Kyros' Secret (Greek Myth Series Book 1) (11 page)

Fifteen

Thera was quiet - very quiet on the trip back to Mount Olympus. Of course, Kyros wasn’t talking much either. He felt as if it was over now that Thera had her powers back. She didn’t need his protection anymore. She should be the one protecting him. And Hades take him if he’d ever let a woman protect him, even if she were a goddess.

He felt so sad inside. He’d really started to like Thera - more than like her. And she even said she loved him. Mayhap she loved Kyros the man, but she’d made it quite clear how she felt about Kaj the centaur. There was no future for them. She deserved so much better than a cursed man. So much more than he could ever give her.

“We’ll stop here and make camp for the night,” he announced. The traveling was slow as he refused to ride with her on the horse. Now that he knew she was still a goddess he was reluctant even to touch her.

He made a fire and got the blankets ready. All the while Thera remained quiet. She stared into the flames as if in a trance and he really didn’t know what to say.

“Did you … did you want me to hunt for you, Goddess?”

“Don’t ever call me that again.” She stared at the fire while she talked. “My name is Thera and always has been. I’d appreciate it if you’d call me by my name.”

“I see,” was all Kyros could say. “So did you want me to - ”

“I’m not hungry. Just go disappear into the woods and do whatever it is you do when the sun goes down.”

If only she knew what he did when the sun went down. And if only he didn’t have to do it.

“I guess I’ll be leaving then. I’ll be back in the morning. It’s a long trip to Mount Olympus and we should get an early start.”

She didn’t say anything and he thought it best just to go. He went over to the saddlebag and pulled the mask out from inside, hiding it from Thera.

“What are you hiding from me?” he heard her ask from where she sat. She was too far to have seen him and he figured she just sensed that he had a secret

“I can’t talk now, Thera. Mayhap in the morning. We’ll see.”

He took off into the woods, getting as far away from Thera as he could before he started his change.

Thera waited until Kyros couldn’t see her anymore and then she got to her feet and started after him. She would have liked to have taken Hester, but he’d have heard her coming for sure. She didn’t want him to know she followed him. But she felt she needed to know where he went at night. Tonight might be her last chance. Once he left her at Mount Olympus, she knew she’d never see Kyros again.

The sun dropped quickly in the sky and night set in before she could catch up with him. Actually, after the first couple minutes she somehow lost his trail. She still had her power of the senses, and tried to use them to track Kyros. Strange, but she knew Kyros’ scent and somehow it just seemed to up and disappear. Still, she continued searching.

It was well into the night when she first caught sight of him bathing in a small pond. Something was different about him, but she didn’t know what. His hair seemed longer, or was it her imagination? She was going to call out to him but decided not to. Instead, she stood behind a bush and watched in the moonlight as Kyros dipped his head below the water and brought it back up. He stood in the water waist high and all she could see was from his chest up. What a beautiful chest as it glistened in the moonlight. Much like Kaj’s chest. She’d never seen Kyros’ chest before, and had no idea it would be so big and strong under his clothing. It was sensational, as was Kaj’s.

She wondered what Kaj would do when he got to the camp and found out she was missing. But on the other hand, she wondered if Kyros told him not to bother coming at all now that she didn’t need their protection.

She loved Kyros, or so she thought. She put her hand on her stomach and felt that the baby had grown in the last day. She knew it wouldn’t be long before it was born. And she was going to miss the feel of it within her when it was all over. She liked having a part of Kyros within her. It made her feel whole, complete. She wanted him to be with her forever. To be there to help her raise their child.

She pushed aside a branch and watched Kyros. She felt the love for him but yet she had the irresistible urge to also be with Kaj. She didn’t understand it at all. Kaj was nothing more than a centaur. But a nice centaur. A different centaur. She had strong feelings for him and they scared her. She had a feeling deep down that Kaj, too, would be a good father.

Kyros started for the shore and Thera felt as if she should get back to camp. Whatever Kyros did in the night was his business. It didn’t seem to her that he had a lover on the side, or that he was doing anything he wouldn’t want her to know about.

She got to her feet and was turning around when something told her to look back at Kyros once more before she left. It was an eerie feeling. A feeling that she wasn’t going to like what she saw, but she did it anyway.

The moon shone brightly on Kyros as he emerged from the pond, and she held a hand over her mouth in order not to scream by what she saw. Kyros walked from the water and onto the shore and it was then that she realized he was a centaur. She couldn’t believe her eyes. His body dripped with water and his horseflesh shone in the moonlight.

She wanted to turn around and run as fast as she could, but she couldn’t move. All she could do was watch as Kyros tied the purple mask around his eyes and picked up his bow and quiver of arrows. It couldn’t be. She couldn’t believe it. Kyros was Kaj. Kaj was Kyros. She didn’t know how or didn’t really understand it at all, but she was horrified and forced herself to turn and run as fast as she could.

When Kyros got to the camp in his centaur form, he realized Thera was gone. Something was wrong. There was no sign of any struggle so he doubted Pittheus’ men had taken her captive. Besides, she was a goddess now and could fight them off if need be. No, she had gone away on her own. But he hadn’t any idea as to where. He missed her already. And he truly wondered if he’d ever see her or his child again.

He looked up toward Mount Olympus and heard a wolf howling to the moon. She didn’t go there. He felt it in his soul. She was out somewhere in the woods, and he was going to find her. He took off through the trees, intending to find the mother of his unborn child.

* * *

Two days passed and still there was no sign of Thera. Kyros was worried and apprehensive not knowing where she’d gone. He had gotten used to having her around and protecting her. He rather liked it and now that she was gone, a part of him was missing with her.

“Kyros.”

The sun was low in the sky as Chiron walked up to Kyros with Nemos at his side. Kyros sat on a log polishing his father’s sword. He felt so empty without Thera. His mind was in such turmoil that he hadn’t even been able to think about bringing peace between the centaurs and the Trozens these last couple days. All he wanted now was peace between himself and Thera.

“Did you find her, Chiron?” Kyros stood and placed his sword in his scabbard.

“We’ve been all around the centaur village and even to the outskirts of Trozen,” remarked Nemos.

“You haven’t found her.” Kyros’ heart sank and he sat back down.

“You’re in love with her, aren’t you?” came a crackly old voice from the trees.

Kyros turned quickly, his hand on the hilt of his sword. Even Chiron and Nemos were ready for action.

The blind, little old weaver woman stepped out from behind a tree. Kyros didn’t know how she knew where she walked and how she kept from falling without her eyesight.

“Where’d you come from, old woman?”

“Well, you are, aren’t you? You know she loves you,” said the woman.

“You know where she is, don’t you?” asked Kyros.

“She’s been with me for the last two days. All she can do is talk about you.”

Why hadn’t he thought to look at the weaver’s hut? Thera had seemed to take a liking to the old crone. It would only make sense she’d go there.

“I’m going to her.” Kyros hopped atop Hester and turned a full circle.

“Kyros,” called Chiron. “Do you think it’s wise to leave so late in the day? The sun is about to go down.”

“I have to see her,” said Kyros. “I have to - ”

“Tell her your secret?” asked the weaver.

“You told her, didn’t you?” he accused her.

“I didn’t need to, Kyros. She already knew when she came to me.”

“Damn!” Kyros didn’t know what to do now. If Thera knew his secret, he was sure she’d have nothing to do with him ever again. No wonder she left. What was he supposed to say to her? All he knew was that he had to see her once more before she dismissed him from her life forever.

“She’s waiting for you, Kyros. You’d better go before she changes her mind about wanting to see you.”

Kyros nodded silently. “I have to do this.” But a pain hit him and he hunched over on his horse. “Damn! Not now. Not now.”

He fell from the horse and Chiron and Nemos ran over to help him undress. Kyros handed his sword to Nemos. His body trembled and the convulsions took place. He didn’t have time for this. He just needed it to be over. He had to see Thera and he had to see her now.

When Kyros turned back to talk to the old woman, she was gone. Another convulsion caused him to close his eyes and wish the transformation were over. It seemed to last longer and longer now-a-days, and he wondered if someday he might just stay in his centaur form forever.

“It’s over, Kyros.”

Kyros heard Chiron’s reassuring voice. He didn’t know what he’d have done without him. Nemos held his sword in one hand and handed him the golden bow with the other.

Kyros pushed to his feet and stretched his stiff legs. His vision was still blurry but he had no time to wait. Out of habit, he grabbed the bow and arrows from Nemos and headed off toward the weaver’s hut.

Sixteen

Thera waited inside the weaver’s hut, but the woman never returned. She’d enjoyed talking with her these past few days, as the spinner was a motherly type of person. Still, she didn’t know the woman’s name as the old lady said that everyone just called her The Weaver.

She heard hoofbeats outside the hut and ran to the door. She knew it was a centaur even before she opened the door. And she knew exactly which centaur it was.

Kaj, or Kyros trotted closer to her, his huge bow and arrows flung across his back. He didn’t wear the mask this time. A simple way of telling her that he now knew she knew his secret.

“Thera. I need to talk to you.” He moved a step closer but she took a step back into the hut.

“There’s nothing to talk about.”

“Yes, there is. I’m sorry that you have to see me like this.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

She sensed Kyros’ nervousness and it made her jumpy. It was strange to see Kyros with a centaur body. She accepted it so well when she thought he was Kaj, but this just didn’t seem right.

“I wanted to tell you,” he said, and she believed him. “I wanted to tell you since the day I saw you at the pond.”

Just the memory of him seeing her naked brought a flush of heat through her. Her baby stirred within her and she knew it was reacting to the sound of Kyros’ voice. The baby knew Kyros was Kaj. So did Hester, his horse. How could she have been so out of touch with her senses? Mayhap her senses were dulled from pregnancy.

“You lied to me,” she said. “You made me believe you were someone else.”

“Would you have accepted me if you thought a centaur was the father of your baby?”

By the gods, she didn’t want to be reminded of that. If he was half centaur, then her baby had half a chance of being centaur also. Her stomach convulsed as the baby kicked wildly inside her. She was sure she felt feet and it felt like sharp hooves to her. Nausea overtook her and she had to grab the doorframe for support.

“Thera, I was scared to tell you. You were so happy that you were having a human baby.”

He walked closer to her. He raised his hand as if to touch her and then changed his mind and put it back down.

“I was happy that my father’s plan would be foiled. Plus I was happy I wasn’t going to die birthing a centaur.”

“Well, now that you know you’re still a goddess, you can put your mind at ease. It doesn’t matter if the baby is human or centaur. You’ll never die, Thera.” He reached out and took her chin in his hands. She closed her eyes and trembled. If only he’d known what she’d done these last two days.

“I would gladly die for my child,” she whispered. “And I’d give my own life if it could help break your curse. Who was it that did this to you, Kyros? Tell me so I can make them pay.”

“It was your father,” he answered softly. “Ares cursed me, hence being the cause of my father, King Mezentius’ death as well. And all because my father believed in peace instead of war. You see, Pittheus, the regent king of Trozen is my brother.”

She grabbed his hand and looked up into his eyes. Tears formed in her eyes and her heart went out to him. Her father had ruined a man’s life and been the cause of the death of a king. And then he had put her in a position right in the middle of it all. It was so like Ares.

“I’m so sorry, Kyros. I’m so, so sorry.”

“Shh,” he whispered and gazed at her lips. She felt her eyes close as he lifted her chin in his palm.

He kissed her then. Soft, deep and meaningful. With her eyes closed she tried to pretend it was Kyros, the man. She kissed him back and a warm sensation engulfed her. Then she heard the swish of his tail and her eyes popped open.

“This is wrong, Kyros. I can’t be in love with a centaur. This is all wrong.”

“I’m a man, Thera. A cursed man. And you can’t tell me you didn’t want Kaj just as much as me, though you thought he was pure centaur.”

“You’re right,” she admitted. “I did want Kaj as much as I wanted you and it confused me. Now I understand why.”

She carefully reached up and placed her hand against his chest. Vibrations ran through her and she could no longer deny the feelings stirring inside.

“I . . . I’ve lived my entire life hating centaurs. I don’t understand what is happening to me. It scares me. But . . . but I think I am changing, Kyros. Yet I am so confused.”

“Then let me help you, Thera. Let me help you see you don’t need to fear me nor hate me. I am a man trapped in the body of a centaur. What’s inside me is still the same.”

He reached out and took her hand in his. Then with pleading eyes he waited for her permission. She acknowledged him with a silent nod.

At that, he scooped her up in his strong arms and carried her into the moonlight. He nuzzled his head into her hair and pulled her closer to his chest.

“Just give me a chance, Thera. Let me kiss you. Please.”

She hesitated. “I don’t know. I’ve never been kissed by a centaur before.”

“I’ve never kissed anyone while transformed.” He looked down at her and then at the tunic wrap she wore.

“You really did wear the weaver’s wrap.”

She smiled and was glad he noticed. Then bravely, she brushed her lips past his in a silent kiss. It didn’t feel as wrong as she thought it would. Matter of fact, it seemed oddly right.

Kyros walked up to a low tree branch and sat her on it. He then took her head in his hands and kissed her slow and deeply. Her heartbeat picked up a pace and she felt the baby stir within her.

“I want to be the father of your child, Thera. No matter what it is, I want to raise it with you … together.”

“You are the child’s father,” she said. “And always will be.”

He ran his hands through her long hair and she did the same to him. She liked the way it felt. She liked just about everything about him. His sturdy hands moved down to her shoulders caressing them and she moaned with pleasure. He hesitated only to reach around to his back and remove his bow and arrows, laying them gently at his feet.

“Any time you want me to stop touching you, Thera, just say so.”

She didn’t want him to stop, but rather wanted him to explore. His fingers floated down her shoulders and caressed her breasts, rubbing, teasing. She felt a bolt of energy run up her spine when he teased her, as she was even more sensitive in her pregnant state. She spoke with her eyes closed. “I want to feel more, Kyros. I need to feel more.”

His hands dropped to her stomach and he ran his fingers over her pregnant belly.

“Thera, I don’t want to do anything to hurt the baby.”

“The baby is strong, Kyros. The baby is yours, it’ll be just fine.”

He put his lips to her stomach and kissed her. The baby kicked within her and they both laughed. Then he loosened her tunic and let it fall to the ground. She was totally naked and his eyes took in every inch of her. She loved the way she felt and she loved the way his eyes devoured her. He pressed his lips to her chest and slowly made his way down her body, kissing, tasting every inch of her. She opened for him, melting in his arms, willing him to continue his exploration. This is what she dreamed of ever since the day she felt the same euphoria when she was impregnated with his seed. This was physical, and more than anything she needed to feel Kyros’ touch. Now it was his touch that was swelling her senses. This is the way it should be.

“I have to stop, Thera. If I don’t, I may not be able to.”

She didn’t want him to stop, but she knew he was right.

“I want to be near you, Kyros. I don’t want to stop our physical contact.”

“Then we don’t have to, Thera. Get on my back.”

He picked her up and put her on his back. On the back of a horse - yet on Kyros’ back. She hung on around his waist, her bare flesh melding with his. He took off at a full gallop through the trees. Never had she felt so free. The wind blew her hair all around her. His hair blew in her face and she breathed in his musky scent. She was with the man she loved, be he cursed or not, and she never wanted to leave him.

He slowed and she laid her head against his back as they returned to the hut. Inside, he gently took her from his back and laid her on the old weaver’s bed.

“Kyros.” She looked up at him, not knowing what to say. “I wish you could lie down with me. Just to be close. You understand, don’t you?”

He ran a finger over her cheek and smiled slightly. “There’s nothing that I want more right now than to lie with you in my arms, but I can’t.”

She knew it was true. He couldn’t lie down with her while in his centaur form. And she didn’t know what to do next. “Kyros, I - ”

“Shhh,” he whispered and bent down and kissed her gently on the lips. “I’ll be a man again soon. We’ll have plenty of time for that later.”

She knew he was right, but pitied him in his cursed form. He didn’t deserve this and she hated her father for what he’d done to him. Tears made a path down her face and Kyros leaned over and kissed them away.

“Go to sleep now, Thera.” He picked up a blanket from the foot of the bed and placed it over her. He then ran a loving hand over her stomach and smiled.

“Go to sleep my little baby.”

She felt such a deep sorrow for Kyros, and a deep love as well. And she had every intention of proving her love to him in the morning.