Despite the cool swim, her essences still lingered on his senses. Her scent, the taste of her lips, the feel of her chest against his... Hunger settled in his bones. Hunger for Rana. She would come to him, whether she intended to or not. He felt her, pulling at man and jackal, and he could do nothing except respond.
Silently he broke the surface, and there she was. She didn’t seem to be aware of his presence yet. She stood at the edge of the lake, her face tilted toward the heavens. The sky hung in the magical balance between day and night, the blaze of the setting sun dueling with the cool fire of the waxing moon, bathing Rana’s simple white blouse and skirt in ribbons of blue and amber.
The serenity in her expression stole his breath and tightened his loins. In the four weeks she’d lived in the compound, he didn’t think he’d ever seen her so unguarded, so real, so beautiful. He understood why the other jackals were drawn to her—she was female, and the divine feminine flowed in her veins. What he didn’t understand was why he was attracted to her.
The whys no longer mattered. He wanted her. She had come to him. That meant she wanted him, too. Tonight he would have her.
* * *
Rana watched the jackal paddle to shore. She knew it was Hector, though she’d never seen him shift forms before. She could feel the current of magic and energy she’d felt from him before, more muted than the body-to-body effect she’d experienced in the infirmary. Something had called her out here, compelled her to the far side of the lake instead of her usual nighttime path near the community house. Now she knew why.
Hector. She rubbed at the spot of skin below her throat where he’d touched her. The heat of his hand and the power of their kiss had stayed with her long after he’d returned to his duties, leaving her unable to focus on hers. She wanted to feel his power entwining with hers again. She wanted to feel his body brushing against hers again. She wanted him.
The jackal stepped out of the water then shook himself, causing water droplets to fly. The beast was enormous—she figured it had to weigh the same as Hector’s human form, somewhere around two hundred pounds. Its shoulders probably reached her waist, and would be taller than her if it reared up on its hind legs.
This jackal was jet-black and almost hairless, which she’d learned was an indication of age. The younger the jackal, the more variations in coat and color. For Hector’s jackal form to be so close to the depiction of Anubis—so close to Markus’s Anubis form—meant that Hector was not only one of the older members of this Sons of Anubis clan, he was one of the most powerful. Little wonder, then, that he was Markus’s second in command.
As she watched, he shifted forms. Being jackals given human form by the god Anubis, he didn’t have to endure the painful transition of other were-creatures. A soft golden glow surrounded the inky-black jackal like a sprinkling of gold dust. Between one blink and the next Hector stood at the water’s edge. He was beauty, he was grace, he was...fully aroused.
“Sweet Mother Isis.”
“What are you doing here, Rana?” he asked, his voice a silky caress that slid over her senses and stripped her caution.
“I don’t know.”
“Yes, you do.” He stopped a few feet away from her, the current between them growing stronger with his nearness. “You usually walk the part of the lake closest to the community house. Perhaps you’re here for the same reason I am, to cool off, to get you out of my thoughts, to cleanse your essence from my senses.”
He gestured to his erection. “Obviously it didn’t work for me. I’m guessing it didn’t work for you, either.”
She tried to look him in the eye, she really did. No matter how she tried, her gaze kept drifting down. Even in the encroaching darkness, she could tell his arousal showed no signs of abating. “I couldn’t concentrate on my lab or magical studies, and the community house felt too small and confining. I had to come outside.”
“That’s not all, is it?” His gaze bored into her. “You know exactly why you’re here. Say it.”
“I was drawn here.” She gestured to the space between them. “Drawn to you.”
“Why?”
This time she met his gaze. “Because I want you.”
He sucked in a hard breath and his cock, gods, his cock actually bobbed in reaction. Need uncurled inside her like a predator rising from sleep, ready to prowl, to hunt. It rose, a vibrant living force just as heady as the times she channeled magic in rites honoring Isis. Only, this was sharpened by the razor edge of lust.
“I told you that if you had a need, I would provide.” He stepped closer. “What do you desire from me?”
Desire made her bold. “Everything.”
He huffed. “And how do you want me?”
“Every way I can have you.”
“Are you sure, Rana?” he asked, his voice a low, intense caress. “Everything in every way? Do you think you can handle that?”
She dropped her hands to her hips. “Do you think you can handle me?”
“I think I can rise to the challenge.”
Slowly he closed the distance between them, a predator stalking his prey. Power and lust thickened the air between them, pressing against her skin, filling her pores with aching need. She saw his response to the energy flare in his eyes as he stopped again. So much beauty, so much power, so much sheer focus of will. If he touched her now, she’d be overwhelmed.
“If you’re unsure, you should leave now, Rana,” he told her, his voice dark and seductive. “You keep standing there, I’m going to kiss you again—and probably more. You don’t want that, walk away. If you do want that, stay where you are.” He grinned at her. “Or better yet, run.”
She shivered at the erotic dare in his words, her nipples tightening under the weight of his hungry gaze. “Run?” she repeated, still breathless from the thought of what he meant by more.
“I like the chase. It...invigorates me.”
If he were any more invigorated, she’d be in trouble. Who was she kidding? She was already in trouble, and they had yet to touch.
“Think you’ll be able to chase me with that extra limb in the way? You might trip yourself up, damage something.”
His mouth unzipped in a feral grin, a baring of teeth that jolted her heart and sent a burst of adrenaline crashing into her veins. “I’m going to chase you. Then I’m going to catch you. And then—then I’m going to make you scream for all the right reasons.”
Light-headed from a sudden bolt of lust, Rana took a step back. “You think you’ve got it like that?”
“I know it. I’ll prove it.” Another step closer. “I’ll give you a head start. One.”
Hiking up her skirts, she spun on her heels and ran, trailing laughter and shimmering with excitement. She could have run toward the safety of the community house, but she didn’t want safe. She wanted Hector, with all his dangerous intensity. So she ran away from the lake, away from the community house. Deeper into the trees, knowing he would follow, would chase—
Would catch her.
She’d gotten perhaps fifty yards deeper into the trees—or rather, he’d let her get fifty yards—before she felt strong arms clamping around her waist. In an impressive show of strength he swept her off her feet. She couldn’t stop the short shriek that escaped her lips as he caught her up and the world went sideways.
Next thing she knew, she lay flat on her back on a cushion of moss, Hector pinning her beneath the bulk of his very hard and very excited body. “Two.”
Desire thrummed through her, her blood rushing