Shelby's pov

After a couple of hours of dancing on the floor with a nice buzz going, Darren was dancing with some random human. Thomas stood by the door watching over the crowd and Carli was at the bar chatting up a blond-haired boy. I may have seemed intoxicated to my friends, but I was keeping surveillance, the dance floor was the best place to watch everything. I knew that he would be here, this was the most open that I had been in months. Surely the devil that wanted to kill me would not pass up this opportunity.

"What are you looking for my love?" James asked pretending to kiss my neck.

"I don't know what you mean," I tried to play stupid, and I put on a drunken smile on my face.

He chuckled, "I have known you since you were born. Who do you think drove here to pick you up when you got your first fake ID,"

I frowned wishing that I could remember all of these things, he touched my waist through the thin fabric. I could feel reassuring sparks spread through my body; I knew that he knew why I was upset. "Will you tell me about all of that one day?" I asked looking up at him.

His face quickly went from shock to a soft smile. "Let's get a booth, the corner has just as good of a view of the whole place as the dance floor," He took my hand and I looked down at our interlaced hands. Something felt weird about it, not like it was wrong or bad. It was what I had always wanted, but it felt disconnected somehow. When we sat down in the booth, I positioned myself to see the whole club with just a slight turn of my head.

"I know that you have not told me everything that went on between you and Trevor," James started the conversation, and I bit my lip not knowing what to respond with. "I don't expect you to tell me everything. I know that you are trying to protect everyone, this is how I know you will be a fantastic Luna and one day mother. So don't be mad at me for not wanting to tell you the whole past yet, there are things that happened between us that you would be disappointed in yourself for,"

"What could we possibly have done that I would regret that much?" I wanted to know now more than anything. "We were and are destined to be together for as long as we live," I started to raise my voice in anger.

"Calm down, I did not say I would never tell you. I just want you to be ready, I am so in love with you. I vow to do everything in my power to protect you and our future, I do not know what you are going through. I know that I am meant to be with you, I knew from the moment I kissed you that one summer when we were 12 in the mountains. Do you remember that?"

I tried hard to think about it but could not remember. I sighed in frustration and looked into his eyes with sorrow reflected in mine. "I am trying, you have to believe me,"

"I do, now let me help," he said. I raised my eyebrow confused. "I am going to repeat what I said and did that night. This might get embarrassing but please keep in mind I was 14 and really awkward," he looked at me for confirmation, I nodded. "It was the annual Leaders ball in the mountain pack, you and I snuck out after dark to watch the stars. You were looking at the stars with such wonder, I could not keep my eyes off you. You said something about how beautiful the stars were and I told you that you were breathtaking," My head started to hurt and my vision got blurry the more he talked and described the scene. Then I lost consciousness completely.

Annual Leader meeting 4 years ago-

During the ball, James came up to me and told me that he wanted to sneak out to watch the stars later that night. I laughed and agreed, I had had a crush on him forever and would do almost anything he asked.

"What was that about?" My mother asked fixing my gown and making sure that my hair was in place.

"Nothing," I giggled.

"Be careful, I could not live with myself if I lost you," she kissed my forehead and pulled me close.

"I'm not going anywhere," I laughed. She looked at me like she knew something that I did not like I could be ripped from her side any minute now. "Mommy?" I questioned worriedly.

"It's nothing my love," I knew it was not nothing. She only used that nickname when it was something. My face scrunched up but someone called her away before I could question her any further, I shrug my shoulders and go back to enjoying the party.

A couple of hours pass, as the adults exchange ideas and traditions, there was a kid's table that I sat between James and Trevor. This was all of our second time in attendance, last year I noticed that there were not a lot of little girls at the children's table. I did not think anything of it until I started training earlier this year, I had to learn about all of the packs and their elite families. Almost none of the families had chosen their daughters to take their roles, my parents did not have a choice as I was their only child. I could still lose my role if the Alpha saw fit, I looked over to James and he gave me a huge smile before digging into his dinner, I could never see him doing that to me.

After dinner, Trevor asked me to dance as the music started, I agreed and took his hand letting him lead me to the dance floor. We had practiced dancing for this event, Trevor and his beta joined us as we were neighboring packs. We swayed back and forth to the music, I could overhear some of the older couples cooing at Trevor and I, both of our faces heated up and we looked away from each other. I looked over to James, his face held a slight shadow of anger beneath his smile. Until his eyes finally looked into mine, his face softened, and he got up and put his hand in his pocket, and made his way over to Trevor and I. When he reached us, he tapped Trevor on the shoulder and asked if he could cut in. I felt my smile grow as Trevor nodded and walked off, leaving James and I to dance.

"Are you upset?" I asked timidly.

"I should have asked you to dance first, we are in the same pack. It would have made more sense," James responded with his signature smile.

"You do not like dancing," I laughed.

"No but I do like you," he said.

"I like you too," I smiled back. I liked to spend time with him, I knew we were young, but I often thought about meeting my mate, I hoped that he was like James. We spent the rest of the ball talking and laughing, though most of it was back at the table.

Right before we left I snuck out to see the stars, they were prettier in the mountains. The path was illuminated by the moon, I did not wander too far. I knew that our parents would want to leave soon, we had a long drive home. While I was captivated by the stars I heard someone coming up behind me. I turned my nose up and smirked "I know it is you, James,"

"You couldn't let me have this one?" He replied coming up to be at my side.

"There is a reason I always win at hide and seek," I laughed then turned my attention back to the stars "Aren't they beautiful,"

"I suppose but I think that you are breathtaking," James said not taking his eyes off of me. All I saw in his eyes was pure adoration, I looked down at his lips then the ground. I knew that I like him. "Can I tell you a secret?" He asked. I nodded not taking my eyes off the ground, but I felt him lean in. His fingers gently pulled my face up and he kissed me. It was slow and meaningful; it was the perfect first kiss. We walked back into the ballroom and sat at our table until our parents came and told us it was time for us to go home. On the car ride back, James let me fall asleep on his shoulder.

Present Day:

I woke up in a panic looking around me, I was in the hospital wing again, but I was in one of the rooms. I looked at the door that was cracked open, I could hear Amanda and James arguing. I kept my breathing steady as to not attract attention and listen in to their conversation for as long as possible.

"I told you that if you tried to get her to remember that this would happen. Her brain can not handle both of the versions of reality in her head. If you keep pushing her she might not come back one day, I can only do so much James," Amanda lectured him.

"She asked me to tell her about it what was I supposed to do? Tell her no?" James came back. "How would you feel being so close to your mate for two fucking years and not being able to touch her. Knowing that she hates me and is not aware of our bond because her best friend got rid of her memories and suppressed herself for some prophecy that could get her killed,"

"None of this is my fault, I am trying to do the best thing for her no matter what I think about her situation. You are the Alpha, it is your job to do the best for the pack not just for you and your mate. And what about Shelby, the weight of the world is on her shoulders no one even knows how to help her. She doesn't even know how important she is because your father has ordered everyone who knows to stay quiet. So before you judge what I had to do because of your family think about why I did it," Amanda's voice was shaking, she was scared as she probably should be, she just stood up to her Alpha and disrespected her former Alpha. I felt bad about staying so quiet because that was the bravest thing that she has ever done. "She's awake,"

'Shit,' I thought. I had not noticed that I was inching toward the edge of the bed to hear their conversation. They both walked into the room I looked at Amanda first, when we made eye contact I knew that she knew I heard all of that. I gave her a small smile and then turned to James, the look in his eyes made me blush. It was similar to the one that he gave me at the annual party in my dream, but it was more intense. I could not look away, his face looked softer, but I could also tell that they were both hiding something from me, neither of them were saying anything. This always meant bad news.

"So, what happened?" I said looking between the two of them breaking the decision.

They looked at each other and their eyes glazed over they were mind linking in front of me, now I was worried. "I'm still here," I said irritated.

"Sorry, we just do not know where to start," Amanda apologized. "A lot has happened since James," she threw a glare his way "tried to reset your memory with a little jog in the past. You have been unconscious for 2 days and there was an incident at the bar involving Carli," Amanda looked down. "That guy that she was hitting on at the bar, I do not think that he was interested in her," Amanda dragged on.

"Carly's dead," James broke the news not so gently. I took a deep breath, Carli was like the little sister of the pack. I could not imagine what everyone was feeling, I could not even process what I was feeling. "It happened last night after you passed out, some of the customers at the bar watched her go into the bathroom with a blond man. This was taken, 'You are next RED,' on the mirror in her blood," I felt the tear slip down my cheek.

"He's here," I said.

"Who is?" Amanda asked.

"The devil," I responded.