“Why?” His expression might have been made of stone. “So you can parade me around in front of your friends like some kind of freakish curiosity?”
“No.” Taking a step closer, she dared to reach out and place her hand lightly on his biceps, thrilling at the way his body quivered under her touch. “The truth is, I hate these things. My parents trot me out like I’m their prize, up for sale to the highest bidder. I spend the entire night listening to suitor after suitor expound on his charms. They ask me to dance, I get my feet stepped on so much that I can barely walk, and then I return to my chair for more conversation about them. When one leaves, another takes his place. I need you to help me discourage them.”
“How?” He crossed his arms. “I’m not royalty, nor am I one of your suitors. Most of them will probably deem me as below them.” And he sounded as though if one did, he’d love to punch him in the face.
She smiled at the thought. Though she hated to even think such a thing, and the consequences would be disastrous, a fist fight or any kind of altercation would certainly liven things up.
Still, she owed him an answer. “Act like you’re my escort. If you don’t ever leave my side, it will be more difficult for them to approach me.”
First he started to shake his head. Then he laughed, a deep, masculine sound full of such mirth that she would have laughed along, if the source of his amusement had been someone else. “Don’t you have any friends who could do this for you?”
“Friends? Once again, you prove that you know nothing about the life of a princess. Look, I know I sound pitiful,” she said defensively. “But you have no idea how awful these things can be.”
When he clapped his hand on top of hers, still resting lightly on his arm, she froze. For one heart-stopping, thrilling moment, she thought he might kiss her again.
Instead, he squeezed her hand and released her, taking a step back. “Fine, I’ll go. On one condition.”
Relieved, she smiled up at him before realizing yet again that he couldn’t see her expression. “What’s that?”
“We leave when I want to leave. No discussion, no arguments. Agreed?”
First she nodded, and then belatedly found her voice. “Agreed.”
In response, he gave her a savage grin of such dangerous beauty that it made her chest ache. “Then let’s go,” he said, reaching for his cane. Then, appearing to change his mind, he left it where it was, moving forward without hesitation.
She reached for him to help him, then thought better of it. After a moment’s hesitation, she decided to simply ask. “Is it all right if I take your arm?”
“Because you want to help me get there?” he asked. “And then you’ll drop it once we reach the general area of the banquet hall?”
“Why would I do that?” she countered.
“Because while you want me to help you fend off other men, you don’t want to send out a public statement that we’re together.”
“But you have difficulty around large crowds of people,” she countered. “I think that outweighs something silly like worrying about what other people think, don’t you?”
Though he shook his head, he didn’t reply with some kind of sarcastic comment, which she considered a minor victory. “Fine. Take my arm.”
Feeling ridiculously self-conscious, she slid her hand into the crook of his elbow.
Arm in arm they walked around the corner and approached the throng of people milling about near the double doors leading to the banquet hall. Her father had stationed uniformed guards there and each person was required to produce an invitation. The name on the invite was then checked against a list.
Smiling and waving at a few people she recognized, Alisa breezed to the front of the line, tugging Braden along with her. In the crowd, she noticed several people staring and whispering to their companions, but she kept her head up and gave them her back.
Of course the guards let her and her companion through immediately.
Once inside, she scanned the room for her parents. As usual, they were holding court at a table up on a raised dais. Throngs of admirers waited to pay tribute. Good. They were far too busy to notice her and her escort.
At least until the time came to be seated. Then, Alisa would be expected to take her seat up on the dais with the rest of her family. Since Dr. Streib was a guest in the palace, he would be expected to sit there also.
Breathing a sigh of relief, she tugged at Braden’s arms so he would bend down closer. “You’ll be meeting my brother here tonight. No matter what he says, don’t let him provoke you.”
Dark glasses firmly in place, he nodded. “He’s that big of a pain?”
“If you could only imagine,” she began. At exactly that moment, she spied her brother heading directly toward them, the devilishly intent look on his aristocratic face spelling nothing but trouble.
* * *
The swell of noise notwithstanding, the mixture of scents and bodies disconcerted Braden. Glad of Alisa’s grip on his arm, he followed her lead and tried to shut out all the distractions. But her brother?
“He’s heading this way,” she murmured, sounding distressed. “Don’t let him get to you.”
He nodded. Now that she mentioned her brother, he remembered he’d read about him while researching her family. The youngest child and only male, Prince Ruben was not only the heir to the throne, but a hellion and dedicated playboy to boot. Braden could easily understand why some people might find him annoying. Aside from that, everything he’d read made the prince seem harmless.
Judging from the way Alisa stiffened and the panic in her voice, he was about to find out.
“Well, well. Who’s this?” a masculine voice drawled. “Lisa, aren’t you going to introduce me to your friend?”
Lisa? Somehow the completely Americanized version of her name seemed to fit her. If she hadn’t been a princess, that is.
Alisa sighed. “Ruben, since you’ve somehow managed to avoid meeting him the entire time he’s been here, this is Dr. Braden Streib. Braden, meet my brother Ruben.”
“Prince Ruben,” her brother corrected. “Pleased to meet you, Doctor.”
Braden raised his head, putting on a bland smile and affecting bored disinterest as he stuck out his hand for the prince to shake. As they did, he noted with cautious approval that the prince had a firm, confident grip.
“Lisa, I’d like to talk to your doctor,” Ruben said as soon as he released Braden’s hand. “Alone.”
Then, without waiting for anyone’s consent, he took Braden’s arm and steered him away.
Mildly amused, Braden allowed this. He could well imagine exactly what Alisa’s brother wanted to say to him. Some variation of “Hurt my sister, and I’ll break your legs,” no doubt.
“Stop frowning,” Prince Ruben said over his shoulder, presumably to Alisa. “I’ll bring him back in just a moment.”
Instead of going to a quiet corner, the prince shepherded Braden to an entirely separate room, closing the door behind them as he released Braden’s arm.
In this moment, more than anything, Braden hated the all-encompassing blackness. He would have given much to read this man’s expression or body language. For all he knew, Alisa’s brother might punch him in the stomach.
“I wanted to talk to you in private,” Prince Ruben said, all traces of amusement gone from his voice. “I understand you were shot at while running as wolves.”
Braden raised a brow. “That’s correct. Has your security detail had any luck in finding out who or why?”
“No. At least, nothing concrete. But we have our suspicions.” Ruben’s grim certainty put Braden on full alert.
“‘We’?” Braden crossed his arms. “Are you working with the security detail personally?”
“I am.” Ruben sounded grim. “I have been head of security for the last five years. I’ll have to ask you to please keep this to yourself. Neither my mother nor my sister know about this. Sven works for me now.”
Braden thought back to the informa
tion he’d read on the royal family and shook his head. “Actually, no one knows about this, do they?”
“Correct. And my father and I would like to keep it that way.”
Nodding to show his compliance, Braden waited.
“About your attack. We were concerned that such a thing might happen. My father debated briefing you on the situation, but decided against it.”
That was not good. “‘The situation’?”
Prince Ruben cleared his throat. “There’s more going on here than appears on the surface.”
Could he be any less informative? “Please, enlighten me.”
“Would you like to take a seat?” Ruben asked, pulling out a chair close by. “Let me direct you to it and—”
“No need.” Braden waved him away. He thought of Alisa, waiting out in the crowd. “Is this going to take that long?”
“No.” Ruben’s tone grew clipped. “I’ll keep it as brief as I can. There is a certain group of European Pack members who don’t want the secret of Alisa’s abilities to be found.”
This so boggled the mind that Braden couldn’t find words to express his shock.
When he didn’t immediately reply, the prince continued. “There have been numerous attempts on my sister’s life ever since word got out about what she can do. We’ve been trying to infiltrate the group and capture the ringleader, but so far we’ve had limited success.”
All Braden could think about was Alisa, blithely living her life, completely unaware that she was in any danger. “Why have you kept this from her? I would think she needs to know.”
“I tend to agree with you,” Ruben said drily. “But our father wanted her to have as normal a life as possible. Until the day you and she went alone to the mountains to change, we always had someone unobtrusively shadowing her and watching over her.”
Braden nodded. “And when she and I traveled alone the day someone shot at us? What happened to her escort then?”
The prince sighed. “You were in the car with her. You see how she drives. She simply outran the men who were following her. They lost her and they were disciplined accordingly.”
Was that a trace of reluctant admiration in Ruben’s voice? He was right about one thing, though. Thinking back, Braden remembered Alisa driving like a bat out of hell. “That car of hers is awfully fast. Anyone would have had trouble keeping up.”
“Yes, I know.” Ruben sounded both amused and weary. “Keeping Alisa safe from herself is another full-time job, never mind worrying about a group of extremists. I’ve been trying to talk my father into making her drive something a bit more sedate.”
“She’ll never go for it.” Listening to himself talk as though he’d known her for years.
“You’re correct. Also, my father refuses to deny her anything. But I find your insight most interesting.” The prince moved closer, bringing with him the scent of mint and masculine aftershave. “You seem to know my sister quite well.”
“We spend a lot of time together,” Braden said lightly, trying to defuse the sudden tension. “No worries there, I promise.” He cleared his throat. “Back to these extremists or whatever they are. Please explain. Why would any shifter not want to have the ability to remain human longer? All the jobs that Pack members can’t take, including the military, would be within our reach. Our horizons would be significantly broadened. Opposing such a good thing makes absolutely no sense to me.”
“I agree. Yet for all that they’re a militant group and highly organized, they appear to be an intelligent crowd as well. From what I gather, they feel more connected to their wolf selves. They believe remaining human for longer than a week or two is an abomination to their true natures. They even use terms like ‘wolf abuse’ and consider those of us who live normal human lives as sellouts to our own kind.”
“Sellouts?” Once again Braden was stymied. “I’ve not heard one word of this, ever. Not in the U.S. or in Europe. Is this new or has it been going on long?”
“Long enough.” Prince Ruben swallowed hard. “We think they might have been behind the explosion in your lab last year. Though I believe they meant to kill you rather than blind you.”
Damn. “You definitely have my attention. And this was because of my work researching Alisa’s abilities?”
“Right. You are known worldwide as the foremost researcher seeking to bring our kind the ability to remain human longer. They believe if they could eliminate you, your death would essentially stop the research cold.”
“They were right.” Stunned, Braden tried to process what he had heard. “Why wasn’t I informed of this?”
“I tried.” The prince sounded as frustrated as Braden felt. “I didn’t want you to come here. I argued with my father, but he refused to hear me. Having you and Lisa in the same place makes an enticing target. One strike would take out both risks at once. These extremists are not stupid. They have already tried to take advantage of the situation once. I have no doubt they will do so again.”
“So King Leo wouldn’t listen to you?” Braden scratched his head. “Again, I fail to see the logic. Why did he want me here? Your argument makes better sense.”
“Because he doesn’t want my sister to spend her life looking over her shoulder. He is using you to draw the militants out so he can bring them down.”
“In other words,” Braden drawled, “I’m bait.”
“You’re a target. That’s why I’m letting you know. I don’t want you to become a casualty of this rebellion.”
“Rebellion?” Braden picked up on the word. “What are they rebelling against?”
“Progress,” Ruben said, bitterness coloring his voice. “Their creed is similar to that of the Ferals. They abhor living among humans and prefer to live as wild savages in the wilderness.”
“That’s their choice. But you’re telling me they can’t see that others would choose differently?”
The prince began pacing, reminding Braden of the way Alisa acted when she was agitated. “They see nothing beyond their own desires.”
Heart sinking, Braden knew that there was only one thing to do.
“Thank you for telling me. I will pack my things and arrange to leave immediately.” Though he hated to abandon his unfinished research, he saw no other choice.
“You can’t.” Sounding angry, the prince again came to a halt close to Braden. “You don’t strike me as the kind of man who would give up so easily. If you go, you’ll be admitting defeat.”
Braden shrugged. “I can’t see an alternative choice. I would do nothing to endanger your sister.”
“That’s just it. Your leaving will not help. The danger will not end once you’ve returned to America. Her life is still at risk. She makes a game out of avoiding her security detail. At least if you stay by her side, you can help protect her.”
The concept was so mind-boggling that Braden couldn’t help but wonder if Prince Ruben mocked him. “Protect her?” he asked bitterly. “I can’t even see to identify the threat. If anything, I’m a liability to her.”
“Ah, but there you’re wrong. You can slow her down. If we can make her believe you are in danger, she will take steps to protect you, thus protecting herself.”
What a tangled web of lies. Braden hated deceit and playing games worse than anything. “Why not just tell her the truth?”
“We have.” Exasperation plain in his voice, the prince began pacing again. “She refuses to hear it.”
“Like father, like daughter.” Braden shook his head. Like it or not, he couldn’t abandon Alisa now. “What do you want me to do?”
Relief and satisfaction mingled in the prince’s voice. “Stay with her. Continue your research. How close are you to finding the answer?”
For some reason, Ruben’s offhand question sent up red flags. Maybe because no one in the royal family—including Alisa—had asked about results. Braden didn’t know if they were trying to be polite or what, but he’d certainly expected to be questioned before now.
And now,
this instant, the prince had asked at the worst possible time, when everything seemed doubtful.
Still, Braden would answer. Unfortunately, he could only tell the truth. “Not close at all. I don’t understand it. I’ve run every analysis I can think of and Alisa tests normal every single time.”
“Well, keep at it.” Slapping Braden on the back, Ruben sighed. “Now, are you ready to go out there and circulate among the sharks?”
Braden nodded. It seemed Alisa wasn’t the only one who despised the formal dinners.
When they emerged from the room, Ruben touched Braden’s shoulder. “Fair warning. My sister is waiting for you across the room and she doesn’t look happy. She has two men on either side of her, each trying to get her attention. She’s glaring at us. If looks could kill…”
“I can’t blame her. I promised to be her escort and help her fend them off.”
“That’s certainly above and beyond the call of duty,” the prince drawled.
“Maybe.” Braden shrugged. Truthfully, he didn’t mind helping Alisa out. In actuality, he sort of relished the idea that someone like her was willing to let everyone think they were together, even if only for one night.
“Well, it’s your funeral. I’ll walk over there with you and you can get busy fending. Those men can be rather intent when the prize is a princess.”
The carefree laughter was back in the prince’s voice, full force. Braden wondered if Ruben presented a light-hearted facade deliberately to throw people off.
Chapter 10
Staying close to the other man, Braden followed. A moment later, they reached Alisa.
“Here he is, sister of mine,” Ruben boomed heartily, still using that falsely jovial voice as he kissed Alisa loudly on both cheeks. “And I’d say none too soon if he wanted to make sure none of your gentlemen friends would steal you away from him.”
The two men who were with Alisa murmured excuses and walked away.
“Thank you, Ruben.” Alisa’s voice dripped with so much icy, aristocratic culture that she almost sounded like a stranger. “It’s about time you two returned. I don’t like my escorts to keep me waiting.”
The Wolf Princess: The Wolf PrincessOne Eye Open (The Pack) Page 12
