Chapter 9
NINE
TESS
The leather seat of Korran’s black SUV seemed to swallow Tess whole as she settled into the passenger side, her notebook and datapad clutched in her lap like shields against the confusing storm of emotions churning through her.
The interior smelled like him—that intoxicating blend of pine and spice that made her heart race despite every rational thought screaming at her to maintain professional distance.
She should be furious. Should be plotting how to establish clear boundaries with this overbearing prince who clearly thought he could waltz into her investigation and take control simply because he possessed a Y chromosome and a royal title.
God knew she’d dealt with enough men who assumed their gender automatically made them better suited to lead, even when they lacked half her qualifications.
But underneath the familiar irritation was something far more dangerous—a traitorous thrill that sent heat spiraling through her at the thought of spending the next two weeks working closely with Korran.
Sharing lab space. Collaborating on theories.
Being close enough to breathe in that maddening scent and watch the way his massive hands moved when he handled equipment.
Stop it, she commanded herself. You’re here to save a dying king, not fantasize about his son.
The SUV’s engine purred to life with quiet power, and Korran guided them away from the medical facilities with practiced ease.
His large hands gripped the steering wheel with casual confidence, and Tess found herself staring at the way his fingers curled around the leather, remembering the electric shock that had raced up her arm when they’d shaken hands yesterday.
The silence stretched, thick with unspoken tension, until Tess couldn’t stand it anymore.
“You better not try to control this whole investigation or tell me how to handle my own research.”
Her words came out sharper than she’d intended, but she wasn’t backing down. She’d worked too hard to get where she was to let some alpha male prince steamroll her expertise, no matter how devastatingly attractive he might be.
Korran’s head turned toward her slightly, his dark eyes widening with what looked like genuine shock at her boldness. For a moment, Tess thought he might unleash that commanding authority she’d witnessed in the lab, the kind of royal dominance that probably made lesser beings scramble to obey.
Instead, his mouth curved into a smile—a real smile that transformed his entire face.
The change was breathtaking. Gone was the sharp-edged intensity that made him look like a predator constantly calculating his next move.
In its place was something warm and almost boyish, a glimpse of the man beneath the prince facade.
Tess’s breath caught in her throat. She’d thought he was attractive before, in that dark and dangerous way that screamed trouble.
But this version of Korran—unguarded, genuinely amused, almost human—was absolutely devastating.
The kind of man who could make a woman forget every hard-learned lesson about keeping her heart locked away.
Focus, she ordered herself desperately. You can’t let your hormones take over because you haven’t been with a man in... how long now?
Too long. Her last hookup had been months ago—some forgettable guy from a dating app who’d been pleasant enough for one night but completely unmemorable.
Her last actual relationship had ended five years ago when she’d finally cut ties with Professor Jacobs, whose on-and-off emotional games had been creating waves in her career that she couldn’t afford.
“I’m not going to control the investigation,” Korran said, his voice carrying none of the commanding edge she’d expected. “I’ll follow your lead. You tell me where you want me, and that’s where I’ll be.”
The way he said it sent an entirely inappropriate shiver down her spine, and she had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from reading innuendo into his statement.
“The oversight comment was just council politics,” he continued, his expression growing more serious. “I’m not trying to steer this investigation in any particular direction. I want to help save my father as much as you do. Probably more so.”
Something in his tone—a note of guilt mixed with regret—made her look at him more carefully. His jaw had tightened again, and his grip on the wheel had turned white-knuckled.
“I should have been helping sooner,” he admitted, the words seeming to cost him. “For the past five years, when Father’s illness took a serious turn, I started managing all his royal duties. That didn’t leave much time for lab work, which I’d been doing regularly before that.”
Tess watched his profile as he spoke, noting the way his throat worked as he swallowed what looked like shame.
“I had been working with Varix up to that point, trying to figure out the illness. But Varix had his methods, and I followed his lead. Trusted him implicitly.” His laugh was bitter.
“He’s been the head healer for forty years.
He’s helped everyone, proved himself capable and intelligent time and again. ”
The confession seemed to unlock something in him, because he kept talking, his voice growing quieter.
“Five years ago, I was young and foolish. Spent more time worried about my own life, my own desires. I didn’t really step up until I had to—until Father’s health became critical and I had to take on the weight of everything.
Royal duties, making sure Mother was okay, ensuring the clan and council that I could handle it all. ”
The raw honesty in his voice hit Tess like a blow. She recognized that particular brand of responsibility—the crushing weight that fell on your shoulders when someone you loved became sick and suddenly nothing else mattered except keeping them alive.
“I can relate to that,” she said softly. “I felt that way during my mother’s cancer journey.”
Korran glanced at her, something shifting in his dark eyes. “What happened?”
The simple question opened a wound that had never properly healed. Tess felt her throat tighten as grief flooded back with surprising intensity.
“We couldn’t save her. She died three years ago.”
“I’m sorry for your loss.”
The words were simple, but something in Korran’s voice—genuine compassion mixed with his own understanding of impending loss—nearly broke her wide open.
His solid presence beside her, the warmth radiating from his massive frame, made her want to lean into him and let someone else carry the weight for just a moment.
She pressed her lips together, fighting back the tears that threatened to spill. She couldn’t afford to break down now, not when she had a job to do. Not when another family was facing the same devastating loss she’d endured.
The SUV began to climb, winding through snow-covered roads that cut through the breathtaking landscape of the Northern Dominion.
Through the windshield, Tess caught glimpses of towering yellow mountains dusted with blue snow, their peaks disappearing into clouds that glowed with the light of Nova Aurora’s twin suns.
They rounded a final curve, and Tess’s breath caught as their destination came into view.
Nestled into the mountainside was the most beautiful restaurant she’d ever seen.
Warm golden light spilled from tall windows, and the building itself seemed to grow from the granite cliffs as if it had always belonged there.
Snow draped everything in pristine white, making the entire scene look impossibly magical and serene.
“It’s beautiful,” she whispered, momentarily forgetting about grief and guilt and the dangerous way Korran’s presence made her heart race.
For just a moment, sitting beside this complicated prince while snow began to fall outside their windows, Tess allowed herself to imagine what it might be like to be here for pleasure instead of business.
To be the kind of woman who could enjoy a romantic dinner with an impossibly attractive man without calculating the professional risks.
But that wasn’t who she was. She was Dr. Tess Holt, biomedical researcher from Earth, and she had a shifter king to save. Even if the shifter king’s son was making her forget every rule she’d ever made about mixing business with anything resembling pleasure.
When Korran finally opened her door, the warmth radiating from his body created a stark contrast to the winter chill outside, and she found herself momentarily frozen.
“Steady,” he murmured, his deep voice sending an unwelcome shiver through her.
She accepted his offered hand, trying to ignore the electric jolt that shot up her arm when their skin connected.
The grief from their conversation about her mother still sat heavy in her chest, threatening to crack the careful walls she’d built around that particular wound.
But Korran’s solid presence beside her, the way he positioned himself to block the wind, made her feel unexpectedly protected.
Focus on the investigation, she reminded herself firmly as they reached the restaurant’s entrance. Not on how his hand feels like it belongs against your back.
The heavy wooden door opened at Korran’s touch, releasing a wave of golden warmth and the rich scents of roasted meat and exotic spices.
Tess stepped inside, immediately struck by the rustic elegance that seemed to define everything on this beautiful planet.
Exposed timber beams stretched across vaulted ceilings, and a massive stone fireplace dominated one wall, its flames casting dancing shadows across walls lined with intricate carvings that depicted bears in various poses of strength and majesty.
“Your Highness,” the host greeted Korran with a respectful bow. “Your usual table?”
“Please.”