The Kyriakis Curse (9 page)

Cradling her injured arm, she attempted to dash past the shifter, but he was much

quicker than her and wrapped his powerful arms around her. Sarah screamed from the

excruciating pain to her broken limb. It hurt so much that she felt like passing out. Instead, she tried to find a way to make him release her.

“Stop fighting so much, half-breed. You’ll only end up hurting yourself more,” the

shifter whispered in her ear. His heavy accent sounded Eastern European. As his arms tightened, she found it harder and harder to breathe with every passing second.

Neyo got to his feet then, one hand still cradling his crotch, the other his nose, his dark eyes blazing with fury. He ran toward Sarah with a clenched fist, and she braced herself, but she felt nothing. Instead, a loud, menacing growl filled the air. She opened her eyes in time to see Neyo tossed aside.

“Doesn’t really seem like a fair fight. A shifter and a wizard picking on a half-breed bitch,” Constantine observed.

The shifter let Sarah go, and she dropped to the ground, nausea pounding through her from all of her various aches. Aries appeared abruptly, large teeth bared, and went for her ex-captor’s throat, even as Neyo dove for Constantine. Sarah watched hazily as the four men battled -- Aries against the blond shifter, and Constantine against Neyo, who must be the wizard.

Even though pain seared though every part of her body, she had to help somehow.

Slowly rising to her feet, each breath a painful effort, she ignored the splintering aches as best she could, then studied the alley for something heavy. Spotting a brick, she picked it up and made her way to the wizard, who shot a bolt of light at Constantine, sending the shifter airborne.

46 Eve Vaughn

Sarah brought the brick down on the back of Neyo’s head with all her available might, making him tumble to the ground. She then kicked him in the ribs a few times, returning the favor plus extra. “Asshole,” she muttered.

Constantine was by her side in an instant. “Let me handle this, Sarah.” She gladly fell back, her strength depleted, as Constantine picked the woozy wizard up by the collar and shook him. “Who are you?”

Neyo spat blood in his face. ‘Wouldn’t you like to know? Kill me now if you want,

shifter, but there’s more of us. They’ll come for her, and you. We won’t be stopped.”

Sarah’s eyes widened as she watched Constantine’s fist become covered in dark brown

fur. Instead of slamming his fist into the wizard’s face as she expected, his clawed hand ripped a chuck of Neyo’s throat out. Then she turned away in horror as Constantine’s jaw unhinged, and he took a bite from the dead wizard’s neck.

She looked toward Aries and saw him, blood covering his mouth, standing over the

blond shifter. There was bright-red fluid everywhere. How in the world would they get out of here without anyone noticing? Sarah leaned weakly against the wall, cringing when Constantine held out his hand to her. She shook her head very slowly.

“We have no time to waste. If there are more of these bastards, there’s no telling when they’ll come sniffing around, looking for their friends.”

When Sarah still didn’t take his hand, Constantine’s gray eyes flashed with obvious

annoyance. With a growl, he scooped her into his arms, careful of her injuries. Still, she cried out, hunched over her broken arm, and would have protested strongly, but she was too depleted.

“Come on, Aries. We have to get out of here before the wizard’s cloaking spell wears off.”

“I can walk.” Sarah wanted to insist more vehemently, but she hurt too much.

“You’ll come with us to my father’s house. It will be safe for you there until we

determine what to do with you.”

“But I need to go back to my place and get my things.”

“Like hell you will.”

“I can take care of myself.”

“Yes, we saw how you were doing just fine before we came along. No, Sarah. When

you called for my help, you entrusted me with your safety. From this point on, I’m the boss of you.”

Kyriakis 1: Kyriakis Curse

47

Constantine held Sarah cradled against his chest as she’d drifted in and out of

consciousness. He was sure she was in a great deal of pain. Her left arm was swollen to twice the size of her right one, her head had a huge knot on it, she moved as though her ribs bothered her, and she had scratches and bruises on every visible inch of skin. But once he bathed her and had her tucked in, he would heal her. If his father was at home, the process would happen much quicker. Constantine was relieved when Aries pulled the Hummer into the driveway, and he saw his papa’s silver Bentley parked in front.

The three-hour drive had been an uncomfortable ride for Constantine, not because he

was covered in blood or that Sarah was particularly heavy, but every now and then, she’d squirm on his lap, making his cock stir. Carnal images of him sliding his rod between the cheeks of her rounded ass caused his pulse to race. He wanted Sarah, and he would have her.

As he carried her inside the house, she gained consciousness. His father and sister raced to them, followed by Dante Grimaldi.

Paris frowned, eyeing the bundle in Constantine’s arms. “We heard you pull up, so I

glanced out the window. What happened to you, and who is this?”

“Papa, stop asking so many questions. It’s obvious she’s hurt. Let’s get her upstairs and cleaned off.”

When Persephone would have given him a hand, Sarah’s eyes widened before she

buried her head against Constantine’s chest.

“No. Don’t touch her. She’s not very trusting of our kind.”

Persephone scowled. “But I only want to help her.”

Sarah turned frightened eyes in Paris’s direction, and the alpha paled. “Zahara,” he whispered. Then, to his son, “Who is she, Constantine?”

48 Eve Vaughn

“We’ll talk later, Papa. She’s in a great deal of pain. I had a look at the damage; her left arm is broken, and she’s been injured elsewhere. I haven’t had a chance to give her a proper examination.”

Paris didn’t seem to hear, his gaze never leaving Sarah’s face.

“Papa?”

“She has Zahara’s eyes,” Paris said, as if in a daze.

What the hell? How could Sarah be connected to a woman who was supposed to have

been dead for nearly two hundred years, painting or no painting? “Not now, Papa.”

Constantine shook his head impatiently. “Persephone, would you prepare the guest room for Sarah?”

His sister nodded. “Of course. I’ll go run her a bath, too.” She turned and headed back up the stairs.

His father’s friend, Dante, had been silent up to this point, but he now stepped forward.

“Perhaps I can be of some assistance. There are healing agents in your saliva, but it won’t ease her pain or mend her nearly as fast as my blood.”

Though Dante Grimaldi was like a much beloved uncle to him, Constantine wasn’t so

oblivious that he didn’t realize Dante’s effect on women. Even Persephone was a little in love with him. Constantine didn’t want the centuries-old vampire anywhere near his woman.

His woman.

Was Sarah really his? He’d just met her today, for chrissake. It would be selfish of him to refuse the vampire’s offer just because of this irrational jealousy that came from nowhere.

“Fine. I’ll call you when you’re needed,” Constantine answered less than graciously.

By the time he made it upstairs with Sarah, Persephone had a bubble bath running in

the guest bathroom in the room next to his. Constantine laid a trembling Sarah on the bed.

Her eyes were glazed.

“Hurts,” she whispered.

“I know, mana mou. It will be better soon. I’m going to have to undress you now,

okay?”

“Mmm,” was her only response.

He caught the bottom of her shirt and ripped it apart, knowing that if he tried to pull it over her head it would cause her further pain. “I’m sorry about the shirt, Sarah. My sister has tons of clothing; you two are about the same size.”

He discarded her shoes and jeans next, gasping when she lay in only her panties. Under her clothing and beneath the evidence of her recent ordeal, Sarah’s body was even more magnificent: her small breasts were high and firm, capped with dark chocolate nipples. They seemed to be made for his mouth. Her waist was so tiny, he was sure he could span his hands around it without even trying. He could also make out the dark hair between her thighs through her thin, white, cotton panties.

Kyriakis 1: Kyriakis Curse

49

Down, boy, he thought as his cock jumped to attention. Constantine licked suddenly

parched lips. Unable to help himself, he ran his fingertips along the top of her breasts. Sarah moaned, insensible again, moving her head from side to side. He immediately snatched his hand away. What was he thinking? He felt like such a pervert for lusting after an

incapacitated woman.

“Ahem.” Persephone made her presence known, shooting him a knowing look. Her

gray eyes, so similar to his, twinkled with amusement. “When you’re finished groping her, how about letting me help her to the tub?”

“Don’t you have someone else to pester?” he snarled.

“Uh, weren’t you the one who asked for my help in the first place? You know, I didn’t think you’d stoop so low as to molest an unconscious woman.”

“Shut up, brat.” He stood up, not trusting himself to be so close to Sarah in her state of undress. “Go ahead and help her out of her panties.”

Persephone removed the last bit of Sarah’s garments. “She’s pretty. Who is she?”

“Her name is Sarah. She’s a half-breed.”

Persephone snorted. “Duh. I figured that much myself. How did you meet her? How

did this happen to her?”

“Let’s get her in the tub first; then you can ask questions. Better yet, I’ll put her in the tub, and you can find something for her to wear. I’m sure you have plenty of items in your closet that haven’t seen the light of day since you bought them.”

Just as he was easing Sarah into the bath, Persephone returned. “I laid out a couple pairs of pajamas. I’ll go through my things and find her more outfits later. Now, will you answer my questions?”

“I know as much about her as you do. I only met her today.”

Persephone’s eyes shot up in surprise. “Really? Who would do this to an obviously

defenseless woman -- unless she’s not as defenseless as she seems. Maybe you shouldn’t be getting tangled up with this one.”

“And would you have me turn my back on her when it’s clear she needs our help? She

was terrified once she realized what Aries and I are. Hell, she didn’t even know she was a half-breed until we told her.”

“How could she not know? Doesn’t she shift during the full moon?”

“That’s what I thought, too, but it’s possible she loses the presence of mind to

remember when it happens.”

“But who would be after her?”

“I wish I knew myself. Her attackers today were a wizard and a shifter. Sarah took a pretty good beating but, to her credit, she got in a few good licks of her own.” Constantine couldn’t help the pride in his voice.

50 Eve Vaughn

He held Sarah upright as Persephone gently bathed the injured woman’s cuts and

bruises. Sarah whimpered when Persephone ran the sponge along her left arm.

“Easy,” Constantine hissed.

“I’m being as gentle as I can. For a woman you’ve just met today, you sure seem to be awfully protective of her.” A slow, sly smile tilted the corners of her lips; Constantine wanted to throttle her. He loved his sister more than life, but at times she could be a major pain in the ass.

“Stop reading more into the situation than there is.”

“Who’s reading more into the situation? It’s staring me in the face. I think you should probably go talk to Papa. He’s anxious to speak to you. While I’m getting her dressed, you can send Dante up.”

“Why don’t you go downstairs and get him, and I’ll stay here with Sarah?”

Pursing her lips, Persephone lifted a dark brow. “I’ll make it clear to Dante that she belongs to you. Besides, I hardly think he’s in the state of mind to molest your Sarah.”

“She’s not my Sarah.”

“Could have fooled me.”

“Constantine!” Their father’s voice sounded like he called from the bottom of the

staircase. Constantine could hear the impatience in it.

Persephone shook her head. “Go. If you keep him waiting much longer, he’ll come get

you himself.”

He shot one last look at Sarah’s unconscious form before relinquishing her to his sister’s care. “Fine, but hurry up and get her covered. I don’t want Uncle Dante seeing her like this.”

“And you act like you don’t care,” she teased.

Constantine glared at his sister, seething as he left the bathroom. Damned pest.

Paris was waiting in the living room for him, pacing back and forth. Dante sat in the far corner of the room, a glass of red wine in his hand.

“Is she ready for me?” the vampire asked.

“Give it five minutes, please. Persephone is getting her out of the bath. She’ll call you when she’s ready.”

“Okay. I think I’ll wait for her in the hallway. I’m sure you two have plenty to say to each other.” With one smooth movement, the vampire left his seat and the room, leaving father and son alone.

“Papa, I had to bring her here. I couldn’t very well leave her to fend for herself.”

Paris held up his hand with a strangely urgent expression in his eyes. “You did the

right thing. I wouldn’t have expected you to leave a vulnerable cub on her own, but I need to know who she is. Where did you meet her?”

Kyriakis 1: Kyriakis Curse

51

Something was definitely off. The other time he’d seen that look in his father’s eyes was when Paris had sent Constantine on his task of finding the mysterious S.E.D.

“What’s going on, Papa? When you looked at Sarah, you called her by the name of

your former betrothed. Sarah looks nothing like the woman in that painting.”

“Her eyes, dammit! They’re Zahara’s eyes!”

Constantine frowned harder. “Even if that is so, isn’t Sarah rather young to be Zahara’s daughter? Your mate disappeared nearly two hundred years ago. There’s too much of a time gap.”