The Kyriakis Curse (4 page)

Paris knew if he let her leave angry, he’d be paying for a long time to come; Eleni’s tantrums were legendary. He gave his daughter a stern look. “We’ll talk about your rudeness later, young lady.”

Looking unconcerned, Persephone gave him a huge smile, as if she knew he’d let her

comment slide the way he had most times before. Eleni was right about one thing, however; his daughter’s behavior was indeed getting a little out of hand, and it didn’t help that she spent so much time with Isis. He wasn’t happy that she hung out with a lone wolf, but short of locking his daughter up, there wasn’t much he could do.

Paris caught up with Eleni just as she slid into her fire engine red Porsche. He put his hand on the door before she could shut it. “Don’t leave like this, Eleni.” Despite the fact that he couldn’t return her romantic feelings, he did care about her.

She narrowed her eyes. “Why shouldn’t I? You’ve made it abundantly clear I’m not

needed or wanted. As far as I’m concerned, we have nothing to say to each other.”

“Can’t we at least keep this friendly?”

“I want more than friendship from you, as you’re very well aware. Furthermore, I know you would have eventually mated with me if not for that damn picture.”

Paris stiffened. “What are you talking about?”

“Don’t insult my intelligence. If you hadn’t seen that painting in the art gallery, we’d be together now. You’ve let that woman ruin your life for far too long. She’s dead, isn’t she?

So why do you allow her to haunt you when she obviously wasn’t strong enough to be your mate?”

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Paris flinched at her brutal analysis. “You know nothing about her.”

“I know she didn’t deserve you, I know she was weak, and I also know that you

allowed your feelings for her to drive a wedge between you and my sister. Now you’re letting those same feelings come between us. It’s time to accept the fact that she’s dead and not coming back.”

He knew he’d hurt Eleni, but he wouldn’t let her belittle what he’d felt for Zahara.

“You barely knew her. If I recall correctly, you didn’t make her feel very welcome when she came among our pack. I don’t think you took the time to get to know her, so I’ll thank you not to speak of her again. As for your sister, Melanie knew how things were going into our joining, so don’t pretend to be outraged on her behalf when you’re only thinking of

yourself.”

Eleni gasped as though she couldn’t believe he’d just talked to her in such a way. “So you choose this dead woman over me?”

“The painting proves she’s alive.”

“She’s dead!” Eleni screamed, her face turning a deep shade of red.

Paris wanted to wring her slender neck. “Let’s get one thing straight. Even if she is dead, as you so adamantly insist, I still wouldn’t choose you as my mate. I don’t want anyone else, and I already have two cubs of whom I’m proud. There is no reason to continue this conversation. I apologize if this sounds callous, but you and I will never have the relationship you want us to have.”

Moisture briefly glistened in her eyes again before they flashed fiercely, possessively.

“That’s what you think.” She pulled her door out of his grip and slammed it shut.

Paris watched as her car screeched down his driveway. He shook his head, aware that

he hadn’t heard the last of this particular issue. Walking back into his mansion, he heard a burst of uncontrolled giggling. Persephone.

That was another problem. If something wasn’t done about her soon, she’d end up just as wild as that friend of hers. His daughter was nearly a hundred, long past the time she should have been mated, especially considering that the average pack female went into heat around age thirty.

Paris didn’t have to return to the dining room to hear exactly what the two women

talked about. Standing as still as he could, he listened.

“That was kind of mean, what you said to your Aunt Eleni.” Isis sounded like she had a mouth full of food. Damn those two! They were probably eating his steaks.

“She had it coming. She’s been chasing Papa for years. Besides, Eleni’s the reason my father has it in his head that I should be betrothed -- to a member of Pack Eriksson, no less.

They’re all so boring. I want excitement and someone I can have fun with. Someone--”

“You can love?”

18 Eve Vaughn

“I know it sounds silly to you, Isis, but my parents were unhappy for as long as I can remember. Mama loved Papa, but he didn’t love her, and it made them both miserable. I don’t want that kind of life. I’d rather be on my own like you than be in a relationship like that.”

Isis snorted. “I sometimes envy you, ’Seph. You may think you’re under your family’s thumb, but being on your own isn’t always fun and games. Without the protection of a pack, a lone wolf is fair game.”

“But you handle yourself just fine. At least you don’t have a father, brother, and cousin who run off any potential mates that you actually like.”

“Well, you do have a tendency to pick mortal men. Even I wouldn’t advise that.”

“Oh? And what about you? You like to consort with vampires.”

Isis laughed. “What can I say? I find them interesting.”

Paris’s lips tightened. He’d be damned before he let his daughter mate with a human.

No mortal would be strong enough to take care of his precious daughter the way he would expect him to.

His thoughts drifted to his other cub, and he wondered if Constantine was any closer to finding the answers Paris so desperately sought.

* * * * *

Constantine looked around. He wasn’t an art connoisseur like his father, but he appreciated some of the pieces prominently displayed along the walls.

“This is where my father purchased the painting,” he answered, eyes scanning the

gallery for the proprietor.

“What’s so special about this particular paining? Why does Uncle Paris have such a

hard-on for finding the artist?”

“Apparently, he hopes the painter can help him to find clues to his lost love.”

“Lost love? Uncle Paris doesn’t strike me as the lovey-dovey type.”

Constantine shrugged. “I never would have thought so myself, but you should have

seen him, Aries. He was a mess.”

“Paris Kyriakis, a mess? Say it isn’t so. The world must be coming to an end.”

“It’s the truth. I don’t think I would have believed it had I not seen the way he looked and talked about her with my own eyes.”

“And you’ll get two years’ grace for bringing him this artist?”

“Yes, although I’m hoping to turn those two into a few years more.”

Aries chuckled. “Good luck with that. I seriously doubt Uncle Paris will grant you any more reprieves, but I hope to God he does.”

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“Why is that?”

Aries huffed. “Because once he has you and Persephone mated, he’ll turn his attention to me.”

Constantine grinned, knowing his cousin valued his freedom just as much as he himself did. Aries was beta to Constantine’s alpha, which made it important to Paris that the Kyriakis bloodline was secured through Aries as well. If his father had thought there’d been a fight on his hands with Constantine regarding the issue of mating, Aries would not be much easier.

“I think that’s our man right there.” Aries pointed in the direction of a tall, somewhat effeminate-appearing man wearing what looked like a black leisure suit. If Constantine’s usually immaculately dressed father were here, he’d probably shudder.

“Why do you think that?”

“I noticed him adjusting some of the paintings.”

Constantine nodded. “Makes sense.” He approached the smaller man, who must have

heard them coming because he raised his head from his task. The smile that had been on his lips fell slightly. Constantine could only imagine what he and his cousin looked like in their jeans and leather jackets.

“How can I help you, gentlemen?” the man asked, a look of faint disapproval in his

beady eyes.

“We’re trying to find an artist.”

The man snorted and muttered beneath his breath. “This is an art gallery so you’ve

come to the right place at least.” He raised his voice to a normal pitch. “What kind of artwork did you have in mind? Were you interested in something on canvas, or perhaps a sculpture?

“No.” Constantine ignored the man’s initial words and shook his head. “I’m not looking for a painting; I’m looking for a particular artist, the one who signs his or her paintings with the initials S.E.D.”

The man’s face closed up. “I’m sorry, but I’m not at liberty to divulge that information.”

“You’re the owner of this gallery aren’t you?”

“I manage it.”

Constantine was beginning to find this man extremely annoying. “So why won’t you

tell us what we need to know? A painting by this artist was recently purchased from this gallery for a large sum of money. It’s possible that we can bring more business to this establishment if you’re more cooperative.”

“I’m sorry, sir. If I could, I would, but it’s the artist’s wish to remain anonymous. That’s very well known in the art world.”

Constantine normally didn’t often use his powers on humans because he was used to

getting what he wanted without having to do so; thus, he found it irritating that he had to 20 Eve Vaughn

resort to them now. Shrugging, he locked eyes with the slender man and smiled. “I’m sure we can come to some kind of arrangement. You want your gallery to succeed, and I want a name and where this artist can be found.”

The man nodded with a dazed expression in his eyes. “Yes, I want the gallery to

succeed.”

“Give me the name,” Constantine said softly.

“I’m sorry, but the artist works through a dealer, Stella Peterson.”

“Your cooperation is appreciated.” Abruptly turning away from the man, he signaled

his cousin and made a move to leave when he caught a faint scent of another shifter’s presence. Well, not quite; there was something a little strange about the fragrance. Judging by the puzzled look on Aries’s face, his cousin had noticed it, too.

Constantine’s gaze darted to the entrance of the gallery. Then his heart began to pound in his chest. A tall, slender woman with skin like rich, dark chocolate had walked in. Her tightly pulled back hair accentuated high cheekbones, and large, dark eyes were exotically tilted upward, surrounded by impossibly long lashes. The woman’s mouth below them

appeared so welcoming that he had visions of tasting them that instant. She wasn’t the most beautiful woman, he’d ever seen, but she was certainly eye-catching.

Constantine inhaled sharply when, on deeper inspection, he noticed her body was just as magnificent as the rest of her. The black turtleneck she wore encased breasts that were small but shapely, and she had a tiny waist that flared out into curvaceous hips. He glimpsed the reflection of her rear in a mirror; her ass would make most grown men weep. His cock stirred as he thought about riding that voluptuous rump of hers.

Licking suddenly dry lips, it occurred to him that the scent he’d caught just moments before belonged to her. She was a shifter, but not a full blood.

“A half-breed,” Aries whispered to him. Almost as if she’d heard what his cousin had said, the sexy fem looked in their direction. Her eyes widened briefly before she quickly spun around and raced out the door.

Aries frowned. “What was that about?”

Constantine didn’t know the answer, but he intended to find out.

Kyriakis 1: Kyriakis Curse

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They were following her. Whenever she turned a corner, so did they. What did they

want? Sarah ducked into a coffee shop and, ignoring curious onlookers, dashed to the bathroom and locked the door behind her. Hopefully, the men would get the hint and leave her alone -- whoever and whatever they were.

The minute she’d stepped into the galley and had seen them, Sarah had known there

was something different about the two men -- something not quite human. And the scent they’d given off was like nothing she’d smelled before... raw, wild, musky, and primitive.

The only other time she’d caught a whiff like that was connected to a tragic childhood memory.

In the brief glimpse she’d caught of both men, Sarah had noticed they were incredibly attractive, but she hadn’t wanted to stick around to get a closer look. Damn. She knew she should have stayed home and painted today; instead, she’d decided to come down to the gallery for inspiration. Now she was in a fix and wasn’t sure how to get out of it.

That scent...

They were here.

Looking wildly around the ladies room, she wondered if she should try to escape

through the narrow bathroom window or wait out her pursuers. Then the pounding on the door let her know that she had to think fast.

“Um, just a minute,” she called out unsteadily. Climbing onto a toilet seat, she pushed against the sill with one hand, while lifting the window at the same time with the other.

Shit! It was stuck.

Sarah used the flat of her hand to give the window a hard shove, dislodging the entire thing in the process. The frame dangled and glass shattered, spraying to the ground a few feet 22 Eve Vaughn

below. She briefly cursed her own strength; if that didn’t draw everyone’s attention, she didn’t know what would.

Again, someone beat on the door, and a deep masculine voice spoke from the other

side. “Open up. We just want to have a word with you.”

“I’ll be a minute. Hold your horses.” Slipping through the window face first, Sarah had barely got her hips out when a pair of strong hands grasped her arms and yanked her forward the rest of the way. She gasped, momentarily robbed of her breath.

He was nothing short of perfect. Ink-black hair rested in a dark cloud of waves around his face, giving him a wild look. His features were strong and pronounced, almost arrogant, and his gray eyes seemed to be looking right into her soul. Dear Lord, his mouth was sexy, too; it was deep red, and while his top lip was full, the bottom one was sinfully plump, forming his mouth into a sensual pout. Sarah had never seen anything like those lips before and couldn’t tear her eyes away.