Riley's Redemption (A Moon's Glow Novel) (30 page)

That was a hard
question. If he meant physically, I was fine; despite the fact that I would
kill for a drink. And if he meant mentally, I was even better. I had been
worried that when I woke up I wouldn’t love Nate as I had when I was a
werewolf. But all the feelings that were in me before I had fallen asleep were
still there. If it was possible, I felt even more in love. How could I not? We
had just gone through a big change together and now that we were no longer
werewolves, we could have the lives we were always meant to have… together.

When I gazed into his
eyes, I could see the love I felt for him staring back at me. All the fear of
those feelings leaving with the werewolf gene, washed away. We were together
and could finally live the normal life he had always wanted. When I thought
over everything, there was only one answer that would sum up all that I was
feeling. “Human,” I finally whispered.

“She looks like me,” my mom cooed to the bundle in
her arms, her platinum hair hanging over the soft pink blanket.

“Oh, no Heather, she
looks like our lovely daughter.” My father grinned and winked at me. Since
Emily was born yesterday, he was a different person. He actually smiled and I
could see joy in his eyes.

We had named our
daughter after Nate’s mother, Emmaline. I wanted to use her full name, but Nate
wanted to modernize it. Now that he knew that our time on this earth was
limited, he wanted to live life to its fullest and stop dwelling on the past.

“He’s right. She looks
just like you,” Nate agreed, leaning down to kiss me, his familiar scent
wrapping around me like our baby’s warm blanket. She might have had my
strawberry colored hair, but when you looked at her vivid blue eyes, you could
tell she was a Riley.

I grinned again,
something I had been doing a lot of since she was born. Of course, there wasn’t
much of that when I was in labor. The pain was something I had not been
prepared for. It brought back the memory of changing into a werewolf. I hadn`t
felt anything like that in years…until now. But after twenty three hours, the
doctor finally pulled her out and placed her in my arms. She winked and blinked
at the bright light above us and my heart was once again lost. She was a part of
me and Nate, the man that had meant everything to me. I had never been happier
in my entire life.

It had been five years
since Nate and I had taken the cure and just as I had thought, he had come
alive when we awoke human. He was finally able to settle into Creekford and to
plan for a future. As werewolves, we weren’t able to have children and when we
returned home from North Carolina that was the first thing Nate asked for, a
baby of his own. He had treated his extended family like his children ever since
his immediate family died so many years ago, but this was different. This was
his own child. We decided to wait a few years to enjoy a normal life together
before we began planning for her, but now that she was here, I wondered what we
were waiting for.

We changed our last
name legally to Riley from Green; some people were confused as to why and the
only reason we could come up with was that Nate had just found out he was a
relative. It was a weak explanation, but if people questioned it, they never
said anything.

Nate had moved up in
the company publicly. He no longer ran things behind closed doors, as he had in
the past. His public position wasn’t as high as his real job, but he was
finally able to be true to himself without all the lies.

I was still running
Riley House and without all the drama that came with being a werewolf, things
were going well. Residents were thriving in the shelter and I was really proud
of what we accomplished there. I had even persuaded my parents to volunteer
annually for our Fun Days. It was all I could manage, but at least it was
something. They were trying to be the parents they should have been as I was
growing up. And by the way they looked at my daughter; they were going to be
even better grandparents. I couldn’t help but grin at my dad. Emily had him
wrapped around her little finger already and it would be interesting to see how
this would play out.

Mona and Ben had left
an hour before; she had been at the hospital since I woke up this morning. Ben
had to drag her out so I could have more visitors.

“Can I have a turn Mrs.
Banks?” Sadie asked from her chair next to Adrian.

My mother smiled at my
friend. “Of course Sadie and please call me Heather.”

Sadie nodded, as she
took my baby into her arms, her long brown hair flowing over her shoulders. She
was wearing a flowing purple sundress that protruded at the belly. “She is so
precious. I can’t wait to have ours.”

Sadie was four months
pregnant. She and Adrian got married three years ago and took the cure a year
after that. Adrian had started his own construction company and Sadie was still
working at the shelter with me, but now she worked during the days heading up
the career program. Marisa was in college taking fashion design and Nathan was
at the same school, earning a business degree. They were living together as
much as Adrian hated it. But, since she was now an adult, he didn’t have much
say in the matter.

“Well honey, we’re
going to go. I’m so proud of you.” My mother’s voice wavered as a tear slid
down her cheek. I didn’t know she had it in her. Yes, she had changed since I
had gotten married, but I wasn’t expecting tears.

My father rolled his
eyes as he led her out of the room.

Once they were gone,
Nate sat on the edge of the bed next to me; his grin was as wide as mine as we
watched our friend hold our daughter.

“If your baby is a boy,
maybe they can date,” I said to Adrian. His face went white, a shocking
contrast to the black button-down he was wearing. I didn`t think anyone could
look paler, until I glanced at Nate; his eyes were as round as saucers.

Sadie and I laughed at
them as a knock sounded at the door. I could scent the werewolves before the
door opened. Panic clenched in my chest, as I worried for my child. We hadn’t
smelled that scent in years, nothing good could come of it.

The fear drained out of
me when I turned my head. Lauren and Joe framed the doorway. Lauren held a
guarded expression, as if she wasn’t sure she was welcome. I had texted her
when I went into labor asking if they could come to visit. But since it was a
long plane ride from Ireland, I wasn’t sure they would make the trip. She
looked beautiful. Her sandy colored hair had grown since I had last seen her,
reaching to her lower back. She was wearing a fitted black silk blouse and dark
blue skinny jeans. Her face wasn`t as tanned as it usually was in the summer,
but since she had been living in Ireland that was understandable. Joe, looked
exactly the same, but his hair was shorter than I remembered. The top that was
normally long enough to flop over his eyes was cropped close to his head. I
liked it; it showed off the sharp planes on his face.

“Come on in, I’m so
glad you could come.”

Lauren rushed forward
and gave me a hug, but backed away when a little moan of pain escaped my mouth.
She made a face. “I’m sorry.” Then she scrunched her nose up, a slight grin
appearing on her lips. “You smell like a human.” She winked. “Are you happy?”

I nodded. “Yes. But
even more so now that you guys are here.” I glanced at Joe who stood against
the wall, his face tense. He and Nate had talked a few times since they moved
away, but things were still strained between them. “Joe, stop holding that wall
up and give me a hug. I haven’t seen you in years.”

A barely-there smile
appeared on his face as he obeyed my command. He squeezed a little harder than
my sore body could handle, but I didn’t want to protest, since he seemed
anxious already. He stood up and shook the hand that Nate held out. As Nate was
about to pull his hand away, Joe pulled him in for a big bear hug.
“Congratulations
Dad
,” he murmured, before drawing away.

“Thanks,” Nate said,
beaming at his friend. By the look on both of their faces, everything would be
fine between them eventually.

“
Oh
, I want
one,” Lauren squealed, as she approached Sadie who was still holding the baby.

Nate smirked at Joe.
“We still have some doses of the cure, if you want to become a Daddy.”

Joe gazed at my
daughter; his face softening with an expression we had seen on all of our
visitors faces once they set eyes on our precious baby. He stared at her for
several seconds before his lopsided grin appeared. “Maybe someday,” he answered
Lauren wistfully.

She smiled at him and
then me. Since they were back in our lives, everything was how it should be.
And now with the baby, my life was complete.

###

1945

I was used to getting
up early for patrols, but this was ridiculous. I was on leave; I should be
taking advantage of the quiet and sleeping as long as I could. For the first
time in months I was able to sleep without the threat of a raid or worry that
if I fell asleep I might not wake up. “Why are we up this early again?” I asked
Isaiah, the man I considered a father since the age of five, when my own
parents abandoned me. I was now nineteen and on leave for a month. Since the
war ended, I was allowed time away. My best friend Aiden and I were home to
recuperate before going back to training. But my idea of recuperating wasn’t
exactly the same as Isaiah’s. If it was up to me, we wouldn’t be up at the
crack of dawn climbing a mountain. The last time I was even near a mountain, I
was getting shot at.

Isaiah poured hot
coffee into a mug and handed it to me. The intoxicating aroma wafted throughout
the room and I barely noticed Aiden as he wandered into the kitchen and fell
into an empty chair at the table. “Because it’s a long drive,” was the only
response from Isaiah. He was a tall man with dark brown hair that always needed
a trim and hazel eyes that looked wise beyond his years. He almost never
shaved, leaving his face unkempt and streaked with gray. He was also a man of
little words and although his outer appearance would be considered gruff, he
had a heart of gold. He was a medical researcher who was on a mission to find a
cure for cancer, the disease that had taken his wife, at the young age of
thirty five. They had only found each other a few years before and a year after
she gave birth to Aiden, she passed away. Isaiah was heartbroken, but knew he
had to be there for his only child.

“Did you forget what
Dad was like Bastian? It hasn’t been that long since we’ve been home.” I hated
when he shortened my name, which was why he did it. He had been calling me that
since we met, seventeen years ago. I was so used to it though, it no longer
bothered me.

Aiden and I had been
drafted into the army when we turned eighteen, which happened to be a few weeks
apart. Not exactly the birthday present I wanted, but it wasn’t a surprise
either since it was mandatory for all young men to enlist once they became an
adult. After only a few months of training we were shoved into the thick of
battle. Yes, it had only been a year since we’d been home, but with everything
we had seen and done, it felt more like a lifetime.

“Drink up boys, I want
to get going,” Isaiah grumbled, as he packed food into a satchel.

I chuckled as I took a
drink, the hot liquid flowing down my throat, waking me up. When I finished my
drink I yanked on my coat and stood up. If I was going to spend the day hiking
a Godforsaken mountain, it was about time to get it over with.

We began our journey
up, a few hours later. The drive along the dirt roads had been quiet. I dozed
on and off, the drone of the engine and the silence surrounding me made it hard
to keep my eyes open. Aiden read a book, while Isaiah concentrated on the road
ahead.

Once we parked
Isaiah’s new Ford, we started up the trail. “Why are we doing this again, Dad?”
Aiden asked after a few minutes of dodging branches and tripping over roots and
bushes.

Isaiah remained silent
as we followed him up the rough terrain. The sky was clear and now that the sun
was up, the air was warm with just a hint of a breeze. After several moments of
silence, Isaiah finally spoke. “I’m looking for an herb.”

My brow furrowed as I
tried to grasp my adoptive father’s words. “An herb,” I repeated dryly.

Isaiah stepped over a
tree trunk, his arms clasped on the straps of the satchel he had slung over his
shoulder. “I’m researching this particular herb and found out that it only
grows on higher ground, this mountain in particular.”

“And what is so
special about this herb?” Aiden asked, as a bird screeched in the distance.

“I think it will be
the answer I’ve been looking for. I think it will cure the strand of cancer
your mother died from.” His voice was low and filled with emotion. It was very
unlike the gruff man he had become after the death of his wife.

Aiden dropped his
questions, as a silence fell over our group, the two men at my side still
grieved over the woman they lost. Even though I had never met Aiden’s mother, I
respected their need for their private thoughts.

It was Isaiah that
eventually filled the silence. “I’ve been corresponding with a colleague of
mine in France and he said that he was sure that this herb had the qualities
that are needed in our research.”

There were no other
complaints from the either of us. What Isaiah was doing was important and if
hiking up a mountain in the early hours of the morning would help, then we
would do our part.

By midafternoon, we
finally reached the top of the mountain. I was tired, hungry and a little
grumpy. Aiden and I fell onto the ground, not caring that the grass covered
terrain beneath us was hard.

Isaiah pulled out a
canteen filled with water and passed it around. “We should make camp here. It
took a lot longer than I thought it would to get up here.”

“Did you bring enough
food?” Aiden asked with his eyes closed, his coat was balled up underneath his
head.

“Yes. I wanted to be
prepared just in case.”

Following suit, I
yanked off my own coat and shoved it under my head and like my friend, I closed
my eyes. “Good, because after a quick nap, I’ll be starving.”

I heard Isaiah’s tired
sigh as I drifted off.

It was a growl that
finally woke me. My eyes blinked open and for a moment I forgot where I was.
Isaiah was sitting up, staring into the trees behind us and Aiden was still
sleeping next to me. “Was that a growl?” I asked hesitantly, my eyes adjusting
to the dull gray sky. The sun had set behind the mountain and in its place,
dusk had settled over the forest.

Isaiah got to his feet
and took a few steps forward, his eyes still fixed on the trees. “Yes.” His
voice was a whisper and a worry line had formed on his forehead.

I stood up and joined
the worried man. “What do you think it is?” I asked in a whisper, also feeling
the need to be quiet. I didn’t know what was out there, but the hair on the
back of my neck was standing up and I was sure I felt the weight of someone’s
penetrating gaze on me.

Isaiah turned to face
me and opened his mouth to answer, but his words were cut off by the sound of a
loud horrifying growl. A large black wolf dove out of the trees and before we
could even register the movement, the wolf pounced on Aiden’s sleeping form and
ripped out his throat. Isaiah’s agonizing scream echoed through the forest.

I stared at the wolf
as he ripped my best friend apart. I was frozen in place. I had seen many
terrible sights in the six months I was at war, but nothing that compared to
this. Isaiah rushed toward his son, screaming something that I could not
comprehend, just as three other wolves emerged from the cover of the trees. One
wolf stood off to the side while the other two crouched low to the ground
preparing to stalk their prey.

“Get the gun out of my
pack!” Isaiah’s screams finally registered over the buzzing sound in my head. I
shook out of the shock that had taken over when the wolf tore the life out of
my friend and did what I was told; rushing to the satchel that Isaiah had
carried. Once I held the gun I turned to see one of the new wolves biting
Isaiah and taking a chunk out of his leg. I didn’t think, I just acted,
squeezing the trigger. The gun exploded in my hands and thankfully it reached
its target. The wolf fell to the ground.

I spun around again,
this time aiming at the first wolf that was still busy tearing my best friend
apart. I shot it right in the heart. It also fell down. At the sound of a growl
behind me, I braced for an attack, knowing that I wouldn’t have time to react
before the animal pounced on me. But nothing happened. I finally turned to see
the fourth wolf that had sat down at the edge of the forest, attacking the
other wolf. Their savage growls and snarls emanated through the air. The noise
seemed to thunder through the trees almost shaking the leaves and branches.

I took the chance to check
on Isaiah. “Are you okay?” I asked bending down, accessing his leg.

“I’m alive.” He
glanced over at his son’s remains and closed his eyes. The growls of the
remaining wolves had him opening them again. “We have to go.”

Icy claws of panic
gripped my insides. “We’ll never make it,” I gasped wide- eyed as I saw
movement from the two wolves I thought were dead.

Isaiah noticed the
movement as well and stood up, leaning on his good leg. “We have to try.” He
stumbled forward. “Keep the gun pointed. If it took them down once, it will do
it again.”

I nodded my agreement,
lifting my father’s arm over my shoulder and together we hobbled away from the
still fighting wolves.

We made it about two
miles before the wolves attacked once again and just like the last time they
attacked us, I shot them. The beige wolf that had helped us earlier was nowhere
to be seen. Once the animals were out, we continued our journey down the
mountain. “They are not normal wolves are they?” I asked Isaiah hesitantly; not
exactly sure I wanted the answer.

“I don’t think so,” he
mumbled as if to himself. “I should have brought silver bullets.”

My eyes widened as I
gazed at man next to me. “You think they are werewolves?”

“It’s the only thing
that explains why they kept healing after you shot them.” He grew quiet as I
helped him over a rotted out log. His brown dirt covered boot got caught in a
hole, but after I yanked it out, we continued on. “And why that wolf helped
you.”

“What do you mean?”

“When you turned your
back to shoot the first wolf, the brown wolf jumped at you, the beige colored
one attacked him.” Isaiah grunted in pain as he stumbled over a tree root. “He
saved your life. I can’t imagine a wild wolf doing that if his pack was
attacking.”

I went quiet, I
couldn’t think of anything to say. Were werewolves real? I just couldn’t fathom
it. But I had to agree with everything Isaiah said, it was the only thing that
explained all that had happened.

The wolves must have
given up on us and when we had almost reached the bottom of the mountain we
stopped at the ranger station we had passed on the way up. After we explained
what happened to the rangers and asked for medical assistance we settled on a
hard wooden bench to wait as one of the men worked on Isaiah’s leg. The other
three went to find Aiden’s remains. They returned a few hours later with a body
bag. Isaiah made arrangements for the transfer of his son before he was taken
to a hospital. I was silent as we made the journey; the image of the wolf
ripping my best friend apart was burned in my brain.

We didn’t stay at the
hospital long. Apparently the bite was not as bad as we assumed it would be.

When we arrived home,
Isaiah slipped into his room and closed the door. I stood outside of it, not
sure if I should disturb him, but I really didn’t want to be alone. There was a
hole in my heart and I felt lost. With Aiden gone, what would I do now? My best
friend, my partner in crime, how could I travel through life without him. I
reached out to the knob, desperately in need of support from the only family I
had left. But my hand froze when the sounds of deep gut-wrenching sobbing
drifted through the door. The sound was filled with so much sorrow and misery
it broke my heart. My chest filled with emptiness that I knew would never be
filled. I felt a tear run down my cheek. It was the first time I had cried
since my parents had abandoned me. Instead of tuning the knob, I sunk to the
floor and leaned against the wall. I cried silently listening to the strongest
man I knew fall apart.

One month later

Every moment since
that tragic day had been horrible. When Isaiah and I weren’t mourning Aiden,
there was an unspoken ominous question hovering in the air. If what we believed
was true and there were such things as werewolves, than it was possible that
Isaiah would soon be one. We had heard all the legends of werewolves, but never
believed until a month ago that they were actually real, but after what we
witnessed, we couldn’t dismiss the possibility.

“Tonight’s the full
moon,” Isaiah muttered four weeks after the attack.

I was sitting at the
table eating eggs and trying to forget. In my delusional mind, Aiden had been
called back to the army and was doing training drills with all of our fellow
soldiers. “I know,” I whispered so low no human would hear me. Unfortunately
Isaiah did, he turned around from the oven and gave me a stern glare. I had
been testing him in the past few weeks, trying to decide if all of the legends
were true. And so far they had turned out to be. He was faster and all of his
senses were heightened. Besides hearing, he could see farther than I could even
imagine and since his bite had healed so quickly, I cut his arm and watched it
heal. Both of us just gaped as his skin knitted back together.

“I have all the chains
and a padlock for the door. All you’ll have to do is lock it behind you.”

I nodded my head
staring at my food as a lump formed in my throat. I took a drink of water to
wash it down. I would not cry again. The night Aiden died, I had cried myself
to sleep and woke up sprawled on the wooden floor in the hallway. I rushed into
my own room, not wanting Isaiah to see me. Since that day, he barely spoke. And
when he did, it was grunts and one word sentences. Besides our worry for his
transformation, we kept to ourselves mourning our loss privately.

Aiden was laid to rest
in our local military graveyard, even though he didn’t die in battle. I was
granted an extended leave to mourn my brother, but I had no intension on
returning for duty. Of course, I hadn’t informed my superiors of my plans yet,
it wasn’t easy to get out of the military, and I knew they wouldn’t let me go
without a good reason. I had a different mission now, one I had thought of that
night on the floor as I listened to the strongest man I knew break apart. And
whether or not I would follow through on it would depend on the outcome of
tonight.