KyriakisTriumph Read online

  Gaspard’s first priority was to save her. Being a former healer, he performed a healing spell that would take care of her immediate needs. He, then, took her inside the house while he went searching for the little girl but he couldn’t locate her and he couldn’t be away from his seraphim for long.

  Once he returned for her, he found she was still unconscious but he made a discovery that he’d overlooked the first time. There was a body in the house that of the giant of a man he’d watched all this time and it finally clicked why he looked familiar. As Gaspard was breaking away from Gage, this man had been a recent recruit. Gaspard had only seen him a couple times but they hadn’t been memorable. Now that Gaspard had recognized the man, he understood why this family had been so isolated.

  As Gaspard looked down at the seraphim hybrid, he caressed her cheek. He knew she’d gone by the name of Anna, he’d purposely not thought of her as a name but a subject. But at that moment, she became his Camille, and he intended to be her protector and her everything.

  And he didn’t intend to let her go. Whatever history she had with the Kyriakis Alpha, it didn’t matter because she was now his and he wouldn’t let her go without a fight.

  Chapter Four

  Paris refused to be deterred. He would see Anisa tonight and he wouldn’t allow Gaspard to stand in his way. He’d received an initial report on the warlock but there wasn’t much to it. No one had heard of him, although there had been a coven of witches and warlocks in France that went by Fortier. But by all accounts, they’d been taken out by a bunch of zealots. If that was the case, then who was this man? And, was he who he actually claimed to be?

  Paris had managed to piece together a timeline of Anisa’s whereabouts since she’d left Circe but there were still holes that needed to be filled in. He was certain she’d been captured by Gage and his Hunters shortly after she’d run away from him. Then, he reckoned that she managed to escape with Roland until they were attacked. He wasn’t sure how Anisa had come to be with this man. It didn’t matter because if he had anything to do about it, he would win her back but first that involved getting her memory back.

  As he approached his gated estate, located far off the beaten path, he took note of his pack members guarding the perimeter. The property was also warded to keep all enemies who would cause him harm out.

  The gate opened and he drove his vehicle up the private driveway. He was followed by two other vehicles, one containing Constantine and Aries and the other with Steel Romanov, his warlock backup.

  They usually would have traveled together but Paris had a lot on his mind and wanted to mull over his thoughts in silence. When he saw Anisa again, would she cringe away from him as he had before? And what if she did, in fact, get her memory back? She had no cause to remember him fondly after what he’d done.

  When he pulled his vehicle up to park, he was reluctant to get out because he knew he would have to face the consequences of his actions all over again. If only he had treated Anisa the way she deserved, they’d be together now with a few pups of their own. He supposed things worked out the way they were meant to because he had Constantine and Persephone. And, Sarah wouldn’t have existed either.

  There was a tap on his window, breaking him from his thoughts. He looked up to see Constantine standing by his car. With a heavy sigh, Paris opened to door and stepped out.

  “Are you all right, father?” Constantine inquired.

  Paris nodded. “Yes. I guess I’m just nervous to see her again.”

  “Nervous? But you’ve already seen her.”

  “I know but this time, it’s different. I didn’t know what to expect then, but I do now. I’d practiced this speech in my head but I’m not sure how she’ll receive it. And, there’s no telling what kind of hold this warlock has over her. What if she has genuine feelings for him?”

  “How could she? You two are mates.”

  “I was with your mother and sired two pups, so we can mate with who we please.”

  “But you didn’t love my mother,” Constantine countered.

  “I did love your mother, just not in the way I could love my bond mate. Our paring was out of necessity, but I don’t want you to think that I didn’t care for her. Because of our union, we created you and your sister.”

  “So, if Anisa is your bond mate, there isn’t a reason why the two of you shouldn’t be together.”

  “I have a feeling that Fortier may stand in our way.”

  “Nothing is stronger than the link between bond mates.” Constantine patted him on the shoulder.

  Steel and Aries joined them. “I know you two are having a heart to heart right now, but I think it’s time for us to go inside,” Aries suggested.

  Paris took a deep breath. “You’re right. Let’s go.” He headed to the front door, which required a security code to enter. Though this was his property, he rang the bell as a courtesy.

  When there was no immediate answer, Paris used the code to enter the house. They were barely inside the house when a bolt of lightning came flying toward Paris’s head.

  He barely managed to duck. “What the fuck!” he shouted in annoyance.

  Gaspard stepped from out of the shadows. “My apologies. I thought we were under attack.”

  Paris flared his nostrils. He was almost positive the warlock was lying but rather than calling him a liar and starting a fight that would result in someone’s death, he bit his tongue. However, his son and nephew weren’t as forgiving. They both took a confrontational step toward Gaspard.

  “You knew it was us. Who else could it have been?” Constantine demanded.

  Gaspard’s lips twisted into a smug grin. “I’m here under Kyriakis protection because some very powerful hunters are after me and my wife. And, you ask who else it could be? Pardon moi, for being cautious.”

  “There’s a very powerful ward on this house, I should know because my brothers placed it. You would have been alerted had it been an enemy presence,” Steel interjected.

  Gaspard narrowed his gaze. “Well, you can’t fault me for being skittish. I’m just trying to protect what is mine the best I can.” He shrugged.

  Paris clenched his fists at his sides each time the warlock referred to Anisa possessively. He mentally counted down from five before speaking. “Where’s Anisa?”

  “Who is Anisa?” Gaspard questioned.

  It was clear, he was trying to push Paris’s buttons. Realizing he was seconds away from ripping the warlock’s throat out, Paris brushed past the other man. He raised his head to take a whiff of the air. Her scent was above his head which meant she was upstairs. Paris headed for the grand staircase in the foyer.

  “Wait a minute. Where are you going?” Gaspard grabbed Paris by the shoulder.

  Paris halted and looked pointedly at the hand. “Unless you’d like to lose your hand, I’d suggest you remove it.”

  Gaspard released him with apparent reluctance.

  “Constantine, Aries and Steel, I need you three to stay down here while I have a talk with Anisa.”

  “No!” Gaspard shouted. “You’ll only upset her.” His hands began to glow.”

  “I suggest you don’t try anything, because anything you can do, I promise you that I can do it much better,” Steel threatened.

  Gaspard looked as if he wanted to make a retort but instead fell back in frustration. Secure in the knowledge that his team would be able to handle Gaspard, Paris followed Anisa’s scent.

  Perhaps, it wasn’t ideal that they talk in these circumstances. But he had a feeling that if Gaspard was around while they had their conversation, things wouldn’t go well. For all he knew, they might not exactly go well with him speaking with her alone either, but he saw no other way.

  When he Paris reached the room, he was certain Anisa was in, he knocked gently. There was no answer but he could hear movement, which sounded like the rustling of bedcovers, behind the door.

  He knocked again and was met once more with movement. She had to be awake, why wasn’t sh
e answering? Growing more impatient, he attempted to open the door only to find it locked so he took the only option available to him. He kicked the door in.

  Anisa let out a little scream as he entered the room.

  She sat on the bed her eyes wide with fear as she held the covers against her body. In that position, she almost resembled a frightened child, almost reminiscent of their last night together.

  “Gaspard!” she screamed out.

  Paris took a step forward and she screamed louder.

  “Gaspard!”

  Paris halted and held up his hands to show that he meant no harm. “He’s not coming. Please stop screaming.”

  “Wh-what have you done to him? I knew it was a mistake to come here but he said we’d be safe. I knew you were trouble when I first saw you. Go away.”

  “I can’t do that. Anisa, I think it’s time for us to talk.”

  “Why do you keep calling me Anisa? My name is Camille.”

  “Your name is Anisa and it has always been. I don’t understand why you were told otherwise but that’s who you are. You’re Anisa Nkrumah.”

  She shook her head. “No. That’s not right. Gaspard said—”

  “Forget what Gaspard told you. Listen to me.”

  “Why should I listen to you? I don’t know you. You came into our perfectly happy home and demanded we come here to be under your protection from some enemy who is after us for reasons I don’t understand. Now, you just burst into this room and speak to me as if we’re long lost friends. I promise you, we’ve never met. You’re clearly mistaken. Perhaps, you have me mixed up with someone else.”

  “No. I could never mistake my bond mate for anyone else.”

  A deep frown marred her face. “Bond mate.” She shook her head. “I don’t understand.”

  “You and I were meant to be together. Our connection runs so deep that once we are officially joined, it is like we become one being. No bond is stronger.”

  “You’re lying. We’ve never met. Besides, Gaspard is my husband, my protector. I love him and even if I didn’t, why would I want to be with a brute like you. You’ve brought nothing but chaos to my life.”

  “How would you know that I’m lying?”

  “I just do. Gaspard would never lie to me. He would know if we’d met before.”

  “That’s interesting. And what if I told you, we knew each other before you met Gaspard? How long have the two of you been together.”

  “Well, he says—”

  “No. I don’t want to hear what Gaspard told you. I want you to tell me what you were doing before you met him.”

  She shrugged. “I was with my pack, of course.”

  “Which pack?”

  “I-I’m not sure. Gaspard says it doesn’t matter because they only want to hurt me.”

  “Why do you think your pack would hurt you? Can you just listen to yourself for a moment? It doesn’t seem like you know a lot about your past aside from what Gaspard has told you. Don’t you find that odd?”

  She hesitated, as if mulling his statement over. Finally, she answered. “I have no reason to believe he’s not telling the truth. What reason would he have to lie? He’s kept me safe all these years and he treats me well.”

  “Except, he doesn’t seem to allow you to have an opinion of your own. Just answer this question for me honestly and then, think about it. How many years have the two of you been together that you can actually remember?”

  Anisa furrowed her brows together. “Well…I suppose I’ve lost track but at least 25 years.”

  “And, you remember nothing before those years.”

  “I was attacked by rogues. I barely survived and it cost me my memories. But Gaspard was able to fill me in.”

  “Anisa, he’s been lying to you.”

  She slid off the bed and stood up. “I told you to stop calling me that. I’m not who you think I am.”

  “You are and I can prove it to you. Haven’t you ever felt like a part of you was missing?”

  She narrowed her eyes. “I don’t know why you’d think that proves anything.”

  Paris smiled knowingly. “Judging by your answer, it’s yes, isn’t it?”

  She crossed her arms over her chest, unwittingly drawing attention to her full breasts. Paris’s body quickened and he fought to keep the hard on that threatened to tent his pants down. She was so fucking beautiful and her full kissable lips were a temptation he was finding hard to resist.

  Anisa rolled her eyes. “I suppose you’re going to tell me that you’re the missing part of me.”

  “I wish I were. I’ll be honest with you, we didn’t part on the best terms.”

  “Then who are you referring to.”

  “Your daughter.”

  She gasped. “Now, I know you’re lying. I don’t have a child.”

  “No, you don’t have a child. She’s a woman now. You haven’t seen her since she was five years old, the day you were attacked.”

  Anisa shook her head vigorously. “You’re lying. I don’t have a child. Gaspard would have told me.”

  “You might not remember but you couldn’t have forgotten Sarah. She was just a little girl when you were attacked by Hunters. Your husband, Roland, was murdered but Sarah managed to escape. She was raised as a human and only recently learned of her shifter side when she met my son. They’re mates by the way. But even if you’ve forgotten her on the surface, you haven’t forgotten her in your heart. And, she certainly remembers you. She thought you’d died in that attack but she painted a beautiful picture of you in your wolf form that hangs on the wall in my office.”

  Anisa backed away from him with tears in her eyes. She clutched her head as if she was in pain. “No. That can’t be. I can’t have a child.”

  “Are you in denial because you don’t believe me or that you do and you’ll have to face the reality that you’ve been lied to all these years?” Paris pulled his phone from his pocket. He’d taken a picture of Sarah before leaving Circe so he could show Anisa.

  He scrolled through his photos and then, held the phone out to her. “Here. Take a look. The resemblance is uncanny.”

  She shook her head. “No. I don’t want to.”

  Paris closed the distance between them and practically shoved the phone in Anisa’s face. “This is your daughter, Sarah. She misses you terribly and wants to see you.”

  Anisa peered at the screen and she immediately covered her mouth and whimpered behind her hand. She started to tremble and shake her head. “It…it can’t be.”

  “It can be because it is. This is your daughter.”

  She lightly touched the screen. “I’ve…I’ve dreamed of her. I mentioned this to Gaspard but he dismissed it. He didn’t think it was a big deal but this is the woman I’ve dreamed of. How is it possible that I’ve dreamed of this particular woman, even though you say I haven’t seen her since she was five?”

  “Maybe because of the bond you share as mother and daughter. She dreams of you, too.”

  “I don’t…I don’t understand any of this.” She turned away from him.

  Paris returned the phone to his pocket. Uncaring that he was crossing boundaries, he grasped her by the shoulders and gently turned her to face him.

  She stared up at him with a tear-stained face. “None of this makes sense.” Her full lips trembled and Paris was lost. He completely lost the will to fight the temptation.

  “Perhaps, this can offer you some clarity.” And with that, he lowered his head and pressed his lips against hers.

  Chapter Five

  Camille’s first instinct was to pull away but something within her being kept her body motionless. At first. As Paris’s lips moved over hers, a stirring within her core slowly spread throughout her body until a delicious heat made her squirm. There was something familiar about these lips and this kiss. But how was that possible when only moments before she’d been certain they didn’t know each other?

  Somehow, she found herself throwing her arms around him and pr
essing herself against the hard wall of his chest. He was over a head taller than her so when Camille wrapped her arms around his neck, Paris lifted her off the floor, causing their bodies to align better. The press of her breasts against his torso made her nipples harden to taut peaks.

  Paris’s kiss was gentle at first, almost tentative but when he nipped her bottom lip with his teeth, it signaled to her that he wanted more.

  She gasped slightly, parting her lips. Taking advantage, Paris slipped his seeking tongue into her mouth, deepening his kiss. In the back of her mind, Camille knew this was all kinds of wrong, to be making out with a man she had no recollection of, especially since her husband was downstairs. She was torn. What was happening to her?

  She should have been ashamed of herself but Camille had never been this aroused in her life, at least not that she recalled. The throbbing in her pussy from just a mere kiss was enough to drive her insane with lust. Paris clutched her hair that she’d pinned up and took out the clips to set it free.

  He raised his head, panting as he looked into her eyes. His deep green gaze was clouded with desire. “I always loved the way your hair looked when you wore it out,” he whispered before burying his face against her neck. With one hand, he threaded his fingers through her hair and with the other, he palmed her ass.

  Camille instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist. There was something about his scent that was driving her insane with need. She wanted to get closer, feel his bare skin against hers. Before she realized what was happening, Paris carried her to the bed and dropped her on the center of it. He then covered her body with his. Camille dug her fingers into his shoulders as his lips found hers again. But this time, she was ready for him. When he pushed his tongue into her mouth, she pressed hers against his, reveling in his taste. She explored the expanse of his tight and muscular back.

  Impatient for more, Camille grasped him by the collar and yanked his shirt apart. Her fingers seemed to tingle when she placed her hand against his bare chest.

  “Woman, you have no idea what you’re doing to me,” he groaned. “Don’t start something you can’t finish.”