Riley's Torment, A Moon's Glow Novel #2

by Christina Smith

  “I don’t deserve her,” he murmured, knowing that his cousin would hear him. He set the water bottle down onto a flat patch of ground and picked up the axe.

  She nodded sharply. “You’re right, both of you deserve to be unhappy. She deserves to wallow in her old life pretending she’s not a werewolf. And you deserve to torture yourself, spending days chopping down the entire forest.” She sighed, her eyes sliding to the piles behind him. “We don’t even burn wood! What the hell are you going to do with all of that?” She was raising her voice getting exasperated with the both of them.

  He knew she’d been at the Banks mansion a few times to see Megan and always returned annoyed and frustrated. When he had asked her about it, she had answered, “She’s as hard-headed as you are.”

  He smiled at her, and the memory, as he leaned the handle of the axe against his hip, holding onto the top. “Are you done?” he chuckled, finding her rant humorous. It was obvious that Lauren cared about what happened to him and Megan, but he couldn’t appease his cousin. He wouldn’t force Megan to forgive him when he couldn’t forgive himself.

  “No, there’s one more thing. It’s about Joe, and you can’t tell him.”

  Nate nodded, suddenly curious. Despite his friendship with Joe, he would never betray her confidence. “I won’t. You know you can trust me.”

  “I’ve already forgiven him.” Nate’s eyes widened and he couldn’t help the smile that returned to his lips. He didn’t have much to smile about lately, so having done so twice in mere minutes was surprising.

  She grinned sheepishly back at him. “But I want to get my life in order, figure out all this wolf stuff before I tell him. My emotions are crazy right now, and I don’t need relationship drama to add to that while I learn to be as good a werewolf as you.”

  Now Nate frowned. “You don’t want to be like me. I lost control, and not just when I changed Megan.” He paused, running a hand roughly over his face, hating what he was about to tell her. “Lauren, I never told any of the family, because it’s unforgivable. But when I first turned into a werewolf, I didn’t handle it well. I killed two innocent people.”

  Her face was blank as she stared at him, taking in this information. “Is that why you always eat a lot and constantly tell me to?”

  He simply nodded in answer. Her face was strained with concentration as she went silent, gazing down at the saw dust that littered the wet grass. Finally, after minute of anxiety ridden silence, she looked up at him. “That doesn’t change how I see you. I know that you must have been different back then, because you would never do that now. And, you have to stop torturing yourself about Megan. Yes, you turned her, but if you hadn’t, she would have suffered like I did. Believe me, it wasn’t fun. I still have nightmares about it.”

  Sympathy for his cousin flashed over Nate’s face. He hated how she became a werewolf, but he was proud of the way she was adjusting. “I’ve been looking for Charlotte, asking around. I even called Stephen, but he hasn’t returned my call.”

  “Who’s Stephen? The name sounds familiar. I remember you mentioned his name before all hell broke loose with Megan. ”

  Nate winced at the memory that her words had brought out. He cleared his throat, hoping to also clear the thoughts that now hovered in his mind. “He’s the werewolf pack leader for this area. He keeps track of lone wolves and their behavior. Makes sure they don’t cause too much trouble and expose our race.”

  “I never knew there was a pack. How come you never told me?”

  “Because they don’t want the world to know we exist. I wasn’t going to tell you their secrets. If you knew; you might have been in danger. But now that you’re one of us, it’s okay. Just don’t tell anyone about them.”

  She raised her arms in the air. “Who am I going to tell? I haven’t even told my father about me.” She paused and tilted her head, smiling up at him. “Do you think he’ll notice that I look the same when I turn thirty? He might not question it. The Rileys have good genes.”

  Nate frowned, but his eyes held a hint of laughter. “I think he’ll notice.”

  She sighed and sat down on a log, swishing her foot in a pile of sawdust, dragging her sneaker in a circle. “Yeah, I figured.” She pushed her wheat colored hair out of her eyes. “So I went to see Megan yesterday.”

  Nate tried not to show interest as he threw a couple of pieces of wood onto the closest pile. One stayed put as the other fell down the wooden mountain, landing on the grass. “Did you?”

  Lauren nodded. “She hasn’t left her parents’ house since she got there, not even to go to the charity. Do you know who’s taking over for her?”

  Nate nodded. “Julia told me Megan called and asked for a leave of absence.”

  “She did?” Lauren asked, unable to mask the surprise on her face.

  “Yes she did, and Julia hired a new person that can stay on or help if Megan ever goes back.”

  “What did she tell her?”

  He shrugged. “That she was having personal problems. I could tell Julia was curious, but she didn’t push.”

  That was the thing with Julia; she must have noticed that Nate wasn’t quite normal, since they worked so closely for three and a half years. And yet she never questioned his lame excuses for why he couldn’t be there on full moon nights or why he took weeks off when Rowan was after Megan. She simply told him everything was fine at the shelter and then welcomed him back when he returned, without question. He was lucky when he had found her.

  Lauren sat down on a nearby tree stump. “That’s good. Megan won’t admit it, but I know she felt bad for not going back. She’s in denial, Nate. She won’t deal with her new werewolf side, and she won’t talk about you. She said she might start hanging out with Mandy again. She’s going to slide right back into her old life like the last six months never happened.” She paused as a gust of wind whipped around her, blowing a woodchip onto her pants. She wiped it off and glanced up at him. “I’m worried about her.”

  Nate sighed. He knew Megan was avoiding him, and what she had become, but he thought that she just needed time to process everything that had happened. He never imagined her going back to her old life. She hated her old friends, and her family’s world of socialites and greed. She had once told him she was drowning in that life and he was her savior. He couldn’t let her fall back into that, she wasn’t, and had never been happy there. But what could he do? He ruined her life; she would never listen to him. “There’s nothing I can do, Lauren. I killed any influence I had with her when I betrayed her. But I hope you don’t give up on her. She hated that life.”

  Lauren gaped at him. “You’re not going to do anything?”

  He shook his head. “I can’t.” He threw the axe to the ground. “Let’s go for that run.”

  She stared at him like she wanted to continue with their conversation and make him do something about Megan. And before she could pester him anymore, he turned and headed for the trees where they would make their change.

  Nate watched Lauren as she ducked into her preferred spot to change. She had found it the first night he talked her into going for a run. It was in the center of a thicket, giving her the privacy she desired.

  He also preferred to turn in solitude, and he headed into the row of evergreens that hid him from view. Changing into a wolf was a disturbing sight, and he didn’t like an audience. It had happened once, and he had never recovered. Joe was different—he didn’t care who saw him turn.

  Once Nate’s change was complete, he raised his head up in the air and sniffed. Lauren was still in her thicket, and by the sound of it, she was in the midst of her change. She no longer cried out as she had the first few times they had went for a run.

  He trotted out from behind the trees to await her, his paws digging into the frosted ground. It wasn’t completely dark yet, and the sun had just started to fall. With all the tree cover, it would be difficult for a human to see in the woods. But he and Lauren were not human; the darkness would not hinder
their run. As he waited, he gave into the wolf, and leaned down to clean his paws.

  He heard Lauren approach, had sniffed her before that, but by her soft steps, he could tell she was trying to sneak up on him. And since he wanted her to enjoy this as much as possible, he let her have her fun. When she pounced and knocked him to the ground, he wished he had the voice to laugh.

  She growled, showing her fangs as she hovered above him, and then took off into a run down their regular path. He followed her, slowing his normal pace. He let her take the lead for a few minutes and then decided that she had had enough. It was time to show off. Just as he pushed forward, she dove to the right, blocking his path. He huffed and took the other side, his powerful legs taking longer strides. He was too quick and he pushed past her, making a grunting sound that sounded like a laugh.

  They were heading up to the stream that trickled from the lake, when he caught a scent. Another werewolf was near.

  Nate skidded to a stop, raised his head to listen, and then sniffed, hoping to find the intruders whereabouts. Lauren must not have realized he was going to stop because she barreled into his backside. They toppled to the ground, rolling into a patch of thorn bushes, and she whined as a thorn stabbed into her paw.

  Nate growled, thinking that she was playing again. He nodded his head north toward the lake, where they could hear something moving through the brush. With a concerned look at Lauren, he took off to find the other werewolf, knowing it could have something to do with Charlotte. This was one of the werewolves from the island.

  They followed the trail to the end of the Riley property, and it disappeared where tire tracks led to Bolder road. They had lost the werewolf. Nate growled and nodded sharply toward the direction of the Riley estate. He was frustrated that he had lost the scent, but he also felt relief. He had thought he would never find Charlotte again. However, now that he had discovered one of her werewolves, he couldn’t help but feel that she was close by. And if he could catch the scent again, maybe it could lead to the woman he was after.

  He couldn’t wait to tell Joseph. He knew they’d have another argument, but this meant Charlotte was near, and he intended to find her.

  Chapter Fourteen

  New Friend

  “Doorbell’s ringing,” Mona mumbled, pointing in the direction of the front foyer. I was sitting at the kitchen island, working on my third omelet. I had been eating so much over the last seven days that Mona wanted me to get checked for a tapeworm. She didn’t know about all the snacks I had snuck into my room while she wasn’t looking. How could I explain why I was so hungry? And even if I could tell her the true reason, I wouldn’t want to. I hated even thinking about why Nate and I were no longer together. Instead, I planted my butt in front of the TV all day. As far as I was concerned, the last six months never happened.

  “So answer it,” I replied through the egg, ham and cheese in my mouth. The only response I got was a scowl. “Fine,” I grumbled, hoisting myself off of the stool.

  As I made my way to the door, my cell beeped. I pulled it out of my pocket and glanced at the text. It was Lauren again. She was telling me there was a new development about Charlotte, and I was needed at the cottage. Like all the other messages she had sent, I ignored it.

  When I pulled the door open, I blinked at the bright sun shining in the sky. Once my vision cleared, I stared at Mandy, my ex-best friend, wondering why she was standing on my front step. Had I literally went back in time? She looked the same as always, wearing designer clothes, smelling of Gucci perfume, her hair and face expertly coiffed. The only difference was the length of her black hair, which was longer than its usual pixie cut. I thought I had only wished the last few months hadn’t occurred. But what else could possibly explain my ex-best friends, sudden appearance at my door.

  “What do you want?” I asked blankly. My tone was neither angry nor enthusiastic.

  She blinked, flicking glances past me into my home. “I’ve been driving by your house for the last few days and saw your car. I’ve been trying to get up the courage to talk to you for weeks, but I don’t know where you’ve been. Your parents told mine that you moved out on your own, only they didn’t say where.”

  I rested my left hand on the door frame and the other on the edge of the wooden door. It might have looked like I was blocking her entrance, which was fine with me. “What could you possibly have to say to me?” Again, my words were spoken without feeling.

  Mandy shifted her feet and swallowed hard. She was nervous, and my non-open arms were not helping. “Um…I was wondering if you wanted to come out for a frozen yogurt. I thought we could go to La crème, our favorite.”

  I took in a breath like I was considering her offer. “Nope. See ya.”

  I was closing the door, when I heard Mona call out from behind me, “She’d love to go.”

  I spun around and glared at Mona with wide eyes.

  “Just a minute,” I said to my old friend, leaving her standing on the step with the door still open. I yanked Mona into the main living room, careful not to dig my fingers into her skin, like I had done the other day—accidentally.

  “What are you doing? You hate Mandy,” I hissed.

  “Yes I do. But you need to get out of this house before I end up strangling you. I can’t afford the bail money.” She smiled, laughter dancing in her eyes. “I am sick of seeing you lying around here doing nothing but eating and watching TV. You need fresh air, and other people. And good lord, I need a break.”

  I narrowed my eyes, actually enjoying the fact that I was annoying her. I’m not sure why, but I had been in an argumentative mood lately. “Fine, I’ll go. But if I turn into a stuck-up snob, it’s your fault.”

  She huffed, her eyes going wide. “It’s better than a hibernating sloth that eats too much.”

  Damn it, I wish my lips hadn’t twitched. Before I broke out into a full smile, I whirled on my heel. “Just give me a few minutes to change,” I said to a shocked Mandy. I left her with her mouth hanging open. Apparently, she was as surprised as I was that I had agreed.

  I told her to meet me there. I wasn’t ready to be in a car alone with her. After our history, I had trust issues.

  It took me ten minutes into the visit with Mandy to regret going with her. Honestly, I was surprised it lasted that long. After an exchange of pleasantries, she had dived into a whining session on how all of our old friends had abandoned her. Brandon was away at Harvard, Shane got a scholarship for football in Virginia, and Chris was off to Yale for pre-med. I was almost impressed; I didn’t think he had it in him to help others. But then she told me that his parents were pressuring him to be a doctor, and my opinion of him was restored.

  She played with the end of her growing black hair. It was the longest I’d seen it since we were kids. “And Jenny was sent to a relative in Arizona to go to school. Her father is hoping that living with his side of the family will make her appreciate her life here.” She stuffed a spoonful of her strawberry frozen yogurt into her mouth and swallowed. “I guess his family is poor.”

  The door signaling a new customer drew my attention away from the most boring conversation I could ever remember having, and made eye contact with Lauren. I sunk into my seat as she headed toward us. I wasn’t ready for reality yet. I just wanted a few more days of living in denial. She stood in front of us wearing her brown suede jacket and faded blue jeans with a tiny heart drawn on the knee. They were not my clothes, so she must have finally moved home. I could also smell her guava shampoo, another sign she was no longer staying at the cottage.

  Had she left Nate alone? Was he missing me as desperately as I missed him? I swallowed the lump that had suddenly formed in my throat as she approached our table.

  “Hey,” she said to me and then flashed a fake smile to Mandy. “What are you doing here?” she asked.

  I wasn’t about to tell her that I was only here because Mona was sick of me. I smiled as if I was actually enjoying myself. “Just catching up with Mandy. She was jus
t telling me about the old gang. We’re thinking of getting together later.” I paused as she tried to hide a frown. “What about you?”

  “I was actually on my way to see you at your parents’ house to see if you got my text, and I saw your car here.” I didn’t miss her remark of it being my parents’ house and not my own. She had been telling me constantly for the last week that I belonged at the cottage. I had no idea she was such a nag.

  “Sorry, I can’t make it. I’m busy with my friend.” I gestured to Mandy across from me to clarify who I was referring to.

  Lauren glared her hazel eyes at me, her hands on her hips. “Are you really going to do this?” We both knew she wasn’t talking about me eating ice cream, but the whole Mandy thing.

  I might have made it sound like I wanted my old life back in one of our phone conversations. It couldn’t be further from the truth, but since she wasn’t letting up on trying to convince me to forgive Nate, I got desperate. I actually enjoyed the lie when it obviously irritated her. I had never been so nasty before turning into a werewolf. What was next, murder? I winced at the thought and took a drink of the lemonade I had ordered. I needed to wash that word away. I hated even joking about it.

  All I could do was nod before Lauren turned in a huff and rushed out of the store.

  “Are we doing something later?” Mandy asked, her voice raised an octave in excitement. I had almost forgotten she was here.

  I turned my attention away from Lauren’s car as it spun away from the yogurt shop and glared at Mandy. “God, no.” I stood up, as if I was going to leave. “So, thanks for this. That was good. It was great to see you.”

  I could tell by the expression on her face that she knew my fake tone of voice. She had heard it before enough times. She nodded, grabbed her purse off the back of her chair, and shoved her arms in her leather coat. She headed out the glass door; the bell signaled her departure. Feeling lighter after losing the dead weight, I sat down and ordered another peanut-butter, chocolate crunch. I wasn’t ready to go home; it was starting to get claustrophobic inside those very large walls.