”

A dark smoke began to encircle him, and Violet pressed a hand to his chest. “No.”

The smoke receded, and Anubis’s gold eyes narrowed. “You do not wish for me to transform?”

Violet slid her palm over the ridged planes of his abdomen. With the height of this form, she barely reached the middle of his chest. Such difference in size should have terrified her, and yet, it sparked something fierce inside of her. Her hand came to rest on the low-slung belt at his hips.

“I want you , Anubis.”

“I do not wish to hurt you.” His hand covered her hand, his fingers dwarfing it.

“You won’t hurt me.” Violet rocked into him, noting the hard ridge against her chest where his cock rested beneath the fabric.

Her eyes widened as his nails slowly receded, leaving blunt fingertips, without altering the rest of his form. He grasped her hand in his and trailed it lower until she brushed his cock through the fabric shielding it from view.

“There are...sizable differences between this and my human form.”

Nothing could have prepared her for such a discovery.

He released her hand, allowing her to trace his length with her fingertips. Her breath caught. His cock was at least as long as her forearm! Khalid had been impressive, but Anubis was unlike anyone she’d ever encountered.

“Enough curiosity, little flower.” He took her by the wrist and withdrew her wandering touch. When he stepped back, putting a few feet of air between them, she groaned in frustration.

“But—”

“Undress for me.” He stood in the dim light, and blood-red moonlight streaming through the open balcony window cast him in a seductive glow. “Slowly.”

Hand trembling, Violet reached for the zipper along her spine. It slipped in her grip, and she fought it until it caught and slid down with ease. The fabric pooled around her waist before she eased it over her hips and down her thighs to lay in a puddle at her feet.

Hunger flashed across his features, and he bared his teeth. It should have been strange, seeing the amalgamation before her—the body of a man hewn from steel and marble with the head of a fierce canine, looking as though he could devour her in a single bite.

And yet, that was exactly what she craved. Him. In all his glory.

When she’d peeled her undergarments free, his gold eyes glinted, his hands balled into fists at his side. She had this effect on him.

Nude, save for stockings and shoes, she stepped free of the discarded garments on the floor and turned just enough to let him see her ass as she bent over to unfasten the straps around her ankles.

He growled, low and deep.

Casting her shoes aside, she focused on rolling down the stockings, then let them slip to the cool marble. It soothed the heat pulsing through her as she took a tentative step toward him.

“Your hair.” His hoarse words made her pause. “Let it down.”

Violet pulled the pins free, letting them fall with soft plinks on the marble. The heavy braid fell over her shoulder. She slowly raked her fingers through the tangled auburn mass, freeing curls one by one. Her hair hung low along her back, teasing her skin, brushing the top of her backside. Thick waves lay over her shoulders and across her breasts. Her nipples peaked, sensitive to the air...the light caress...his unwavering gaze.

“Does this please you?” Violet teased, letting her hand drift over her breast and down to her hip.

His response came in a low, throaty growl. He unclasped the banded collar around his neck and drew it away, revealing thick, heavy muscles beneath. The ripple of sinew and power stole her breath. A thud echoed through the room when he dropped the gold piece to the ground.

Then he removed his headpiece. Small tufts of black fur lay where a man’s hair would have been, previously hidden beneath the regal cap. His ears twitched, able to freely move without restriction. He kicked off his sandals with ease and removed his arm braces with an audible clink before letting them fall to the floor. When he pulled the belt free, Violet held her breath.

The gold band joined the rest of their garments, and he grasped the fold tucked at the crease where his thigh met his torso. In one fluid motion, he ripped it free, and the fabric fluttered to the floor.

Anubis stood tall and proud before her, a statue of perfection, carved of midnight dreams and unspoken desire.

But her gaze rested on his cock, thick and insistent.

There is no way in hell that’s going to fit.

A smirk played on his mouth. “Have you such little faith in me?”

Violet swallowed her pride. “It’s just that—”

“Come here.” He crooked his finger, beckoning her close.

Try as she might to keep her eyes focused on his, her attention dropped the moment she came within reach of him.

“You are free to explore as you wish.”

Violet gripped him, barely able to close her fingers around his girth. Her pale skin practically glowed in comparison to the midnight hue of his silken cock. She stroked her hand down its length, earning a groan from him.

She paused at a shift in texture against her palm, small ridges contrasting with the soft skin. Her thumb rubbed along the underside, noting a thick vein notched with tiny, rounded crests.

“I want to taste you,” Violet murmured, bending down to take the head between her lips.

“Fuck.” The foreign word on his tongue emboldened her.

He tasted like a summer sky after rain. The ridges rubbed her tongue, leaving her daringly aroused. The evidence of it slid down the inside of her thigh as she explored him with her mouth.

Anubis threaded his fingers in her hair, pulling it back enough for her to glimpse his face through gaps in the thick curtain. He tugged as she ran her teeth along his underside, taking him as deep as she could. A choked gasp filled the room, and his head snapped back in abandon.

He pulled free of her mouth with a groan. “As much as I want you to continue, I have plans for you, little flower.”

She protested when he swept her into his arms and carried her to the bed. He leaned on the headboard and placed her in his lap, straddling his thighs. The thick length of his cock lay hard against her stomach, brushing the underside of her breasts.

“I can feel your desire, little flower. Take your pleasure. Let it consume you.”

His words propelled her curiosity to action. Violet moved higher and allowed his cock to slide over her swollen folds as she straddled his waist. She lay against his solid chest. He grasped her thighs, spreading her wide, and taking all of her weight on him.

The head of his cock pressed her entrance, slick with need. She ached as he lowered her onto it. Then he retreated. Over and over, he repeated the motions. A delightful pressure rose with each stroke as he filled her deeper and deeper.

“Take all of me, Violet.” His hoarse growl echoed in her ear as she rested her cheek to his throat.

He thrust hard, filling her completely.

“Anubis!” Violet’s shout ricocheted off the walls. He stilled beneath her.

She was full. Too full. Blissfully, gloriously full.

While she’d delighted in his lovemaking as a human, this form was more...intimidating. Not to mention overwhelming. Her fingers dug into his shoulders, clawing at midnight granite.

“Breathe, my love.” His command did nothing to soothe her, but she did as he asked.

Breathe in. Breathe out.

Slowly, the pressure eased. The fullness turned into completion. She rocked her hips and moaned with delightful sensations coursing through her.

Anubis growled again. “There is something you should know.”

“Later.” Violet moved her hips in slow circles, gaining enough friction to tease her clit while the ridges on his cock stoked a flame inside her.

Anubis wrapped his hand around her hair and thrust deeper inside her.

“Oh, shit,” Violet swore as she clung to his neck, allowing him to move with her own erratic motion.

His teeth grazed her bare shoulder. His muzzle nestled into the crook of her neck.

Mine. The word echoed in her mind, his words filtering through the barrier.

“Yours,” Violet murmured as her climax crested, racing toward the pinnacle. She raked her fingernails across his chest as her orgasm rushed over her in flowing waves of pleasure. Her body clenched around him, pulling him impossibly deeper.

His teeth sank into her flesh, igniting a second, smaller orgasm. Her body fluttered as she lost all control. He caught her to him, holding her tight as he thrust once more before finding his own release.

The base of his cock swelled, as though he were seated permanently inside her. Violet reared back, her eyes wide at the strange sensation. Not unpleasant, but...unnatural.

“What...?”

“I tried to tell you.” Anubis licked the wound on her shoulder. The sting lasted only a moment, then the sensation faded completely.

“Warn me of what?” She tried to move, but they were sealed together, his cock firmly entrenched inside her cunt.

“My knot,” he murmured, rubbing his muzzle into her shoulder.

“Your...what?” Violet stumbled over the word in her mind, unable to comprehend what he was saying. “Why are we stuck together?”

“It’s a knot.” He drew back to meet her gaze. He looked almost...embarrassed. “In this form, when I climax, it forms a bond, sealing us together for a short period of time.”

A snort escaped her. “Why would it—oh!”

The realization struck like a thunderbolt. To ensure his seed took hold.

“Is...procreating even possible between us?”

“I don’t know,” Anubis confessed. “My experiences are limited in this form.”

“And in your human form?” Violet asked, curiosity winning once again.

“Even less.”

“Are you...were you a virgin?” Violet gaped at him.

“Not in the strictest sense, but I have never allowed myself to bond with another.” He rocked his hips where they were still joined and grasped her hips in his massive palms. “You are mine, Violet, and I have claimed you as such with my seed and my mark.”

She traced her fingers over the bite on her shoulder. Warmth tingled beneath her touch.

“I give you my heart, my body, everything I am.” He pressed his cheek to hers. “Until the end of the ages and beyond.”

“Anubis.” She kissed his muzzle, savoring the slide of silken fur against her lips. “You should have warned me.”

“I attempted to.” He sighed. “Forgive me.”

“There is nothing to forgive.” She wrapped her arms around his neck. “I was already yours.”

“Come, let us bathe in the pool.” He carried her in his arms as the knot was still fully seated within her. “It will ease the pain.”

Violet rested her head on his shoulders as he spirited them down the hall to the healing pool. As he climbed in the water beside her and pulled her against his chest, she sighed in contentment. No one had ever treated her with such care and consideration after sex.

After his knot loosened, freeing their movement, Anubis washed her, exploring and caressing every intimate part of her. His hand settled between her thighs, his fingers gently coaxing and stroking. The flame of desire ignited again, and she squirmed, relishing the slow bloom of pleasure. Just like the night in the garden, he teased her with his long fingers and nuzzled her neck, murmuring in an ancient language as she climbed higher and higher.

As her climax peaked, Violet clung to him in the warm, calming waters. Her breath echoed off the marble walls, synchronized with the beat of her heart until they both slowed to a peaceful rhythm.

With a gentle kiss to her temple, Anubis lifted her from the water, and together, they returned to his bed, where she slept, sated and content, in the embrace of the god of the dead.