Claiming the Jackal Read online

  “That makes sense—” He broke off, turning to her so suddenly she dropped her spoon into the bowl. “We had sex last night.”

  He sounded surprised, as if he’d had amnesia and had just regained his memory. “Yes, we did.”

  His brows lowered. “We didn’t take precautions.”

  Ah. She reached over, gave the tense muscles in his arm a reassuring pat. “Don’t worry. I take precautions. I’m in no danger of getting pregnant right now.”

  Something passed over his features, a mixture of relief and disappointment. “Children are our most precious treasure,” he finally said. “We have so few of them. Two thousand years separate me and my brother. My mother thought she’d never have another child.”

  “Your clan will have more children,” Rana told him, her voice ringing with conviction. “Your Anput will live as long as your Anapa, and will no doubt give birth to many jackals, witches and hybrids. The line of succession should be safe.” She gave him a look from beneath her lashes. “You don’t have designs on the leadership of the clan, do you?”

  “Gods, no.” He shuddered. “I’m meant to be second in command, captain of the guards. I don’t have a diplomatic bone in my body, but I’ll do anything to keep the clan safe.”

  “Including throwing yourself at the healer witch so your single men will leave her be?” She smiled when he started in surprise. “Don’t worry, I completely understand why you did it, and I don’t blame you. If our positions were reversed, I probably would have done the same thing. Though I would have used a bit more finesse.”

  It took a moment for him to speak. “If you knew the reason behind my heavy-handed seduction, why did you go along with it?”

  Her smile widened. “Because you’re gorgeous. Because I wanted you. Because something about you pulls at me, and for a moment in the infirmary, I thought it was as real to you as it was to me. And the sex was just as amazing as I’d thought it would be.”

  “It was.” His jaw worked, then he stabbed his spoon into the brownie. “But we’re jackals given human form. For the human side, sometimes sex is just sex, but for the jackal in us it’s not.”

  Did that mean that he wanted it to be more, or was his jackal conflicting with the human in him? “Come on, Hector. You didn’t hook up with me for procreation. You just wanted to make sure your men wouldn’t be distracted by me anymore.”

  He had the grace to look sheepish. “That was the reason in the infirmary.” He glanced at her. “Before I kissed you.”

  With that, the decadent dessert was a lot less appealing. “At the lake,” she managed to say. “There was another reason then?”

  “Mmm.” He slid off his stool, taking the bowl to dispose of the remnants of the brownie. When he turned back to her, his eyes were almost pure silver. “You’ve got some cream and chocolate at the corner of your mouth,” he said, his voice a husky murmur that went straight to her sex. “Let me get that for you.”

  He stepped between her legs, his predator prowling just below his human surface. She waited, a trapped rabbit, as he placed his hands on the counter on either side of her, caging her in with his big body. His magic and his masculinity wrapped around her, teasing and intoxicating her like ritual incense. Ensnared, she watched him through heavy-lidded eyes, anticipation firing her blood as she waited for the predator to strike.

  He leaned down, his lips brushing the corner of her mouth. She shivered, her eyes sliding closed at the almost overwhelming sensation of feeling him on her at last. His tongue licked along the edges of her lips, removing any lingering traces of the dessert.

  Blindly she reached out, dizzy with the pleasure of his leisurely kiss, needing to touch him to anchor herself. She ached to press her breasts against his chest, to feel the hard contours of his body against hers. But he kept his distance, only his lips, his magic and his heat touching her. Her hands landed on his biceps, which flexed at her touch.

  Hector sighed against her mouth. “Open for me, sweetness,” he whispered. “Let me taste more of you.”

  She parted her lips and his tongue swept inside, plundering her mouth with sensual thoroughness. A moan of desperation broke free as her nipples hardened to painful peaks. A new hunger roared to life inside her, hunger for this man. A hunger she doubted would ever be fully appeased.

  He broke the kiss, stepping back from her. A whimper of disappointment escaped. Surely he wasn’t going to stop? “You’re not going to stop, are you?”

  “Rana. Gods, you undo me.” He stared at her, chest heaving from the harshness of his breaths. “Last night at the lake, I wasn’t thinking about the other guards. I was thinking about you.”

  “Really?”

  He nodded. “I was thinking about our kiss and how I wanted more.”

  “But you got more,” she felt compelled to point out.

  “I did,” he agreed, his expression serious, so very serious. “We both did. It wasn’t enough.”

  “Thank the gods.” Relief almost made her slide off the stool. “It wasn’t enough for me, either. I will want more.”

  He groaned. “You keep looking at me like that and I’ll take you on that counter right now. We need something soft so I won’t hurt you. A bed this time.”

  “Yes.”

  “And I want to take my time, explore you fully.”

  Heat broke over her skin. “Yes.”

  Barely restrained desire flooded his face. “I want to feel you come on my fingers, on my tongue and then on my cock.”

  Need pooled between her thighs. “Yes, gods, yes.”

  She slipped off the stool, grabbed his hand and led him downstairs to her chamber.

  Chapter Four

  Nervous anticipation skipped through Rana as she entered her bedchamber, Hector following. This time, it wasn’t about yielding to the heat of the moment. This was about admitting that something was going on between them, something too strong to deny. Something that would give him a sensual control over her. In her travels, she’d seen much and done more. Never had she felt the pull to surrender, to give her all, like she did with this man.

  As soon as the door shut behind them, Hector gathered her in his arms. “I’ve been thinking about you all day,” he muttered into her hair. “Thinking about holding you like this, being with you like this. One of the men actually managed to get a hit in during practice because I was so distracted.”

  “Were you hoping that you’d get some sense knocked into you?” she teased, pressing her nose against his chest. His scent, full of power and magic and strength blended with musk and cardamom, settled into her lungs, intoxicating her. It would be so easy to become addicted to this man, addicted to the way he made her feel when he focused on her with a sensual intent.

  “Perhaps.” His hands tightened on her waist. “It didn’t work. And if I must be senseless, I will not go alone.”

  He captured her mouth, kissing her with his whole body. She returned his offering, pressing herself against him, entwining her arms around his shoulders. He thrust his hands into her hair, holding her in place while he explored her mouth, light nips at the edges of her lips, full sweeps of his tongue against hers followed by soft then hard presses of his lips.

  He lifted away from her with a muttered curse. “I’m not ready to burn yet. Want to take my time enjoying this, undressing you like a present just for me.”

  Suiting action to words, he undressed her slowly, giving her thorough kisses with each item of clothing he removed from her, nipping her throat as he removed her blouse, suckling her breasts as he took her bra, grazing his teeth on her hip bone as she removed her pants. By the time she stepped out of her panties, she was quivering with need.

  He stared at her, his eyes silver with desire. “You’re so beautiful,” he whispered. “Perfectly beautiful.”

  The awe in his voice was impossible to
doubt. Then she tumbled back into sensation as the sweep of his tongue over her left nipple had her moaning, arching up against him, a moan that grew louder as he plucked the other nipple into a hardened peak. Wetness gathered between her thighs, need fed by every touch, every kiss that Hector gave her. And still she wanted more.

  His left hand slid down her rib cage, callused fingertips gently exploring. Despite his hunger, despite hers, he took his time, a wildling barely reined in. He raised his head, eyes glittering down at her, and his hand skimmed the slight rise of her belly, circled her navel, then continued lower. “Need to see your eyes,” he said, his voice hoarse.

  Her body quivered with anticipation as she held his gaze, waiting for his fingers to breach her. He circled her clit with an almost negligent motion, a wisp of touch that kept her simmering but didn’t push her higher. Then his blunt fingers pushed into her and it took every ounce of will to keep her eyes open. Exquisite pleasure buffeted her, driven higher by his mesmerizing gaze.

  She rode his hand, shameless, wanting to give him the pleasure of watching her be pleased by him. But then he pushed her back to the bed, guiding her down. He pushed her thighs open, then knelt between them. “So wet for me,” he said in a rough whisper, his fingers caressing her folds. “Have to taste you now.”

  Breath left her in a rush as his tongue dipped into her slit. He lapped at her, long strokes that had her moaning his name like a mantra. She thrust her fingers into his hair, balancing her feet on his shoulders, opening herself further. His fingers returned to her opening, delving inside her as his tongue swirled around her clit. Helpless against the onslaught, she let go, allowing him to catapult her into mindless orgasm.

  When she came back to herself, he was toeing off his boots, then sliding his pants and boxers down and away. Hungry for him, she reached out, wrapping her hand around the gorgeousness that was his cock. She had to taste him as desperately as he’d needed her.

  A deep groan vibrated in his chest as she sucked him down as far as she could, then back up, her tongue circling the blunt head. He grabbed a handful of her hair, pumping into her waiting mouth with helpless thrusts of his hips, a dagger’s edge away from losing control.

  She whimpered with disappointment when he backed away. “Next time, sweetheart,” he promised. “I need to be inside you right now.”

  “Hector.” Bold with need, she straddled him as soon as he climbed into bed. “You make me feel things I’ve never felt before. Wonderful things. Only you seem able to scatter my thoughts, fire my blood and make me hunger for your touch and taste.”

  “Good.” He lifted her by the hips, and then he was inside her, scattering her thoughts, firing her blood and making her hunger for his touch and taste. Leaning forward, she rocked against him, riding him, taking him deeper. He growled his encouragement, hands tightening on her hips to surge into her as inexorably as the tide coming to shore.

  All too soon she could feel it, feel her orgasm rising from the depths of her core. Her inner muscles clenched around him. “Close,” she breathed. “So close. Come with me.”

  He rolled them over, then dragged her hand between their colliding bodies, finding her clit. “Let go,” he softly commanded, holding her legs high, pounding into her with a frenetic pace. “Push us over.”

  With a keening cry she did, her climax breaking over her, through her. He followed a heartbeat later, throwing his head back on a hoarse shout, coming in long pulses deep inside her.

  Chapter Five

  Rana didn’t think her time in the jackal stronghold could get any better. She and Hector fell into a natural pattern over the next few weeks. After breakfast she’d work on transcribing the jackals’ medical history. Hector came to her late in the afternoon so that they could enjoy an early dinner then retreat to her chambers before he went out on patrol. She’d return to the lab to work on her spells and experiments until Hector and his men returned from patrol. Then they’d make love until they fell asleep in each other’s arms.

  She’d even had a breakthrough with her experiments, a promising leap forward that hinted at a cure. If she could duplicate the results with her latest trial she’d know for sure. Until then, she’d refrain from reporting to Markus and Tia. The last thing she wanted to do was give them and the clan false hope.

  As the day deepened to evening, her hopeful excitement had waned. Something was different, a portent she could feel deep in her magical bones. It weighed on her, scattering her thoughts. She couldn’t concentrate on translating the old healer’s notes. She couldn’t focus enough to practice spell craft. Even her experiments couldn’t hold her attention. All she could think of was one thing.

  Hector. He’d quit her bed to go out on patrol and she’d wanted to call him back, but not for more kisses. For the first time she’d wanted to keep him safe. It wasn’t her place or her right to ask him not to go. Even if she had that kind of relationship with him, she wouldn’t ask it of him.

  But something told her this time that she’d need use of her healing skills sooner instead of later.

  Nerves jangling a warning tune, she staged her supplies. When there was nothing more to be done in preparation for an emergency she wasn’t even sure would occur, she entered the hall, pausing before the mural depicting the stages of the journey through the underworld. “Lord Anubis, keep your children safe,” she prayed. “Keep Hector safe.”

  She made her way up to the main level, dread increasing with each step. Two groups had gone out on patrol, one led by Hector. They were tracking leads to a possible nest of the Lost Ones, and if they uncovered it, they planned to attack. She knew the jackals patrolled the city and suburbs nightly. She knew they had vehicles equipped with sophisticated monitoring and communication devices. She knew they were seasoned warriors, skilled and deadly. They had centuries of experience facing off against the Lost Ones. It was the reason for which they had been created. She knew this, but it did nothing to quell the worry bubbling inside her, did nothing to stanch the apprehension that skittered along her skin and filled the air like a poisoned fog.

  Tia stood in the main seating area, Amarie beside her. The Anput gave Rana a brief smile. “You feel it, too?”

  Rana nodded. “I couldn’t concentrate on work. Something is wrong or about to be wrong. I prepared the infirmary, just in case.”

  Worry lined Tia’s features, making her seem older than Rana knew her to be. “Markus is in the communication room, in contact with both patrols. He’ll let us know if there’s anything to be concerned about. For now, I could really use a distraction. Tell me about you and the captain of the guard.”

  A flush crept up Rana’s cheeks. “There’s nothing much to tell.”

  “Really?” Tia’s eyes twinkled. “That bedchamber may be soundproof, but the infirmary isn’t. Neither is the kitchen.”

  “Blessed Anubis.” She rubbed at her forehead. She wasn’t keeping her relationship with Hector a secret, but she wasn’t sure if it was something she wanted to share, something he wanted to share. “Hector and I are...enjoying each other’s company.”

  It was the truth even if it didn’t convey the depth of connection she had with the captain. Anytime her thoughts weren’t on her work, they were on him. She enjoyed him so much that the idea of not being with him filled her with panic that brought on bouts of cold sweat.

  Tia studied her. “So things aren’t serious between you two?”

  Rana couldn’t answer that without lying, and Tia would know it for a lie the moment the words left her lips. She tried for deflection instead. “How can it be serious? I’m an Isis witch, not a jackal.”

  That cold dose of reality cramped her stomach. She knew enough about Hector to know that he had little care for Daughters of Isis, and even less trust. It was why she had yet to tell him about her bloodline. Not only would it end their relationship, whatever sort of relationship it was, but it would
also end her time here at the jackal compound. Her mission to stop Amansuanan was too important to jeopardize, not when her experiments had finally yielded some results she could take to Markus.

  Markus chose that moment to race down the hall. “We have injured incoming,” he announced. Rana could feel his magic streaming from him, filling the main area. In moments the community house would be flooded with jackals. “At least one is severely injured, and one, Derek, is missing. When the injured are attended to, I’ll take Hector and some of the other guards back out to find him.”

  “Markus.” Worry clouded Tia’s features as she took her mate’s hands.

  “He’s my responsibility. I have to bring him home.”

  “Of course.”

  Rana cleared her throat of the sudden relief of knowing that Hector wasn’t missing or gravely injured. “With your permission, I’ll go ready the infirmary”

  “Thank you, Rana.” Markus nodded. “The other priestesses who helped you before have been called. They’ll be down shortly.”

  “Yes, sir.” Rana quickly retreated downstairs to don her scrubs. The three priestesses who’d helped her with previous medical emergencies entered the infirmary and she quickly directed them to prepare, standing ready at each bed.

  No sooner had they gotten into position than the infirmary erupted into chaos. She swung into action as the first jackals were brought in, ascertaining severity of injuries. Pushing everything else aside, she sank into the flow of healing, using magical and mundane means. She had no idea how long she worked as she directed the other priestesses’ healing abilities in an all-out effort to save the jackal warriors.

  Despite her best efforts, she couldn’t save the young jackal. The only thing she could do for him was make his final moments comfortable and be with him as Anubis claimed him.