Free Turn of the Moon (A Royal Shifters novel Book 1) by L.P. Dover

my hand on his arm. “Give me a second to speak.” I looked up at him and he nodded.
    “If a fight is what they want, I’ll give it to them. I’m the one who killed their alpha.” The room fell silent. “My goal is to lead them away from you, from your children. I haven’t been a part of your pack for long, but that doesn’t take away from the fact I don’t want to see anyone hurt because of me.”
    As if on command, men stood and formed a line in front of me. Cedric was first. He knelt down, bowing his head.
    “What are you doing?” I whispered.
    He chuckled and winked up at me. “Giving you my life.” Taking my hand, he held it in his. “I, Cedric Convel, give you my life, my honor, and my strength. I will fight and die for you, if you so choose it. You are my alpha.” When he stood, he leaned down and whispered in my ear. “I’ve searched years for my mate and haven’t found her. If you can restore the magic of the moon, I will forever be in your debt.”
    For the first time since I’d met him, he was completely serious. I nodded with confidence. “I will do everything within my power to see that it happens.”
    Completely in awe, yet numb, I stood there with Ryker by my side as one after the other pledged their allegiance to me. Everything I’d known to be true had been torn away from me in just one night. I was nothing to my old pack but a pawn in a game. Whatever they were playing, I was determined to win. One way or another, I was going to get my answers.
    Once everyone had left, it was time to leave for the airport. Ryker took my hand and brought it to his lips. “Everything will be fine, angel. After we finish mating, we’ll be stronger than any pack out there. You’ll get your answers.”
    “I sure hope so. If we don’t, I’m never going to know what happened to my real family, or who I really am.”
    “Even if you don’t find out who you really are, there’s one thing we know for certain. You’re mine, as I am yours. We found each other, and now you have a new family, a new beginning.”
    “You’re right. But something tells me it’s not going to be so easy.”
    With his hand on the back of my neck, he pulled me to him and kissed me. “Nothing worth having ever is. Now let’s go, we have a plane to catch.” We loaded up the truck and started down the road. When we got to the airport, he unloaded the bags and locked up. “North Carolina, here we come.”
    Snickering, I grabbed my bag. “Blake said the beaches there were beautiful. And they aren’t crowded like other places. Besides, I’ve never even seen an ocean before. It’ll be a new experience.”
    He put his arm around me. “That it will. If all else fails, at least I’ll get to see you in a bikini.” I started to laugh, but then froze. “Bailey, what’s wrong?”
    For the briefest moment, I thought I’d felt the presence of another wolf, a strong one. But the feeling disappeared so fast I couldn’t tell if I imagined it, or if I was just paranoid.
    “Bailey!” Ryker shouted, grabbing my attention. I scanned the parking lot and didn’t see a thing. “Are you okay?”
    I nodded. “Yeah, of course. Let’s go. I’m ready to see the beach.”

Bailey
    “I t’s so beautiful.” Seeing the ocean from the plane didn’t compare to the way it actually felt to have the sand between my toes and smell the salty, sea air.
    “You’re beautiful,” Ryker murmured. “And sexy as hell in that bathing suit.”
    I smiled, and turned around. “Thanks. You’re not so bad yourself.”
    “Are you going to stand out here all night?”
    The sky was turning dark, but I couldn’t bring myself to leave. There was so much I’d missed in life, and I didn’t want to miss another second of it. “I’m thinking about it.” I laughed.
    “Then I guess it’s a good thing I brought dinner.”
    I turned to see he had a bottle of wine and a paper bag, with a towel draped over his bare shoulder. “How did I not know you