Riley's Redemption (A Moon's Glow Novel)

by Christina Smith

  Nate’s brow lifted, shifting his weight. He was still standing in the center of the dingy living room. “I’m surprised that he didn’t kill you both. Werewolves are no match for a vampire.”

  “He was about to kill us, his sharp fangs were hovered over Miles’ neck; but then he just stopped. He disappeared without a glance at us.” She sucked in a breath at the memory. “But, I’m sure he hasn’t given up.”

  “What do you think stopped him?”

  She shrugged. “I don’t know. I was too busy celebrating to care.”

  “Do you know what happened to Aiden’s Father? You said he was bitten,” Nate asked.

  She shook her head. “No. The only one that would know is Sebastian and he was too busy trying to suck our blood to give us information.”

  Nate went silent. His face going thoughtful as he concentrated on all that he had learned. I knew what he was thinking. I just hoped I was wrong. “How did you know Aiden’s last name was King?”

  “Because Sebastian said his name repeatedly to Miles, he said it was his fault that his friend was dead.”

  Yep, I knew that’s where Nate’s thoughts had gone. To the name he’d been searching for since he found it in Charlotte’s jacket six months ago.

  The sound of footsteps on the stairwell and the scent of Adrian and his sister had both me and Sadie standing up. I was heading to the door while Sadie turned down the hall in the direction of her room. She stopped at the sound of Nate’s voice. “Do you know Aiden’s father’s name?”

  Sadie turned to face him. Her expression held both curiosity and worry. “What’s with all the questions Nate?”

  “Uh..no..no reason,” he stammered uncomfortably. Despite his obvious closeness to this girl he didn’t want to explain his reason for looking for this man because he himself didn’t know the answer. I was the only one he had opened up to and he only did that because I asked. He’s lucky he didn’t lie to me like he just did to Sadie. He had done that enough in the last year and I didn’t like it.

  She didn’t have a chance to question him further because the door flew open, hitting the wall with a smack. Marisa and Adrian barrelled through like they were in a race. Since Marisa won, he clearly let her.

  “Everything okay in here?” Adrian asked, his gaze shifting between the three of us.

  “Everything is fine. They were just catching up. It turns out they were friends fifty years ago?”

  “Really?” Marisa asked, glancing at Sadie. Her cheeks were flushed with excitement and the grin that was spread over her face told me she was happy to finally be reunited with her brother. “How old are you.”

  Sadie’s cheeks flushed pink. “Let’s just say that I’m older than your brother.”

  “Wow, you must be really old then.”

  Adrian snorted, holding in a laugh.

  I laughed out loud, but couldn’t help point something out. “Not as old as Nate, I’m sure.”

  Nate narrowed his eyes at me while Sadie grinned. Her eyes lit up when she smiled. “You’re right. He is a lot older than me.”

  “So,” Marisa began. “Who’s driving together?”

  We all exchanged glances. Adrian’s eyes widened at me and he shook his head nodding toward Sadie. I knew what he wanted. “Nate, why don’t we drive with Sadie so you two can catch up? That will give Adrian and Marisa time to know each other again.”

  Adrian smiled thankfully in my direction, his eyes crinkling in the corners, grateful I had picked up on his meaningful look.

  Panic flashed in Sadie’s eyes as she took a step toward Marisa. “I don’t know about that.”

  Nate reached out, placing his hand on her shoulder, stopping her. “Sadie, you can trust him. I promise.”

  Instantly the alarm washed from her features and she nodded. She must trust Nate. A tug of jealousy pulled at my chest at their obvious closeness, but not for romantic reasons. He had known her and had been best friends before I was even thought of. We didn’t have that much history. We had only met a year ago.

  Marisa looked confused. “Sadie?”

  Sadie pursed her lips together. “It’s my real name. I changed it to hide from someone.” Her eyes flicked to Nate. “Apparently, for no reason.”

  It didn’t take long for us to load their belongings. They didn’t have much. Sadie had left everything they owned six months ago when she scented Adrian in Philadelphia. They had lived there ever since Adrian and Marisa’s parents were killed. After they moved she made arrangements with her landlord to put their stuff in storage. And since they would no longer be running she promised Marisa that once they were settled in Creekford she would send for them.

  When it was time to separate into different vehicles Sadie and Marisa hugged. But when Marisa tried to pull away, Sadie held on. Marisa laughed. “I’ll be fine. He’s my brother Ev—I mean Sadie.”

  Sadie finally let go. “Are you sure you’re alright with this?” she asked, gazing into Marisa’s eyes and then glancing quickly at Adrian. “You don’t know him anymore. Even if he didn’t kill your parents like I thought, he has spent ten years with an evil werewolf.” A low growl rumbled out of Adrian’s chest. If Sadie heard the sound, she didn’t acknowledge it.

  Marisa smiled lovingly at the only family she had known for most of her life. “You may not know him; but I do. I dream of all the fun things he did with me and the way he looked at our parents. He loved us. I know it.”

  Sadie sucked in a breath and wiped an invisible tear, finally tearing herself away from Marisa.

  She stood next to me and Nate as we watched Adrian shut the door behind Marisa with a soft click.

  He stepped up to us. “Not that I owe you anything.” His voice was low and raspy. “But I can see how much you love her. I won’t hurt her, I promise.” With that he nodded to us and moved to the driver’s side of the car. “You following us or not?” he asked, since we had yet to get into Sadie’s station wagon.

  Moving into action we all took our places in the car. I let Nate sit in the front while I took the back. The events of the last few days were catching up to me and I figured a little nap was in order.

  It wasn’t long before the comforting movement of the car lulled me to sleep.

  “You bit her by accident? Nate how could you be so careless?” The voice that had spoken was female and dripping with condescension.

  It took me a moment to realize where I was. I recognized the low vibration below me, since I had been driving in a car for the last day and a half. But the smell was different; instead of smelly socks and body odor I smelled tropical fruit. The voice that had spoken was Sadie and when I realized what they were talking about I chose to keep my eyes closed, curious as to how Nate would react.

  “I know, okay?” He sighed heavily, the strain that had appeared occasionally since I forgave him months ago returned to his voice. “I lost control.”

  “That’s not like you. What were you doing?” There was silence and then a soft chuckle. “Oh.”

  “Anyway, she finally forgave me and we’re happy, extremely happy.”

  I heard a soft sound like the touch of skin on jeans. She must have touched his leg. I tried not to let that bother me; they were just friends. “I’m glad, Nathaniel. You deserve happiness.”

  “So do you. It must have been lonely hiding all of this time thinking a vampire was after you.”

  She sighed deeply and I could hear years of anxiety in that sound. “It was. Until Marisa came along.” Even from the backseat, with a small blanket covering me, I could hear the love in her voice. “I wanted to help her. Protect her from her brother who I thought had killed her parents. But it was she who helped me. With her I found a family, someone to love who loved me back. I missed having someone in my life. Since I left you I stayed away from people, thinking I was protecting them.” Her voice turned dark, anger toward herself, evident in the tone. “Apparently, I had nothing to worry about.”

  “I still can’t believe you’re alive.” Nate laughed
softly, the sweet sound making my insides turn to mush. “What did I cremate?”

  “I’m not sure. Joe said he would take care of everything. I was weak. I couldn’t have staged a fake burial. I barely made it back to a hotel where I recovered.”

  “I wished you would have waited and asked me who shot us.”

  I could hear movement again, this time it sounded like she tapped the leather console between them with her hand. “So do I. But since we can’t change the past let’s enjoy the future.”

  “Speaking of the future, Megan,” Nate raised his voice, despite the fact that I could hear him clearly. “Is there any room for Sadie at the Shelter?”

  I sat up and leaned over his headrest, gazing into his eyes as he turned in his seat. “How did you know I was awake?”

  He chuckled softly. “I’ve gotten accustomed to the sound of your breathing at night. I know when you’re sleeping and when you’re not.” His explanation was sweet, making my heart flutter. I had missed him so much over the last day and a half.

  “The shelter?” Sadie asked, her eyes shifting to me in the rear-view mirror as she drove. I could see the Jeep ahead of us, the sun’s rays glaring off of the paint. “You don’t mean Riley House?” Her voice held both surprise and joy.

  Nate laughed again. “Yes. I’ve opened forty in different cities around the country. Megan took over the shelter in Creekford. I’ve been working at the store for a while.” Nate turned back to me. “Sadie convinced me to open the shelter.”

  I shifted my gaze from my husband to his friend, feeling very young. I was talking to the founders of Riley House from back in the sixties. Again, I felt insignificant. This man had lived for so long and experienced so much; I was sometimes overwhelmed.

  “I’d love to help with whatever I could, Megan.” Sadie’s eyes lit up just talking about it. I could tell she’d be a great fit for the shelter. She already had that “It” Julia had talked about when I first started volunteering. She had said I had it when I expressed my need to help the people I had just met. I had wanted to adopt them all and take care of them. I had never met anyone struggling as much as the people at the shelter. I had been raised in a mansion and never been exposed to anything but my rich, sheltered life. Seeing this new world had opened my eyes to so many new things.

  I smiled at her, sitting back in my seat after I ran my fingers through the back of Nate’s hair, the silky strands felt like feathers fluttering against my skin. “We can always use help; we’re expanding. Adrian will be joining us as well.”

  She looked away from me, her face flushing. “Oh.”

  I smirked at her as I folded my arms in front of me, knowing that her flush was from more than just guilt, but I stayed silent, glancing out at the houses that we passed. We were driving through a large city with towering office buildings and lots of people milling about on the streets.

  “Don’t worry. He’ll forgive you eventually. I don’t know him as well as Megan does, but I can tell he’s a good man, despite the last ten years.”

  “They’re mates,” I blurted to Nate, savoring the fact that for once I knew something he didn’t.

  “What?” Nate gasped looking between the two of us.

  Sadie pressed her lips together and stared at the road ahead. “I noticed something off with his scent over the last few months. But since I was never very close to him and I was more concerned with keeping Marisa safe, I brushed it off. When I saw him today, I knew.”

  “She turned into a wolf and attacked him,” I added, still a little shocked by what had happened. It didn’t seem to bother Adrian, but I would have been freaked.

  Nate frowned as he stared at Sadie. “During the day? Sadie, you could have been seen.” Now it was his turn to speak in condescending tones.

  Sadie stared at the road ahead, guilt flashing over her features. “I know. But at the time I wasn’t thinking. My wolf took over and I was angry that fate had chosen a killer for me.”

  “He is a good guy.” I assured her.

  “We’ll see.” She muttered and her chocolate, colored eyes met mine in the mirror again. “How did you find us anyway?”

  “Marisa.”

  Her brows raised in confusion. “What do you mean?”

  I leaned forward tapping my finger on the back of Nate’s leather seat. “She left me a note in the washroom at a rest stop.”

  “She what?” Sadie gasped, nearly running into the Jeep in front of us as they slowed to take a turn. If Nate hadn’t of pointed it out, we would have hit them.

  Sadie flushed with embarrassment and Nate eyed her apprehensively.

  “I’m fine, Nate.” She glanced at me through the rear-view mirror. “Go on.”

  I looked between them and then deciding it was safe to continue I answered her. “She said she missed her brother and didn’t know you were keeping her from him until she saw us at the motel.”

  Remorse settled in Sadie’s eyes as she glanced back at the road. She went silent as Nate asked me what happened the night at the hotel.

  After I explained, I looked back at her. A tear was sliding down her cheek.

  Chapter Twelve

  The Way Home

  We drove the rest of the day, stopping only for meals and bathroom breaks. Nate and I took over the driving after dinner; Nate for Sadie, me for Adrian. The bright day had turned gray when dusk fell upon us. Marisa rode with Sadie for a while and with her out of hearing distance I filled Adrian in on what he had missed when he was packing the car with Marisa. I also told him how Sadie reacted when I spilled the beans to Nate that our two friends were mated. “Doesn’t it bother you at all that she turned into a wolf and attacked you?” I couldn’t get the image of her snapping her teeth at his throat out of my mind.

  He shook his head. “No. We were both affected and in shock when we realized we were mated. Besides, she thought I was a killer. I understand why she did that. The wolf was taking over.”

  “So, what are you going to do?” I asked, referring to the fact that they obviously didn’t like each other, but had been paired up by fate.

  “I don’t know.”

  “Don’t you want to be with her?”

  He made a small sound in his throat, like a rumbling groan. “My wolf does. But my human brain can’t forgive her for keeping my sister away from me all this time.”

  I dropped my right hand from the wheel and placed it on the edge of my seat. “You know it was mostly Charlotte’s fault.”

  He sighed, a heaviness I was used to hearing from my husband. The weight of it settled on his face and made his shoulders slump. “I know, but it doesn’t make it easier knowing I’m supposed to be with someone who purposefully kept me from my sister.”

  I didn’t know what to say to that. She was the reason he had been searching for six months without finding Marisa. And it had taken a toll on him. When he picked me up at the airport, he looked tired. The usual playful smile wasn’t on his face as much as it was when I had first met him. He lived with Charlotte for ten years and it took the last six months of frustration to break him. I understood why, when Charlotte died, he was hopeful for the first time in years. With the address he found in Charlotte’s belongings he was sure he’d finally be reunited with his only living family member. And with each near-miss, his frustration level spiked.

  “Are there really vampires?” he asked as Nate made a turn onto the freeway. I followed him, glad he was the one leading. I would have been lost hours ago.

  “I guess so. You’ve never run into any with Charlotte?”

  Adrian laughed darkly. “No, she liked to be the scariest one around. She wouldn’t keep company with someone that could hurt her. It would have made her feel weak. And that’s not an emotion she was comfortable with.”

  I sat quietly for a minute, concentrating on the busy traffic around us. I wasn’t used to driving on the freeway and I was a little nervous.

  “Do you think the real ones are dead like in the movies?” I asked a while later.
>
  He shook his head and shrugged. “How would I know? I didn’t know they existed until you just told me?”

  Speaking of the undead, I suddenly remembered something. “How long do you think it will take to get home?”

  “Five days maybe?”

  “Ahh, good. We’ll make it just in time for the reception my mother is putting together for us.” I grinned, prying my eyes from the busy road to peek at him.

  He grimaced. “Oh, Yay. I can’t wait to meet Mommy Dearest.”

  Despite my mother’s slight turn around, I couldn’t help but laugh. I had regaled many tales of my childhood to him when we were getting to know one another, so he knew my history. I waited to feel the usual guilt associated with making fun of her, but it didn’t come. Instead of dwelling on what I didn’t have, I decided to focus on what I had. And that was a pretty good life. Yes, my parents wouldn’t win any parents-of-the-year awards, but I had a loving husband and great friends. And I couldn’t forget the honorary mother, who raised me. It was more than a lot of people had in their life.

  I almost felt at peace as this realization washed over me.

  “What?” Adrian asked, his finger tapping his knee to the beat of the song that was playing on the radio.

  I scrunched my face in confusion. “What do you mean…what?”

  His lips turned up slightly, his eyes brighter than they were a few moments ago. “Why are you smiling?”

  “I didn’t know I was. But it’s nothing. I’m just happy.” I nodded to the car ahead of us. “I have an awesome man, great friends and a job I love. My life has changed so drastically since I met Nate. I’ve never been truly happy before and excited for the future and now I am.” I felt my smile widening.

  He raised a brow. “Okay, I’m sorry I asked. Now I feel depressed.”

  I laughed, reaching out to touch his knee. “Hey, you found your sister and your mate all in one day; you should be ecstatic.”