Kyros' Secret (Greek Myth Series Book 1) (7 page)

Ten

Thera woke to the sound of her growling stomach and the delightful smell of breakfast cooking over the fire. Without opening her eyes, she knew it was wild pheasant eggs and some sort of meat. She remembered the snake meat from last night and groaned. Still, the thought of it gave her an urge to see the masked Centaur again. Kaj, he’d called himself. Some strange sort of attraction had pulled her to him. His vibrations were alluring, tantalizing - like Kyros. But yet, they were different. There was a darkness and denseness about Kaj that made her leery, yet she didn’t quite know what it was.

She stirred on the blanket, the empty feeling in her stomach gnawing at her. Her baby was going to be a big one with that appetite. She slowly let her eyes drift open, reluctant to leave her cozy dreams of the centaur with the purple mask. Of Kaj. She was almost surprised, and a bit disappointed when she saw Kyros standing by the fire instead.

His hair was neat and tied back, his manners so polite. He didn’t have that same raw energy about him that attracted her to Kaj. Yet, Kyros had his own attractiveness, one she knew she could learn to love. He was her protector - her child’s protector. He was mysterious, like Kaj, but more predictable and compelling in a noble sort of way. He stirred the eggs in the pan and talked to her without looking up.

“I knew the smell of food would wake you from your slumber.”

Suddenly, she questioned his manners. She took his words as an insult. Maybe he was more like that rugged centaur then she thought.

“Not the right thing to say to a pregnant woman so early in the morning.”

She threw back the blanket and grabbed her boots and pulled them on, irritated already. She stood and readjusted her skirt which had become too snug in the last few days.

“It’s not.”

“It’s not?” she repeated and pulled her fingers through her tangled hair. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It’s not morning, Goddess.”

“Quit calling me that.”

She stretched her aching body. She wasn’t used to sleeping on the hard ground. Though she’d lived in the forest on Mount Olympus her entire life, she had a house to live in. Or actually, it had once been a temple for Artemis, but it was old and broken down and Artemis kindly gave it to her as a cast-off.

“And what do you mean it’s not morning?”

Kyros flipped the food onto two wooden plates and handed her one. “You must have had a busy night to sleep so long. It’s well into the day. I would have woke you but I wanted to catch some shut-eye myself.”

She gladly took the food he handed her and also the seat he offered next to him on the log.

“It was a rather … different night.” The aroma called to her and she took a bite of the eggs. Done perfectly. She savored the creamy texture in her mouth and slowly chewed, reveling in the flavor before she swallowed. Still having her power of sensations worked in her favor when it came to eating. The babe within her stirred slightly.

“And by different …” He handed her a mug of ale. “You mean …”

“I had a visitor last night.” She picked up some of the meat and looked at it. “Snake meat?”

He flashed her a smile, something she’d never seen him do yet. The brief second illuminated his face and made him seem even more handsome. For the first time, she noticed he was wearing different clothes. Some sort of tunic and breeches, instead of the short tunic-wrap she’d seen him in yesterday.

“Would you have preferred snake meat to ground squirrel?” he asked.

She ignored him and took a bite. Not bad. Of course, with her ravenous hunger, she probably would have eaten the snake meat and not complained.

“Where’d you get the new clothes?”

He stopped in mid-motion and she felt alarm overtake him for a second before he took a deep breath and answered her.

“In my saddle bag. I didn’t like the other tunic, so I chose to wear the breeches and this tunic instead. I guess I’m shy about women looking at my legs.”

She finished off her breakfast and he scooped more onto her plate without her asking. She was still famished and didn’t object. His assumption that she’d want more to eat without asking her, made her a bit perturbed. She looked down to her own legs which were very visible with the short leather skirt and suddenly became self-conscious.

“Well, if it’ll make you feel better I didn’t even notice your legs,” she answered and shoveled the rest of the food into her mouth, not bothering to savor the flavor. “But if you don’t want that old tunic, I’ll take it off your hands. My skirt is becoming snug and I don’t fancy you looking at my legs either.”

He took her empty dish from her, in the process letting his eyes fall on her bare legs. She placed her hands on her lap in an attempt to block his view.

“I didn’t notice your legs either until you mentioned them.”

He walked to the lake and bent down to wash the dishes. She jumped up and followed him, about to call him a liar when he broke in with, “Of course, I can’t say the same about the rest of your body. After all, you had no qualms showing it to me at the pond yesterday.”

If anyone could ruffle her feathers beside her father, it had to be Kyros. He had such a sour disposition, and the way he spoke to her, she almost swore he wanted her not to like him. Whatever game it was he played with her, she wasn’t going to let him know it bothered her. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.

“Well, you just may see my naked body again if you don’t give me that tunic. My waist is stretching and I’m no longer comfortable in my skirt.”

His shoulders stiffened and the scrubbing of the dishes slowed. He answered without looking at her.

“I can’t give it to you, or I would. I …I got rid of it last night.”

“Well, where’d you put it? We’ll just go get it.”

“It’s gone.”

She let out an exasperated breath and headed over for Hester.

“Well, if I hadn’t dropped my saddle bag when the centaurs attacked, I’d have extra clothes. Of course, I’m sure the centaurs have stolen it by now so no use even trying to retrieve it. Surely you must have something in here I can wear?”

Kyros turned his head to see Thera by Hester, rummaging through his saddle bag. He sprang to his feet and ran to her. He’d hidden his mask in the bag and she was about to find it.

“Wait!” he called and grabbed her hand away just as she was about to discover his secret. He held onto her wrist and she looked up to him with those Olympian blue eyes.

“What’s the matter?” She shook her hand loose and was about to dig back into the bag when Kyros spun her around toward him. He had to distract her. He had to make her stop her exploration of his bag or he’d be explaining more than he wanted to right now. So instead, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her. His lips brushed against hers ever so lightly and when he pulled away, he realized he wanted to do it again. She was beautiful, as beautiful as her mother, the goddess of love, in his eyes. He couldn’t help himself from reaching out and tucking a strand of her loose hair behind her ear.

She seemed surprised - actually shocked that he’d done that. But not half as surprised as he was by his own actions. He couldn’t help himself. She was staring at his lips and he put his hands on her shoulders and drew her to him. He lowered his mouth to hers and this time, gave her a lingering kiss. One that turned into a deep kiss on both their parts.  She tasted like a cross between honey and ambrosia - like the nectar of the gods, or so he guessed. Her lips were soft and moist.

Her body pressed up close to his, felt warm and delightfully curvy.

What started out as a distraction turned into an obsession and he had to have more. One kiss led to another and he found his hands wandering down her back, massaging, caressing and feeling her wonderful body so close to his. It was a long time since he’d had a woman. No woman wanted him once she knew his secret. Everyone was repelled by the likes of him. No one wanted anything to do with someone who was half-man and half-beast.

His tongue darted out and traced the line of her lips. Her own hands circled around his waist, pulling him closer. She opened for him and he entered her mouth with his tongue. Their tongues danced a slow rhythm in circles, and as they melded together he felt they were almost one. He’d wanted her so badly last night while in his centaur form. Something about being part animal brought out his rutting instincts. But he’d known he couldn’t touch her then. But today he was human. Today he could touch her, and he would.

His hands traveled to the front of her tight bodice and he couldn’t help but let his fingers roam over her rounded breasts. He’d seen them at the pond and knew exactly what they looked like. He’d been longing since to feel them, and now his wish was coming true. He ran his fingers over the bare skin that was exposed and heard her whimper in pleasure. She grabbed one of his hands and guided it beneath the fabric.

His skin against hers was the best feeling he’d ever experienced - besides the actual interchange that’d gotten her pregnant in the first place. He felt his breath deepen and his loins tighten. So ironic that the woman he wanted to couple with was already pregnant with his child, though he’d never touched her before now. His hand explored and she moaned and arched back, inviting him to do more. He wanted her more than he’d ever wanted any woman. But he stopped himself instead. He removed his hand from her bodice and let it slip down toward her waist.

She grabbed him and pushed her mouth to his, eager, hungry and definitely willing. It was then his hand passed over the small swell of her stomach. He felt the baby within her stir, and at the same time, Hester neighed in the background. He jumped back and released her. The baby was his. The baby he wasn’t even sure was human.

It could be a centaur. And if it was, how would that affect Thera? How would that affect the Trozens and the rest of the Centaur race?

He buried his face in his hands and fought for control. He had no business touching Thera or even wanting her for that matter. She was the daughter of the god of war. A god he hated for ruining his life. A god who was about to destroy the chance of peace between the Trozens and the centaurs and probably take most of the race in the process.

“What is it?” Thera fixed her bodice and stared at him with those bedchamber eyes. “Why did you stop?” Her lower lip trembled and he was afraid she’d cry. What in Tartarus was he doing to her? What was he doing to himself?

“You don’t find me attractive.” It was an accusation on her part. One she may have believed, but one he knew was not so.

“No. It’s not that. You’re very attractive. It’s just … I can’t, that’s all. I just had to stop.”

Well, his distraction had worked. She forgot all about the saddle bag. But now she had other things on her mind. She slapped him, totally catching him off guard.

“What was that for?” His cheek stung and he was sure her fingerprints were imbedded upon his skin. He was really glad she didn’t decide to punch him instead.

“It’s just something I had to do,” she answered, and Kyros knew somehow he deserved it. He never did understand women and a goddess was out of his league. Not only didn’t he deserve her, but he didn’t deserve what may happen if he angered her. He was only glad she said her powers had been stripped away.

“Even Kaj has more manners than you.”

That took him by surprise. She almost sounded as if she liked his centaur form.

“So you met Kaj.”

“I did.”

She crossed her arms over her chest as she spoke and he knew she was still angry with him. He bent down to scoop the clean dishes out of the water.

“Then you didn’t find him . . . offensive at all?”

She hesitated before she answered. “For a centaur, he wasn’t all that bad. At least not nearly as offensive as you with the way you lead me on and then toss me to the wolves when you’ve had your fill.”

“Had my fill?” He chuckled as he took the dishes and crammed them into the saddle bag atop his mask and some bread and ale he’d brought with. “I’m far from having my fill, sweetheart. It takes more to satisfy a warrior than just a little heavy petting.” He rubbed a hand over Hester’s nose as he spoke.

“Well, Warrior, maybe you’ll have to restrict your petting to Hester from now on. I’m a pregnant woman and off limits.”

“Pregnant with my child, I’ll remind you.” He made his way past her and picked up the blankets and shook the dust from them.

“With your child, but not by your hand,” she remarked. “It’s by the hands of a god that you’ve impregnated me. I never gave you permission to impregnate me; nor did I give you permission to touch me just now.”

He folded the blankets into neat squares, holding them against his chest.

“I didn’t know I needed permission. And by the way you were giving of yourself, I thought you wanted it as much as I did. If I was wrong, forgive me for assuming you were enjoying it.”

By her silence, he knew he’d struck a true note. She did enjoy it as much as he did and was probably only angry that he stopped. He finished packing the saddle bag, giving her privacy when she disappeared for a moment behind a bush. When she came back out he could have sworn her eyes were wetter than before and her nose was a little redder.