As I rode the wave, a movement on shore caught my attention. Rikki had walked down to the water's edge. After waking her twice before daybreak for sex, I'd decided the gentlemanly thing to do would be to let her sleep late. Although, I also had ungentlemanly motives because after surfing, I had every intention of waking her from her late morning sleep just as I'd done in the middle of the night. I couldn't get enough of her.

Stryker shot past me on a wave as I slowed and sat down on my board. Flint and Wilder had already given up on the disappointing surf. They sat on the beach devouring a box of donuts, watching Stryker and me squeeze out the last few rides of the day. Soon, the offshore breeze would start up and knock the waves into useless, choppy curls.

Willow appeared in the distance. She had taken a walk down the sand to visit the elephant seals. Her extreme, nymph-inherited gift for taking care of the animals had come in handy for the critters living along Whitecrest Beach. She had already saved a seal pup, two seagulls and even a pelican from premature death. Before she met Stryker, or, more accurately, before he landed half dead on her doorstep, Willow had been the guardian and healer for the tundra animals. But now that she lived on the coast, her focus had turned to the ocean habitat animals. She felt it her duty to keep track of the health and well being of our resident elephant seal population. No one else could get near them without being chased off, but Willow walked amongst them as if she was a well respected member of the colony.

Rikki waited for me on shore. I hadn't introduced her to anyone yet, which seemed comical considering she knew everyone by name. Not to mention she'd had numerous conversations with all of them. We'd ended last night on her understanding of why I needed to tell the guys her true identity. But we'd been too tired to hammer out any details. I was still trying to figure out a way to let my pack know everything without actually letting them know Rikki's secret. So far, nothing brilliant had come to me.

I waded to shore with my board and headed straight to Rikki, knowing full well all eyes were on us. But I didn't give a damn. I kissed her. "I guess I should introduce you to my friends." I winked. "Sure hope you like them."

"I feel like I know them already," she said with a smile.

Stryker left the water and walked to meet Willow. I'd made fun of him so many times about being so strangled by love he couldn't think straight. Now I was right there with him.

The four of us reached Flint and Wilder at the same time. I ground my board into the sand and waved to my towel so Rikki could sit.

"Everyone, this is Rikki. Her family owns a fishing trawler down in the marina." Since we hadn't talked enough about it, I decided not to mention the other family business yet. "Rikki, this is Flint, Wilder, Stryker and the pretty one of the bunch, Willow."

"How do you do?" Willow offered Rikki her hand. "It's nice to meet you."

"You as well. I've heard a lot about you." Rikki pulled in her bottom lip and seemed to rethink her words. "I mean, Max mentioned that you loved animals and that you were going to work with them."

"Yes, I'm studying to be a vet tech. You work on the fishing boat?"

"Sometimes. It's fun when the weather is nice and the catch is good. Gosh, I hope that doesn't seem insensitive." She pulled in her lip again.

Willow waved her hand. "No, don't be silly. Everyone has to make a living."

Stryker wiped his hands on his towel. "So how long has your family been fishing out here?"

"My dad is the third generation."

"Wow, that's what you call a legacy. Have a donut." Wilder winced in pain as he reached forward for the donut box.

Rikki reached into the box for a glazed. "How is that tail bone feeling?"

"Still hurts like—" Wilder looked up at Rikki. In fact, all eyes fell on her. She was one bite in before she noticed or even realized her mistake. The donut fell from her fingers into the sand.

"Shit," Rikki said quietly. Her worried gaze shot to me.

I shrugged. "At least you saved me from having to come up with a good way to break it to them."

Flint sat forward. "Max, what's going on? How does she know about Wilder's fall from the horse?"

Rikki's face was smooth and white like marble, and she was frozen to the spot. All I wanted to do was hold her.

"She knows about it because she was there." I looked at Rikki to make sure I should continue. She nodded weakly. "Guys, this is Rikki or as you might know her better, Trex, the ferryman."

"Bullshit," Stryker said. "There's no fucking way."

Rikki dropped her voice low and gravelly. "Stryker, don't track that Wynter muck into my ferry."

"Holy shit." Flint sat back hard in the beach chair, nearly upending it.

"Maximus, looks like you've got some explaining to do." Wilder stood up from his chair. "Let's head inside. Seems like this is something we should all talk about behind walls."