inside the room he indicated. It was the size of her entire apartment, and every piece of furniture was clearly expensive, though it wasn’t ostentatious. A large bay window looked out on a picturesque lake. Kyriakis senior shut the door quietly.
“Have a seat, Sarah.”
“Where?” She was afraid to make a wrong move.
“Anywhere you’d like, cub. There is no need to be frightened of me.”
She took the windowsill. There was something peaceful about the outside scene
displayed before her. “Why do you keep calling me that?”
“Calling you what?” He took a seat behind a large oak desk nearby.
“Cub. I don’t like it.”
“I mean no offense. It’s a term of affection among our kind. You are of a certain age and I’m significantly older, so to me, you are a baby -- a cub, if you will.”
She lifted her chin. “My name is Sarah, not cub.”
“As you wish.” The alpha inclined his head graciously. “Excuse me, where are my
manners? I’m Paris Kyriakis. You’ve already become acquainted with my cubs, Constantine and Persephone.”
“You look more like their brother.”
A slow smile tilted his lips. “Do you find it very hard to believe I fathered them?”
“Well, you look young.”
“I am immortal. We don’t tend to age past thirty-five, although some of us may still acquire distinguishing features throughout the years. My grandfather, for instance, received his first strands of gray hair at the age of four hundred. Now that I’ve reached that age, I have yet to show any, but perhaps one day I will.”
Sarah shrugged. “While this is all very enlightening, would you mind telling me why
you’ve brought me here, and why I can’t leave? Where is Constantine?”
Paris gave her a smile as if she were slow-witted. “My son is freshening up from his little adventure today. I have some questions of my own, Sarah, so please bear with me. First, 58 Eve Vaughn
I must ask your pardon for my reaction to you earlier. I think the stress of my business is getting to me. Perhaps I need to take the vacation my cubs claim I need.”
“What do you do?”
“I own a shipping conglomerate.”
“Constantine explained earlier, but it still amazes me that immortals have their own businesses. I feel like I should have noticed the existence of shifters before now.” There was so much she still had to learn.
“People see what they want to. You’d be surprised what’s out there.” He cleared his
throat. “Sarah, who were your parents? Constantine relayed the story you told him, but I need you to fill in the blanks. What were their names? My son tells me you’re unsure of which parent was the shifter.”
“I guess one of them had to have been, right?, but I don’t know which. And I only
found out what I am today. All these years, I just thought I was some kind of genetic freak, but this is much worse. To top everything off, some really bad guys are after me. While I appreciate your hospitality, I can’t put your family in danger. I have to leave.”
“Don’t you think that’s our decision?”
“But--”
“No buts, Sarah. Please. Tell me your parents’ names.”
“My father was Roland Devereaux, and my mom, Anna.” Sarah could have sworn she
saw disappointment on Paris’s face. “Why do you want to know?”
“Just curious, I suppose. What do you remember about them? I understand you lost
them when you were young.”
“Yes. I was five.”
“Is it difficult to talk about them?”
“Not really. It was so long ago, but sometimes I dream of them.”
“Your mother -- do you remember her maiden name?”
“No, although it was probably something foreign. I don’t think she was from this
country. She had a bit of an accent, but I really can’t say from where.”
“I see. What else do you remember about her?” he asked quietly, his piercing blue eyes never leaving her face.
“She was very beautiful. I remember her scent especially -- she always smelled of
jasmine and
“Have a seat, Sarah.”
“Where?” She was afraid to make a wrong move.
“Anywhere you’d like, cub. There is no need to be frightened of me.”
She took the windowsill. There was something peaceful about the outside scene
displayed before her. “Why do you keep calling me that?”
“Calling you what?” He took a seat behind a large oak desk nearby.
“Cub. I don’t like it.”
“I mean no offense. It’s a term of affection among our kind. You are of a certain age and I’m significantly older, so to me, you are a baby -- a cub, if you will.”
She lifted her chin. “My name is Sarah, not cub.”
“As you wish.” The alpha inclined his head graciously. “Excuse me, where are my
manners? I’m Paris Kyriakis. You’ve already become acquainted with my cubs, Constantine and Persephone.”
“You look more like their brother.”
A slow smile tilted his lips. “Do you find it very hard to believe I fathered them?”
“Well, you look young.”
“I am immortal. We don’t tend to age past thirty-five, although some of us may still acquire distinguishing features throughout the years. My grandfather, for instance, received his first strands of gray hair at the age of four hundred. Now that I’ve reached that age, I have yet to show any, but perhaps one day I will.”
Sarah shrugged. “While this is all very enlightening, would you mind telling me why
you’ve brought me here, and why I can’t leave? Where is Constantine?”
Paris gave her a smile as if she were slow-witted. “My son is freshening up from his little adventure today. I have some questions of my own, Sarah, so please bear with me. First, 58 Eve Vaughn
I must ask your pardon for my reaction to you earlier. I think the stress of my business is getting to me. Perhaps I need to take the vacation my cubs claim I need.”
“What do you do?”
“I own a shipping conglomerate.”
“Constantine explained earlier, but it still amazes me that immortals have their own businesses. I feel like I should have noticed the existence of shifters before now.” There was so much she still had to learn.
“People see what they want to. You’d be surprised what’s out there.” He cleared his
throat. “Sarah, who were your parents? Constantine relayed the story you told him, but I need you to fill in the blanks. What were their names? My son tells me you’re unsure of which parent was the shifter.”
“I guess one of them had to have been, right?, but I don’t know which. And I only
found out what I am today. All these years, I just thought I was some kind of genetic freak, but this is much worse. To top everything off, some really bad guys are after me. While I appreciate your hospitality, I can’t put your family in danger. I have to leave.”
“Don’t you think that’s our decision?”
“But--”
“No buts, Sarah. Please. Tell me your parents’ names.”
“My father was Roland Devereaux, and my mom, Anna.” Sarah could have sworn she
saw disappointment on Paris’s face. “Why do you want to know?”
“Just curious, I suppose. What do you remember about them? I understand you lost
them when you were young.”
“Yes. I was five.”
“Is it difficult to talk about them?”
“Not really. It was so long ago, but sometimes I dream of them.”
“Your mother -- do you remember her maiden name?”
“No, although it was probably something foreign. I don’t think she was from this
country. She had a bit of an accent, but I really can’t say from where.”
“I see. What else do you remember about her?” he asked quietly, his piercing blue eyes never leaving her face.
“She was very beautiful. I remember her scent especially -- she always smelled of
jasmine and
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