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

by Christina Smith

  He shook his head. “No, we haven’t been there in weeks. We moved to an old farm, outside of town. It’s on a small island with a bridge access.” That explained why their scents were hard to find. The water erased it.

  I smiled and waved before pushing through the front exit. I felt bad for leaving him because he looked lost. And I knew why. He had no one in the world he could trust.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Zombie Mama

  “We have to help him,” I announced to everyone in the room after I explained what I had learned from Adrian.

  “What do you want us to do?” Joe asked, reaching for Lauren’s hand where they sat on one of the leather sofas in the office.

  “I don’t know. Maybe you can talk to Charlotte and get her to tell him where Marisa is.” My answer was directed at Joe, and then as his eyebrows scrunched, contemplating my words, I turned to Nate and Will. “And maybe give him a place to stay and some resources to help him search.”

  Will leaned back in his office chair, springs squeaking in protest. His fingers were steepled on his lap. It was his favorite thinking position.

  “Let me get this straight. He helped Charlotte kidnap you and Lauren and terrorized you both while you were on the island. Furthermore, he’s been following us and reporting our movements to Charlotte, and you want to help him?” I couldn’t miss the dripping sarcasm in his voice.

  “He didn’t help Charlotte kidnap us! And you’re forgetting that he taught us how to protect ourselves,” I added pointedly at him. He knew I wouldn’t have been able to fight James off if it weren’t for Adrian. “And Charlotte made him do those things. He has also given me information to help save your life.”

  “His info isn’t that helpful. We already knew they wanted Will dead,” Joe added, with a slight shrug of his shoulders.

  I narrowed my eyes at him. Why was no one willing to help Adrian? He was a guy who had been hurt by Charlotte as everyone in the room had been. We of all people should understand and sympathize with him. He went along with her to save his sister’s life.

  “As I recall, you also ran with her, did you not?” I asked pointedly at Joe, my face smug.

  Joe scowled. “Yes, for a year, but I left. He’s been with her for ten.”

  “She has his sister stashed somewhere and threatens to kill her when he tries to leave.” I shot back defending my new friend. I squeezed the leather arm rests on the chair I was sitting in, agitated by their lack of sympathy.

  “We have enough problems. We don’t need someone else’s,” Will added, his voice tense.

  This was not going as I’d hoped.

  I raised my hands in defeat. “You just want to leave him to suffer with her group of minions? What kind of life is that?”

  “If he wants to change, he can leave her. I did.”

  I frowned at Joe. “Do you honestly think she’s going to let him go? She’ll kill him and his sister. Who is an innocent child, by the way. You’re Charlotte’s brother, and it’s the only reason she didn’t kill you.”

  “That’s another reason we should stay out of it,” Will commented. “We can’t risk our lives to save him. We don’t even know him.”

  I felt like I was talking to my old stuck-up friends who would rather run from the fire then stay and help. “Are you serious?” I asked him, shocked by his words.

  “I’m sorry about his sister, and you’re right she’s an innocent victim of Charlotte’s sick and twisted mind. But I won’t risk my daughter.” He paused taking a deep breath. “Or you, for that matter. I’ve come to think of you as my third child, and I won’t let anyone hurt my children.” He stared at Nate as he finished his sentence. The tension in that stare was palpable.

  Things had been civil between the two since this morning, but apparently, he was still upset with Nate. My heart warmed at some of Will’s words though. I had never really had a real father, and I was happy that he thought of me that way. My arguments died on my lips. But it turned out, I didn’t need them.

  “Once we settle this problem with James and kill Charlotte, we’ll help him find his sister.” It was Nate speaking, and his voice held the authority of head of the family, and his one hundred and some odd years. No one would argue when he spoke like that. I’d seen his nephews go silent when he used that voice.

  Joe sat up, his face hard. “I told you we can’t kill her.”

  Will had been staring at Nate, looking like he wanted to argue, but at Joe’s statement, he spun to face him. “You have to kill her!” His voice was definitely better than last night, but it was still a bit frail sounding, and when he yelled, it went raspy.

  Joe’s face went red, and he dropped Lauren’s hand. “She’s my sister.”

  “And look at what she’s done and what she’ll continue to do if we don’t stop her.”

  Nate sat back in the chair next to mine and let them argue, a satisfied look on his face. He was enjoying their argument. Why? I didn’t know.

  Joe ran his hand through his unruly auburn hair in frustration. “I talked to Stephen. He said he’d take her and lock her up. He’ll keep her until she changes her ways.”

  “Why would he do that?” Lauren asked, breaking her silence.

  “He’s the Alpha of the Pack; they monitor werewolves like her and stop them from killing.”

  That answered my question on who Stephen was.

  Will’s fist pounded the desk with a loud thump. The coffee he had been nursing sloshed on the oak surface. “That isn’t enough. We can’t risk her getting away from him. She’s done too much to my family.”

  Joe opened his mouth to speak and closed it, and then he smirked. “Fine. We kill her, but we also kill James.”

  A silence fell upon the room as Nate and Will froze. It was obvious they didn’t want to do that. With the Rileys, family was everything, even the ones that were disinherited. They wouldn’t want them harmed.

  “That’s what I thought. Why is it okay to bloody well kill my sister, but not the man who wants you dead?” Joe’s words were hard to understand through his thickening accent.

  Nate and Will exchanged glances. “We don’t have to figure it out right now.” Nate said standing up and facing all of us. “I’m going to patrol the property, and then I have a few things to do.” He gave me a pointed look. I couldn’t help the blush that appeared on my cheeks.

  When he disappeared out the door, Lauren raised a brow at me in question.

  My only answer was to shrug.

  The atmosphere in the room became awkward, and I decided it was time to go up to Lauren’s room to call Mona. I didn’t go home last night, and I hadn’t talked to her since yesterday morning.

  No one acknowledged my exit as they continued with their strained silence.

  The phone rang once before Mona picked up. “Let me guess. You’re back with Nate.”

  No hello, or are you okay? That was my Mona, and I loved her.

  “Yes, I’m alive. I’m so sorry I worried you.” I could be just as sarcastic as her.

  She scoffed. “Oh please, I don’t worry about you. That boy of yours wouldn’t let anything happened to you.” If she only knew.

  “I think you like him more than I do.” I sat down on Lauren’s sofa and lifted my sock covered feet onto her coffee table. I wiggled my toes and stretched out.

  “Just be thankful I’m not twenty years younger.”

  I laughed as I ran my finger along the soft material of the armrest, making designs on the upholstery. “Twenty? Please!” I scoffed playfully.

  “Is there a reason you called or did you just want to insult me?” I could hear Ben’s laughter in the background. He had always gotten a kick out of our back and forth banter.

  “Nope, I just called to insult you.” I couldn’t stop my own laughter from sneaking out. Leave it to Mona to cheer me up. “I’ll be here for a few more days,” I said once I sobered.

  “Oh, just move back with him and get it over with. You’re happier there, and you know it
.”

  “Are you trying to get rid of me?”

  “Of course I am. I don’t have enough food here for you.”

  A snort snuck out. “Well, on that note, I’m going to say goodbye.”

  “Love you.” Her words were laced with warmth.

  “Love you too.”

  When I hung up, I sprawled out on the soft cushions and smiled, feeling happy after our phone conversation. I must have drifted off, because I woke to someone poking me. I smelled his scent before I opened my eyes to see his crooked smile. I caught myself just as I was about to yank him toward me and wrap my arms around him.

  “Hi,” I said instead of indulging in the impulse.

  “Hi,” His eyes sparkled. “Did you have a nice rest?”

  I sat up and rubbed the sleep from my eyes. “I guess so.” I felt groggy and confused.

  He held his hand out, and when I wrapped mine around it, his warmth spread down my arm. He yanked me up onto my feet until we stood just inches apart. His scent was intoxicating. I took a breath and stepped back, promising myself I wouldn’t rush it. I was afraid to freak out if he pushed me too far, and I think he realized that.

  “Are you ready?”

  The only answer I gave was a small smile, feeling suddenly nervous. I followed him to the west library, and when he pushed the door open, I gasped. Not because of the fire roaring in the stone fireplace or the apple scented candles that were lit throughout the room. Not even because of the happy bouquet of daisies in the center of the coffee table. I gasped because situated around the flowers were finger foods—my favorite foods before I turned into an all-meat-eating-werewolf. There were nachos and cheese, mini egg rolls, garlic knots and marinara sauce, cheddar cheese balls, and my favorite—mozzarella sticks with lots of sour cream. There was even some meat for him. Some of the anger I felt for him faded by the fact that he had gone to all the trouble to make this special for me.

  “Thank you,” I whispered as my heart fluttered.

  He stepped inside and picked up a bunch of DVD’s. “I also got your favorite movies.”

  “Is that Zombie Mama, One. Two. and Three?”

  He nodded, with a wide grin.

  I loved old cheesy horror flicks, and for some reason, the zombie ones were the worst. They made me laugh more than a comedy. Only Nate would know that I would need some laughter to cheer me up. Life had turned too serious and depressing.

  I took the copies in my hand and grinned at the covers. A zombie mom was holding a baby that was covered in zombie makeup. The makeup was so obviously fake, it was comical.

  “Thank you.” I looked around the room. “For everything. It looks great.”

  He simply shrugged and sat down in front of the food.

  I joined him and picked up my plate, loading it with food. There was music softly emanating from the speakers, and as I sat back chewing on the mini eggroll in my mouth, I glanced around the cozy room. Two of the walls were all shelves, filled with books. The far one held a massive stone fireplace, and the last one showcased a large bay window and window seat. The soft burgundy cushion looked inviting. I imagined curling up against the window with a throw blanket and a book to read the day away. Escaping into a fantasy world where I could forget all of my problems. Even the smells in the room were comforting. The mix of smoke from the fireplace and the musty scent from the books made me feel at home.

  “It’s such a warm and inviting room,” I observed. “I’ve never been in here before.”

  “Yeah, it’s not used a lot, but it’s my favorite.”

  “You know, I never asked, but what part of the house was originally your family’s?”

  He swallowed the drink of soda and placed his soda can on the table before grabbing a chicken wing.

  “It was a two story house with the main sitting room, the office, which was my parents’ room, a kitchen, and three bedrooms on the second floor. There are only a couple rooms that weren’t touched in the renovation. It was a pretty big house for the time.”

  I thought about the rooms he mentioned, trying to picture them with furnishings for the time period. When I couldn’t, I took a mozzarella stick and dipped it in the sour cream before taking a bite.

  “Why are there so many wood piles at the cottage? I noticed them yesterday when you brought me back.”

  Nate’s face flushed. “Oh, uh…when I’m upset, or stressed, I find that physical activity helps clear my mind.”

  “Okay, what does that have to do with the wood?”

  “Well, the activity I usually turn to is splitting wood.” He looked down at the nacho chip in his hand. “When you left, I needed a distraction or I would have gone crazy, so I decided to chop some fire wood.”

  I gaped at him as his words sunk in. Some fire wood. There had to be five huge piles out there. “For the whole town?” I asked, the shock clear in my voice.

  He chuckled softly, the glow from the fireplace dancing in his eyes. “I might have gone a tad overboard.”

  I snorted. “That’s an understatement. Well, since we’ll live forever, we’ll never run out of firewood.” A small smile played at my lips. I felt relaxed and quite a bit lighter in this room.

  He smiled, his eyes filled with love.

  “What?” I asked, unsure what brought on the change of his expression.

  “You made it sound like we’d be together all that time.”

  I blushed. “Well, we are mated. Just because I’m upset with you now, doesn’t mean that I always will be.” I smirked, giving him a sideways glance. “I’m sure in fifty years; I’ll forgive you for taking away my humanity.” His face fell. Guilt and pain plowed into my stomach. I had meant the words to be playful, and the humanity part slipped out.

  The agony that shone in his eyes so much since he bit me returned. “I don’t know how I’ll ever forgive myself.”

  The fun, casual atmosphere died away in an instant, and I didn’t know how to retrieve it, so I muttered the only thing that came to mind. “Who’s Emma?”

  By the look on his face, they were the worst words I could have uttered.

  “I’m sorry. I was just curious. I had never heard the name before.”

  He sat silently, watching the flames in the fireplace. He didn’t speak for a few minutes, and I didn’t know what to do, so I ate, trying to avoid looking at him. He seemed like he needed privacy—should I leave? Just as the thought crossed my mind, he opened his mouth to speak.

  “She was a cousin of Will’s, the youngest of that generation. She was the most like my youngest sister Mary. So much so that I would have said it was her ghost returning.” He paused, a faint smile appeared on his lips. “I’d be lying if I said she wasn’t my favorite. And I was hers. She looked up to me and followed me around like a lost puppy. She wanted to be an artist, and she was really good. Her father refused to let her go to art school. He wanted her to go into the business, like most in the family did. She was his only child, and I think he wanted to ensure they’d be included in the will. Sometimes, greed can bring out the worst in people.” He stopped talking, staring at the fire, as if the images in his head were playing out in there.

  “She sounds lovely,” I remarked, hoping to get him to continue. I was fascinated by the story.

  He nodded. “She was. I got her into the school of her choosing and told her father not to worry; their standing in the family wouldn’t be affected if she wasn’t in the business. He finally agreed and let her go. She was immature for her age. She saw life as a child would, and it took until she finished college for her to be finally ready to learn the secret about me. Her father told her on a full moon night, and she took it well. We had such a close bond that nothing about me could change her mind.” His face went white. The story was about to take a dark turn. “She rushed to my cottage to tell me that she didn’t care what I was—until she saw me. She caught me mid-change, and as you know, that’s not a pretty sight. First of all, I was naked, and hairs had grown along my body, and my limbs were just st
arting to bend and shape. It must have been a hideous sight. I wasn’t old enough to stop my change, so I couldn’t go after her when she took off screaming.”

  I was horrified for that girl. The way he described her, it must have been terrifying to see him that way. When I saw him change for the first time, it happened so fast, and he was so far away that I didn’t see much, but even that had frightened me. I couldn’t imagine how this girl took it.

  “When I turned back human, I went to find her. Her father told me that she left town and gave him a note to pass on to me. It said that she had been on her way to tell me that what she had learned didn’t matter, until she saw what a freak I really was. If I came after her, she’d hurt me.” He laughed darkly. “Even then, she couldn’t threaten very well.”

  It did sound like something a child would say, but I could see that she had succeeded in her threat. The pain was still in his eyes after all these years.

  “She hurt you, didn’t she?”

  He attempted to smile, but what he accomplished just made him appear even sadder. “She just proved to me what I had always known.” He gazed into my eyes, and the agony in them tore at my heart. “I’m a mon—”

  I stopped him from saying the word he always used to describe himself by placing a finger on his lips. He breathed deeply and kissed the pad of my finger softly. That simple gesture changed the atmosphere in the room, energy crackled around us. I sucked in a breath as he leaned forward. I thought he was going to kiss me, but instead, he just hovered inches away from my mouth, barely touching. His breath was hot as it caressed my lips. He moved slowly, our bodies never touched—the heat that emanated from each of us felt like a furnace. My breathing grew shallow and a tightness began in my stomach. He bent down, his breath reached my neck, and I felt goose bumps rise along my skin. It was crazy that I was having trouble breathing by simply being so close to him; the non-touching was more sensual than the actual feel of his hands on me. Somehow by avoiding it, our touch seemed almost forbidden.

  Hours later, or it could have been seconds, my mind had turned to mush so I had no idea how much time had passed before his lips finally made contact. While I wanted his mouth on mine, he continued to tease me by spreading tiny kisses along my chin, leading to my ear. I moaned when he nuzzled on my earlobe. His tongue ran down my skin, just below my ear. My heart began to beat faster, my breathing was hollow. He felt so good; I didn’t want him to stop. “I love how you taste,” he whispered in my ear, his hot breath giving me goose bumps once again as he continued his journey.