“It’s so nice to meet you. Nate, is it?” Conner replied with a smile, holding out a hand to shake.
The noise that came out of my boyfriend could only have been described as a growl. “Megan, go inside, now!” His voice was low and demanding.
“What’s the problem?” I asked, a feeling of uneasiness began to creep inside me.
“Go!” he growled, gritting his teeth.
I really didn’t appreciate him ordering me around, but his tone of voice said that now was not the time to argue about it.
I slunk back into my room and started to pace. I was so angry, I was sure steam was about to come out of my ears. Who did he think he was, giving me orders like that and in front of a stranger? I had to put a stop to this today. There was no way I was going to let him tell me what to do.
Walking over to the window I peered out and saw that the driveway was empty. They were gone.
With a feeling of dread in the pit of my stomach, I stepped out of the door to look for them. I couldn’t see anyone. I heard the laughter and voices from behind the house, but that was it.
A bird screeched above me and as I looked up to watch it soar toward the forest, I spotted Nate and Conner. They were by the edge of the woods that surrounded our property. The two of them were arguing. Nate was gesturing wildly, but Conner just kept the same bored, defiant grin on his face.
Nate’s back was to me, but Conner looked up and his eyes locked right onto mine. His grin spread, he said something to Nate and then took off running into the woods.
Before I could figure out why he would run, something else happened that I couldn’t comprehend. Nate jumped up into the air and his body exploded. That was the only word I could think of. He exploded into a…wolf. His suit ripped into shreds, falling all over the long grass.
One minute he was my sexy, human boyfriend and the next he was a wolf, a wild animal, growling and snapping savagely at Conner. He dove into the woods, chasing him.
I could no longer see what was happening once they disappeared behind the towering trees. But the image of Nate turning into a wolf would be burned into my memory forever.
I backed up, completely dazed, rushing back into my room, slamming the door and locking it behind me. That did not just happen. He couldn’t have done what I saw him do. My mind was just playing tricks on me.
I started to feel lightheaded and I staggered over to sit down on my bed. I was stunned. I just wanted to brush off what I had seen and forget it. But I couldn’t. Memories started flashing in my head. The night he was at my house and his nails turned long and pointed. Two weeks ago, when his eyes turned yellow. All the times he said he wasn’t good for me or that he was dangerous. Images of all the things I had wondered about him kept flashing in my head until I was dizzy.
I had to lie down before I threw up. I just wanted to forget what happened, I couldn’t even fathom that Nate, the guy who I thought was sweet, kind and very generous, wasn’t human.
No, it’s not possible. I had to have seen it wrong. Standing up, I walked slowly to peer out my window, hoping that when I looked, the lawn would be empty. But no, Nate’s clothes were still scattered on the grass where he had left them. It was true. He was something else. But what? A werewolf? There was no such thing. But how could I deny what I saw?
I lifted my hands into my hair, spinning around the room. Oh my God, what was I supposed to do? He was chasing Conner. He could be dead. The memory of the radio report popped into my head and I stopped. That’s why he was so upset. He must have been the one who killed those people.
I had to call the police, but what was I supposed to say? My boyfriend is a werewolf. I couldn’t tell them what I saw, no one would believe me. I didn’t believe me. I could just tell them that he killed those other people. I didn’t have to mention anything about werewolves, unless of course, I wanted to be fitted for a straitjacket. I picked up my phone and dialed. My hands were shaking so hard I had to hang up and redial a few times before I heard, “Nine-one-one emergency, how may I help you?” on the other end.
“I know who killed those people in the park,” I whispered, unable to say the words out loud.
“Can you speak up? I can’t hear you.”
I cleared my throat and took a deep breath, gathering the strength I needed. “I know who killed those people in the park,” I said a little louder. “His name is Nate Green and you can find him at 321 Maple View, side patio door.” When she asked my name, I hung up.
I sat down on my bed, shaking with fear. I couldn’t believe I thought he was good. I knew there was something off about him. How could I not know? Was I doing the right thing? I loved him. But how could I love a monster that lied to me over and over?
He must have killed those people. What else could it have been? That’s what werewolves did, right? They killed people.
What was I doing? Was I really talking to myself about werewolves? I must be going insane. I couldn’t catch my breath. I had to calm down.
I ran into the bathroom to splash cold water on my face. When I looked in the mirror I didn’t recognize myself. My eyes were huge, my skin bone white. The contrast of my white skin was stark against my almost red hair. I poured water into a cup and took a sip, breathing in through my nose and out my mouth trying to soothe myself before I had a panic attack. It was working. My color started to come back and my eyes were back to their normal shape.
I heard the door open and close in the other room and froze. Damn, I had given him a key.
“Megan?” Nate called from my bedroom. I took a deep breath and looked at myself in the mirror again. “I can handle this,” I whispered to my reflection. The police were on their way. I took another deep breath, closed my hands into fists and turned the corner, walking over to sit down on my bed.
He was wearing jeans and a T-shirt. There was a scratch above his left eye and a cut on his upper right arm. He smiled sheepishly. “I’m sorry I got so angry, but I didn’t like the way that guy was looking at you.”
I looked down at my hands. They were shaking and my nails were cutting into my skin from squeezing so hard; they were starting to bleed. I put them behind my back before he could see that something was wrong. I couldn’t stand the thought of being so close to him. “Where is Conner?”
He chuckled. “We got into a fight, but when we heard a car pull in the drive he took off. I went home to change. I ripped my suit during the fight.” He stepped over to me, sitting beside me on the bed and touched my chin. “Look. I’m sorry. I know you must be upset with me, but I couldn’t help it. There was something about the guy that I didn’t like.”
His hand lingered on my face and it took everything I had not to jump up. “You’ve never been jealous before,” I said quietly, looking down at the floor.
“I know. I said I was sorry.” He tried to make eye contact, but I glanced out the window. “Look at me.” He pushed my chin up and I struggled to look him in the eye, but I couldn’t. I looked away. “What’s wrong?” His eyes searched mine.
I stood up. I couldn’t be near him. His soft touch still made my skin tingle and his familiar smell of pine and leather was too much. I was afraid I couldn’t go through with it. I moved closer to the window and leaned against it. I peered out at the parking lot, pretending to be interested in the scene before me. People were leaving, getting into their cars and driving away.
“What did you see?” His voice was barely a whisper. I knew he wasn’t asking about the view from the window.
I was about to respond when the door opened and two police officers entered my room. “Nate Green?” a male detective with brown hair and wearing a blue suit asked.
“Yes,” Nate answered with confusion as he stood up.
“We’d like to take you in for questioning.”
“For what?” Nate asked, his voice filled with apprehension.
“Murder. We’ve had an anonymous tip that you were involved with the park killings.”
Nate gasped and spun to face me ju
st as he was led outside with the police. Before he disappeared he gazed at me with so much pain in his eyes I almost told them to stop. But I stood my ground, picturing him attacking Conner and those poor people who were murdered. I turned my head away, disgusted and didn’t look back until they were gone. As soon as the door closed, I threw myself onto my bed and cried.
Chapter Twenty-one
Traitor
A few hours later, Mona appeared in my doorway. “What is going on? You took off and never came back.”
I had forgotten all about the party. With all that I had been through, it was the last thing on my mind. It was surprising that nobody had seen or heard any of the commotion that had happened with Nate.
The mattress creaked as she sat down beside me. “Nothing, I don’t want to talk about it. Go away,” I cried, my face buried into my tear-soaked pillow.
“Okay, but if you need me just call.” She patted my head and when I didn’t respond she got up and walked out of the room, shutting the door behind her with a soft click.
I spent the rest of the night arguing with myself, wondering if I did the right thing. All I could see every time I closed my eyes was the tortured look he gave me when he realized I had called the police. When I started to feel guilty, I would remember him exploding into a wolf. Both visions haunted me all night. I didn’t sleep a wink.
In the morning, I lay on my bed, intent on staying there forever, when there was a knock at my patio door. I crawled off the bed and begrudgingly trudged to it.
Lauren was standing in front of me with an envelope in her hand.
“Hi, Lauren. I’m sorry, but I’m not in the mood for a visitor.” My voice was raspy from all the crying.
She scowled, stopping the door with her hand as I was about to shut it. “Why would I want to visit a traitor? He loves you and this is what you do to him? Here.” She thrust the envelope at me before she turned and headed for a black town car parked in the driveway.
I watched her drive off with a mix of confusion and anxiety. She had never spoken to me in such an awful way before. She was one of my only friends and to hear her talk to me that way really hurt.
I glanced down at the letter in my hand and was surprised to see that my name on the front was not written in Lauren’s handwriting, but Nate’s. The paper felt hot between my fingers, making my hand shake. I didn’t want to open it, but I knew I had to. If I didn’t I would always wonder.
I went back inside to sit down on my bed, staring at Nate’s neat handwriting. The flat, white, rectangular envelope was a nonthreatening, unanimated object and inside was simply paper and ink. So why was I so scared to open it? Were they the threatening words of a monstrous werewolf, or the loving thoughts of the boy I loved? I closed my eyes, took a deep breath and ripped, tossing the envelope into the garbage. I was left with nothing else to do but read.
Megan,
I don’t blame you for being disgusted with me. I am a monster. But I was only trying to have a normal life with the girl I love.
I know you think I killed those people in the park because you saw what I am, but I could never do that. I have fought that side of me for years. But, there are others out there who don’t fight it. Conner, as you called him, is a werewolf whose real name is Rowan. I met him many years ago after I stopped him from killing a young woman. I told him not to hurt anyone else, or I would do whatever I could to stop him.
The next day, he killed my father to prove that I didn’t scare him. He said that he was older and stronger, so there was nothing I could do. I felt helpless. I couldn’t avenge my own father’s death and I admit, I was afraid he would hurt someone else I loved. He left town, but I never forgot what he did.
Many years later, just as I was getting comfortable with my life without looking over my shoulder for him, I met another werewolf named Sadie. I finally had found someone that understood what my life was like. She was my best friend and I wanted to take care of her. She was young by my standards and very sweet. She looked at the world through rose-colored glasses and because of her, my world was brighter. And again, Rowan found me and killed her.
Because of this, I’ve lived my life away from my family. Lauren is a relative of mine; all of the Rileys are. I changed my name so they would not be vulnerable to any enemies that might lurk around the corner. I chose not to make it known for fear Rowan would find out I was related to them. This is also the reason I have stayed away from you all of this time. But now he knows I love you and he told me he’s going to kill you.
He is the one who took those lives in the park and he will do it again if I don’t stop him. A lot of things have changed since I saw him last. I can kill him now, but I need to get out of here, or others will die, including you. I know you won’t want to be with me anymore, now that you know what I am and I understand that. But I need to stop him before he kills again.
The police told me it was an anonymous tip who said I murdered those people. They are holding me here for forty-eight hours. And my lawyer can’t do anything about it. They have not arrested me yet, but if you pursue this, I know they will. I understand that you thought you were doing the right thing. But the last woman was killed on Friday night and I was with you. You can get me out so I can stop him. After I do, I will leave. You will never have to see me again.
I have never loved anyone the way I love you. You are so much more than you give yourself credit for. I know that you’re afraid to turn into your mother, but you need to know that will not happen. You are nothing like her. It would have been easier for you to live like them, become a trust fund socialite and live a life with no real meaning. But you chose to run into that burning building and save those people. You chose to help people in need even after your hours were stopped. How could I not love you? If you look in the mirror, you’ll see a strong young woman who stood up for what was right, against her friends and parents.
I need you to look deep in your heart. Could the woman I just described have fallen in love with a murderer? I know you’re confused about what you saw, but remember who it was you fell in love with. After you do this, if you still think I could take a life, then leave me here. But if you know in your heart who I truly am, please do the right thing.
I know you don’t want to hear this, but I love you and I always will.
Nate
The ink ran as tears dripped onto the paper. I didn’t even realize I was crying. What was I supposed to do? How could I trust someone who lied to me so many times?
His words “look deep inside your heart” kept repeating in my head, so I closed my eyes and focused on everything that had happened in the last few months. I thought about how angry he was when he thought I had started the fire and how great he was at Riley House. How he treated everyone like family. He truly cared for each one of those people. I remembered how loving he was. When he touched me I felt it deep into my bones and even when he pulled away after he told me he loved me, I could still sense it. When he was close to me I could feel his warmth and somehow I always felt safe.
I wrapped my hand around the moon pendant on my necklace, trying to find the answer. When I opened my eyes again, I picked up the phone and dialed.
I decided to spend the rest of the day locked in my room under my warm and cozy duvet watching romantic movies; the mushier the better. I was well prepared with tissues on one side of the bed and a box of chocolates on the other.
I was watching the first movie and was thankful I had the tissues. As the girl in the movie walked down the aisle to marry the one she loved before she died of cancer, I broke down, sobbing uncontrollably. My phone beeped with an awaiting text. I wiped away the last of my tears and picked up my phone to read it, throwing the wet tissue into the trash.
I sucked in a breath when I saw who it was from.
I need to see you. Please come to the Riley estate, main house. I will explain everything. It was from Nate.
After a lot of pacing and silent debating, I picked up my purse and made my way to my c
ar. I drove the whole way, shaking with fear. He asked me to search my heart and in my heart I believed that the Nate I knew couldn’t have done those things. But did he show me who he truly was, or was it all a lie? I would soon find out because I saw the Riley mansion looming in the distance.
When I pulled into the driveway I gathered all my strength and walked to the front door, hopefully showing no fear. My heart was thundering in my chest.
A woman with brown hair, wearing all black, opened the door. “Um…I’m here to see Nate. I’m Megan Banks.” Without saying a word she led me down the hall just past the large sweeping staircase. She stopped outside two very large mahogany doors, knocking once before she pushed them open.
It was an office. Instead of the bare, crisp, impersonal space my father worked in at home, this room was cozy and welcoming. The walls were lined from ceiling to floor with shelves filled with all kinds of books. It looked like there was new popular fiction, encyclopedias, classic literature and some that looked ancient, with spines that were cracked and faded.
There were cozy leather chairs placed around a matching sofa and a fireplace against the far wall. A large antique desk sat in front of a wall of windows.
Nate was sitting behind the desk, talking to Will and another man about the same age. Lauren was with them, lounging on one of the leather chairs. They stopped their conversation and all eyes turned to me.
Lauren, her father and the other man rushed over to me, a wall of protection standing in front of Nate.
“What are you doing here?” Lauren spit out hatefully. It was strange hearing her speak to me this way. She was the nicest, sweetest girl I knew.
Her father stood with his arms crossed in front of him. “Have you come to hurt him more?” he sneered, narrowing his eyes.
“How could you do that to him? He loves you,” the other man said, staring daggers at me.
Their words stung like a knife, piercing my skin. The urge to turn around and run was overwhelming. Nate stood up before I could give in to it.
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