The Wolf Princess: The Wolf PrincessOne Eye Open (The Pack)

by Karen Whiddon

  One of the technicians rushed up and hustled her to the bathroom. Rok paused in his tirade long enough to order Katya to accompany them. Braden could only hope Alisa managed to scoop up the phone before Katya got inside with her.

  As the door closed behind Alisa, another door opened. Someone else entered the waiting room and clapped his hands for silence. Miraculously, it worked. The newcomer, in a loud and authoritative voice, introduced himself as Dr. Moray.

  “This woman needs to be admitted to our hospital right away,” he announced. “Her life is in serious danger.”

  Braden dropped his head so no one would see his expression. So far, everything was going exactly as he’d hoped.

  “We’ll take her ourselves,” Rok said, suddenly sounding very calm.

  A sharp pain began behind Braden’s left eye, the beginning of a headache. Not now. Not now.

  The bathroom door opened and Katya and Alisa must have come out, because one of the technicians jabbered something that must have been akin to “There she is.”

  “Ma’am,” Dr. Moray began. “We need to escort you to Admitting. You have a massive brain tumor and—”

  “Nobody move,” Rok shouted. He and his cohorts must have pulled guns, because the room went completely silent.

  Except for Alisa, who continued to moan. “My head, my head.”

  And then, in what Braden hoped was only the best acting he’d ever witnessed, she must have pretended to fall.

  Now. While they were all distracted, he began frantically to work free of the handcuffs. Though it hurt like hell, and no doubt bled profusely as well, he finally was able to get his right hand out. Success!

  “She’s down!” Dr. Moray said. “Please, whoever you are. Put away your weapons and let me help this poor woman.”

  “She’s not just any woman,” Braden said loudly. “She’s the princess. These people are terrorists and are holding us prisoner.”

  All hell broke loose. Katya began shouting—whether explanations or threats, Braden couldn’t tell. He imagined all the extremists still had their guns drawn and, as he squinted in the general direction of where he’d last heard Alisa’s voice, he realized the black had once again begun to fade to gray. Faint outlines—people, machines, guns—swam into focus.

  His heartbeat stuttered. Now. Come on. Now. If the Healer had been right, if it was all in his mind, then he needed to overcome this immediately. If he could only believe. In himself. In the love he felt for Alisa. In his destiny.

  He wanted his sight back. And, despite his complete lack of belief in miracles, with every bit of his dual nature, he willed it to be so.

  Staring blindly out before him, glad he still had his sunglasses, he inhaled, his face tingling, his body vibrating with newfound confidence. The shapes began to solidify, take on color, a dazzling brightness.

  He clenched his jaw to keep from revealing even the faintest hints of joy and wonder. And as his vision returned to him full force, he realized no one was paying even the slightest bit of attention to him. In fact, Rok stood with his back to him, a deadly-looking silver pistol trained on a tall, stoop-shouldered man who had to be Dr. Moray.

  Turning his head, Braden quickly took in the entire situation. A slender woman who had to be Alisa lay slumped over, as if folded in on herself, moaning in what he prayed was false pain. Another woman, one with a hard face and cruel mouth, stood at her side, occasionally glancing down at her, but keeping her silver handgun trained on two plainly terrified women who wore scrubs that identified them as X-ray technicians. A third woman in scrubs crouched on the floor, trying to soothe Alisa.

  A cold knot in his stomach, Braden knew he’d never have a better chance. He rushed forward, slamming into Rok from behind. Taken completely by surprise, the other man stumbled and lost his grip on his pistol. The weapon fell, clattering to the floor. Both Braden and Rok dove for it.

  Pushing himself left as he fell, Braden knocked Rok out of the way and came up with the gun. Rolling, he leapt to his feet and jumped forward instead of back, toward the other man rather than out of Rok’s reach. Grabbing Rok in a choke hold, Braden put the pistol at Rok’s temple.

  “If you move at all, I’ll squeeze this trigger.”

  Rok froze. Good. Braden addressed Rok’s crew next. “The rest of you drop your weapons or your leader dies.”

  No one moved. They all stared at him, as though debating the merit of disobeying his order. Finally, Rok barked out a command. “Do as he says.”

  To his immense relief, they finally laid down their weapons.

  The police arrived moments later. They, along with the legitimate members of the royal guard, rounded up the bad guys. Once they’d been placed inside holding cells pending transfer to the royal army, Braden waited anxiously while the human doctors tried to make Alisa comfortable. They wouldn’t even let him in to be with her.

  Pacing, Braden marveled in his renewed and restored vision, though he kept his dark glasses on out of habit. More than anything, he wanted to see Alisa, to make sure she was all right.

  The tumor would have to be dealt with. He would, of course, offer his services as a surgeon or, if she preferred, he’d be glad to accompany her to visit the Healer in Texas. Unless her willpower was strong enough for her to destroy it on her own.

  But more important, he wanted to, at least one time, gaze upon the face of the woman he now knew was his mate. The revelation stunned him every time he thought of it. Because he loved her, he knew it would be better not to tell her how he felt. Instead, he’d fade into the background and let her get on with her life as a royal princess. As for his research into her amazing gift, he suspected once the tumor was gone, so would her ability to remain human for extended periods of time. He doubted it had been done by her willpower alone, despite what she’d said.

  Dr. Moray had kindly explained that the king and queen, as well as Prince Ruben, were on their way via royal helicopter. The good doctor expressed great concern about the fate of their daughter, believing—since he thought she was human—she had only a very short time to live.

  Eyes burning from lack of sleep, Braden tried to persuade Dr. Moray to let him see Alisa alone. He finally convinced the other man to research him on the internet.

  Immediately upon learning that Braden was a prominent neurosurgeon, and leaping to the understandable conclusion that Alisa was his patient, Dr. Moray agreed to bring Braden to see her.

  “She might not recognize you,” the other physician said, one colleague speaking to another. “We’ve got her on a morphine drip. Now I’ll leave you to your patient.”

  Braden nodded, aware that morphine affected shifters the same way it did humans.

  Finally, heart pounding triple-time, he stood in the doorway of Alisa’s room. She lay on her back, the bed slightly elevated, hooked up to an IV, with machines beeping all around her as they monitored her vitals.

  Her eyes were closed, lashes sweeping down on her high cheekbones as he approached. Chest aching, he let his gaze roam over her, hungrily taking her in. Her delicately carved features and creamy skin, the sensuality of her generous mouth, took his breath away. The awful, spiky haircut Katya had given her enhanced rather than detracted from her femininity.

  His breath caught in his throat. He didn’t understand why she thought she wasn’t pretty. In his eyes, she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. No one other than her would ever have his heart.

  But she had her own life to live, her own destiny to fulfill as a royal princess. He had no doubt she’d accomplish great things, if she wasn’t led astray from her fated path by a man who wasn’t nearly good enough for her. He could imagine the huge rift in her family, knew if she chose him, she’d lose everything she’d ever loved.

  And because she deserved better than that, he turned and left her room without speaking. He’d wait for the king, offer his services as surgeon and, unless they took him up on it, catch the first flight for home. Alone.

  * * *

  Lull
ed by the drugs coursing through her system, Alisa barely woke for the transport back to the palace. Ruben rode with her in the helicopter and held her hand, telling her in a low voice that the extremists had surrendered and were even now naming their accomplices.

  Though she nodded groggily and tried to comprehend his words, she could barely keep her eyes open. Despite the morphine, she ached for Braden and realized he should have been here somewhere, but couldn’t form a coherent enough thought to vocalize her concern.

  When she woke again, she was in a bed in a private hospital near the palace. Pushing herself up on her elbows, she looked around the room, taking in the numerous, extravagant floral arrangements. Both King Leo and Queen Ionna were seated in high-backed chairs at the side of her bed.

  Her mouth was dry. Licking her lips, she spied a water glass on the bed table and reached for it. The water was cold, hurting her throat.

  Taking her hand, her mother explained why she was there.

  “A brain tumor?” Alisa couldn’t help looking past her parents. “Where’s Braden, er, Dr. Streib?”

  “He went back to America,” her father said gently. “Now that his sight has returned, he has offered to perform the operation to remove the tumor if you’d like. Unless, of course, you feel you can take care of this on your own.”

  Dazed, she tried to understand. Dimly she remembered Braden jumping Rok. At the time, she’d wondered how he’d been able to leap so accurately, but her pretend headache had become startlingly real. The other words—tumor, surgery—had less of an impact than the thought of Braden being able to operate. “He can see?”

  “Yes.”

  Again she looked around the sterile room, at the riotous color of the exotic flowers, and at her parents’ worried faces. “Why am I here? You know this brain tumor cannot kill me. In fact, I can probably shrink it.”

  “True, but it can incapacitate you. After all, you weren’t even aware of it.” The king sighed. “Plus, due to what happened at the seaside hospital, the news of your tumor is all over the press. We had to move you to this Pack hospital so no one would talk.”

  “Of course.” Numb inside, she gave them a polite smile. She’d deal with the tumor later. More important was the fact that Braden could see. “I’d like to leave now. I’ve got a plane to catch. I’m going to find Dr. Streib. May I use the private jet?”

  “Of course.” The tiny frown that marred her mother’s perfect forehead cleared. “You’re going to let him operate?”

  Swinging her legs over the side of the bed, Alisa asked for her clothes. “I don’t know yet. I’ve got to speak with him first.” She had to know the truth. Did he feel the same as she—that they were mates? Or was she just another research subject?

  * * *

  Working late had become the norm in the ten days since arriving home from Teslinko. Braden’s staff had been ecstatic to learn he’d regained his sight. The specialists at first had been skeptical, until he passed every test with flying colors. He got his surgical status reinstated with the state medical board, and threw himself right back into work.

  “Your three o’clock appointment is here, Doctor,” his secretary Mary announced, sounding oddly excited. “She’s requested a private consultation. We’ve put her in exam room seven.”

  Distracted, he looked up from his computer and nodded. As per protocol, he’d begun to document the results of his testing on Alisa, including his suspicion that the large tumor was responsible for her abilities. He’d present this document to the next meeting of the Pack Medical Board.

  This should have been gratifying, but he felt only hollow. The excitement he’d once found in his vocation, the joy he’d once gotten from his work, all that seemed to have vanished. For the first time in his life, he’d begun to consider taking some sort of sabbatical.

  Hitting Save, he pushed his chair back. Now that he could see again, he’d gone back to the gym and resumed riding his bike around the hills of Boulder. It was still slow going—he knew he had to build up to where he’d been before. But he was getting there.

  He’d begun healing the rest of his body, but he wondered if he’d ever repair the hole in his heart. He’d never be the man he’d once been, thanks to Alisa. Somehow he couldn’t help but think he was better off now. And he hoped she was as well.

  Shrugging off the sudden melancholy that thoughts of her brought, he straightened his shoulders and strode down the hall to exam room seven. He opened the door and his practiced greeting froze on his lips.

  Alisa. Perched on the exam table, legs swinging, the ghost of a smile curving her sensual lips.

  Alisa. His breath caught. He felt like he’d been punched in the gut.

  “Hello, Braden,” she said, gazing at him steadily.

  As though her essence pulled him, he stepped closer. Her eyes—he hadn’t seen her eyes before—were the color of sea foam and glowed as though lit from within by golden fire.

  “What are you doing here?” he asked, belatedly realizing she must have come to talk about the surgery. Jamming his hands into his lab coat pockets so she wouldn’t see how they shook, he wondered if he’d be physically capable of operating on her.

  She cocked her head to one side. The awful short haircut had been professionally styled, and perfectly framed her gamine face, giving her an ethereal beauty.

  “I never figured you for a coward, Braden. You ran off without a word to me. So I traveled all the way to America to get an explanation.”

  During the flight home, he’d composed a hundred viable explanations, thinking perhaps he’d write her a letter or send her an email. All of those vanished as he inhaled her vanilla-peach scent and ached to touch her once again.

  Nodding, he realized he could only give her the truth. He owed her that much.

  “I’m no good for you,” he said. “There are a thousand reasons why your parents wouldn’t let us be together, and they’re right. You’re young, you’re beautiful, and you deserve so much better than anything I could offer you.”

  Lowering her thick lashes, she nodded. His gut clenched. While he knew he was right, he hadn’t thought she’d agree with him so readily.

  When she raised her gaze to meet his, the emotion he saw blazing there made his breath catch.

  “You didn’t feel I deserved to make my own choice?”

  “I didn’t even think there was any such option.”

  “Just like you didn’t believe you could see again?” she shot back. “And as soon as you became whole, you didn’t need me anymore.”

  He made a choked, desperate sound. “It wasn’t like that. It was never like that.”

  Looking away, she bit her lip. “I have an appointment to see the Healer. The day after tomorrow. Though I can probably deal with this tumor myself, I don’t want to take the chance. Will you come with me?”

  Relief flooded him, both that he wouldn’t have to operate, and that she had taken steps to make herself well. “Of course I will,” he told her. “I’ve got to let her know I can see again.”

  She made a choked sound. To his consternation, her beautiful eyes filled with tears. “That is the true miracle. Do you have any idea what happened?”

  You happened, he wanted to say. My mate. But he didn’t dare. Instead, he simply shrugged.

  “About that,” she finally said. “I’m happy for you. But I never minded your blindness, you know.”

  Caught off guard, he wasn’t sure what she meant.

  “I love you, Braden Streib.” Pushing herself up from the table, she flung herself at him. “With or without the ability to see. And I know you love me. I dare you to tell me you don’t.”

  He wrapped his arms around her convulsively, unable to help himself. And when she lifted her face to his, he couldn’t hold himself back from kissing her.

  The instant he did, all his doubts vanished. “I do love you,” he said, nose against hers, his heartbeat slow and steady and sure. “But I can’t let you ruin your life.”

  Eyes flashing,
she pulled away, holding him at arms length. “Ruin my life? You would condemn me to a fate of royal dinners and putting up with all those idiots who wish only to marry me for my title and my money?”

  “And your beauty,” he couldn’t resist pointing out.

  With a snort of derision, she shook her head. “I’m average, nothing more.”

  “Why do you believe you’re not beautiful?” he asked, touching her silky short hair, still awed by the love he saw in her doe-like green eyes. He could see his own reflection there. Love bouncing right back at him. A second miracle, and one he’d tried foolishly to turn his back on.

  She ducked her head to hide a pleased smile. “You can only say that because you’ve never seen my sisters.”

  Tentative joy blooming in him, he kissed her again.

  “I’m never going to let you go,” she told him fiercely, when they came up for air. “Mates are like that.”

  Tightening his arms around her, he nodded. “They are. Alisa, I wasn’t brave enough to hope for a future with you. My own fears nearly cost me my heart. I won’t make that mistake again.”

  “I should hope not.” With a happy sigh, she snuggled against him. “And before you ask, yes. I’ll marry you. My father approves and my mother is already planning the wedding.”

  “They don’t have a problem with you marrying a commoner?” he asked, surprised.

  She grinned, looking fierce and vulnerable, all at once. “After what happened with the brain tumor, I was able to persuade them it was a good idea to have a neurosurgeon in the family.”

  He gave a short bark of laughter, before claiming her mouth again. He had a feeling he was in for a lifetime of surprises, spent with this princess by his side.

  “Mate,” she reminded him, as though she could read his thoughts.

  He nodded, reaching deep inside for his wolf and finding the beast approved. “Once you’re better, do you want to celebrate with a run in the woods? Wolf to wolf, true mates together.”

  Her eyes lit up and she nodded. “Definitely. And just think, we can hunt together for the rest of our lives. Mates do that, you know.”