The Blue Lotus

by Marisa Chenery

"Here we are. Hopefully the trip wasn't too excruciating for you, Nefertem."

  He arched a cynical brow at her. “I do not know how you can ride in that car everyday."

  "If I made more money I could afford to buy a larger car with air conditioning, but I don't."

  Nefertem followed Kendra when she started to walk toward the mall entrance. “How do you make this money?"

  She could tell by the way Nefertem asked, he had taken her literally when she said she made money. “Ah ... well I don't physically make the money. I work for it, earn it."

  "Does everyone work for money?"

  "Most people do. To be honest the world revolves around money. The more you have the better your life is."

  Money must be cherished, Nefertem thought to himself, almost as if it was revered on some level. Much like the ancient Egyptians worshipped the Gods.

  Kendra took a deep breath before she pulled open the heavy glass door. She wasn't at all sure how Nefertem would react to his first shopping experience. Seeing the crowd of people just beyond the doors, she felt a momentary sense of reservation. She hoped he would be okay with the crowd.

  He felt it even before they had completely passed through the door. It crashed over him in waves. He had never experienced its like before. The sheer number of mortals in one place was an assault to his senses. The scent of them, the smell of mortal blood, was trying to overwhelm him. He ruthlessly fought it back.

  Totally oblivious to Nefertem's distress, Kendra grabbed his hand and began to lead him through the mall. She knew which store they had to go to. It was a men's clothing store that sold clothes for the taller man. Her brother shopped there quite a lot. She decided to use the most direct route to the store.

  The feel of Kendra's hand in his was the only thing keeping his other part under leash. He had never seen so many mortals together in one place, and he knew this was only a small percentage of the population. The actual numbers of what the whole population must be, staggered him.

  When someone brushed past him, Nefertem had to clench his jaw tightly shut to keep from growling. He needed to be free of this place and very soon. “Have we much farther to go before we reach the place you are leading me to?"

  Kendra turned her head and looked up at Nefertem. His face had a pinched look about it. She could tell he was not enjoying this at all. “The store is just around this corner.” Picking up their pace, she quickly walked around the bend and entered the store.

  Nefertem felt a small measure of relief. The pull was not so strong inside the store. There were not as many people inside as there had been out in the main part of the mall.

  To make this as painless as possible, Kendra waved away the salesman before he could reach them. Guessing at Nefertem's size, she grabbed up shorts, tops, underwear and socks. Satisfied with all she had found, she took him over to the changing rooms.

  "Just let me know if something doesn't fit and I will get another size.” Kendra watched as Nefertem quietly shut the changing room door behind him. He seemed to be holding himself very tense.

  Safely behind the door, Nefertem relaxed some of the tight hold he had placed on himself. Looking into the only mirror in the room, he could see his eyes had changed. The pupils were narrow and slit looking. He clamped down on that part of himself, which caused his eyes to change back to normal.

  To his surprise, all the clothes Kendra had picked fit. When she knocked on the door asking if everything was okay, he checked his eyes in the mirror before he left the changing room. They were still normal in appearance.

  Seeing Nefertem in clothes that fit him, enhanced his good looks, if that was possible. “How is the fit?"

  "Fine. Can we leave now?"

  "Not quite yet. We have to go to one more store to get you some shoes and sandals."

  "What is wrong with my sandals?” Nefertem asked.

  "Nothing really, except they aren't modern. I promise it won't take very long. Just this one last store and we can leave."

  Kendra didn't give him much chance to change her mind. Lightly brushing past him, she collected the clothes from the changing room and headed to the front of the store. Once she had paid for their purchases, she led him back out and into the mall.

  His self-control was weakening. It wasn't a question of if he could control his urges any more. It was a question of when it would shatter completely. He had to leave the mall. Now. Pulling Kendra out of the crowd, Nefertem stopped their travel.

  "Kendra, I must leave."

  Making sure no one was within hearing range, Kendra tried to reassure him. “I know there were no malls in your time, and the crush of people is disturbing to you, but we are almost done."

  "No. You do not understand.” The hint of a growl at the end of Nefertem's words made Kendra look up and into his face. She let out a startled gasp. His eyes were that of a cat again. Acting quickly, she pulled her dark sunglasses from her purse and placed them on Nefertem. They were dark enough to conceal his eyes from sight.

  Taking his large hand in hers once more, Kendra quickly led him to the nearest exit. She could physically feel all the tension leave Nefertem's body when they stepped outside into the bright sunlight. When he seemed to hesitate, she released his hand. She wasn't ready to deal with what had happened inside the mall. Before he could speak, Kendra walked away, heading in the direction where she had parked her car. Wisely, Nefertem silently followed her.

  Chapter Six

  The drive home was just as hellish as the trip to the mall. The only difference was that the return trip stretched Kendra's hold on her temper to the breaking point. How dare Nefertem keep something like that from her? She knew she was being a tad ridiculous feeling the anger she felt. She instead should be scared of the man sitting beside her, but anger was all she felt. Anger over Nefertem's inability to trust her, to tell her everything about himself.

  Reaching her house, she collected all the shopping bags from the back seat of her car and stomped up to the front door. She refused to meet Nefertem's eyes as she walked past him.

  He knew Kendra was angry, but he had not realized how very angry she was until she slammed the front door in his face. Giving the doorknob a try, he was happy to see Kendra had at least kept the door unlocked. Stepping inside, Nefertem gently shut the door behind him. He could hear Kendra pounding up the stairs. Pulling the dark sunglasses off, he placed them on the small hall table.

  Moving into the living room, he waited for Kendra to come back downstairs. He would have to do some explaining, but not all. There was a limit to what he could tell her. If she knew the whole truth—he shuddered just thinking about it. For the first time in his long life he was beginning to care about a mortal, something he thought would never happen to him. Kendra was like no other mortal woman he had come across. Others he had used for his own pleasure, never caring what they thought of him. Mortals were too far beneath his kind for them to be anything but a means to an end. Kendra did not engender that way of thinking in him. He had feelings for her. Deep feelings.

  Kendra came back downstairs a few minutes later. She glared at him as she walked by the living room. She didn't stop, but went directly to the kitchen. Nefertem could hear her loudly clang a pot down on the stovetop. Taking a deep breath, he decided she had stewed long enough. If Kendra was not going to come to him, he would go to her.

  Leaning against the doorframe, Nefertem watched Kendra stomp about the kitchen. She was muttering angrily under her breath. She was a sight to behold. Her cheeks were stained a lovely shade of pink and her eyes flashed with anger. She seemed more alive, more beautiful. He let a small smile play across his lips, but quickly let it disappear when Kendra looked his way.

  "You can't ignore me forever, Kendra. I realize I have upset you, but we have to talk about it."

  "You think?” Kendra replied sarcastically. But her sarcasm was lost on Nefertem.

  "Yes, I think that is why I said it. Now tell me why you are so angry with me."

  "How typically ma
le. Why is it your sex can never figure out on your own why a woman is mad at you? We must always tell you. Fine. It's your eyes. You should have told me they could change like that."

  "I am sorry I did not. I was not sure what your reaction would be."

  "Now you know."

  "I thought you would react differently. Much differently."

  "Like run screaming away from you?"

  Nefertem nodded. “That is some peoples’ reaction.” He left out the part about the others having a very good reason to run from him.

  "I may have, if it was someone other than you. It just makes me mad that you felt as if you couldn't confide in me."

  Leaving where he had been standing, Nefertem moved to stand before Kendra. “I do trust you.” He gently ran a finger down her cheek. She shuddered at his touch.

  Sucking in a breath, Kendra tried to still her rapidly beating heart. “Then tell me, Nefertem. Why did your eyes change while we were at the mall? They didn't here except for that one time.” They both knew of which incident she spoke.

  He let his hand fall to his side. “There is a reason why my helmet is the head of a large cat. It is a part of me. I can control that part of me most of the time, but being in certain situations weakens my control. The first sign of the cat taking over is the changing of my eyes."

  "So something in the mall caused your control to slip. What was it?"

  Nefertem took a few seconds to think his words through before he answered her. “The people. Being around too many people at one time caused it."

  "And the time here?"

  He stepped even closer so their bodies just about touched. Kendra was forced to look up at him. “You did."

  "But you are near me now and your eyes haven't changed.” Kendra felt her mouth suddenly go dry.

  "It is because you are not kissing me. I find you very attractive, Kendra."

  She gulped in response. “Does it happen with every woman who attracts your interest?"

  Nefertem shook his head. “No, it is only with you. You stir that part of me like no other."

  Kendra felt her knees go weak. No man had ever told her he found her so attractive that he lost his control. “So if we kissed, it would happen again?"

  "It may, but I think it was a combination of my wanting you and your refusing me."

  He had brought his arms up and wrapped them around her waist as he spoke. Kendra put her hands on Nefertem's hard chest to keep some distance between them. “Then you had better let me go, Nefertem. I will admit I find you attractive as well, but I am just not ready. I have been hurt by a man before. Not so long ago in fact, and the pain is still there. I don't think I could survive it, if you hurt me like that."

  Nefertem released her. “Now it is your turn to confide in me, as I did you. What did this man do to you?"

  She needed to sit down. Moving to the kitchen table, Kendra pulled out one of the chairs and sat down. She waited for Nefertem to join her before she began speaking. “I was engaged to be married not that long ago. If things had worked out, I would be married right now. But Greg changed his mind two days before the ceremony."

  Reaching across the table, Nefertem placed one of his large hands atop Kendra's hands, which she held tightly clenched together. “Why would he do such a thing? Any man would feel honoured to have you as his wife."

  "The lures of another woman made Greg call it off. Apparently, she had all the attributes he found attractive, which I didn't have. Small, blonde, hour glass figure and not opinionated."

  Kendra could feel all the hurt rise up inside her. She really had thought Greg was the one. He had been the first man to lavish attention upon her. Boy, had she been duped. He turned out to be a consummate liar. All the words of love he had spoken had been false. He never really loved her. He had only asked her to marry him because nothing better had come along. That was until he met the blonde bimbo. “Greg didn't even have the decency to tell me in person. He broke up with me over the phone."

  "That is the object you talk into?"

  "Yes. He was not expecting me to be home and had planned to leave a message on my answering machine. He didn't even respect me enough to break up with me face to face."

  Kendra could feel hot tears running down her cheeks. All the pain and anger she felt, and had held inside, came bubbling out. She told all of it to Nefertem. All the things she had not been able to say to Markus or Tory. This almost stranger made her feel safe enough to let her guard down, to exscind her grief. At the end, she somehow found herself held in Nefertem's comforting arms.

  He didn't know when the need to comfort Kendra changed to the need to claim her as his. Hearing all the hurt and anger pouring from her had made Nefertem want to take it all away. He couldn't just sit there, watch her tears streaking down her face, and not try to console her. When he drew her into his arms as she spoke, and she did not push away, he felt a small measure of relief. She wasn't going to reject his closeness. Though his intention was to comfort only, the feel of her in his arms caused his body to react. Lust pounded through his veins and along with it rose up the cat. When she finished talking he quickly released her and turned his back to her, fighting the urge to do more than comfort her.

  Kendra had felt the change come over Nefertem as he held her. She knew what he was fighting, but now that he had allowed her to release all the feelings she had bottled up inside herself, she couldn't just walk away. Knowing full well she was playing with fire, Kendra stepped up behind Nefertem and placed her hand on his back. His muscles jumped beneath her splayed fingers.

  "You would be wise to leave me alone, Kendra."

  "I'm not always a wise woman."

  He growled in agitation. “If you do not walk away now, I may not be able to stop later."

  "I don't want you to stop.” To make him see she was serious, Kendra moved even closer and wrapped her arms around his waist. She laid her head on his broad back. “Tory was right. I have been using my fear of getting hurt again as a means to push men away. If I do that, then Greg has won. I won't let him have the chance to think I mourn the loss of him. He isn't worth it."

  Giving her one last chance to change her mind, Nefertem turned around and confronted her with the full force of what he had become. He pulled her up against his chest hard, forcing her to look up at him. He opened his mouth slightly, allowing her to glimpse how pointed his eyeteeth had become.

  Kendra felt no fear at what he was showing her. She knew he was trying to use the changes in him to push her away, but she didn't want to leave him. Even though there was no guarantee they could ever form a permanent relationship, she couldn't give up what little time they did have.

  Reaching up, she placed her hand on his cheek. “I am not running way this time, Nefertem."

  Nefertem closed his eyes briefly for a few seconds and then took a deep breath. “You know not what you are dealing with. You don't know what I am."

  "Then tell me. Whatever you have to tell me won't change how I feel."

  "You are wrong. It would."

  "Tell me, Nefertem."

  "No. Not yet.” Lowering his lips to hers, he gave her one last warning. “Once you accept me, there will be no going back. You will be mine for as long as I am here. No regrets."

  "No regrets.” Kendra breathlessly whispered.

  With a groan, Nefertem claimed Kendra's lips in a searing kiss. She met him kiss for kiss. Their passion burst into a burning flame of need. Nefertem could feel the cat rising up within him. Knowing soon he would be beyond rational thinking, he scooped Kendra up in his arms and taking the stairs two at a time, carried her to her bedroom. Taking her on the kitchen floor was not something he wanted for the first time they made love.

  Having placed her in the centre of the bed, he roughly pulled off his tank top, then joined her. He once again claimed her lips. The feel of her hands on his bared back caused him to let out a low, rumbling growl. Kendra moaned in response, fanning the flames of his desire to greater heights. The cat demande
d he take her now, but he fought the urge. Though Kendra seemed to be feeling the same passion, he wanted this first joining not to be over too quickly.

  The feel of Nefertem touching her in this way was more delicious than Kendra had imagined. He was making her feel things that she had only thought existed in one of the many romance novels she read. Nefertem was proving her wrong.

  Grabbing a fist full of his hair, Kendra increased the pressure of her lips. She wanted more. Nefertem seemed to know what she wanted. In swift succession, he stripped her of her clothing; the rest of his quickly followed suit.

  As their bared skin met fully for the first time, Nefertem began to have some serious doubts that this may not have been the best idea. The cat now had full rein of him. Afraid of what he might do to Kendra, he tried to pull away. She wouldn't let him. She wrapped her arms tightly around his waist. He was lost.

  Though the cat had possession of him, Nefertem still kept his awareness, knowing everything he did while under its influence. He felt everything it did. But this was the first time the cat had possessed him as he made love to a woman. While he kissed and stroked Kendra to a fevered pitch, he felt no malice from the cat toward her. It wanted to take her, claim her as its mate.

  Growling with need, Nefertem left the sweetness of Kendra's mouth and made a trail of hot wet kisses with his lips down to her neck. Reaching the spot where he could feel her blood pounding through her veins, he bit, then licked that sensitive area making Kendra gasp. Moving lower, he inched down her body till he was level with her breasts. He laved first one, then the other with his tongue until her nipples tightened into peaks. Taking one into his mouth, he let his sharp eyeteeth graze the sensitive bud. Kendra's hands threaded through his silky hair as he sucked hard on her nipple, holding him to her.

  Kendra moaned when Nefertem released her breast, trailing his lips down to her flat stomach. His tongue swirled into her belly button. At the first touch of his tongue laving her slick opening, Kendra's hips arched off the mattress. Nefertem put his hand on her hip and pushed her back down. Settling between her thighs, he forced them wider apart. Kendra clutched the sheets under her at the feel of Nefertem's sharp teeth gently nipping her inner thigh. Wanting more, she tried to arch her hips into him, but he held her down. With maddening slowness, he nipped his way back up to her pussy. Using his fingers, he spread her nether lips open. Nefertem pushed his tongue into her hot core as Kendra panted with need.