Page 96 of Monsters in Love: Lost in the Underworld

Or in Jack’s place, he got his brain smashed in by my shovel when he tried to grope me while I was trying to bury the last body. I was tired of the stray dogs that hung out at the temple. What if one bit me while Anubis was fucking the living daylights out of me or something? That would be awkward.

Anubis took a step closer, his eyes flashing with a fierce intensity. I felt a flutter in my stomach at the prospect of his anger, which, admittedly, wasn’t a good sign for my self-control. My mouth, however, seemed to have its own agenda.

“What exactly are you doing, Mara?” he demanded.

I tilted my head, a mischievous grin playing on my lips. “Oh, just making your temple look a little less... boring. Living it up, getting some new activities in. You’re welcome. I figured if you’re going to get all worked up, you might as well have a little excitement to go with it.”

“Excitement? Is that what you call desecrating sacred grounds and provoking goddesses?”

I shrugged nonchalantly, trying to hide the fact that I was still slightly off-balance from the arousal that was growing from this little confrontation. “Well, if you’d rather I stick to traditional offerings, you should’ve been more specific. But let’s be honest—your temple could use a little pizzazz. Ever thought of redecorating?”

He took another step forward until we were toe to toe, his form towering over me. “Have you forgotten your torn coverings scattered on the floor not so long ago? I believe we’ve been redecorating my temple plenty.”

My breathing rose. Woo wee. Was it getting hot in here? Or was my imagination getting the better of me? I pressed my legs together and Anubis’ nostrils flared as if he wanted me to know he smelled exactly what I was trying to hide.

His hand slowly crawled up the side of my breast and ended around my throat. “Are you secretly begging for something, little mortal?”

My mouth flapped comically as I tried to piece two brain cells together to give him a witty answer. A grin slowly spread across his face and out of character, I timidly looked away.

“I’ll get rid of the body,” I pouted.

“Good girl. If I catch you bringing in… stray corpses again, you will be punished,” he said seductively, making my toes curl beneath the scantily clad dress I wore for him. Big guy didn’t even compliment it.

“Fine,” I huffed, before pretending to jerk my face away from his grasp. I gave an over-exaggerated bend at the hip, before grabbing the corpse by the hands.

The growl behind me gave me a thrill as I made sure to cast a hooded look over my shoulder.

“See something you like, Anubis?”

He curled his lip in a snarl as his tail began to wag.

I let out a laugh before dragging the body away. Moving a corpse across the sand was much easier, the grains provided less resistance. Dropping him, I placed my hands on my hips and looked around, trying to find the best place to bury his body. Since our experience with sleazy Yalin, Anubis wasn’t as stringent with his routines and protocols.

Before I could decide on the perfect location, a gust of wind announced a shift in the realms.

A goddess of what looked like night and mourning appeared, her dark eyes locking onto me with a disapproving glare.

“Mara,” she smeared, her voice laced with venom, “it seems you’ve overstayed your welcome.”

I looked around curiously. “Overstayed how? We’re outside.”

“You know exactly what I mean!” she spat.

“Do I? And who the hell are you?” I shot back, annoyed at her entitled attitude.

As if she was waiting for that exact question, she lifted her chin. “I am Nephthys.”

Okay. She really needed to reel in that ego. Who was Nephthys?

I shot her a wry smile. “Nephthys, I think you’re barking up the wrong tree. Maybe you took a wrong turn from Duat.”

Her eyes narrowed as if she was readying for a fight. What was going on here? Who was this broad? Thoughts of the Ma’at flit through my mind and my own eyes narrowed. Was she another bitch trying to take my man? If I had sleeves, I’d roll them up right now. I guess we’re going to be kicking ass in a dress.

“You’re disrupting the balance, Mara. You’ve been warned,” she grinned.

Yeah? Two can play this game.

She lashed out with a blade I couldn’t see and I leaped back, pulling my own blade from the straps along my thigh. For a goddess who looked like she never ran a day in her life, she lashed out with surprising speed. I dodged and parried, the clash of our weapons a chaotic ballet. Each strike and parry seemed to reverberate in the desert air, a crackle of power shimmering around me. It was the same feeling I got when I wielded that weird staff the first time.

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