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Ivy’s mansion had a library, but all the books were fake. They were huge encyclopedias with beautiful leather covers, and their only purpose was to look pretty on the shelves.
I had asked to come to a bookstore before, but my father had been worried about me being out when I didn’t even remember my own house. But now he had allowed Roman to bring me here and I knew why: to occupy myself while he, Ivy, Dot, and a handful of his demons went on their mission. So I wouldn’t be upset about not being able to join them.
I turned into the romance section, and suddenly an image flashed in my mind.
A man whose face I couldn’t see, standing at the corner of a bookshelf, wearing nothing but jeans. A powerful tug came from my chest and I pressed a hand over my breast, as if I could soothe the pain that it left behind.
My head snapped toward Roman. Was that him? Had he been with me before while I browsed books somewhere? And why had he been shirtless? And that feeling, that tug … it could only be the mating bond.
I opened my mouth to ask Roman about it, but then a woman with a little girl walked in the same corridor. As they passed by us, the little girl pulled at her mother’s sweater and whispered, “Mommy, she looks like a princess.” Then she looked at me again and smiled.
Something tugged inside of me again, different this time, and I smiled back at her, suddenly taken aback. As the girl and her mother walked away, my chest constricted and my eyes watered. I pressed a hand to my chest. What the hell was this about?
“She called you princess,” Roman said from behind me.
I inhaled deeply and blinked, pushing the tears away. For some reason, I didn’t want him to see this little insane reaction I had just had.
I turned to the books. “She was just being kind.”
“No, Raika, she wasn’t. She was being honest.”
A knot formed between my eyebrows. I knew in real life princesses didn’t wear huge ballgowns everywhere they went, but that was how I imagined them. I was dressed up, in a simple but elegant black dress that went down mid-calf, high heeled pumps, and a set of beautiful diamond earrings and a delicate pendant, which I was told had been gifts from my father on my last birthday.
My long black hair was pulled back into a half ponytail that curled in a big wave down my back, and I had a little makeup on.
I looked rich, sophisticated, but certainly not like a princess.
Shaking my head, I continued browsing the shelves. I paused again at the middle grade section, where a bunch of adventure and fantasy called to me. I picked one up and looked at the cover: a young girl holding a sword atop of a mountain.
Suddenly, I saw a little girl in my mind, seated on a rug, surrounded by pillows, and holding this exact book.
I gasped and held the book tighter. I stared at Roman.
“What is it?” He approached me, his hands hovered over my arms. “Are you okay?”
My throat went dry. “Tell me, when we lived with the pack, was there a little girl who liked to read? A place with a large rug and several pillows?”
Roman’s lips thinned and his brows slammed down. “Hm, yeah. The rug and pillows were at the library. You loved spending time there. As for the little girl … she liked books too.”
“Was she something to me? My cousin? My friend?” It would be odd for me to have a little girl as a friend, unless this was an old memory, and I had been a little girl at the time too.
“Raika, I’ve told you before. You didn’t really have any friends there. Just me.”
I nodded. He had told me that. He even told me the pack had hated my guts since I was born, even though back then they had no idea what I was. They had always treated me bad.
I let out a long sigh. “I … I don’t know what is happening, but I just had two flashes and I’m certain they are memories.”
“Two?”
Giddy, I placed the book I was holding inside the tote and looked around. “I should start picking more books from the shelves. Maybe more memories will come to me.”
“Raika.” Roman grabbed my wrist, but a second later he let go, probably remembering he had promised not touching me without my consent first. But this hadn’t beenthatkind of touch. “I think we should go.”
“Why? I’m finally remembering something. You should be glad.” I knew I was.
“I am, truly, but maybe now that you’ve unlocked two memories, you should go see Dot. She might be able to unlock the rest now.”
I liked that idea but … I picked up my phone and glanced at it. It had been only four hours since the others had left for their mission. “Dot’s probably not back yet. Who knows how long this mission will take? A full day? Two? A week? Even if they come back today, I think we can spare a couple more hours here.” I smiled at Roman, truly happy with the idea of staying in the bookstore and recovering more of my memories if not all. “Please?”
