The Wolf Princess

Taking a deep breath, he considered his options. Even when he’d been able to see, flirting had not been his strong suit. Fleeing would not only be cowardly, but slow and ungainly since he was unfamiliar with the path he’d need to take. In reality, he knew he could withstand much from her, considering how badly he needed her for his research.

Rapidly searching for a vapid, non-offensive bit of frippery, he settled on the first thing that came to mind. “You have a sensuous voice and a beautiful laugh.”

The instant the words left his mouth, he knew he’d made a huge mistake. Too personal and too true. Not at all the purpose of light, playful flirtation. He should know this—intellectually, he did. But because he sucked at flirting, abhorred it in fact, he’d given her truth when she wanted falsehood.

As if she knew this—of course she did—she inhaled sharply. Any moment now, he suspected she’d let fly with a bit of scathing commentary, merely to point out what kind of social pariah he was. And if she did, he knew he wouldn’t be able to rein himself in. He’d respond in kind. While he wasn’t good at flirting, he was excellent with cutting retorts.

Which would only make things worse between them. He needed to get along with her if he wanted her cooperation for his experiments.

His tenuous grip on his wolf slipped. Out of his depth, he took the only option that made sense. Leaving before he either said something truly awful or worse, before his wolf broke free and he shape-shifted right there in the dining room of the royal palace.

Pushing to his feet, he murmured a quick excuse and headed out. She made no move to help him, despite the fact that he’d forgotten his cane.

Halfway in his struggle toward the door, he turned in her general direction. “Please come see me in the morning in my laboratory. I’m eager to begin my work.”

Without waiting for her to answer, he left the room, cursing his social ineptitude and cursing the fact that he hadn’t managed to ask her to assist him in finding a place to change.

Once again, it appeared he was on his own. He and his wolf, both blind, sharing the same, desperate need.

Chapter 3

Strange man. Watching as he struggled to get to his feet and leave as quickly as he could with his head up and his dignity intact, Alisa wondered why the doctor had so much difficulty engaging in what she considered normal small talk between a man and a woman.

He’d been affronted and offended, acting as if she’d insulted him when in fact she’d meant no harm. Honestly, she didn’t know any other way to converse with a man who wasn’t either family or in her employ. Truth be told, she’d always hated it. Growing up watching her older sisters, Alisa had known she wasn’t beautiful or sensual or even very interesting. Still, she’d known what had been expected of her and so she behaved accordingly. Young or old, married or single, they flirted and she flirted back. It meant absolutely nothing. It was all a game and everyone did it.

Everyone, that is, except Dr. Braden Streib.

When he almost walked into the doorframe instead of through the door, she rose from her seat to go to him and offer her assistance, but he corrected himself at the last moment. Which was good, because she knew he probably wouldn’t welcome her help in any way.

Strike the probably. He would not want her assistance at anything other than his research tests.

Noted. Not only was he arrogant, but stubborn and rude to boot. One of those intellectual types who looked down on people who weren’t.

Which stung, because he apparently hadn’t bothered to learn anything about her other than her ability to go a long time without shifting. She wasn’t the stereotypical fairy tale type of princess, spending her days shopping and partying. Instead, she’d taken stock of her assets and realized early on that her intelligence would get her much farther than her looks. So she’d gone to university, earning both her bachelor’s and her master’s in short time. She was currently on track to work on her doctorate.

Few people knew that about her as it was something she took care to keep hidden from the world. The last thing she wanted was paparazzi following her around campus with cameras. She enjoyed blending in, loving a place where she wasn’t judged in the shadows of her two sisters’ amazing looks.

Once again, someone wanted to put her in the spotlight and highlight her differences.

Dr. Streib claimed to have researched her. Evidently, he’d only checked into her medical history, which seemed oddly shortsighted. For all he knew, her mental ability could have something to do with the way she needed to change less often than others. If anything, she would have expected a researcher of his caliber to be more thorough.

So he thought her a dim-witted party girl. Fine. Lots of people—those that didn’t really know her—did. One more shouldn’t have bothered her, but it did, oddly enough.

She’d long ago stopped wishing she was prettier. With a blind man, looks wouldn’t matter. If he’d been different, more approachable, they could have conversed in a purely intellectual manner. She would have enjoyed that.

Obviously, that wasn’t meant to be.

She’d have to figure out another way to deal with him. Too bad. This had been the first time in a long time that she’d actually been more than mildly interested in a man.

As for his research, she knew beyond a doubt that her blood, body or cells didn’t contain some magical, mystical difference that would give him the secret to her ability to remain human for long periods of time. It was just who she was, a little bit of extra she’d gotten since she’d clearly been passed over in the beauty department.

With a small shrug, she rose and smoothed down her dress. They’d have to figure out a way to get along. After all, they’d be spending a lot of time together in his laboratory—more than she’d intended or imagined, if he had his way. Of course, she didn’t plan on working with him for six hours a day, every single day. She had her volunteer work and her education, as well as her horses and her painting.

Out in the hallway, she took a leisurely stroll to the staircase, wincing as she imagined him trying to navigate the labyrinth that was the palace. She should have helped him, regardless of his antagonism, as she would have assisted any guest. In the future, she resolved that she would. No matter what he said, she wouldn’t let him get to her.

She would help him do his experiments and tests and hopefully, when he found nothing, he’d accept that with good grace and go back to America where he belonged.

There. Problem solved. She’d do her duty, her father would be happy, and Dr. Streib would go away knowing he’d tried. Now she could relax and try to go about completing her duties for the afternoon.

Though she bustled around the palace on various errands, Dr. Streib was conspicuously absent the rest of the day. He didn’t attend the evening meal and when she inquired, she learned he’d chosen to eat alone in his room.

Since her parents were entertaining friends with an elaborate formal dinner and her brother had gone out on one of his numerous dates, Alisa also ate alone. This happened more frequently than not, as she preferred quiet evenings at home with a good book to going out on the town partying with a group of people she had to pretend were her friends.

As usual, that night she took her meal in a small table in the kitchen. The ginger chicken with black beans was tasty and she ate slowly while she read.

Oddly enough, though normally she relished the peace and quiet, this night she found she would have welcomed company. Not just any company, but Dr. Streib’s. For some unfathomable reason, she realized she found their verbal sparring invigorating.

After she’d finished her meal, she grabbed a pot of fresh tea and headed up to her room to read. Aware she had to be at the laboratory early, she got ready for bed, crawling beneath the covers right as her clock chimed midnight. She had a touch of a headache, though she felt too tired to get back out of her bed and search for a pain reliever.

If she had any dreams, she didn’t remember them.

The next morning she woke to bright sunshine and birdsong. Testing her head, she found the headache had retreated. Good. Stretching, she tried to decide what she’d do that afternoon. Normally on a day like this, she’d go for a horseback ride or a long walk with her dogs. Since she knew she’d be confined to the house helping Dr. Streib with his pointless research in the morning, maybe she’d do some of her favorite activities that afternoon.

Stretching, she reluctantly climbed from her supersoft bed and padded across the room to the shower. She elected not to call in any of her numerous assistants, preferring to perform her late morning preparations in privacy. She’d long ago learned that her day went better if she kept the fussing and pampering to a minimum. Of course, if there was a special event, she used all the help at her disposal. But for day-to-day, routine life, she preferred to do as much as possible on her own.

Ninety minutes later, hair scooped back in a jaunty ponytail and minimal makeup skillfully applied, she wandered out into the hallway dressed in jeans and boots and a soft cashmere sweater. Despite the bright sunshine, the weather forecasters had predicted a cold front coming in from the mountains later that day and she wanted to be ready.

A quick glance at her watch showed it was nearly noon. She’d overslept. Next time, she’d be sure and set an alarm. After having an egg-white omelet for a late breakfast, she took her second cup of coffee with her as she made her way to Dr. Streib’s laboratory. She wasn’t sure what exactly to expect, but she doubted any of it would be fun.

Focusing intently on listening to any sound from the hall outside the room he’d been given to use as a laboratory, Braden tamped down his rising irritation and impatience. Where was the princess? He’d asked her to be here at eight and he’d of course arrived early, grabbing some kind of pastry from the kitchen and asking for a pot of coffee to be sent to his room.

He tapped his wrist, grimacing as his audible watch stated the time. Princess Alisa was nearly four hours late. At this rate, it would be lunchtime and the entire castle would come to a grinding halt so everyone could eat some sort of huge meal.

Had she meant to stand him up? Was the no-show her way of quietly rebelling against her father’s dictate that she submit to testing?

Cursing under his breath, he went over placement of his equipment for the six or seventh time. The first things he’d planned to do would all be routine medical tests. An EKG, some blood work and a urinalysis. The king had even, at no doubt great expense, brought in an MRI machine and a CT scanner and set them up in separate rooms.

He planned to do everything both to her and to himself, so he could use his results as baseline.

When he’d finished, all of the data would be analyzed and digitally encrypted in his computer. Voice recognition software would enable him to dictate and he had an audio program in place to keep him informed of the results.

He’d already run his own panel of tests. The only thing missing was his subject. Princess Alisa herself.

He cursed again. Virulently. If he’d been able to see, he would stride down the hall and locate her himself, bringing her back to the lab posthaste. As it was, without sight he couldn’t actually stride, though he could do some damage with his cane if he felt so inclined.

His watch again announced the hour. Straight up and down noon. They should have gotten started hours ago. Hours. If his subject wasn’t royalty, she’d be in for a tongue-lashing when she finally showed up. Assuming she did show up.

He began to pace the length of the small room, having predetermined there were no obstacles to trip over. Despite what pre-conceived notions he might have had of spoiled, selfish princesses, he truly hadn’t expected this.

To her, this might be all fun and games. Something she had to do to keep her father happy so he wouldn’t cut her off. But to Braden, this was more. This was his life’s work, something that could make a difference as much as his work in surgery had. Discovering a cure for the madness that plagued those who didn’t change often enough would be epic. Legendary.

The implication was unfathomable. He could only imagine how such knowledge would broaden the horizons for so many. Pack members would be able to serve in the navy, travel on submarines and ships. They could work on oil rigs and drilling platforms, and other places where it was impossible to change.

If he could discover the secret. He was so close. And if he actually believed in anything as esoteric as gut feelings, he’d say that he could feel it.

Princess Alisa held the key. He knew this with unshakable certainty. For this reason he had jumped through diplomatic hoops, secured the necessary permissions and gathered supplies.

Now he’d cleared all the hurdles and made the journey to Teslinko. The ordeal had taken far too long to come to fruition. Now, the time had finally come to begin.

Then this. His subject hadn’t shown up. She knew the key lay with her and didn’t much care. A pampered princess from some obscure European country. No doubt she’d like nothing better than to dismiss him and stroll away, laughing all the while.

Which she couldn’t do. He wouldn’t let her. He’d go back to King Leo if necessary. Princess Alisa was vital to his research, the sole living shifter who could go six months to a year without changing shape and—most importantly—without going mad. Such a thing was virtually unheard of, except in the dusty old legends of their kind.

Consumed by his thoughts and his pacing, he almost missed the sound. There. High heels tapping on marble. Princess Alisa had finally deigned to grace him with her presence.

Braden clenched his jaw, steeling himself for her arrival. When she entered the room, his wolf sat up and took notice. He could have sworn the atmospheric pressure changed, or something else completely unscientific. Either way, it made him uncomfortable and he didn’t like it one bit.

He busied himself with pretending not to notice her arrival and rechecking his equipment.

“Hello? Earth to Doctor.” A trace of amusement colored her husky voice.

He started, still playing her game, all the while suppressing the urge to lash out with some comment about the time. “Ah, Princess Alisa. I didn’t hear you arrive.”

“Obviously,” she drawled. “Well, I’m here. I’d like to get this over with as quickly as possible. Shall we get started?”

He couldn’t help it—he saw red. Over with as quickly as possible? They could have been halfway done with that morning’s tests if she’d actually showed up when she’d agreed to. This—and more, in fact all the remonstrations he wanted to say—simmered right at the tip of his tongue.

Rather then spewing them, he swallowed hard, taking a deep breath, trying to compose himself. If he gave in to his temper, he’d make things even more difficult.

He wasn’t used to exercising such restraint.

His watch chose that time to speak the hour. Twelve-fifteen. More time wasted. Perfect.

And then his stomach growled. Loudly.

“Have you had your lunch?” he managed, hoping there was the smallest semblance of civility in his voice.

“Lunch?” Again she laughed. “I’m not hungry. Since I overslept, I barely just finished my breakfast.”

Which would explain why she was only now showing up. She must have slept in. Of course she’d slept in.

If she’d been a graduate student at CU, he would have given her a severe tongue-lashing. Instead, he fiddled with the EKG machine, aware she’d have no idea that he wasn’t resetting it or something.

Restraint, he told himself. Restraint. Difficult to maintain when his agitation had stirred up his wolf even more, making the beast restless and angry.

“I ate breakfast hours ago,” he said, wondering if she’d take the hint.

“Yes, you mentioned you were an early riser.”

When her cheerful comment got no response, she moved closer, bringing with her that fresh fragrance of peaches and vanilla. “Are you all right, Dr. Streib? You sound sort of … strangled.”

Perceptive, wasn’t she? To a point, that is.

“I’m fine.” He ground out the words. “Let’s get you hooked up to this machine.” Pointing to a curtained-off area in the corner, he worked hard at keeping his voice level and emotionless. “You can change there. Put on the robe, making sure it opens to the back. My assistant will hook you up to the electrodes.”

“Your assistant?” She sounded skeptical. “We’re alone in this room. I see no helper.”

Jaw aching from clenching it, he counted to three for patience. “That’s because I sent her to have lunch. She was hungry.” After they’d waited nearly four hours for the princess to put in an appearance.

“I see.” She was on the move, her voice drifting to him from around the room. “What did my mother say her name was?”

“Katya.” He hoped she wasn’t messing with any of his equipment. “Your parents were kind to offer her. I believe her normal duties are as personal assistant to the queen.”

“Ah, okay.” Now she spoke from his left. “I know her. And how long do you think it will be until she returns?”

“Not long. She should be back any minute now.” He hoped. “She’ll need a urine sample and then will draw some blood.”

She made a sound, no doubt meant to convey distaste, but since he couldn’t see her expression, he couldn’t be positive.

“What about you? What will you do while I have this test?”

“I’ll be eating.” Using his cane to guide him, he stomped toward the door, needing to escape her before his anger boiled over. “I’m hungry. As I said, some of us ate breakfast hours ago. In the morning, when most people do.”

Unable to resist that parting shot, he shook his head. Hopefully he could get his temper under control so that when he returned, he could participate in the experiments himself without thoroughly pissing her off.

He could always hope. Maybe food would do much to calm him down.

He passed Katya the personal-assistant-turned-research-assistant as he rounded the first corner. “The princess is waiting for you,” he told her. “I’ll be back after I grab some lunch.”

“Are you sure I should do this on my own?” Katya asked, a hint of desperation in her heavily accented voice. “I’ve never done this before and I’m afraid I’ll do something wrong.”

Good Lord, even she didn’t want to be alone with Princess Prima Donna. “You’ll be fine,” he said.

“Before I go to the lab, I think you will need my help?” Katya persisted. “I can show you the way to the dining room. It is a very long walk, though it is on the same floor.”

“I’ll be all right.” He shook his head. “Don’t keep your princess waiting. Please do the EKG like I showed you. Also, see if she will give you a sample for the urinalysis, would you?”

Without waiting for her answer, he moved off in the right direction, at least judging by the scent of food. He’d gotten quite good at following his nose.

After he’d eaten, he got to his feet and made his way slowly back to the lab, dreading the next confrontation.

At least Katya should have finished the preliminary tests by now and hopefully she’d managed to coax the princess into cooperating. Since they needed to make up for the time lost that morning, if he had anything to say about it, the princess would be spending the entire afternoon in his lab. Luckily for him, his wolf appeared to be sleeping.

“Here he is,” Katya said immediately when he entered the room.

“Did you enjoy the meal?” the princess asked, without inflection.

“Very much.” He wondered if Alisa was smiling or frowning, then decided he didn’t really care. Instead, he directed his next question at his assistant. “Katya, have you run all the tests?”

“Yes, Doctor. The computer has done all the analysis and the report is ready for you to hear.”

“Hear?” Princess Alisa chimed in. She actually sounded interested, which surprised him.

“I have a computer program that reads to me, since I obviously can’t read myself. It assimilates all the data, computes a result and then relays that result to me.” He inclined his head, dismissing his assistant. “Katya, thanks for your help. I won’t need anything else from you today. You can leave now.”

He got a sense of the other woman curtsying to him, which almost made him smile. His imagination apparently had become particularly vivid since arriving here in Teslinko. He’d actually started seeing things despite having no way of knowing if they were actually happening. This blindness thing was messing with his mind. Not good for a scientist. Not good at all.

“Thank you, Doctor,” Katya said, moving past him so quickly he felt the disturbance in the air.

Leaving him alone with the high and mighty one. Who was no doubt glaring at him this very instant. A second later, he scoffed at himself. He usually went with facts, not suppositions.

“I’m glad she’s gone,” Alisa finally said, surprising him. “I don’t like her.”

“Why not?” he asked, curious despite himself.

“Good question.” Silence while she appeared to be musing over her answer. “I don’t know. I don’t like her energy. She doesn’t give me a good feeling.”

Energy. Feeling. Next she’d be talking about vibes. Par for the course. He wouldn’t be surprised if she mentioned she studied astrology or the healing powers of crystals. After all, how else could a bored and rich princess amuse herself?

Rather than comment, Braden concentrated on his equipment. Fumbling on the tabletop—he hated fumbling—until he located his headphones, he flashed an utterly fake smile in her general direction before he slipped them on and pressed the play button.

Listening while the mechanical voice relayed data, he frowned. Nothing out of the ordinary. The complete blood panel and the urinalysis contained nothing different or abnormal, nothing that wasn’t common to every other shifter on the planet. Not one single blasted thing. Except for blood type, his results and hers were exactly alike.

How could this be? Though he certainly hadn’t expected this to be easy, there had to be at least one thing out of place, one anomaly. Something. Anything.

The machine finished spitting out data and went silent. Had he missed something? He punched the replay button, and the audio stream started again, repeating the same test results.

A moment later, her arm brushed his as she reached around him and clicked the machine off, cutting the mechanical voice off mid-syllable.

His wolf came instantly awake.

Slowly, he removed his headphones, pushing back a surge of justifiable anger. “Why did you do that?”

“Surely you don’t expect me to sit here and twiddle my thumbs while you listen to music or whatever,” she drawled. “A little conversation would help pass the time.”

Calling on his rapidly dissipating patience, he shook his head. “Princess, we aren’t here for social hour. This is work, plain and simple. Tests were run, and I need to listen to the results.”

“But I’d like to hear them, too,” she protested. “Play them out loud. You don’t have to wear the headphones.”

For the love of … He cleared his throat. “You wouldn’t understand them if you heard them. Next time, why don’t you bring a book or something to amuse yourself.”

Her sharp intake of breath told him she hadn’t taken his comment favorably. “How do you know I won’t understand? You might be surprised.”

“I doubt it.” Again the sharp hiss of breath. His wolf had begun pacing, telling him he faced another epic battle if he didn’t wrap this up and find a place to change.

“I’m not going to argue with you,” she began.

“Good. Now, if you don’t mind, I need to review the data one more time.” He reached for the audio button and listened again as the robotic voice replayed the numbers. This time, she did not interrupt.