The Last Princess Read online

  He couldn't sleep if he tried, so decided to do a little research while the princess slept. What was so bad about living at the royal palace that all three sisters would be on the run for so many years? They were royalty, held the position and blood that every shifter could only dream of.

  Finding general information was easy. He'd done it before when looking for the sisters for Blue and the guys. This one was the eldest, Delia. There weren’t any recent pictures of her online. She was the most elusive, the one nobody could keep tabs on. The only reason he'd seen her now was because she'd found him.

  There were a ton of websites, blogs, and tweets from male shifters everywhere who were looking for the last princess. In fact, one of his emails was from a potential client wanting him to find Delia, and supposedly cost wasn't an issue. Good thing for the sleeping beauty that he still had some morals. He wouldn’t sell out. He'd regretted helping his friends find Carna soon after they'd brought her to the remote cabin.

  Delia was still royalty, and he'd always been taught to have respect for the queen and her role in society. Without royal blood all races of shifters would eventually die out.

  He must have fallen asleep at the table—not an uncommon thing for him to do. When he woke up, his arm numb from the weight of his head, it took him a while to figure out where he was. Sunlight peeked in from the crack in the heavy curtains. Daylight. When he stood and stretched out his back and legs, he didn't notice Delia asleep on the bed. The bathroom was empty. Had she gone to Club Frenzy alone? What time was it? She shouldn't be mingling in a crowd of drunken men, not with blood as intoxicating as hers.

  ****

  She sat on the roof of the neighboring condo. From her vantage point she could see in the windows of Freya's living room. Carna was there, as well as several half-dressed male shifters. She hadn't kept track of who was mated to whom, but it didn’t matter. Her focus was on the two beautiful girls, now women. Freya's blonde hair was easy to spot at the distance, as were the whites of her teeth as she smiled. They were happy, had moved on without her. She couldn’t ask for much more. Delia just needed visual confirmation that her sisters were indeed content, settled, and safe—they were.

  Birds chattered in the distance, car engines droned, and the sky was coming to life over the already bustling city. She'd have to return to the hotel soon, before the fox woke up. Just thinking of his face, so boyish and innocent as he slept, helped settle the pain in her heart. The mix of regret, guilt, and mourning soured her stomach. The gods knew she planned to come back for her sisters after they fled the palace. She told them to hide, not let any of the desperate, filthy males find them. Delia was single-handedly going to make things right, to tear down the royal palace, its rules, and outdated ways. Then she'd come for them. They'd be able to walk free, safe, and have free will. They could fall in love like other women, choose their own mates, and live in peace. But she'd taken too long. Her sisters had found their own place and happiness without her. She had failed.

  There was no more need for Delia. All that was left was to keep her promise to make change happen. Maybe she'd be able to make a difference for her future nieces so they wouldn't be subjected to the same forced matings and unbearably rigid rules.

  She slipped back into the hotel room. It was quiet, but the fox wasn't slumped over the small table where she'd left him. Had he run away? How would she get into the castle without him?

  "Where've you been, princess?"

  Delia whirled around. He'd been to the right of the door, and looked very much awake. Her mind was so adrift she hadn't even sensed him behind her. "I just needed some fresh air."

  "For two hours?"

  "Don't question me, fox."

  "You know, I have a name. It's Caleb." He stepped forward, an aggressive move considering she was a more powerful shifter. "I've been thinking. You don't need me to find your sisters at all, do you? What's your game, princess?"

  "I don't know what you're talking about," she said dismissively.

  "Who'd willingly leave the palace? Were you cast out? You must have done something really heinous."

  Delia was fuming inside. How dare he question her. She'd never have left the security of a home and family if things had been peaches and cream. Everything she did was out of necessity, not some juvenile game.

  After coming back from saying a silent good-bye to her sisters, her emotions were on her sleeve. She couldn’t deal with Caleb and his plethora of questions and accusations now. If he knew the truth he'd have kept his mouth shut.

  "The palace isn't everything it appears to be." She sat on the edge of the unmade bed and twirled her hair to the side. It would have been better if he'd still been asleep. She needed time to come to grips with her reality, to think. She stared at the stains on the carpet, not focusing, but half in a trance. Her sisters had been so beautiful, so grown up. She wanted to reach, touch them, close that bridge of space dividing them from each other. But she only returned here, not revealing herself or getting the connection she so desperately craved. It would only hurt more when she had to say good-bye.

  "Tell me about it." He actually sat beside her, his tone layered with compassion. Why? He didn't know her. It made no sense that he'd want to know anything about her history.

  "You wouldn't believe me anyway." She attempted to stand up, but he moved so fast. His hand on her thigh brought her back down into a seated position.

  "I'm listening, Delia." No more "princess"? Her name on his lips sounded so personal. She rarely felt like a person these days, more like a forgotten shadow. When was the last time she'd even been addressed by her real name?

  Her natural tendency to keep everything locked up tight in a vault was wavering. All her well laid plans had already unraveled at the seams, so talking with this beta shifter couldn’t do any harm. "If you know our history, then you know we carry the royal blood. It's the life force for all shifter races, including yours, fox. It's a great responsibility to be born a princess, but also a heavy burden. Our mother follows the tradition passed down from so many generations. She choose three alpha shifters from differing races that would best aid the bloodlines, just as her mother did before her, and so on. These arranged matings are done without any input from the princesses." She took a breath. "We have no say in anything. We're vessels, no more. I wanted more for my little sisters."

  "So you ran away? That's not always the answer to our problems. Did you talk to anyone about this?"

  "What would be the point? Only female wolves can carry on the lines. We were oddities—three born to the same queen. Because everyone knew about us, it was even harder getting away and staying hidden."

  "Was it worth it?" His hand was still on her thigh, but it was an afterthought to this emotional release.

  "When I saw their smiling faces, I knew all the sacrifices hadn't been in vain. They know what it is to love. To be loved." She whispered the last words, knowing she'd never experience the same.

  "Why am I here? You said yourself you saw your sisters. You don’t need my help finding them." He didn't sound angry but he wanted answers that she wasn't ready to give.

  "Just…let me think for a minute." She bolted to her feet and began pacing the room.

  "Think of more ways to lie and deceive me? How about the truth? You don't have to think about that." He stood up, swinging her around with a hand to the shoulder, forcing her to face him. She hadn't noticed how tall he was. Even for not having a large, bulky frame, he had broad shoulders and strong forearms. The rest was hidden, but she could imagine he'd be all lean muscled.

  What did she have to lose at this point? "I need to get inside the royal palace."

  "You're the last princess, they'll roll out the red carpet for you."

  She shook her head. "I'm not going for tea and biscuits. I intend to shake the place down by its foundation."

  Chapter Three

  "I grow weary of excuses," said Alexander. He set down his crystal glass at the head of the table, the crimson liquid
swirled before settling. One of the servants offered a bowl of fresh fruit, but he swatted the man away. "Where the fuck could she be? Doesn't she realize how embarrassing this is for me?"

  "We've hired the best, sir. It's only a matter of time until they flush her out of hiding. With the other two princesses mated, she'll be all alone."

  "And come crawling back? Beg for forgiveness? Not likely."

  His betrothed, the young Delia Demori, was over five years late to the wedding. He'd been chosen out of thousands of males, gone through painstaking tests of strength and intellect. Then when the day came to claim his bride, to become a part of history, and to join the royal family—he was jilted. Every passing year, month, week made him grow more and more agitated. He looked the fool. For the first time in history, an entire generation of princesses had abandoned their calling.

  At least his was still unmated, as far as he knew. The other two had publically chosen unapproved males, giving no hope to their betrothed. Once mated, the game was over. No shifter in his right mind would try to take a woman away from their mate, approved or not. It would be a death sentence.

  Alexander was the last male left waiting for Delia. The other two had given up hope and found mates of their own. He should have walked away years ago, but held onto the hope she'd return. It was important to him to join the royals. His mother's dying wish was that their line would continue, to carry on her husband's legacy. She'd never been the same after his father's death. Nothing could make up for the loss until he had the chance to apply for a royal courtship. If the fool she-wolf had lived up to her expectations, his mother would have seen them wed and died in peace. As it was, she passed on with only with the hope that the princess would return. He couldn't understand why Delia wouldn't be thrilled to have him as a mate. As if she could get better than a purebred wolf like him.

  The queen entered the dining hall, followed by a small entourage. There was a great shuffling of feet and clattering of silverware as everyone around the table stood. Alexander had been invited to stay at the palace after his mother's death. The queen was convinced at least one of her daughters would return that she already considered him a son.

  "Your majesty." He bowed slightly until she took a seat. Her long black hair was coiled at the back of her head, her robe flowing as she moved. She was a beautiful woman for her age, and he imagined his bride-to-be would age just as well.

  "Alexander. I hear you're discontented today."

  He grumbled. Holding back his tongue, even within earshot of the queen, was not something he was capable of. "Another full moon approaches tomorrow. Still no sign of her."

  Every month he imagined his intended bride screwing around with different males when she should be in his bed, pleasing him, making their children. He adjusted his collar. How long could he live under this roof before he felt like an unwelcome guest? How could one little female evade a small army of the best trackers?

  "She's a bright girl. I know she'll come to her senses. Her wolf is untamed, seeking a bit of adventure before she returns home."

  "A proper princess doesn't go looking for adventure," he said, not condoning Delia's actions. If she ever returned, the first thing he'd do would be to take her upstairs to their master bedroom and turn her over his knee for a spanking, whether the queen approved or not.

  "Patience, Alexander." The queen held up her empty glass, awaiting service. She clearly didn't feel the same urgency he did. This was her home, her monarchy, and she didn’t seem too concerned that her daughter may or may not return in the foreseeable future. As for him, he was chewing at the bit to complete his intended mating.

  "Your majesty, if you'll excuse me?" He dabbed at the corner of his mouth with the cloth napkin and then set it over his plate. The queen nodded, and he gladly escaped into the stone passageway leading to the rear yard. The tunnel was lit by wall sconces, the candle light flickering from the constant flow of air howling through.

  One of his best friends, a bear shifter named Ulric, was on guard at the entrance. There wasn't an unattended gap in the palace. Some days it felt claustrophobic, and he couldn't blame the princess for wanting to escape the tyranny. Those days were few.

  "Are you on until late?"

  Ulric turned around, his large frame shadowed by the nearly full moon above them. He leaned against the stony entrance to the castle, only the symphony of insects to keep him company. "All night. Any word on your little princess?"

  "The bitch is still on the run. I've committed to a female I can't even touch. The only release I have is running the perimeter of the royal gardens each night." He blew out a heavy breath. "What I need is a proper fucking." They both laughed, trying to make light of a serious situation. Alexander's life was passing him by as he waited. One year moved into the next so flawlessly that one day he'd look in the mirror and find he was old and grey, no longer able to court a woman.

  "I know her well. We grew up together, and if Delia is anything, it's determined. If she doesn't want to be found, I expect she never will be."

  "You're not helping, Ulric." He ran both hands through his hair and growled. The moon already called to him, urged him to shed his human skin and run wild. "How do you manage without a mate?"

  The bear shifter shrugged his wide shoulders. "The docile lambs in the palace could never handle me. I need a woman with strong hips, and a fiery spirit." He chuckled, apparently lost in the fantasy of his ideal mate. "I expect I'll have to venture away from town to find what I'm looking for."

  "Agreed, the women here are quite tame. But maybe that's exactly what I need rather than waiting for my little hell cat to return. I haven't even seen her in the flesh."

  "Last time I saw Delia we were both adolescents, raising hell around the palace. She loved to break the rules then, and it appears nothing has changed."

  Alexander ground his teeth together. He didn't need to hear about his betrothed and her wild spirit. What good did any of this information do when she was still missing? He began to strip off his tailored clothing, folding the material in a neat pile on a stone pedestal. "Mind my things, will you. It's time for me to vent my frustration." With that he allowed the shift to overtake him. With the strength of the moon showering over him, it came quickly. His bones and tendons morphed, his skin broke out in thick fur, and he dropped to all fours as the last of the change enveloped him. Once in his wolf skin, he shook out his thick hide, pawed the ground, and then ran with no destination in mind.

  ****

  "You expect me to help you break into the palace?"

  "Yes." She had hoped her makeshift plan would have fallen together better. Now she had to deal with a reluctant fox shifter. "I'm a princess, so it would be dutiful of you to aid me."

  "Hah! Dutiful of me to go against the queen? They'll hang me by my balls if I'm caught!" He was wearing the carpet thin from his pacing.

  "You're the best, Caleb. I wouldn't have asked you to help me if I didn't think you'd succeed." If he refused to help she'd be screwed. One way or another she was getting in that palace, and she needed his help to do it stealthily.

  He began to pack up his laptop, unzipping the shoulder bag. She was losing this battle. She'd seen Carna in action, using her sexuality to get her way with males. It didn't come naturally for Delia. She was used to using force or intimidation to get others to help her. Caleb was a becoming a problem. She didn't want to hurt him and he didn't threaten easily.

  "Our deal was for me to get you to the city. You already know where Club Frenzy is, so I'm done." He shoved the computer into the bag.

  Delia grabbed his arm. "Please. You don't understand. Do you think it's easy being the golden child for every race of shifter? To be treated as an object, not a flesh and blood woman, even by my own mother? It's not, Caleb. It's the fucking nightmare I have to live every day. If I can make a difference for another generation, then nothing will stop me. I'll get in the palace on my own if I have to. But I'm asking for your help." She didn't have to fake the sentiment in
her voice when she spoke because it was all the truth.

  He breathed in deeply, his pupils dilating as if a cloud crossed the sun. Would her royal blood aid her today, rather than hinder her progress? "What do you expect me to do?"

  "Find out the layout of the castle, any weak areas that would make a good entry point. If you could disable their security system, it would make my life even easier."

  He looked offended. "Of course I could disable their security. That's the easy part. The challenge will be getting by the Royal Elite. It's well documented that the queen keeps the highly trained alpha shifters at every entryway into the castle."

  "Caleb, I grew up there. I know about my mother's security detail. She only has guards at key locations."

  "I can't believe I'm even considering this." He adjusted her spaghetti strap, the contact searing her skin, setting her nerves afire. "And your damn blood is driving me nuts." Caleb scrubbed his jaw, and she saw the tip of his fangs behind his lips. She felt the hunger herself. The moon would be full in a day or two, the one time per month that she dreaded. Control was everything, but for that brief time each month her hormones ruled. For the most part she handled herself well, but inside she was a mess, and her weakness was a trait she wished she could shed, like her fur when she shifted. Her virginity was a testament to her self sacrifice. Unlike her sisters who indulged themselves when their needs made themselves known, she stifled her desires.

  They stared at each other. Until she saw his fangs, she barely remembered he was a shifter. He was so humanized, and his fox didn't give off a dominant vibe. Seeing his feral side peeking out aroused her in ways she never expected. The fact he seemed just as determined to maintain control made her want to challenge him, test his resolve.

  Other males didn't hold back when they caught her scent. It sickened her having to constantly battle unwanted advances. Staying in hiding, only sneaking out at night for supplies was the life she knew. She'd never really considered the future until her last sister mated. Their lives were just beginning now, while Delia felt hers was already ending.