KyriakisTriumph

  The Kyriakis Triumph

  By

  Eve Vaughn

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons living or dead is entirely coincidental.

  All trademarks, service marks, registered service marks are the property of their respective owners and are used herein for identification purposes only.

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  The Kyriakis Triumph

  Copyright © 2018 Eve Vaughn

  Electronic book publication August 2018

  With the exception of quotes used in reviews, this book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means without permission from the author, Eve Vaughn.

  WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded or distributed via the Internet or any other means electronic or print, without the author’s permission. Criminal copyright infringement without monetary gain is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in Federal Prison and a fine of $250,000. For more information regarding the government’s stance on copyright infringement visit: http://www.fbi.gov/ipr.

  Dedication

  To my readers, thank you so much for supporting me, and keeping me going. I hope you’ll enjoy reading this book as much as I’ve enjoyed writing it.

  Prologue

  “What do you mean you can’t find her?” Paris roared, uncaring of the fear he’d embedded within the hearts of his pack members due to his foul temper.

  “Calm down, Paris. We’ll find her. How far could such a young shifter get without being detected by one of our allies?” his grandfather, and Alpha reasoned.

  “Or our enemies,” Eros chimed in.

  Paris shot a glare in his brother’s direction. “Watch your fucking mouth,” he growled.

  A knowing smile tilted his brother’s lips. “Why, Paris? Because I speak the truth? I don’t understand why you care so much about finding her in the first place. You never showed that you gave a damn about her when she was here. Is it any wonder she ran away?”

  As if his feet had a mind of their own, Paris practically flew across the room and grabbed Eros by the neck and slammed him into the wall. Rage coursed through his veins because of what he saw as his brother taunting him for his misfortune.

  Eros’s hands morphed into long claws as he gouged Paris’s hands to break free but Paris ignored the pain and tightened his hold.

  “Enough!” Spyros roared in a tone that was too authoritative to ignore. His Alpha voice.

  Slowly coming to his senses, Paris released his brother and slowly stepped away. Only then did he notice the pain in his hands. He looked down to see them bloodied with his tendons hanging out. Judging from the damage, this would take most of the day to heal.

  “What the hell has gotten into you two? This is not how I expect the future Alpha and Beta to conduct themselves. You two are supposed to lead by example. Your mother and grandmother are at their wits end with the two of you. They’ve already had enough and frankly, so have I. Paris and Eros, pull it together before I forget that you’re my grandsons and banish both of you from the pack. Now, I want you two to work out your differences or else.” Spyros glared at them before exiting the room.

  Once the brothers were alone, Paris released a heavy sigh. Lately, it seemed as if he were pissing everyone off with his temper. And it didn’t help that he’d nearly ended his brother over one snarky statement. Eros, by nature, was a sarcastic being. It was something Paris was used to. But Anisa was such a sensitive topic that even the slightest mention of her set Paris off.

  Eros ran his fingers over his still bruised neck. “I won’t apologize for what I said.”

  Paris smirked. “You never do, brother, so I wasn’t expecting one.”

  “I apologize when it’s merited.”

  “And intimating that Anisa has probably fallen prey to one of our enemies when I’m going out of my mind with worry doesn’t warrant one?”

  “No.” Eros shook his head. “You were the one to run her off in the first place. You have no one to blame but yourself.”

  Deep down, Paris realized this. There had been an agreement between the Alphas of his pack, Kyriakis, and pack Nkrumah to form an alliance in order to strengthen their numbers. An illness known as Malum, which only seemed to affect shifters, was steadily wiping out their kind. As the two packs had yet to be affected, his grandfather had decided there was strength in numbers, hence the betrothal between Paris and Anisa, The latter, was the Nkrumah Alpha’s daughter.

  Paris, however, wasn’t prepared to give up his free-wheeling lifestyle, especially for someone from Pack Nkrumah, which was run by headstrong, opinionated women. He’d heard many stories of these women. Sure, they were also known for their extraordinary beauty but that wouldn’t sustain a relationship. He’d argued and fought against this union but his grandfather, who’d invoked the name of Paris’s dead father to gain his compliance, would not relent.

  Spyros knew Paris’s weakness was mentioning how disappointed his father would be. It was the thing that had finally made him relent. But though he agreed, Paris had decided that this betrothal would be on his own terms and that meant laying down the law and not allowing this woman to walk all over him. Then Anisa had come to Circe, the pack’s private island, a few months before their joining ceremony. She was nothing like he’d expected. Sure, Paris had been expecting her to be beautiful but that word wasn’t sufficient. She was an absolute angel. All he could do was stare at her. And when she smiled at him, Paris had lost all train of thought. But then he remembered, being with her would irrevocably change his life forever so he’d brazened through their initial introduction by “laying down the law”. He wanted her to know that in no uncertain terms that she would have to bend to his will and not the other way around.

  Even when he’d seen the light fade from her beautiful brown eyes, Paris had stubbornly refused to take it back. And after that, even though she’d come to the island to get to know him and his pack, she’d gone out of her way to avoid him. In retrospect, he couldn’t blame her but it had made him angry. He pretended as though it didn’t bother him but it really did. Paris had hated seeing her smile and laugh with his pack members while she would barely meet his gaze. The final straw had been when he’d seen her laughing with one of the unmated males in his pack. He’d perceived it as flirting and something within him had snapped.

  That was when he’d done something to her he could never forgive himself for. It was the reason she’d fled from the island. He still wasn’t sure how it had happened; because the only way on or off of Circe was by boat so she had to have had some help but no one was talking. However, it really didn’t matter because the end result was that she was gone and had been for some months now.

  And as Eros had pointed out, he had no one to blame but himself.

  “You know brother,” Paris began, “It almost sounds like you’re taking pleasure in all of this.” Lately, there had been a distance between him and his younger brother that Paris couldn’t quite put his finger on. He and Eros had always been close growing up but lately, they were constantly at each other’s throats. Paris hated that on top of everything that was happening in his life, he and Eros were at odds.

  Eros didn’t respond right away. “Just because I’m pointing out the truth, it doesn’t mean that I enjoy seeing you suffer. But if you’re to be Alpha when Grandfather finally steps down, you’re going to need to act like one.”

  Paris narrowed his eyes. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “It means that you’ve
been boorish, short-tempered and unconcerned with pack business. And now, you’ve got our best warriors on a hunt for a bitch that you ran off. She’s gone. There are several unmated bitches in our own pack.”

  “She was my mate,” Paris whispered the words that he’d longed denied.

  “And now, she’s gone. You’ll have to accept that.”

  “I’ll never accept it, Eros. One day, I will find her.”

  Chapter One

  “Your mother is alive.”

  Paris watched the expressions on the younger woman’s face as he delivered the news he’d recently learned himself. Several decades had passed and he, too, had believed that the one woman he’d ever truly loved was dead. But his hope had been restored when his son Constantine had found the half breed shifter, who sat before him, with an uncanny resemblance to Anisa. It turned out that she was Anisa’s daughter and also, his son’s mate.

  Sarah brows furrowed with a heavy frown before tears sprang to her eyes. “You’ve found her.” It was more of a statement than a question.

  Paris nodded.

  Sarah bit her bottom lip as if she were contemplating what to say next. “All these years, I thought she was dead even though a small part of me felt that she wasn’t. I can’t explain it but I’ve always felt a presence somehow. I figured it was possibly her spirit looking over me. I know that sounds silly but maybe I felt that way because she was alive.”

  Paris shook his head. “It’s not silly at all. Although there was evidence that she was lost to me forever, like you, a part of me refused to accept it. And you renewed my hope.”

  “If you’ve found her why didn’t you bring her back to the island? Where is she?” Sarah demanded, wiping away a tear that slid down her cheek. “You’ve been back on Circe for over 24 hours and you’re just now summoning me? I thought when you found her, we’d be reunited.”

  Paris bowed his head to gather his thoughts because he was still trying to figure this out himself. How could he explain that although he’d found Anisa, he really hadn’t? “It’s complicated.”

  “What’s complicated about it? You found her, so she should be here with us. Or is there something else going on here? What aren’t you telling me?”

  Paris raked his fingers through his hair. “She’s not herself.”

  “What do you mean? Does this have anything to do with Gage?”

  “Partially. As you know, Gage has been searching for your mother as well. He wants you both because of your seraphim abilities. So when we got word that there was a possible sighting of your mother, we had to jump on it immediately. We figured if one of our men had spotted her, then it was quite possible the other side had as well. We knew we were on the right track when we reached that little town in France. Gage’s minions were all over the place. Were it not for my allies, we might not have made it through the melee. The entire town had been entranced by Gage’s dark magic.”

  “And what does this all have to with my mother?” Sarah asked with barely concealed patience.

  Paris held up his hand. “I’m getting to that part. Anyway, as I was saying, once we fought through the swarm of our enemies, we came upon a chalet that was clearly warded to keep out enemies who meant to harm its inhabitants. And Gage was there. There was a confrontation where we dispatched most of his followers but Gage managed to escape. At that point, it didn’t matter because something in my heart told me that Anisa was inside that chalet. And she was.” Paris’s heart clenched within his chest as remembered that look of confusion on her face when she gazed at him. There was no recognition in her lovely eyes but he remembered her. Paris recalled every single detail of his sweet Anisa, from her silky mahogany skin, large expressive eyes, full heart-shaped lips to her high cheekbones. Her frame was still petite but she’d filled out a bit more, possibly from giving birth.

  It had taken every ounce of his willpower not to pull her into his arms. But then there was one emotion he’d read on her face, one that broke his heart. He saw fear as she hid behind her ‘protector’.

  “What aren’t you telling me, Paris?”

  “We were greeted at the door by a warlock by the name of Gaspard. He claimed that the only two people in residence were him and his wife. He said his wife’s name was Camille but I had to see for myself. So, I made him bring her to us. It was Anisa. But she didn’t recognize me. She said her name was Camille. I admit that I couldn’t help myself but I took her by the hand and there was genuine fear in her eyes. Gaspard zapped me with some kind of magical bolt and immediately she ran into his arms. But, I know it was her. She has the exact same scent, one I’ve never forgotten. I don’t understand why she doesn’t remember me. Perhaps, her time with Gage had altered her mind but I realized that I couldn’t take her with us without causing her distress.”

  Sarah hopped out of her seat. “So you left her with that man? What if he was the one to take her memories? And how do you know he wasn’t working for Gage? Even if he isn’t, Gage knows where they are. One warlock won’t be enough to hold off Gage and the rest of his forces.”

  “Calm down, pup. I’ve been at this much longer than you. Trust me, I’ve thought of everything you just mentioned. As I said, there’s no way I can separate your mother from this Gaspard fellow without causing her great distress. She seemed to cling to him as if she were dependent on him being near her. She seemed to panic when he got more than a few feet away from her. It was clear that she has a distrust of anyone besides him. That’s probably because he’s kept her isolated for a long time. You said you were five when you last saw her, so it’s quite possible she’s been with him for the last 26 years but I can’t be sure.”

  Sarah plopped back down in her seat seeming to contemplate what she’d just been told. “And my other concerns?” she finally asked.

  “Gaspard was vague on how long they’d been together. And as he became more defensive, I believe Anisa felt the tension in the room. She seemed upset so we decided to hold off the questioning until later. Besides, as you already pointed out, Gage knew their location. He could easily return and disrupt the lives they’ve created for themselves, so I offered the use of one of my homes just outside of Athens. Even though it would have been safer for them to be on the island, I don’t believe Gaspard would have accepted the offer. But, he understood the importance of leaving the chalet. I promised that my home would be warded and heavily guarded. I suppose it helped that I had one of the Romanov brothers with me. He was able to convince his fellow warlock of how prudent agreeing to my protection would be. If Gage were somehow to find them, we’d be alerted right away. For now, they’re not far so not only will they be protected, but I will be alerted if they were to try to get away. You see, Steel Romanov put a tracking spell on your mother, so wherever she goes now, we will be able to trace her.”

  Sarah cocked her head to the side in seeming confusion. “Why not on Gaspard as well?”

  “Because he would sense it. Anisa won’t. Besides, his whereabouts are not as important as Anisa’s.”

  “I suppose that makes sense. So, when can I see her?”

  “I’m not sure it would be a good idea to take you to her anytime soon. The way she reacted to me seemed to give her some sort of an anxiety attack. Imagine how she’ll feel when she learns she has a grown-up daughter.”

  Sarah furrowed her brows together not bothering to keep her displeasure hidden. “So what you’re saying is, even though I grew up most of my life believing my mother was brutally killed and had to live with that pain until very recently, I’m not allowed to see her? She’s my mother! Not only do I have the right to see her, she has the right to know about me. Maybe if we were reunited, she’d remember. How could you even leave her alone with this Gaspard character in the first place?”

  Paris pinched the bridge of his nose as the blood began to pound in his ears. He sighed to push back his own frustration. “I understand how you must feel but the last thing I want to do is upset your mother. She’s under my protection now so I can assur
e you nothing will happen to her.”

  Sarah snorted with a roll of her eyes. “Because you did such a great job of protecting her before.”

  Paris raised a brow. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “By all accounts, you’re the reason she fled from here in the first place. If you hadn’t practically abused her, she wouldn’t be in this predicament.”

  “Watch your tone, pup,” Paris spoke through gritted teeth. He tried to reign his temper in because he understood Sarah’s frustration but she needed to remember that he was still the Alpha.

  Instead of backing down, however, Sarah stood up and glared at him. “Maybe you’re in no rush to see her because you’re afraid of rejection and that she’s chosen someone else.”

  Paris was out of his seat in an instant and slammed his palms on the desk. “Enough!” he roared. “Don’t you think I’ve thought of that? This has been on my mind since I saw her for the first time after all these years. You have no idea how I wanted to hold her and kiss her and tell her how sorry I was that I’d fucked up. Do you think it’s easy for me to see my mate with another man, clinging to him as if I’m some kind of monster? I love your mother, Sarah, believe it or not. And because I love her, I’m doing something that I should have done all those years before when I selfishly tried to impose my will on her. I’m putting her first. Now, you don’t have to like how I’m handling it but you will fucking respect me in own home!”

  Sarah crossed her arms over her chest and flared her nostrils. It didn’t seem as if she had any intention of backing down either. He could see the tears in her eyes and he instantly regretted how harshly he’d spoken. “So now I have to pay the price for your mistakes,” she whispered. And before he had a chance to answer, she turned and stormed out of his office.