Riley's Torment, A Moon's Glow Novel #2
Page 4
"Are you looking for Nate?" I asked, extremely confused as I stood up straight blocking the doorway. It didn't do any good though; she pushed through, slamming against me. I ignored the ache in my shoulder as I closed the door and followed her in.
"And apparently, Joey did too," she said staring at Lauren, who had discarded her bag and was now looking curiously at our uninvited guest. “Why was I not told that they found their mates?”
“What are you talking about?” I asked. Was she talking to someone inside her head? I definitely didn’t feel a part of this conversation.
She glared at me. “Never mind.”
"Who are you?" I was pretty sure I knew the answer to my question, but I hoped to God, I was wrong.
She turned to me with an expression of superiority on her face. I could tell she thought everyone was beneath her. This was a look I recognized from my former spoiled rich friends. But on this girl, it appeared menacing.
"What? Did Nathaniel and my brother not tell their mates about me?" She gave us a feral grin, showing shiny white teeth. And somehow I wasn’t surprised when her gray-blue eyes turned yellow.
I gasped, panic sliced through my body. "Charlotte!"
"Oh my god!" Lauren whispered, fear and confusion on her face. "Wait." Her brows creased. "What do you mean, their mates?"
As her eyes returned to their natural color, Charlotte laughed, a chilling sound that held no humor, and she leaned against the back of the couch. "My brother didn't tell you?" she asked Lauren, and then glanced at me. "It looks like you're the only one though. Your friend here knows what I'm talking about."
Lauren turned to me, a worried expression on her face. "Megan? What does she mean?"
I shook my head. "Nothing. Ignore her." I glared at Charlotte, more angry than afraid at the moment, but I knew the fear that had gripped me just a few seconds ago was not far away. "By what Nate and Joe have said about her, she likes to cause trouble."
Charlotte looked relaxed without a care in the world. "Please.” She waved her hand in my direction as if we were old friends having a little tiff. “I can smell Joey's scent on her as much as I can smell Nate's on you. It's what werewolves do to warn others away. I can't believe Nathaniel marked you though, he didn't seem the type. He was such a goody-two shoes that it was boring."
"What?" I gasped, holding my hand up to my neck. As I spoke, Lauren cried, "I'm Joe's mate?"
Charlotte rolled her eyes, appearing frustrated with our ignorance. "Yes, you're Joey's mate," she said to Lauren, and then turned to me, leaning forward to inspect my neck. She glared at me until I moved my hand. I hated that I trembled under her scrutiny. The smell of the outdoors mixed with a strong perfume assaulted my nose. "And you bear Nate's mark."
Another lick of fear shot through me for an entirely different reason. "Will I become a werewolf?" I gasped.
She rolled her eyes again. "No, you twit. He only marked you. It’s another way to let other wolves know you’re taken. No saliva was passed." She sighed, like she was dealing with a small child. "When werewolves mark their mates, it's usually in the heat of the moment." The image of Nate’s kisses on my neck flashed in my mind, and I blushed. Charlotte saw it, and her jaw locked.
"He was supposed to be mine, little girl." Her voice turned to ice. "I intended to show him how to have fun. But he rejected me." Her eyes once again became wolf-like. I flinched as another spark of fear worked into my chest.
"And I don't take rejection well." Charlotte growled, as she stretched out her hands. I noticed a flash of her hot pink nails as she grabbed our heads at the same time. She slammed them together with a sickening crack. The one thought before darkness overwhelmed me was of Nate.
Chapter Four
Nate
"What's got you in a mood? You've been in a twist all morning." Joe asked Nate as he leaned back in Nate's office chair, the hinges creaking and echoing in the large room.
"I'm fine, just having a hard time focusing on sales figures and projections."
Joe’s crooked easy smile played at his lips. "Did you have a brawl with Megan then?"
Nate looked up from his papers and scowled at his friend. "No, I didn't. But our evening was ruined because of you." He couldn't help the agitation in his voice. Ever since he had acted so rash and marked Megan's neck without asking, he hadn't been himself. And the longer he went without telling her, the more anxious he became. It wasn't that long ago that he feared losing her because of his strange wolf behavior. Thankfully, she had forgiven him for everything but had made him promise to be truthful from then on.
He hadn’t meant to mark her, but the idea of being with Megan in every way possible was simply too much, and the wolf had taken over. He didn’t even remember doing it, but when he came to his senses, the evidence was on her neck.
Joe picked up a pen from the desk and began twirling it in his fingers. "Now, how did I ruin your evening? I never laid eyes on you."
Nate tugged at his tie, his frown deepening. "Lauren stopped by just after I marked Megan while we were about to...be together." He couldn't say the words. For some reason, he'd always been shy when it came to sex.
Joe's eyes went wide, fear etched on his face. "You didn’t hurt her, did you?"
"Of course not. I would never hurt Lauren. She's my friend."
Relief washed over Joe’s features as he blew out the breath he had been holding. "She prevented you from being with your mate after you marked her. The wolf inside you must have gone mad."
Nate sighed, hating that he had even considered hurting his favorite relative. It took everything in him to stop from changing. It helped that Megan was there—she calmed him, keeping him closer to his human side. "Lauren is and always will be safe from me. I might have reacted badly for a second, but neither Megan nor Lauren realized it. Megan saw me fight the change, but I didn't have the chance to tell her why." He narrowed his eyes at his friend. "She was too busy consoling your mate because she saw you kiss another girl. She cried all night because she was devastated."
Joe stiffened in his chair as his expression changed to guilt. He glanced down, fiddling with the pen. "I'm sorry." The sorrow in his voice was clear. The struggle to keep away from Lauren was obviously getting to him.
"Did you not think for a second how she would feel seeing you kiss another girl?" There was no mistaking the stern tone in Nate’s voice. He was disappointed in his friend.
"Yes, I did, and I bloody well wanted to hurt her at that moment. Ugh! I'm so frustrated,” Joe muttered in a thick Irish brogue. He slammed his fist on the desk with a loud thud, making all the contents shake. Nate noticed that the angrier Joe got, the thicker his Irish accent became. Joe sat back and was silent for a moment. "I followed her to the club." His voice was soft and laced with remorse.
Nate's brow furrowed but only said, "Go on." He would be a hypocrite if he reprimanded Joe for something he had done himself. Megan didn't know that Nate had been following her long before they officially met, and because of that, he was close enough to rescue the family from the fireworks fire months ago. He left before the fireworks went off, hurt and angry that he had seen her with another guy. He knew he had no right to those feelings since she didn't even know him. But that didn’t stop the burning pain in his chest at the sight of that boy with his arm around her shoulders.
Joe cleared his throat, bringing Nate back to the present. "I never intended for her to see me. I was with her a week ago and realized I had to steer clear of her because I very nearly kissed her. But it kills me to be apart from her." He paused, running his hand over his face. "I know why Will objects to us after that rat Rowan tried to kill Megan, but keeping us apart is hurting her. I feel it." Again, anger and frustration flashed on his face. He took a calming breath and squeezed his hand into a fist. It looked like he was fighting the urge to punch something again. "I saw her in the club dancing with another guy. He had his hands all over her. And she's bloody well mine!" His voice rose, and his eyes turned yellow.
"I know how you feel, Joe. What happened next?"
"At that moment, I was so angry and hurt that I just wanted her to feel what I was feeling. I know it doesn't make sense because I am the one holding back, but I lost it. I grabbed a girl and pulled her to where I knew Lauren would see me, and I kissed her.” He cringed, and closed his eyes.
"Look, I know what you're going through. But you can't treat her this way. She was really upset last night."
Joe ran his hand though his auburn hair in aggravation. "What am I to do, Nate? Will refuses to listen to reason. He won’t let me date her, or let me tell her she's mine."
Nate sighed heavily, feeling the weight of the situation on his shoulders. "I'll talk to Will. Maybe if he understood what you both are going through, he'd change his mind. I'll tell him what I witnessed last night, and how hard it is for a werewolf to stay away from his mate. He should already know though, he saw how difficult it was for me.”
Joe sighed in relief; the separation from Lauren was clearly making him miserable. "I’d appreciate it. But for now, what do you think I should do? Should I apologize?"
Nate tapped his finger on the oak desk in concentration. "Leave it for now. Wait until I talk to Will. I'll try to make it over tonight. But I want to see Megan first."
Joseph nodded, setting the pen back on the desk; it rolled until it hit a small container of pens and pencils. "Thanks, Nate. And I'm really sorry for screwing up your night and accusing you of hurting Lauren. I know you better than that." He stood up, the springs creaking in response. "I've never known another werewolf with as much control as you."
Nate didn't know about that. If he had so much control over the wolf, he wouldn't have marked Megan. What was he thinking? Would she ever forgive him for allowing the wolf to take over and for not telling her right away? "It's fine, as long as you're more careful with her."
Joe's lips pursed and the remorse returned to his face. "I could use a drink. How about I come to your place, and we can drown our sorrows before Megan gets home."
Nate wasn't normally a drinker, but after the last twenty-four hours, he'd make an exception. "Sounds good. Now get back to work."
Joe gave Nate a salute and let himself out of the office; the door clicked softly behind him.
When five o'clock came around, Nate was relieved. He was anxious all day worrying about how Megan would react to the mark. He was nervous to tell her what it meant—that it was more than just a love nibble. He had decided to come clean as soon as she came home from the shelter. They served dinner at five so she should be home around seven. That gave him enough time to prepare what to say.
"You ready?" Joseph asked, popping his head through the door of Nate's office.
"Yes. Let's go." Nate grabbed his briefcase, and together, they walked out of the office. As they passed Will's office, Joe glanced at his friend with pleading eyes.
Nate shook his head; he wasn't ready to talk to his nephew yet. "Not now. I have to deal with Megan first."
Joe nodded in understanding as they walked quietly through the building to Nate's black sports car.
During the drive, Joe filled Nate in on gossip from the werewolf community. Joe was friends with the pack's leader. Stephen was the alpha for all of New York State—they monitored werewolf behavior within their territory. It was a tight knit group, and although Nate and Joe appreciated what they did, they didn't like the politics of the pack. Every so often, a werewolf would get power hungry and challenge the Alpha. So far, no one had been able to take Stephen down, but it could happen someday and that person might not be as agreeable as the current Alpha. Nate had called Stephen asking for help with Rowan when he was threatening Megan. But since Rowan originally hailed from London, Stephen didn't want to get involved. He wouldn't admit it, but Nate suspected he was afraid to anger the London pack.
The only benefit Nate could see to belonging to the pack was to run with a group on full moon nights. It was the instinct of the wolf. But thankfully, he now had Joe to join him.
When Nate pulled into the driveway to the cottage, he relaxed. Megan and Lauren's cars were in the driveway. They must have come home early. He could resolve the issue of the mark sooner and get it off his chest.
"What are the girls’ cars doing here?" Joe asked, as Nate passed Megan's red convertible. "I though you said they were working at the shelter today."
Nate shrugged. "They must have come home early." He parked the car, opened the door to get out, and froze. "Do you smell that?" he asked Joe, his voice and body filled with tension.
Joe opened his own door, and breathed in. His eyes widened. "Oh, no.” He barely had the whispered words out, and Nate was already rushing past him to the cottage.
When Joe entered the house, Nate was emerging from the bedroom shaking with eyes yellow and hands clenched into fists. "She took our mates!" he growled.
Charlotte had left him alone for over a hundred years, and now that he had finally found happiness, she had decided to come back into his life. He almost laughed at the irony. He wanted to kill her—no one touched his mate. He wanted to change into a wolf, track her down, and rip her apart for taking what was his. He felt the change coming on, and he welcomed it. After marking her, a werewolf should know not to touch. She was his, and he would make that redheaded witch pay. His body shook with anger, and he could feel the tingle as fur began to grow along his skin. He couldn't wait to rip into her body, breaking her bones and taste her blood. She would die for what she had done.
"Nate!"
The sound of a soft voice registered in his mind, but the wolf couldn't understand the word. All he wanted was to get his mate back. He felt the first snap of bone and the lengthening of his teeth.
"Nate, get a hold of yourself!"
Blood whooshed through Nate’s brain, making sounds fuzzy and blurring his vision.
Suddenly, he was knocked to the floor, and a man with auburn hair and gray eyes was hovering over him. He was inches from his face, and all he could think was to snap his fangs at him. This male was keeping him from his woman.
"Megan, think of Megan. We can get her back." While the words meant nothing to him, that name sounded familiar. The image of green eyes and freckles flashed in the wolf’s mind, and the fog started to fade away.
"Come back, Nate, or we won't find them. I can't deal with you like this and track them down. I need you. Megan needs you.” Megan needs me. The wolf and the man agreed with that. Nate blinked up at him, feeling his bones crack, returning human, and the sting of his teeth reforming.
"I'm fine! Get off of me," Nate snapped. He was himself again, but he was still furious. Megan was missing, and all he could think about was getting her back.
Joe jumped up, holding his hand out to help Nate. He took it, wanting to show Joe he was once again under control. "We have to tell Will.”
Nate sighed. He didn't want to do that. He just wanted to put his nose to the ground and find the girls. But he knew he owed it to his nephew to explain what had happened. This was why he never wanted to form attachments. Werewolves lived a long time, and some liked to overcome their boredom by wreaking havoc on others.
"Let’s go,” Nate said. “I hope he's home, I don't want to tell him at the office."
Before they headed to the main house, they both changed into more suitable clothing. Nate didn’t think searching for his mate in his work suit would be a good idea. He needed something more durable and easier to move in. He threw on jeans and a long sleeved t-shirt and rushed out, refusing to waste any more time. Joe finished changing into his borrowed clothes at the same time.
"This is your fault!" Will bellowed, pointing to Joe.
Nate stepped forward. "Will, she was with my girlfriend, at my house. Joe had nothing to do with it." He left out the fact that Lauren was there in the first place because she was upse
t with Joe.
Will’s face was red; a vein throbbed on his forehead. His anger was obvious, but Nate could see the worry for his daughter in his eyes. Nate hated putting his family in danger and had tried to stay away to protect them in the past, but he had let that slide after he found Megan. If he hadn’t been so selfish, Megan and Lauren would be safe right now.
"Charlotte is his sister,” Will scowled, lunging for Joe again.
"It was still my house, not his." Nate reached out and laid his hand on Will's arm. He didn't want to be here. He wanted to be looking for the girls, but he needed to reassure his nephew. "Don't worry. Just trust that we will get her back. I’m sorry, but we have to leave before the scent disappears."
Will nodded, his face strained.
Nate hated to leave him, but they had to go. He didn't think his wolf would wait any longer.
Chapter Five
Trapped
I awoke slowly feeling a throbbing pain in the side of my head, and I tried to think of where I was and why my head felt like it was being squeezed in a vice. Opening my eyes did nothing to answer my questions, blackness had swallowed me up. I couldn't see a thing.
I felt a body pressed against my back and figured it was Nate. But instead of his pine and leather scent, all I could smell was raspberries, oil, and gas. And we were moving. Charlotte’s face and threatening words played in my mind. Damn it, she took Lauren and me and stashed us in the trunk of a car. I couldn’t help it; I began to panic at being in such a confined space. I opened my mouth and started to scream, pounding my fists on the hood of the trunk. But all that did was make my hands hurt and my throat ache. I knew that my screams were useless, but I couldn’t help it. I had never been so terrified in my whole life.
"Hello?" Lauren called out, her voice laced with fear. For some reason, the sound of her fright calmed me. I stopped screaming and reached out, linking my fingers with hers.