How had years of council rhetoric made him blind to his mother’s obvious strength?
“Tess,” his mother began, her voice carrying the warm authority that had charmed diplomats and calmed political tensions for decades. “You’ll be staying here at the estate during your visit. I’ve also arranged for you to work with our healers and scientists at the medical facilities to see if you can help us understand this decade-long illness that has been causing the king’s deterioration.”
Tess leaned forward slightly, and Korran found himself captivated by the way intelligence sparked in her green eyes. When she spoke, her voice carried the confidence of someone accustomed to being the smartest person in the room but tempered with genuine compassion.
“Your Majesty, I want to assure you that I’ll do everything in my power to figure this out. I’ll work with your team accordingly, but I may need to conduct some independent research as well.” She paused, and something that looked like regret crossed her features. “Unfortunately, I only have a limited time I can be here. Two weeks before I need to return to Earth.”
Two weeks?
The words hit Korran like a slap. His bear surged forward with violent protest, every instinct screaming that she couldn’t leave them. The rational part of his mind tried to argue that two weeks was actually perfect—just enough time to solve his father’s medical mystery without the complications of a permanent human presence.
But his beast wasn’t interested in logic.
“I’ll provide you with whatever you need.” The words escaped before he could stop them. “I’ll even help you personally. I know my way around the medical facilities, and I have considerable knowledge of shifter biology and physiology. Whatever you need to accelerate your investigation, we can accommodate.”
What are you doing?his rational mind demanded.You need distance, not closer proximity.
But his bear roared with deep satisfaction at the promise of time spent with their mate, even if that time would be professional rather than personal.
Tess’s gaze met his directly for the first time since that catastrophic handshake, and he caught a flicker of something—gratitude mixed with wariness—before she looked away.
“That would be helpful, Your Highness, but I’m sure you have other pressing duties. I’ll try not to request your assistance unless absolutely necessary.”
The careful distance in her tone should have been a relief. Instead, it felt like rejection, and his bear responded with frustrated snarling.
Fine. Distance is probably better anyway.
His mother rose with fluid grace, the perfect picture of royal hospitality despite the emotional minefield they’d all been navigating.
“I can show you to your room now, Tess. We’ll all meet in the dining room with the king for your first meal here in an hour.”
Tess stood and followed the queen toward the door, but not before shooting one last unreadable glance in Korran’s direction. The mate bond stretched taut between them like a rope under tension, making every step she took away from him feel like physical pain.
When the door closed behind them, leaving him alone with Gerri, the full weight of his situation crashed down on him.
“How dare you.” The words exploded out of him with all the pent-up frustration and terror of the past thirty minutes. “How dare you bring my fated mate here without warning me first? And how dare you bring her here at all when you knew she was human?”
Gerri’s eyebrows rose with an expression of someone thoroughly unimpressed by royal tantrums.
“I can’t complete the mate bond with a human.” He was pacing now, his massive frame making the office feel suddenly cramped. “Not after what it did to my father.”
“Oh, dear,” Gerri replied softly. “That whole narrative is complete nonsense, and you really shouldn’t let the clan’s fears cloud your better judgment and instincts.”
“I need to follow logic.” His hands clenched into fists at his sides. “And logic says human mates cause instability.”
Gerri stood, her petite frame somehow managing to project authority that filled the entire room. Her eyes flashed with that gold light that made him wonder exactly what species she was.
“Coming from a hybrid prince, that’s rather hard to believe—though not surprising when you’ve spent years feeling isolated in a bear shifter clan due to your own uniqueness.” Her voice carried steel beneath the sass. “Maybe you should start embracing that uniqueness for a change instead of running from it.”
Before he could formulate a response, she was already moving toward the door with the brisk efficiency of someonewho’d delivered her message and had no patience for arguments.
“I hope you can figure this out soon, Korran, before something unavoidable happens. And for your mother’s sake, I hope you can see that humans aren’t the bad guys in this story.” She paused, her hand on the ornate door handle. “I really must get going, but please reach out if you need anything—though I suspect you can handle this situation just fine.”
Then she was gone, leaving him alone with the wreckage of his carefully controlled world.
Korran sank into his father’s chair—his chair now—and buried his face in his hands. In the span of one morning, he’d managed to alienate the legendary matchmaker who’d brought salvation to their door, hurt his mother with his thoughtless words about human weakness, and made his fated mate think he was nothing more than an overbearing prince who needed to control everything.
Which, unfortunately, is exactly what you are right now.
