The Last Princess (4 page)

"I'm not afraid of anything," she said. Delia had outrun
and outlasted all the henchmen her mother dispatched to find her.  She was a survivor.
In the many years since her escape she'd trained in every major art of attack
and defense.

Her fears were internal. 

Each passing day made her terrified of growing old alone. 
She'd rather die than face decades moving from one shitty motel to the next
with no one to love, no one to share life with.  It was foolish of her to think
her sisters could provide that love and companionship.  The natural desire to
mate was too strong in them. Now they were gone—mated, happy, and moved on
without her.

"Nothing at all?" He narrowed his eyes
conspiratorially. "I think you may be just a tad intimidated by
me
." 

She laughed. It was so unlike her to laugh, but this shifter
had her feeling lighthearted, even in such emotionally unsettling times.
"You haven't seen my wolf.  She's quite capable of taking care of
herself."

He shrugged. "Everyone needs someone, princess.  If I had
a family, like you, I wouldn't be running from them."

"I've already explained why I'm on my own.  I don't do
dictatorships. How would you feel if you were forced to mate with a female you
hadn't chosen for yourself?"

Caleb was quiet for an exaggerated moment.  His chest rose and
fell more rapidly as if his fox was clawing to get free. She knew the feeling
well.  Her wolf had become especially anxious since returning to the hotel this
morning.

Then he whispered, "If I was forced to mate
you
, I
wouldn't mind."

She swallowed hard.  This wasn't supposed to happen.  Her plan
was simple—solicit the help of the computer geek, break into the castle, speak
her mind, create an uproar to be remembered, and then…Well, she hadn't planned
after that, but her life was already a forfeit.

But she hadn't even gotten out of the hotel and already her
accomplice was turning into a temptation.  She barely tolerated males as a
whole, but this young fox was appealing to her on so many levels. Her mother
would never approve of a beta shifter, especially from one of the lowest
races.  Maybe that's why she wanted him, because her mother would hate their
pairing.

"You and about a million other shifters," she said,
hoping to dismiss the uncomfortable intimacy.

"Then why haven't you chosen one if your selection is so
plentiful?" 

The hell if she knew. Delia had always taught her younger
sisters to never trust a male.  They'd only lie, backstab, and offer sweet
nothings because of the blood they carried.  No male would ever truly love
them, just what they represented.  But Carna and Freya had found love, so her
theories must have been way off—or only apply to her.  She certainly couldn't
imagine a man wanting her if she were a regular wolf, no magic blood, no royal
lineage.

"I choose not to choose.  Does that make any sense?"

"Not coming from a princess.  You're supposed to carry on
shifter bloodlines for future generations."

"No more talking," she said.  Having the same
conversation over and over bored her. She might as well be home at the palace
listening to her mother's lectures on duty and tradition. Besides, her sisters
would carry on the bloodlines, so there would be no mass extinction just
because she decided to stay barren.

She turned away from him, but he twisted her back around.
"What exactly is going on here?  Do you want to break into the castle to
bring about positive changes or are you just feeling sorry for yourself?"

"Sorry for what?" she spat, shrugging his hand off.

"Sorry that you're miserable and alone while your sisters
are happily mated—all because they didn't follow your example."  He tilted
his head slightly to the side in challenge. Why was he doing this?  If he
wanted money to help her, she had a shitload in several bank accounts. Money
meant nothing to her.  But why the test?

"Hah!  You couldn’t be more wrong.  My sisters' happiness
is the only thing keeping me going.  They're all that matters, all I live for. 
It was all for them!"  She began to break down, but fought tooth and nail
to keep her emotions in check.

He lowered his voice. "Don't you see?  Those are all
past-tense goals.  Like you said, they're happy now.  So what keeps you going
from this day forward?  What does Delia live for now that her sisters no longer
need her?"

Tears began to fill her eyes.  Her traitorous body was
crumbling from the inside out. "They do need me!"  She felt the hot
streaks make paths down her cheeks.  How could this stranger know more about
herself than she did?  Why did the truth hurt so fucking much?

Caleb reached out to her and tugged her against his body. He
cooed softly, resting his chin on the top on her head as he rubbed circles over
her back. Neither of them said another word.  She fought a bit, still
uncomfortable with touch, with compassion.  But Caleb held her fast, his
strength surprising, until she had no choice but to melt against him and spend
her tears.

Chapter
Four

"Take the next right," Caleb yelled to be heard over
the force of the wind. He'd found the information the princess wanted,
including layouts of the castle, guard details, and how to disable the security
system.  It would have been easy enough to explain to Delia how to accomplish all
the tasks on her own, but she insisted he come along and do everything for
her.  He had the suspicion that she didn't want to be alone.  That was okay
because the thought of walking away from her was indigestible.

He felt such a pull from Delia, but he reasoned it was her
unique blood calling to him, doing its job to attract mates. She was beautiful,
tough, with an intangible vulnerability. 

They veered off the highway, the motorcycle taking the ramp at
a sharp angle.  Caleb had had enough of riding a bike to last him a lifetime. 
His heart was in his stomach, especially with the way she drove. "You
don't need to give me any more directions, fox.  This is my home town, I know
it well."  They slowed as the neared civilization.

Caleb had never been to the royal town, although he'd wanted
to since he was young.  It was the epicenter of their history, almost
exclusively inhabited by shifters, and lost in time—not infiltrated by every
bit of modern technology. It was the human equivalent to their Mecca. The castle itself was highly guarded, but more reliant on physical guards rather
than hi-tech security.

"We'll stop here and decide our next move," said
Delia as they pulled into the parking lot of a two-story hotel. "I'll be
recognized.  You have to go in and register us for a room. It will take just
one shifter sensing my blood and we're screwed.  My mother will have her men
dispatched within minutes and there'll be no escaping."

"Well that wouldn't be good."  He remembered his
comment about getting hanged by the balls.  It wasn't a huge leap from the
truth. Shifters loyal to the queen were ruthless in their attempts to please
and protect her. "I'll be back."  It felt good to be on solid ground
again.  This hotel was maintained—the lawn mowed, bushed trimmed, and paint
fresh. Caleb suspected most of this royal town would be in good order, but
Delia was right, she'd be easily recognized.  Her picture was displayed in the
lobby, along with her two other sisters, and the queen.  There was no sign of
the king because, like Delia ranted about, matings were not out of love, only
duty.

"Can I help you?"  Caleb hadn't noticed the older
man come out from behind the counter.  He was busy studying Delia's photo.  She
was years younger with a sweet innocence she now lacked. Although she was still
beautiful, there was a sadness in her eyes now. He turned to the large window
to ensure she was still okay and waiting for him.  "Sir?"

"Sorry...  I need a room for the night, two nights at the
most. I have cash."

The man didn't rush to get him a room key.  He stood beside
him, hands clasped behind his back, looking at the pictures with great interest.
"Have you met the royal family?"

Caleb shook his head. In actuality he'd met two of the
sisters.  Carna he helped kidnap, and Delia—the princess who was getting under
his skin and invading his thoughts.

"Two of my boys guard the castle.  Chosen out of
thousands."  The pride in his voice was evident. "It's not an easy
job, you know.  They have to be highly educated, pass countless physical and
mental tests, and then pledge allegiance to the queen.  I keep telling my wife
that not having any grandchildren is a small price to pay for the honor of
having two of our sons bestowed such a position."

"How many guards are there?"

"Oh, I wouldn't know.  Dozens, I'd expect. And my two
boys, of course."

"Of course."  Caleb returned his attention to the
photos.  Delia looked so happy then, as did all three sisters.  Their lot in
life had hardened them, made them bitter, lonely, and volatile. He wanted to
see Delia really smile again, to live without looking over her shoulder.

After getting the room key, he returned to where the
motorcycle was kept and found it missing, along with the driver. "Shit! Now
what?" he muttered to himself.  At least he had the room key.  Caleb
settled in the suite and began his online reconnaissance.  Hopefully Delia
would be back. He was tired of being abandoned with no ride.

****

Her curiosity got the better of her.  She wanted to do a
perimeter check of the castle.  Caleb appeared busy chatting up the hotel
staff, so if she slipped away for a few minutes he probably wouldn't even
notice. As she neared the imposing structure, it brought back an array of old
feelings. The first thing that struck her was the feeling of coming home.  She
felt comfortable in the familiar surroundings—the lush flower gardens, the
crystal clear stream cutting across the land that fed the moat protecting the
palace. Delia knew all its secrets—the secret tunnels and hidden rooms.  They
were her childhood stomping grounds, the place where she got into mischief with
her friends. But then her trip down memory lane blackened. 

She'd left this place.  Once she reached puberty she was no
longer granted the privileges she was as a youth.  No more playing and flitting
away her time.  She was expected to prepare for a forced mating.  Delia and her
younger sisters had been betrothed to men they had never met or seen. No matter
how much she tried to convince her mother it was unethical, even if they were
of royal blood, the queen would not humor her. She would give the usual lecture
about history, duty, and responsibility.

When her youngest sister cried herself to sleep one night,
claiming she'd never know what it felt like to love a man, it was the final
push she needed. She packed up a few belongings and got her sisters the hell
out of that deceptive paradise. As she looked at the distant castle now, she felt
the bitter sting of regret.  She couldn't have changed the series of events
which led to her need to run away, but she wished things had turned out
differently.  If only they had been allowed to choose, they could all be living
together in the palace right now.  Her sisters would be by her side, her
childhood friends would be making her laugh, and she'd have roots.  She'd
almost forgotten what it felt like to belong.

She hadn't realized how long she'd been frozen in place,
remembering a time long past, when a horn honked.  Delia abruptly shifted into
reality, noticing the sun had advanced across the sky while she'd been
daydreaming. She started up her motorcycle and dared to get even closer.  There
was a lot of ruckus around the east side of the castle.  The large forms were
likely the alpha guards, deadly protectors and assassins hired to do the
queen's bidding.  Others appeared to be females.  With the full moon on the
verge of completion the males would be feeling the pull.  Since the Royal Elite
weren't allowed to mate, they'd service their needs with whores or unmated
shifters in the same desperate predicament.  Hormones reigned supreme at this
time of month making aggression and desire overwhelming. The base emotions were
part of their culture, ruling all races, reminding them what they were.

She wondered how she'd get into the castle. It would have to
be night. Even though shifters could see through the darkness, it wasn't as
clear as the light of day. There was one tunnel in particular she used to use
to sneak out of at night, to run wild in her wolf form.  If it was the same as
she remembered it would be the entry point she'd use when she returned. 
Hopefully Caleb had some more information for her to use to her advantage. She
chuckled to herself.  The fox shifter would kill her when she finally showed up
at the hotel.  What was supposed to be a couple minutes had turned into hours
of exploration and mental drifting.

Caleb had left one of their bags outside the door so she could
find the room.  The door swung open seconds after she knocked. 
"Disappearing on me again?  Your sisters are miles away so what's the
excuse this time?" 

"I was checking out the area, getting familiar with all
the changes to the town.  Then I lost track of time and got hungry."  She
held out a brown paper bag.  "Take-out?"  He mock-snatched it from
her hand with a scowl.

"I haven't eaten since yesterday.  I may not be a wolf,
but I still require sustenance."  The fox was adorable when angry, if
angry could even be used to describe him.  He was so patient, mellow, and fun
to be around. As she drove back to the hotel, she had an unfamiliar giddiness
knowing she'd see him again.

"Sorry about that.  I tend to forget to eat when my mind
is elsewhere.  It'll be sundown in a couple more hours, so we'll just hang low
for now."  She stripped off her leather jacket, the oversized scarf she
used to disguise her face, and tugged the elastic from her hair. "At least
it's better than our last place, no?"