Riley's Secret (A Moon's Glow Novel # 1)

by Smith, Christina

  “Why did they run yesterday in the parking lot when they saw you coming?”

  “They want me to be happy and since you and I started dating, I have been. They wanted to meet the person that put a smile on my face. But they know how I feel about keeping my identity a secret. So when they saw me, they left.”

  “They seemed a little afraid.”

  “Did they?” He smirked. “That would be nice. They know what I am and none of my family has ever taken it seriously. They are not aware that I have killed people and I would like to keep it that way. I know they would understand, but I don’t like hearing that what I did is okay.”

  The screech of a bird sitting on the dock had me looking over. I watched as a seagull stood staring into the lake, almost willing a fish to float to the surface so it could dive down and scoop it out of the water.

  I turned back to Nate and saw him watching the same bird. “It’s not okay. I hope it never happens again and to make sure it doesn’t, I’m going to make you eat every meal. But when I put myself in your shoes and think about what you’ve gone through, it’s understandable. It just doesn’t make it okay.”

  “Thank you for saying that. And I appreciate you feeding me. But I just want you to know that I could never hurt you. I don’t care how hungry I am. It was my wolf instincts that brought me to you, so even if it took over, it would never harm you. I need you to know that.”

  “What do you mean, your wolf instinct brought you to me?”

  He turned away, looking over at a maple tree that was blowing wildly in the wind. “Nothing. I’ll tell you later.” He said it absently, still focused on the tree, but I wasn’t about to let it go. He was holding back for a reason and I needed to know the truth.

  “Tell me now, Nate, no more secrets.” I sat up, lifting my legs around so my feet were resting on the deck.

  He turned his head back to gaze at me. He looked worried. “I don’t want to freak you out.”

  “I think I’ve done pretty well so far.”

  He stared down at his sunglasses, spinning them around in his hand, obviously stalling. “All right.” He swung his legs up to sit in the same position I was. He took my hands in his and gazed into my eyes. “Sadie told me some things about being a werewolf. Like wolves, our dominant sense is the sense of smell. It leads us to food, it alerts us when danger is near and it also distinguishes the scents of people.” He lowered his voice and his eyes shifted away from me. “When a werewolf smells a certain scent it triggers something in their brain. They recognize the scent, even if it was the first time they smelled it. They know that person…is their mate, their one and only mate. Sometimes a werewolf can go their whole lives without finding the scent. Some ignore it, which is what I tried to do when I smelled mine three years ago.” He reached up and lightly brushed the hair away from my face, gazing into my eyes. “You.”

  I turned away, leaving his hand hovering in the air and stood up. I needed space for a moment to digest his latest bombshell. Moving over to the railing of the deck, I leaned against it, my head hanging down, staring down at the small patch of grass. I didn’t see the blades of brown and green. I was too focused on his last words. Now I understood the look on his face when I saw him the first time and why he bolted. I was a werewolf’s mate, for life. I was fine with the for life part. I knew I would never want anyone but him. There had never been anyone but him. But the scent thing, how he found me, was the part that bothered me.

  “Did I upset you?”

  I was about to answer him when a car pulled into Nate’s little driveway. Lauren opened up the door to her compact car and stepped out. “Hey,” she called, climbing the few steps onto the porch.

  I simply nodded to her as I pulled a chair over from the end of the deck to keep myself busy. I couldn’t look at Nate at the moment and I jumped at the chance of a distraction.

  She sat down. “Hi, Nate. I just thought I’d come over and see how things are going.”

  He glanced at me, unsure. “You’d have to ask Megan that.”

  She turned her gaze on me as I took my previous seat on the lounge chair.

  “I’m fine. Why don’t you hang out for a while until we go up to your place for dinner?”

  I think Nate understood that I needed time away from him to think. He stood up and pulled his shirt over his head. “That’s a good idea. I need to call your father to discuss a problem at the store. I’ll just be inside if you need me.” He gave me a hesitant smile and a soft kiss before disappearing into the house.

  Lauren and I were silent until we heard his voice on the phone and then the door to his bedroom close. “Did I interrupt something?” Lauren asked, moving to claim the chair Nate had vacated.

  “No.”

  “Really? Then why did he just run into the house as soon as I showed up?” She bent over to dig through the bag she had thrown on the deck beside her and pulled out her sunglasses.

  “He just left to give me some time.”

  “I thought you accepted what he was.”

  “I did and I was fine with everything. I still am, but when he told me what drew him to me, I panicked.”

  “Oh, you mean when he caught your scent?”

  My head spun to look at her. “You knew?” When she only shrugged her shoulders, I went on. “It makes me sound like an animal. And him sniffing me sounds like when a dog sniff’s your…you know what.”

  She covered her mouth, trying to hide her laughter. “Don’t think of it like that. Think of it as love at first sight.”

  I rolled my eyes. “More like love at first sniff.”

  She laughed, this time unable to hide it. “I think you’re lucky. He loves you so much that he risked getting caught to protect you. That’s what it’s like for him.” She sat up and turned her body around to face me, but instead of setting her feet on the deck, she sat cross-legged on the lounge chair. “You know how a mother bear will do anything to protect her cubs. You never get between a baby and its mother, right?” I nodded and she continued. “That’s the instinct werewolves have for their mate. When he saw you talking to Rowan he risked being seen changing by the guests at your party just to get him away from you. That’s love. I’m a little jealous. No human has instincts like that. Close, but not quite so raw.”

  “Wild, you mean? Like an animal.”

  “He loves you, that’s all that matters.” She grinned widely at me.

  I sighed. “I know and I love him. I’ll get over it. It’s just that I’ve had a lot to process in one day.” I really just needed to stop thinking for a few minutes and I had just the way to do it. “Do you want to go for a swim?” I asked Lauren.

  “Sure. I just happen to have my bathing suit on under my clothes.”

  I ran into the bathroom to change. When I came out Nate was in the living room just hanging up the phone. I stood in the bathroom doorway carrying two towels and wearing my black two-piece bikini. A mischievous grin spread across his face when he saw me. “I’m so glad I didn’t let Will convince me to go over to the house and discuss some papers, like he wanted.”

  “We’re going swimming. Are you coming?”

  “I’ll be right back,” he said, rushing over and suddenly standing so close I could feel his hot breath on my face. He looked down at me, his deep blue eyes turning to stormy seas.

  I stepped back, startled at his sudden closeness. “I’m never going to get used to that.” How could he move so fast?

  He leaned in. “Sorry.” His voice was soft and then he was gone, the door to the bedroom shutting behind him.

  After our swim, we changed our clothes and then headed to the main house for dinner. Lauren went ahead of us to get ready for her guests.

  Nate let himself into the house. Holding hands, we walked into the large foyer. The sound of loud ticking drew my attention to an old grandfather clock. It looked ancient, with cherry wood that shined so bright I could see my reflection. The face was an old-fashioned design that was hard for me to read. Beveled glass
covered the face and the brass pendulum below. “It was my mother’s, a present from my father for their twenty-fifth anniversary.” He stood close behind me, his soft voice full of pride and grief.

  “It’s beautiful,” I whispered, not able to take my eyes from it. I couldn’t believe I didn’t notice it the last time I was here.

  “Nate, Megan, I’m so glad you could come.” Carolyn Riley, Lauren’s mother, walked toward us. Since most of the Rileys were blond, her brown hair stuck out, reminding everyone that she married into the family. She was different in other ways as well. The rest of the Rileys were tall with a bulky build, like a family full of bodyguards. Even Lauren was tall. But Carolyn was short with a tiny frame. Her shoulder-length hair was flipped up on the ends. She was dressed for dinner in a gray silk blouse and black dress pants. Long silver hoops hung from her ears. She held a champagne glass in her right hand. “Come on in and have a drink before dinner.”

  She led us into their living room where Lauren was relaxing on a small couch beside her father, Will. There were two other men standing by the window. One of them was the guy who had been yelling at me alongside Lauren and her father in the office. Carolyn and another woman sat in armchairs.

  Since it was just a couple of hours ago that they were angry with me, I was a little nervous. Sensing this, Nate took my hand again and squeezed it.

  “Megan, you’ve met my husband, Will. This is his brother Richard and his wife Elaine.” I nodded to them as Carolyn went on, “And this is their cousin, Philip.”

  “It’s nice to meet you all.”

  Nate led me to a small two-person settee in front of the window. I sat down, tugging the hem of my skirt.

  “Megan, we’d like to apologize to you for the way we behaved this morning. We’re a little protective of Nate. He means a lot to our family and we didn’t understand what happened. We’re very sorry.” Will stood up, making his way to a silver mini fridge hidden under a cabinet in the corner.

  “No, it’s fine, I understand.” My voice was soft, filled with nerves.

  Will handed each of us a soda. “Good. Let’s start over, shall we? How was your day?”

  “It was fine.”

  Nate leaned in and said, “He wants to know if you were you freaked out by what I told you.”

  “Oh, yes. It’s not something you hear every day.” I took a sip of my drink, mostly to do something with my hands.

  “No, it’s not. Our son Nathan doesn’t know yet; he’s fourteen. It’s a family secret that each member learns when they’re ready, or when the parents can trust them to keep the secret. Our fathers pass down the story every generation. We have letters from Nate’s family. Each one wrote one about Nate and what happened when he was turned. They are passed around the family when the secret is told. They are very moving and we would like you to read them.” Will stood up and walked to a large family picture. Behind it, he opened a safe. He took out a photo album and handed it to me. “You can take this with you if you’d like and then you’ll understand why we’re so protective.”

  I took it from him. “Thank you for trusting me with this.” I held the book on my lap. The silky material was soft on my bare legs.

  “You’re a part of the family now. You’re his—”

  “Dad, she’s a little touchy with that word,” Lauren warned, standing up.

  Nate glanced at me with one eyebrow raised in confusion.

  Will froze just as he was about to take a drink out of his champagne glass. “I was going to say girlfriend.”

  “Oh, never mind then.” Lauren sat back down.

  “I think dinner is ready,” Carolyn said as a maid dressed in black pants and a white shirt stood in the doorway.

  Chapter Twenty-five

  Letters from the Past

  I followed them into the dining room and sat between Nate and Lauren. Dinner was delicious, beef tenderloin, gravy and Yorkshire pudding. Everyone took turns telling me how they reacted when they were told the Rileys’ Secret. That’s what they called it. I noticed that Nate didn’t like all the attention. Each time they told a story he would cringe. Of course he just smiled and laughed at something that was supposed be funny, but I could tell by his eyes that he was tired of being the center of attention.

  After the fourth time we heard the story, I decided to change the subject. “So Lauren, are you going to school in the fall?” I asked, interrupting Will’s story.

  Everyone glanced at me with confusion, no doubt thinking that I was rude to interrupt. I just smiled and waited for Lauren to answer. When she raised a brow at me, I motioned with my eyes to Nate. I’m not sure if she understood, but she answered me. “I’m going to Wentworth. What about you?” Wentworth was the local university.

  “I’m going to work full days at the charity. I couldn’t make up my mind about what to take so I decided to take a year off.”

  “We’ll be lucky to have you. Maybe you can do Nate’s job since he’ll be working at the department store full time,” Will suggested, forgetting about the previous conversation.

  Nate focused on me. “Would you like that? It’s a lot of paperwork.”

  “Yes, I’d love to. I told you I wanted more responsibility.” I smiled and touched his arm lightly. “That is, if you trust me.” I looked up at everyone. “He was nervous about sending me to the grocery store.” Everyone laughed while Nate squeezed my leg.

  We finished our dinner and then returned to the living room for drinks. After a few, we politely said our goodbyes.

  Back at the cottage, I changed into the T-shirt I usually wore to bed. It smelled like Nate and each time I wore it I’d take a deep breath just before I drifted off to sleep. Since my clothes had arrived, I also slipped on some cotton shorts. Despite my nap, I was exhausted and ready for sleep.

  “Are you going to bed?” Nate asked me, surprised, coming into the bedroom.

  “If you don’t mind, I’m really tired.” I climbed under the covers while he sat on the edge of the bed.

  “Why did you interrupt Will when he was telling his story?” He gently brushed his fingers along my forehead. His touch was warm and tingly.

  “Because you didn’t seem to be enjoying all the attention. I got the feeling you felt like some kind of circus freak but wouldn’t stand up for yourself. I didn’t intend to offend him. I just knew you wanted them to stop.”

  He sighed. “How is it that they have known me for years and years and they don’t understand me? You have known me a few months and you already know how I feel?”

  “Because I’m your mate.” I spit the word out.

  “You don’t like that, do you? What did Lauren mean?”

  “I don’t like the word mate. It makes us sound like animals. And I find the whole scent thing weird, like a dog sniffing… stuff.” I couldn’t say the word.

  He laughed. “It’s not like that. It’s really hard to explain.” He paused, as if searching for the right words. “Yes, it’s triggered by scent, but the feelings are very strong. You’re the only one I will ever love. When I first saw you, it was like the room emptied out and I only saw your face. And now, you’re the most important thing in my life. All of the instincts from my wolf side are screaming to keep you safe. That’s why I stayed away from you for so long. To protect you from me and from Rowan.” He leaned over to gently kiss my forehead. “Do you understand?”

  “Yes, I do and Lauren explained some things that helped me earlier.”

  “Good, because I can’t lose you.”

  I reached up and touched his cheek. “You won’t,” I whispered.

  A warm smile spread across his face. His eyes were filled with relief and joy. “Are you going to read the letters?”

  “Yes, but I want to wait until morning when I’m not so tired. Are you coming to bed?”

  “In a bit. I just want to go outside and make sure everything is clear. See if I smell anything or anyone.” He brushed my hair off my forehead. “You’ve been through a lot in two days. Get some sl
eep, I’ll be right back.”

  I must have fallen right to sleep, because I woke up later and the bed was still empty. I went out to the living room and found Nate in the chair reading the letters. The only light was the slight glow from a small lamp beside him but I could see his face was full of sadness. “Nate,” I said softly, standing in the bedroom doorway.

  His head jerked up, startled. “Oh, you scared me,” he said, wiping his cheeks.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Just reading these letters. They make me miss my family.” His voice was heavy with emotion. He set the photo album onto the coffee table. “It’s late, let’s go to bed.” He started to rise from the chair, but I walked over and sat down on his lap.

  “It must be hard, outliving people you love.”

  “Very and when I think about you…” He shook his head, looking down. “I can’t bear it.” He whispered the last words so low I had to guess what they were.

  “Then don’t think about it.”

  “Okay.” He chuckled darkly.

  I wrapped my legs and arms around him, his warmth seeping into me. “I’m here for you now. You don’t have to pretend with me. If you want to talk about your family or anything, I’m here,” I whispered, kissing his forehead…his cheeks and then ever so gently…his lips.

  As I pulled back, he thrust his hands in my hair, dragging me toward him, crushing his lips desperately against mine. I could feel the pain in his kiss. All I wanted to do was take it away. He scraped my lips with his teeth as I pulled back to take a breath.

  His hot breath gave me shivers as his lips brushed my neck and traveled back up to my mouth. I felt his hands move to my back, rubbing it gently and then his fingers slithered under my shirt, caressing my bare back. His touch was so warm it sent a buzz of electricity up my spine.

  We kissed until we were breathless and when we finally pulled apart, we collapsed into each other’s arms. I eventually fell asleep listening to his strong heartbeat.

  I woke the next morning in bed with Nate’s arm wrapped around me. I felt hungry and realized with excitement that I had doughnuts in my bag. I had brought some with me when I came here. I wasn’t sure what was going to happen, but I felt guilty about calling the police. The doughnuts were sort of a piece offering for Nate.