“But given the chance, you would’ve killed Kade?” he questioned.

“In a heartbeat.” Visions of him forcing himself on Bailey flashed in my mind. I would’ve done more than kill him; I would’ve tortured him until he begged for death.

“Sometimes I wonder what would’ve happened if your father was alpha. The attack on my pack probably would’ve never happened. After your family was murdered, Rollin sent Bailey off to the Northern pack. Her memories were wiped clean so it didn’t matter where she was taken to. She didn’t even know me when I joined them.”

“How did she escape and end up lost in the woods?”

Releasing a heavy sigh, he lowered his head. “When your uncle led the attack, no one knew they were coming. Maret used a masking spell to catch us off guard. By the time we realized what was going on, it was too late. Marrock and Tala, Bailey’s parents, stayed and fought ‘til the end. Bailey disappeared into the woods, lost with no memories. I tried to catch up to her . . . but you found her first, taking her straight back to the people hunting her.”

Eyes wide, I stood there in shock. Her life was a clusterfuck because of me. “You have got to be shitting me,” I grumbled. Out in the distance, Bailey sat down on the sand and stared at the horizon. Her feelings weren’t all over the place, which was good, but I could still feel the pain of her loss. Even though the Whitehill’s weren’t her parents, she still mourned them. I felt like complete and utter dog shit. “Basically what you’re trying to say is, if I wouldn’t have found her, none of this would’ve happened.”

“Who knows at this point?” he answered honestly. “Maybe she might’ve been killed. I don’t know if I would’ve found her in time. Either way, we can’t change the past. What’s done is done.”

“And she’s paid the consequences.”

He nodded. “That she has.”

I could feel her in my mind, listening to my thoughts. She knew everything. I just hoped she wouldn’t blame me for fucking up her life.

Bailey

Ryker sat down beside me in the sand, trying his best to smile. “When you were in college, you always braided your hair and played with it while you studied, just like you’re doing now. I thought it was cute.”

I laid my head on his shoulder. “Nervous habit. What else did you discover while stalking me?”

He chuckled and put his arm around me. “Your favorite color is green and I’m only saying that because you wore a lot of it. You’re smart, kind, generous, and you love to laugh. It took all I had not to go after you, especially when you drew the attention of human men.”

I snorted. “They never stuck around long.” When I looked up at him, he bit his lip, looking sheepish. “And now I can see why.”

He shrugged. “What can I say? I didn’t want them touching you. You’re mine.”

Shaking my head, I kissed his chin. “I am, and just so you know, I don’t blame you for anything that happened. I know you feel guilty.” It broke my heart listening to his inner turmoil.

“How can I not?”

“You didn’t know what was going on when you found me in the woods.”

“It still doesn’t change the way I feel.”

Taking his hand, I held it to my cheek and breathed him in. “That’s only one side of the coin. We both lost the ones we loved. If you wouldn’t have found me, maybe your family would still be alive. We can either share the guilt, or let it go.”

He held me tight. “You are wise beyond your years.”

We sat there for a few minutes in silence until Sebastian approached, his energy stronger than before. At least he wasn’t trying to hide his presence.

“Bailey,” he called out.

Ryker sighed and whispered in my ear. “I don’t like the guy, but you might want to listen to what he has to say.”

I glanced back at Sebastian. “What if I don’t like what I hear?”

“Then kill him.” He shrugged and got to his feet. Slapping a hand on Sebastian’s shoulder, he spoke low. “Try anything stupid, and I’ll snap your neck.”

“I’m sure she’ll beat you to it,” he answered back. Ryker moved out of the way, but stayed close. Sebastian sat down and grabbed a handful of sand, letting it slide through his fingers. “You know you’re a royal, but do you really know what it means?”

“No.”

“History says that when the first wolves were born, some were touched by the Great Luna and some were not. Over the generations, their bloodlines spread. There are royals everywhere, but a few are more powerful than others. Your family and mine happen to be one of those few.”

I gave his words a moment to sink in. “Let me guess, the Northern pack weren’t royals.”

He scoffed. “Definitely not. That’s why they wanted you. They were jealous of your family and wanted the magic for themselves.”

“And would it have worked?”

“I’m not sure. But I do know if you and Kade had mated and had kids, your magic would’ve passed on to them. Imagine a future with Kade’s cruelty and your power. It wouldn’t have been good.”

Ryker’s anger blasted through my mind. I glanced over at him with his hands fisted in the sand. Sebastian followed my gaze.

“If you hadn’t gotten away from Kade, I was going to kill the fucker myself. I would’ve gladly sacrificed myself to keep you from that shit show.” He turned back to me and I could see the truth in his eyes.

“Then why did you take me back? When you came to get me from school, we could’ve run away.”

“Would you have gone with me?”

“I don’t know. Probably, if you could’ve shown me proof.”

He lowered his head, the regret pouring off of him in waves. “There were many things I wish I would’ve done differently.” Taking a deep breath, he lifted his head and watched the waves crash along the beach.

“Why don’t I remember seeing Ryker that day?”

“Maret had put a spell on your bond, masking its presence from you. The spell could only be broken once you touched—no magic or spell is strong enough to conceal the power of a mate’s bond.”

I shook my head. “Why didn’t you let me go to him then?”

He looked back at Ryker and then to me. “I couldn’t trust him. I hadn’t seen him in years and he was Kade’s brother. I knew little about the alpha he’d become. I wasn’t going to take the chance with your life. You’re too important.”

We all sat in silence, listening to the waves hit the shore. I could feel Ryker’s acceptance of Sebastian’s reasoning. He may even be coming around to the idea of my best friend. Ryker let out a low growl and I smiled.

“This isn’t the first time you’ve seen the ocean,” Sebastian said. “You just don’t remember it.”

Eyes wide, I gasped. “What?”

He nodded, staring at me with his crystal blue eyes. “You were four years old. I remember making sand castles together.” Reaching into his back pocket, he pulled out a wallet and something else. When he held it out to me, my heart stopped. “This is your family, B. Your real family.”

In my hands was a picture of a man and a woman with three kids, two girls and a boy. “Oh my God. How do you have this?”

“Your mother gave it to me the night of the attack. She knew what Maret had done to you, how she took your memories, along with those of your brother and sister.” He pointed to the two other children in the photo.

My eyes burned and my heart ached. I didn’t want to know what happened to them, but I needed to. My sister looked like me and our mother, except her platinum blonde hair was wavy and ours was perfectly straight. My brother, however, was the exact image of my father with darker blond hair and striking blue eyes.

“Are they all dead?”

He swallowed hard. “Your parents are. They stayed and fought so we could get away. Your mother made me promise to keep you safe.”