The Kyriakis Curse (22 page)

Gage easily dissipated into smoke, leaving his two snarling wolves. One of them

charged, knocking Paris down. Dante was already headed toward the second creature.

Sharp white teeth were inches away from Paris’s throat, clearly attempting to tear it apart. The wolf was strong, but Paris was the alpha of Pack Kyriakis and he refused to allow this thing to get the best of him. Somehow he knew that couldn’t let it bite him; Paris was vaguely aware that several shifters had contacted the feral virus after a feral wolf attack, but he wasn’t positive if the virus was contracted from a blood exchange or the actual bite itself.

In any case, he also didn’t know whether this wolf was truly feral or not, and he didn’t intend to find out today how the contagion might possibly be spread, especially when he had the well-being of his children and pack to think about.

Gathering his strength, he threw the creature off him. Paris made the decision to fight in his humanoid form; he knew if he shifted, the chances of his being bit would increase.

When the animal ran at him again, he was ready. Ducking, he shot out his fist, connecting with the wolf’s jaw.

It hit the ground with a whimper. Not giving the wolf a chance to recover, Paris was on him, grasping his neck in a strangle hold. He squeezed with all his might, wanting this beast to suffer. The animal, however, managed to wiggle out of his hold.

“Get back here,” Paris snarled, grabbing its tail before flinging the creature and letting it crash to the ground once again. This time he heard bones snapping. While the animal was briefly disabled, he noticed from the corner of his eye that Dante was slowly tearing his opponent to bits, probably releasing some pent-up frustrations of his own.

Amazingly, the injured wolf he’d just tossed was getting back to his feet. Shifters could eventually heal from their wounds, but not at vampire speed like this one. Could this be another side effect of the feral virus or was this Gage’s doing?

This time when the animal came at him, he didn’t waste any time in dispatching him.

Paris went directly into action when his adversary sprang, catching him. He grabbed a clump of skin and fur in addition to both limbs and tore them off. The feral wolf howled and flopped to the ground.

Paris moved toward its skull, then stomped the head beneath his heel, ensuring the

creature’s death. He tried to catch his breath and jumped when a hand descended on his shoulder. If he hadn’t caught a whiff of Dante’s scent, he probably would have hurled his friend.

“Are you okay, Paris?”

Paris shook his head. “No. I won’t be fine until Constantine and Sarah are safely home.”

* * * * *

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They lay in the tub together. Sarah had run them a bubble bath and now rested

between his strong thighs, her back against his sinewy chest. She was content and wished they could stay like this forever. The time she’d spent with him had been magical, and the lovemaking was nothing short of fantastic. Still, a part of her couldn’t help but think this would come to an end in the near future.

Constantine was everything she could possibly want in a man: he was handsome,

considerate, an excellent lover, and his take-charge attitude was enough to leave her breathless. Could she put her trust in the new feelings coursing through her heart when it was quite possible that her love could put him in danger? She shuddered to think of anything bad happening to him.

His hands slid up from her waist where they’d been resting and cupped her breasts.

“That feels heavenly.” She sighed with pleasure when he pinched her nipples lightly.

He pressed a kiss on her shoulder. “What were you thinking so deeply about?”

Not wanting to reveal her emotions, she said the first thing that popped into her mind.

“Uh, who was that other artist you were talking about earlier?” His grip on her taut buds tightened momentarily before he relaxed his hold. She squirmed in reaction, knowing he was trying to distract her.

“For some reason, I don’t think you’re telling me the truth, but I’ll humor you for now.

I wasn’t referring to anyone you would have heard of. Although he was never famous, he studied with some of the so-called greats, particularly those from the fifteenth century --

Botticelli and Michelangelo come to mind.”

An art history buff, Sarah perked up at the mention of artists in one of her favorite periods. “Who was he?”

“You mean is.”

“Is? If he was alive back then... oh, he’s immortal.”

“Got it in one. Although he stopped painting for a few centuries, my friend GianMarco is quite talented. My father has some of his pieces. From what I understand, he abandoned his art after the death of his first wife and child, but he has recently started up again. In fact, he’s Dante’s youngest brother. I’ll have to get Dante introduce you two. I’m sure there’s a lot you could discuss with GianMarco.”

“I would love to speak to him. He must be very old if he’s studied as far back as the 1400s. I’m sure there are many stories he could tell me.”

“I’ll make it happen, then.”

“Thank you, Constantine.”

“Now, tell me what you were really thinking about.”

She stiffened. How did he know?

You can’t hide much from me, Sarah. We’re connected in more ways than you realize.

126

Eve Vaughn

She trembled deliciously at hearing his voice inside her mind. “I feel so close to you when you communicate to me that way.”

“Mana mou, we are bond mates and will be eternal life-mates; we have a pairing deeper than most.” She shivered at his declaration, and opened her mouth.

He touched her lips with his fingers. “You don’t have to say it. I already know. I feel your fears, but I will chase them away. Give yourself over to me.” Tears sprang to her eyes.

She’d never felt this intimate with anyone in her life.

His lips grazed her ear and played with her breasts again, squeezing them gently. “Say the words I want to hear, mana mou.”

“How... how do you say I love you in Greek?”

“S’agapo, but don’t say it unless you absolutely mean it.”

“S’agapo, Constantine. S’agapo, very much. When I’m with you, I can be myself; I don’t think about anything except the two of us. You make me feel safe and secure, something I haven’t felt in a very long time; your kindness touches my heart and soul, and your masterful ways set my body on fire. I don’t know what will happen after we leave here, but I want you to know how much you mean to me.”

He remained still, not saying a word. For a moment, she feared he’d changed his mind about loving her. Twisting around in the tub, Sarah scrambled to her knees to face him. Her heart pounded harder than ever when she spied the expression on his face. Love was etched in every line there, in the trembling of his lips, in the way his eyes shone wetly, longing lighting their gray depths. He gripped her face.

“Say it again. Tell me this isn’t a dream, my beautiful one.”

She smiled tremulously. “I love you. I love you very, very much. I never thought I’d ever feel this way about anyone. I thought I’d have to resign myself to living a life without love and light. You showed me there could be so much more, taught me to accept who I am.”

She covered his mouth in a hungry kiss, this time dominating him, tasting and claiming what was hers.

When he made a move to pull her closer, she leaned back. “You said I belonged to you.

I do. But you belong to me, too. I love you so much.”

“You have no idea how happy it makes me to finally hear those words from your

mouth.”

Incredible heat flowed within her. Sarah’s pussy twitched, on fire for his cock again.

Straddling him, she reached for his penis. A smile touched her lips. “It’s already hard for me.”

“Did you have any doubt? I get this way whenever you’re near. Thanks to you, I’m in a perpetual state of arousal where you’re concerned.”

Sarah giggled. “Well, it would be such a shame letting it go to waste, seeing as how it seems so eager for my pussy.”

“Your tight, wet pussy.”

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She guided his length into her snug channel, sighing with fulfillment as it stretched her vaginal walls to the limits. “Ah.” She wrapped her arms around his neck, resting her head on his shoulder. “Don’t move. I just want to stay like this for a little bit.” He was so deep inside of her, she didn’t know where he ended and she began.

“I doubt I can hold on for too long. Once I’m inside of you, I can never help myself.”

“I can’t help myself, either, when you’re in me, but I want to savor this moment.” They sat in the tub, their bodies entwined; only the sounds of their breathing and beating hearts broke the silence.

“Constantine?”

“Yes, my love?”

“Where do we go from here? Do we have to return to Circe?”

“Don’t you like it there?”

“I love it, but we wouldn’t be alone anymore. I know it’s pretty selfish of me, but I want to spend more time with you.”

“And we’ll have all the time in the world, my love, but we should probably head back.

Unfortunately, my father isn’t too happy that I removed you from the island.”

“Then why do we have to go back? He’s already angry. Nothing will change that now.”

He shook his head, amusement in his eyes. “My sweet Sarah, as much as I’d love to stay here with you, I’ve pushed the envelope as far as I dare. Not only is he my father, but our alpha as well. We have to go back to ensure your safety, but I promise, once your enemies have been taken care of, we will spend as much time alone as possible. Perhaps we can work on having some cubs of our own.”

Her hand automatically went to her stomach. The thought of carrying his child filled her with wonder and hope for a future she’d long since given up. “You want children?” she asked softly.

“No. I don’t want just any children. I want children with you. Mana mou, I’m about to burst if I don’t move inside of you now.” Grasping her hips in a tight grip, he guided her body along his length. She arched her back, absorbing the delights of their joining. No matter how many times they made love, it was like the first time.

Constantine buried his face against her bosom. “I love you very much. I promise, we’ll be happy together.”

And she believed him.

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Eve Vaughn

Constantine squeezed Sarah’s hand as he helped her out of the car. He knew his father was waiting for them, and he was prepared to receive another earful. He’d finally contacted his father the day before to say he and Sarah would arrive back on Circe today.

He sighed as he remembered the conversation.

“Papa, I’m calling to say Sarah and I are okay.”

“Where the hell have you been?” his father had hissed into the phone. He didn’t

scream; that wasn’t his style, but Constantine could practically feel the anger pouring through the receiver.

“Calm down, Papa--”

“You dare tell me to calm down after the past few days of hell I’ve been through, filled with worry for you two? Not to mention I told you to stay the hell away from her.”

“That was an order I couldn’t obey; she’s my bond mate. Papa, I could no more walk

away from her than I could give up breathing.” He sighed. “Look, I didn’t call to argue. We should arrive on Circe tomorrow by noon. We’ll talk about things at that time.”

Constantine had hung up on his father, then switched off his phone, even though he

knew there would be consequences for his insubordination.

He now kissed Sarah’s cheek reassuringly. God, he adored her. And she looked

gorgeous, not that she wasn’t always, but for some reason, he couldn’t help admiring her loveliness at this moment. Her hair was in a French braid, making her eyes looked bigger than ever, and her face was bare of make-up. She wore a yellow sundress with spaghetti straps and an empire waist; the bright hue emphasized the beauty of her dark brown skin.

Constantine had never seen her more beautiful. He wanted to throw her on the ground

and make love to her again and again. “Don’t forget: I love you.”

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Sarah ran her fingers along his arm and gave him a shy smile.

They’d barely made it halfway up the walkway when the front door flew open with a

force that sent it crashing against the house. The stormy expression in his father’s eyes and the tightness of his mouth said it all.

Sarah halted. “Oh, no. He looks really angry.”

“He’s not mad at you, mana mou. All his rage is directed at me.”

“But I feel responsible. I won’t leave your side.”

He was proud of how his bitch was willing to stand by him. He brought her hand to his lips. “I appreciate your support, but I will deal with him.” He took a deep breath as they approached his father. “Papa.”

“I trust the two of you have had a pleasant... getaway.” Paris looked pointedly at their clasped hands. Though Sarah tried to pull out of his grip, Constantine tightened his hold. He wouldn’t back down and deny their relationship; he wasn’t ashamed of their love either, and his father would have to get used to it.

“Yes, it was quite pleasant.”

His father’s mouth tightened to an even thinner line. The red hue of Paris’s face

deepened to near violet. “Sarah, I’m sure you’d like to freshen up. I hope you don’t mind leaving me with my son for a short time.”

Her smile was clearly full of nerves. “Of course not. I’ll be in my room if you should need me.”

To Constantine’s surprise, as she moved to go inside, Paris took her in his arms and embraced her as he would Persephone. “I’m glad you’re back safely. Now go upstairs and rest. I’m sure you’re jetlagged after your travels.”

Sarah seemed as taken aback as Constantine was, but she gave both men an

encouraging smile before brushing past them.

His father’s face grew furious once again. “Inside, now.” Paris turned on his heel, not waiting to see if he was obeyed.