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

by Smith, Christina

  “I’m sorry I wasn’t here sooner, but I had a run-in with the guy that did this to you.”

  Her expression turned to worry.

  “It’s fine. He’s gone and he won’t come back. Where’s Ben?”

  “He went to get some lilac bushes for the backyard. I finally got ahold of him, he’s on his way.”

  I leaned over her, touching her poor, mutilated face. “I’m so sorry this happened to you.” A tear fell on her cheek. I wiped my face before any more fell. “He was a guy that had a problem with Nate and he wanted to hurt me. I’m so sorry.”

  “Don’t apologize anymore. It’s not your fault. I’m just glad you’re alright.” Her lips were swollen, so when she spoke her voice was muffled, but it would take more than a bad beating to keep Mona from talking.

  “Are you hungry? I could go get you something.”

  “You know what? I could really use a slice of Luigi’s pizza.”

  “You got it. I’ll be right back.”

  I ran to the elevators and out the front door. The pizza place was just across the street from the hospital so it didn’t take long before I was back in her room.

  “One medium pepperoni,” I exclaimed, setting the steaming hot box on the counter under the window. The smell of tomato sauce and greasy cheese filled the tiny room. I took out a slice, placed it on a paper plate and held it out for her. Her appetite appeared to be normal, so hopefully it was only her face that was affected. She looked so awful I wanted to cry every time I looked at her.

  We ate pizza and talked. I couldn’t tell her everything, but I wanted her to know that Rowan wouldn’t be coming back to harm her.

  She informed me that my parents were still gone on their trip to Brazil and wouldn’t be back for another week. I told her that my mother had finally texted me a few days ago to let me know they were gone.

  Ben came in just as we finished eating. I left to give them privacy.

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Wanted

  I drove to Nate’s house. Even with the fading sunlight it was easier to find the small road from the Riley’s driveway now that I had been staying there. I pulled up in front of his house and parked Mona’s little hatchback behind my car. I’d have Nate follow me home so I could bring back both vehicles later.

  I climbed out and let myself into the cottage that had begun to feel like home.

  It was quiet and empty. “Hello?” I yelled. There was no answer, just silence. I was sure I told him I’d be back around seven. I looked down at my watch and saw that it was seven fifteen. “Nate?” I called again, peeking into his bedroom. There was still no answer. I noticed a note on the island as I walked past the kitchen. I picked it up and read: Meg, I’m out back. Come and join me.

  I went out the back door, standing on the deck as I looked for him. The beach was empty, but the boat we borrowed from Will was floating on the water beside the dock. There was a light coming from the galley below.

  I stepped off the deck and walked over, flipping off my sandals into the air. They fell on the edge of the beach, one landing on the grass and the other face down on the sand. The cold wet sand slipped through my toes with each step I took.

  The boat bounced as I hopped onto the dock. The water made a sucking sound as the waves crashed against the boat’s hull. “Hello?” I called, leaning over the railing.

  Nate poked his head out of the doorway. “Hi,” he said, climbing up onto the boat’s deck. He stood in front of me, leaning down to give me a long, amazing kiss that left me out of breath.

  “Well, hello to you. What was that for?” I asked, staggering a bit from the effect of his kiss.

  “I’m happy to see you. I haven’t been away from you for more than an hour in over a week.” I took the hand he held out and let him pull me up onto the boat with him.

  “I missed you too.”

  “How’s Mona?” He brushed a strand of hair off my cheek.

  I sighed, the image of her battered face flashing in my mind. “She’s tough. It looks like he just mutilated her face and her arm has a slight fracture. But the rest of her is fine. Her arm and face will heal, she’ll be all right.”

  He guided my head against his shoulder. The sound of his heartbeat was loud in my ear. “Will you? Be all right, I mean.”

  I considered his question before I answered. “It’s going to take a while before I stop feeling guilty about Mona. Other than that, I’ll be fine, as long as I have you.”

  He gently rubbed my hair. “Oh, you have me, all right.” We gazed into each other’s eyes for a few beats and then he grinned. “Well, come on, we should go before it gets too dark.”

  “Where are we going?”

  “You’re going to take me for a moonlit boat ride.”

  I pulled away. “You’re on.” I stepped up to the steering wheel.

  He started the engine and backed us away from the dock. Once we were safely out in the open and there was nothing I could run into, I took over.

  The breeze felt crisp and clean against my skin and the wind whipping through my hair was thrilling. I felt all my troubles wash away. With Rowan gone I could finally move on and be happy without the constant worry of him showing up and killing me or someone I love. I could live in this moment, spending time on the boat before it was returned to Will. It was strange that he leant it to Nate so often. “This is your boat, isn’t it?”

  Nate came up behind me, wrapping his arms around me to help steer. “Yes, but I couldn’t tell you. What eighteen-year-old owns a twenty-four-foot speedboat?”

  “Good point.”

  Nate led me off the lake and into a creek that was covered by dozens of willow trees. The falling sun shone through cracks of the treed canopy. I stopped halfway in, letting the boat drift. Nate handed me a drink that he pulled out of the built-in cooler. We sat on the deck sipping our sodas and while the frogs and crickets sang, Nate filled me in on what happened after they left.

  They buried the wolf deep in the woods and then went to Rowan’s hotel to clean it out and pay for the room. They didn’t want an investigation on Rowan’s disappearance.

  We were in deep conversation and didn’t notice that we were losing light until the sun had already gone down.

  “Holy crap, it’s dark,” I whispered. In the complete darkness it seemed wrong to speak out loud. The limbs of the willow trees kept the moonlight out. I couldn’t see Nate, who sat only inches beside me. I heard what I guessed was the lid of the cooler snapping open, a click and then suddenly the boat was filled with light. A small lantern sat on the floor between us. Nate was smiling, his face in shadows and his normally bright blue eyes black. He looked haunted.

  The boat glided slowly down the creek. I pulled out the blanket and covered myself, lying down so I could look up at the sky through the cracks. Nate lay down beside me. The gentle motion of the boat swaying was soothing.

  We came up to a gap in the trees. “It’s almost a full moon,” I murmured, looking up at what looked like a complete circle, but I knew it couldn’t be since Nate was in his human form.

  “Yes, I’ll change tomorrow night.” His voice was soft, almost relaxed.

  “Will you and Joseph change together?”

  “If he’s still here. It’s more fun to change when you have someone with you. He likes to race to see who the fastest wolf is. Unfortunately, he always wins. And he never lets me live it down.”

  I laughed. It was a nice change to hear him speak with some fondness for who he truly was. “You seem happy tonight, almost content. I’ve never sensed that from you, even after I found out what you are.”

  He gave me a lazy smile and looked up at the sky for a few seconds before he answered me. “I suppose I am, content, I mean.” He leaned up on his elbow, resting his head on his hand. “I have feared Rowan for a hundred years. Always keeping my distance from people I love. Always looking over my shoulder for fear he’s back, ready to kill me or someone I care about. Now that he’s dead I feel liberated, free.


  “I know I still need to be on guard. There are other werewolves out there like Rowan, who are bored with their long lives and live to torment. But for tonight, I’m going to relax, gaze up at the stars with no worries and the woman I love beside me.”

  He leaned above the lantern to kiss me softly, his face glowing red. He looked like a scary jack-o’-lantern. “You have no idea how hard it was for me, for those few minutes after Rowan told me you had died. I never want to feel that again, I felt empty. It was different than before I got to know you. I was miserable not being with you, but after we kissed for the first time, I knew I could never go back to that. I had finally let myself be happy, something I had neglected for years. But now that I had it, there was no way I was going to let Rowan, or anyone, take you away from me. But when I thought you were dead, my body felt like a vacant shell, like I had died too. You don’t know how happy and relieved I was when I saw your face after you shot him.” He touched my cheek softly. “Megan, I love you so much. Please don’t ever leave me.”

  I felt a few tears escape as I embraced him. “I’m here and I’m not going anywhere.” I gave him a kiss that I hoped was full of the tenderness glowing inside me. I wanted to reassure him that I was here and not going anywhere, for a while anyway. I loved him so much. I understood how hard it was for him, to think someone else he loved was dead. I wanted to tell him that he would never lose me, but I couldn’t. We both knew that I was only human and one day I would die. Instead we kissed and for a short time we forgot the inevitable.

  We snuggled on the boat under the fleece blanket for hours, glancing occasionally at the stars through the gaps in the trees.

  I don’t know what time it was when we finally made our way back home, but I woke the next morning beside him. His arms were wrapped tightly around me. “Good morning,” he said, kissing the top of my head.

  I turned around to face him. “Good morning. Are you going into Riley House today?”

  His expression turned sad. “Yes, I told Julia I’d be back as soon as I could. I have to leave in an hour. Are you going home?”

  I swallowed the lump in my throat and nodded. “I guess so. I should get up and pack. Is Joe staying at the main house?”

  “No, he’s coming back later. He’s going to the office with Will for the day. But since he’s found Lauren I think he’ll be staying for quite a while. Are you okay with that?”

  “Yes. I like him a lot. I can see why he’s your friend.”

  He smiled, playing with the ends of my hair. “He really helped me after Rowan shot me and killed Sadie. It’s great to have a friend who understands me.”

  “I’m glad you have someone like that in your life.”

  I climbed out of bed and grabbed my suitcase from the closet. Nate had a shower while I packed. I was thankful for the privacy. I didn’t want him to see the tears streaming down my face as I shoved my clothes roughly into my suitcase. I longed to hear him tell me he wanted me to stay. But I was going to have to get over that.

  I heard the muffled sound of my cell phone ringing. I lifted up various shirts and pants that were thrown on the bed as I had folded and packed. By the time I found it, the ringing stopped. It was under Nate’s pillow and I had no idea how it got there. I picked it up and saw Lauren’s number displayed on the face of my phone. Before I had the chance to call her back, it rang again. “Hello.”

  “Why didn’t you answer?” she demanded from the other end.

  “Because I couldn’t find it and I’m packing.”

  “When are you leaving?”

  The answer was stuck in my throat. The word “Soon” was all I could manage.

  “Come back tonight, because I told Ally that we’d meet her, Lily and Eddie at Manic. You and Nate bring Joe. I want to make him jealous.”

  I smiled. It seemed our roles were now reversed. Not long ago she knew the truth about Nate’s feelings for me, but couldn’t say anything. And now I found myself in the same predicament. I desperately wanted to tell her how much Joe felt for her, but I knew it wasn’t my place. I promised Nate that I wouldn’t say anything, but I really hoped Joe would do something soon. I knew how much it hurt when the guy you loved acted like he liked you one minute and then the next he couldn’t care less.

  “Not tonight. It’s a full moon.”

  She cursed softly and then sighed. “Fine, I’ll call her back and reschedule for tomorrow night. I’ll come over and keep you company while the guys turn into wolves. We can watch a movie.” She laughed into the phone. “How about An American Werewolf in London?”

  I snorted. “Very funny.” We hung up soon after.

  When Nate finished in the bathroom, I took my turn in the shower. As I blow-dried my hair I could smell bacon cooking. He was making breakfast for me for the last time. My eyes stung with the threat of more tears. I shook my head. What was wrong with me? I was just going home. It would be the same as it was before I brought my stuff over. Why did I have this feeling of dread in the pit of my stomach?

  I dressed in a black tank top and black shorts. I was feeling low so I dressed accordingly.

  I pulled my suitcases out into the kitchen and set them beside my chair. “Thank you,” I said as he placed a heaping plate of bacon, eggs, toast and hash browns in front of me. Although I wasn’t sure how I could eat all of it. My stomach was in knots.

  I ate as much as I could and what I couldn’t eat, Nate finished for me.

  The dishes were put into the dishwasher, the table was cleared and now all that was left for me to do was leave. I walked slowly to my suitcases, pulling the handles up. He stood behind me, giving me an awkward hug.

  “Thanks again for breakfast. Maybe after I unpack I’ll come by the shelter.”

  He nodded. “Okay. I love you,” he said, leaning down to kiss me.

  “I love you too.” I pulled out of his embrace, no longer able to prolong the inevitable. Wrapping my hand over the handle of the suitcase, I pulled it along the floor. I opened the door and started to step out onto the porch.

  “Don’t go,” I heard him whisper. At the sound of his voice I froze. “Please, don’t go. I wanted to be able to let you. To allow you to have your own life and still be together like a normal couple. But I can’t. I can’t be without you. Please, I want you to stay with me.”

  I turned around at the sound of those words I’d been longing to hear.

  “You want me?” I whispered. He nodded, his eyes full of emotion. “You want me to live here…with you?” I asked again.

  “I know it’s not what you’re used to. I can get a bigger place or build onto this.” He stretched his arms out, looking around the cozy living room. “You’re eighteen and you finished high school. Your parents can’t say anything.” He took a few steps toward me. “Please, I can’t bear the thought of waking up and seeing an empty pillow next to me.”

  I smiled, dropped my suitcases and ran into his arms. “What took you so long?” I asked, peering into his face.

  “What do you mean?”

  “I’ve been waiting for you to ask me to live here with you in this perfect cottage, since Lauren first brought my suitcases here.”

  His face shone with happiness. “Really? Does that mean yes? You’ll live with me?”

  I nodded. “It means yes,” I answered and kissed him.

  He pulled me closer, lifting me up and swinging me around the room. My heart soared. I finally had what I’d always dreamed of, someone that wanted and loved me.

  Nate was the family I had always longed for.

  ###

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  Here is a preview of Riley’s Torment, # 2, the next installment in the Moon’s glow series. Available now at amazon

  Prologue

  The wind was crisp and cool as he watched the young woman on the
porch. It was past nightfall and the shadows had slithered their way over the horizon, sucking all the light from the sky. But he could see her perfectly through the branches that gave him cover. Her eyes darted around, scanning the night. Was the darkness making her anxious? Or was it the immense forest that loomed at the edge of the yard before her?

  She gazed toward the tall trees as though she was considering entering the lush woodland. At the sound of an eerie howl, she looked away. Instead, she picked up the book she had discarded minutes before and began to read by the light that shone from the porch lamp. Her long, silky hair hung like a veil around the book, hiding her face from view. He longed to brush it back, so he could see those beautiful green eyes and the freckles that dotted her soft skin. Thankfully, the words didn’t hold her attention for very long, because her gaze continued to roam towards the forest.

  She stood up, leaving the book on the bench and wandered to the railing, leaning over to get a better view of the woods. She squinted in the direction of the trees and bushes. The branches swayed gently in a gust of wind that blew strands of hair into her face. She stepped down from the porch and crept cautiously to the edge of the woods.

  A crow cawed from an oak tree above her and she jumped, spinning in its direction. There were lots of noises out in the woods. Was she going to jump at every sound? The crickets and frogs croaked noisily. A splash in the lake behind her had her spinning around in time to see a bird dive in the water. Her strawberry colored hair flew around her face.

  At night, the darkness took on an infinite, inky blackness. The shadows turned simple trees and animals into sinister creatures. Since he was one of those creatures, he understood her fear.

  Holding her hand to her heart, she took a deep breath and peered into the trees at the path where he had entered earlier. Once again, she was startled by the simplest of sounds. This time it was a squirrel and a chipmunk scurrying through the underbrush. Giving up, she turned around to head back into the house.