Chapter 13
THIRTEEN
TESS
The twin moons cast ethereal silver light across the parking lot as Tess clutched the stolen vials against her chest. She turned instinctively, watching Kael approach his modest vehicle to ensure he got inside safely.
“Thank you for tonight,” she called softly, her breath forming crystalline clouds in the frigid air. “I know you’re taking a huge risk helping us with this.”
Kael’s youthful face brightened with determination. “The king deserves the truth. Whatever that might be.”
A strange electricity hummed between her and Korran as they stood beside his massive SUV, that inexplicable connection she’d been trying to ignore pulsing stronger in the moonlit darkness. She was about to respond to Kael when a low, menacing growl echoed across the parking lot.
Three massive shapes emerged from the shadows—bears, their dark fur bristling with aggressive intent and their eyes gleaming with predatory focus.
Tess’s scientific mind cataloged their size and movements even as terror flooded her system.
These weren’t random wildlife. They moved with purpose, coordination, and intelligence.
They’re shifters. And they’re hunting us.
“Tess, get behind me. Now.” Korran’s voice carried absolute authority, his massive frame already positioning itself between her and the approaching threat.
The lead bear charged without warning, its powerful muscles propelling it across the parking lot with terrifying speed.
Tess’s rational mind screamed that no human could survive an encounter with even one of these creatures, let alone three.
And the SUV offered no sanctuary—she’d be trapped inside while they tore through metal and glass.
Pure instinct took over. She spun toward the tree line bordering the building, her legs pumping as adrenaline flooded her system. Behind her, she heard the distinctive sounds of shifting—bones cracking, muscle expanding, clothing tearing as Korran abandoned his human form.
He’s protecting me. Fighting these bears to keep me safe.
A second set of transformation sounds told her Kael was joining the battle. Her lungs burned as she reached the nearest tree—a purple-barked giant with low-hanging branches. She pressed herself against its rough trunk, her heart hammering so hard she thought it might burst.
When she dared to peer around the tree’s protective bulk, the sight stole what little breath she had left.
Korran in bear form was magnificent and terrifying—easily twice the size of their attackers, his dark fur rippling over muscles built for dominance.
He moved with lethal grace, his massive paws striking with bone-crushing force.
God, he’s incredible.
The thought hit her with unexpected intensity.
Watching him defend her awakened something primal and possessive in her chest, a fierce pride that had nothing to do with gratitude and everything to do with.
.. recognition? Connection? Whatever this strange bond between them actually was, seeing him risk himself for her safety made it pulse with renewed strength.
Kael’s smaller bear form darted around the edges of the conflict, his agility compensating for his lack of size as he harried the third attacker. But Korran commanded the battlefield, his superior strength and alpha presence turning what should have been overwhelming odds into a manageable fight.
Why are they attacking? The question burned through her terror. Because I’m human? Because they saw me with Korran at the restaurant? Because someone doesn’t want me investigating the king’s illness?
The battle was brutal but brief. Korran’s powerful jaws clamped around one attacker’s throat while his massive paws sent another sprawling across the icy pavement.
The third bear, already bloodied from Kael’s harassment, took one look at Korran’s dominance display and bolted into the darkness, its companions limping after it in retreat.
Silence descended over the parking lot, broken only by heavy breathing and the soft sounds of shifting as both defenders returned to human form. Tess remained frozen against the tree, her legs suddenly too weak to support her weight.
This place is dangerous. More dangerous than I realized.
The thought crashed over her like ice water.
Queen Lysia had survived decades here, had thrived despite the obvious prejudice and hostility.
But Tess wasn’t royalty, wasn’t protected by status or political necessity.
She was an outsider, a human poking into secrets that someone clearly wanted to remain hidden.
“Tess?” Korran’s deep voice carried across the lot, rough with concern and barely leashed aggression. “Are you hurt?”
She forced her legs to move, stumbling toward where he stood pulling on his tattered clothes. Even in the moonlight, she could see the protective fury still burning in his dark eyes, and the way his frame remained coiled for action.
“I’m okay,” she managed, though her voice shook more than she’d like. “Just rattled.”
Kael appeared beside them, his youthful face grim as he surveyed the scattered blood on the pavement. “That wasn’t random. Someone sent them.”
“Agreed.” Korran’s jaw tightened. “Thank you for the backup, Kael. I won’t forget it.”
Tess reached into her coat pocket with trembling fingers, relief flooding through her when she felt the intact vials.
“We meet first thing tomorrow to test these,” she said, pulling the vials out just enough to confirm their safety before tucking them away again.
Kael nodded, his expression troubled. “Be careful getting back to the estate. If they tried once...”
“They won’t get another chance,” Korran growled, his protective instincts clearly still running high.
As Kael walked away, Korran guided Tess toward his SUV with one large hand at the small of her back. The contact sent warmth racing through her nervous system, that strange humming connection between them pulsing with shared adrenaline and relief.
The drive back to the estate passed in charged silence while Tess tried to process what had just happened. That odd sensation she’d been experiencing since last night—the ability to sense Korran’s emotions—felt stronger now, fed by shared danger and his fierce protectiveness.
I can actually feel his worry. His need to keep me safe.
When they finally reached the estate, Tess found herself speaking before she could think better of it.
“Can I stay with you tonight?”
The words hung in the air as Korran cut the engine. His dark eyes searched her face, and she saw surprise flicker across his strong features before something deeper took its place—a mixture of protectiveness and possessiveness that made her pulse quicken.
“Of course,” he said, his deep voice rougher than usual.
Once inside, they shed their coats in the grand foyer, the warmth of the estate wrapping around them like an embrace. Tess knew she was probably sending mixed signals after their attempt to maintain professional distance, but the attack had shattered her illusion of safety.
I need him. Not just for protection, but for... something else. Something I’m not ready to name.
Korran’s large hand found her back again as he guided her toward the grand staircase. “My chambers are in the east wing.”
The realization that she was becoming emotionally dependent on him in such a short time should have sent her running. Instead, as they climbed the elegant stairs together, all she felt was rightness.
When Korran opened the door to his private chambers, Tess stepped into a space that reflected the man himself—everything orderly and purposeful, stripped of the ornate excess that dominated the rest of the estate.
The sitting area stretched before her with clean lines and functional furniture arranged around a stone fireplace, while through an archway in the back, she glimpsed the corner of a massive four-poster bed that made her heart race.
This is his sanctuary. The place where he doesn’t have to be the perfect prince.
The door closed behind them with a soft click that seemed to seal them away from the outside world and its complications.
Korran moved past her with that predatory grace she’d come to associate with him, taking the vials from her trembling fingers and crossing to a mini-bar tucked into an alcove near the fireplace.
“They’ll be safe in here until morning,” he said, placing them carefully in the small refrigerator.
Tess stood frozen in the center of the room, her rational mind finally catching up with her impulsive request.
What am I doing here? I should go back to my guest suite, maintain some professional distance after last night’s mistake.
But her feet refused to move toward the door.
The attack in the parking lot had shattered something inside her—that illusion of control she’d wrapped around herself like armor.
Here, surrounded by Korran’s pine and spice scent and the solid warmth of his presence, the terror finally began to recede.
Just for tonight. Tomorrow everything goes back to normal.
She moved toward the sitting area, her legs still unsteady from the adrenaline crash. “I can sleep on the couch. I don’t want to impose—“
“No.” His voice carried that alpha authority that brooked no argument. “You’ll take my bed. I’ll sleep out here.”
The protective instinct in his tone made something flutter dangerously in her chest, but she found herself shaking her head before she could think better of it.
“I don’t want to kick you out of your own bed.” The words tumbled out. “We can share.”
His dark eyes flared with heat, his pupils dilating as that electric tension snapped taut between them. For a heartbeat, she saw hunger and possessiveness war with restraint across his strong features.
“Alright,” he said finally, his voice roughened.
Mixed messages much? Her scientific mind cataloged the contradiction even as her body hummed with anticipation. Last night you told him it was a mistake, and tonight you’re climbing into his bed.
But as he headed toward the bedroom and she followed, breathing in his intoxicating scent with every step, she couldn’t bring herself to care about the consequences. The attack had stripped away her pretenses, left her raw and honest about what she wanted—and what she wanted was him.
Korran began stripping off his tattered clothes without ceremony, his movements efficient and unselfconscious. Tess tried to look away as his shirt came off, revealing the powerful expanse of his chest and shoulders, but her gaze kept drifting back.
God, he’s gorgeous.
When he stripped down to his boxers and climbed into the massive bed, she couldn’t help but stare at his powerful frame—the same body that had moved against hers with such devastating effect just twenty-four hours ago. Heat pooled low in her belly as unwanted memories flooded back.
She stripped down to her lace bra and panties, hyperaware of his heated gaze tracking her movements as she settled onto the mattress beside him. The bed was large enough that she could maintain distance, but every nerve ending in her body seemed attuned to his presence just inches away.
“How are we going to stop Varix from giving your father the booster tomorrow?” she asked, desperate to focus on something other than the way the moonlight played across his chest. “Before we can test its composition?”
Korran’s jaw tightened. “We wake up at dawn and convince my father to demand a delay. Tell Varix he doesn’t want it for a few more days.”
“That should give us time to analyze what’s actually in those vials,” Tess agreed.
Time. Always about time.
The thought carried bitter irony—she had only two weeks to solve a decade-long mystery, and now she might have even less if someone was actively trying to stop her investigation.
She closed her eyes and tried to will sleep to come, but adrenaline still coursed through her system. Every shadow seemed to hide potential threats, and every sound made her tense for another attack. Her mind raced with questions and possibilities, none of them comforting.
Why did they attack us? What are they trying to hide?
The bed shifted as Korran moved slightly, and she became hyperaware of his warmth radiating across the small distance between them.
That strange connection she’d been experiencing pulsed stronger in the darkness.
She could feel his protective instincts still running high, his need to keep her safe warring with his own internal conflict about their growing connection.
I’m leaving in two weeks. This can never work.
But her body had other ideas. Almost without conscious thought, she found herself inching closer to his heat and strength, drawn by that inexplicable pull that had been building since their first handshake.
The logical part of her mind screamed warnings about emotional entanglement and professional boundaries, but the primal part—the part that had watched him fight three bears to protect her—wanted nothing more than to lose herself in his embrace.
Finally, she gave in to temptation and moved against his side, seeking the solid comfort of his presence. His arms came around her immediately, as if he’d been waiting for her to make the first move, and she melted into his embrace.
“Better?” His deep voice rumbled against her ear, and she felt the tension finally begin to drain from her muscles.
“Much.” She pressed closer, letting his warmth chase away the lingering fear. “Thank you. For tonight, for protecting me, for everything.”
His arms tightened around her, and she felt safe for the first time since her mother’s funeral three years ago. Whatever was happening between them—she couldn’t deny the rightness of being here in his arms.
Two weeks, her rational mind whispered. Two weeks and then you leave this all behind.
But as sleep finally claimed her, wrapped in Korran’s protective embrace, that timeline felt impossibly short.