Riley's Torment, A Moon's Glow Novel #2 (15 page)

I paused and
took a deep breath before I listened to the next one, wondering why
Nate hadn’t called. “Meg. Where are you? Are you with Nate? He’s
not back yet, and his car is here. His ripped clothes are at the
edge of the trees. I’m getting worried about the both of you.” Well
that answered that question; he couldn’t call when he didn’t have
opposable thumbs.

I still
didn’t want to talk to anyone, so I texted Lauren instead.
Just need some
space, call you later.

I hit
send and then shoved the phone into the waist of my yoga pants. I
was still wearing the big t-shirt I wore to bed. I hadn’t had a
chance to brush my teeth or put makeup on. I must look
fantastic
.

Two hours
later, my skin was red from the frigid weather, and it was getting
dark. I needed to get out of the cold, but I didn’t know where to
go. I just knew I wasn’t ready to go back to the cottage.

Without a
destination, I climbed into my car and drove aimlessly. I was
surprised where I ended up. It was fully dark now, and without
looking at my phone, I had no idea what time it was.

With a quick
look around, I snuck into the patio door.

My old
room was just how I left it, except with a violet duvet covering
the bed instead of my baby blue one. Right when I lay down on top
of the mattress, I heard my phone buzz. It was a text from
Lauren.
Nate’s back, but he doesn’t look good. He wants to talk to
you. When are you coming home?

How could
I tell her my plans when I didn’t know them myself? I lay back on
my pillow and sighed, then typed in a message.
I don’t know when I’m coming
back. But it won’t be tonight. I need time.

I hit
send, and waited for her to respond. My phone beeped about five
minutes later, but it wasn’t from Lauren, it was Nate.
Are you leaving
me?

Tears stung my
eyes, and my heart squeezed tight at the sight of his question.
Could I leave him? Is that what I wanted? He turned me into a
werewolf without my knowledge. Mistake or not, it equaled the same
outcome.

Before I
could come up with an answer, my phone beeped again.
Because if you are,
I understand. I know you must hate me. I hate myself for what I did
to you. There are no words to express how sorry I am.

The tears were
flowing now, and my chest burned with my sobs. I turned my face
into my pillow so I wouldn’t alert anyone that I was home. I wasn’t
ready to see them. I would wait for Mona and Ben to go back to
their house and then sneak into the kitchen. I was starving. I knew
I wouldn’t run into my parents because they had taken yet another
trip, this time to Maui. They’d be gone for a few weeks yet.

Once the
sobs subsided, I typed in the only message I could.
I have no answers.
Just give me time.

My phone was
silent for a few minutes; all I could hear was Mona in the kitchen,
moving around, and the clanging of dishes.

Take all the
time you need, just don’t forget to eat. Are you somewhere
safe?

Was there
anyone more understanding than my boyfriend? I basically told him I
wasn’t sure about our relationship and instead of getting upset, he
worries about me. It was hard to ignore this loving, caring man. I
quickly typed my answer.
I’m safe, and yes, I’ll eat.

Love you
.

My fingers
hovered above my phone after his last text. I was confused. Until I
figured out how I felt about what he’d done, I couldn’t respond. I
needed time to myself, and for the first time in my life, I was
thankful for my absent, distant parents.

I leaned back
against my headboard and scrolled through my phone, finding six
missed texts. That wasn’t bad, considering I’d been gone for two
days. Three were from Julia and the rest were from the executor of
my inheritance telling me the deal to the house was done. I didn’t
need to sign anything; he had authority over my accounts.

I sighed
happily. I had forgotten all about the house and how excited I had
been about it. It had only been a few days, but it felt more like
years. I texted him back telling him I was sorry for not getting
back to him right away and that I was out of town. I thanked him
for taking care of it for me. Even though I had so many other
things to think about, I couldn’t help imagine the shelter with the
addition. It would help so many people.

For the next
hour, I sat on my bed and watched movies with the sound on low. And
right in the middle of one of my favorites, the front door closed,
and the house fell into silence. Mona and Ben were gone.

I rushed to the
kitchen feeling famished. I could eat a horse if one was near; the
wolf inside me woke up at the thought. I gagged at the
reaction.

Thankfully, the
fridge was still full of food. Mona kept it stocked even when my
parents were away because they were known to come home
unexpectedly. And my mother hated when the fridge was bare. I
opened a large container and was pleased to find Mona’s beef stew.
It had been a while since I’ve tasted it. Well, I hadn’t really
eaten her meals in six months. She had Nate and me over a few times
as guests, which was strange to visit my own house. As the stew
warmed up in the microwave, my mind wandered to the night we were
invited over by my parents.

I was nervous,
but of course, Nate wasn’t. He was always so calm and under
control—until two nights ago. My parents had no reaction to me
moving out. All they were concerned about was what Nate did for a
living. When they found out he stopped working at the charity and
began working for the Rileys, they actually smiled. The Rileys were
one of the founding families in our town, and his working for them
meant he would be high in the social circles. I wondered how they’d
react if they knew he was actually an original member of that Riley
family. We still called him Nate Green in public. It was the name
he used to distance himself from his family. It was the name he
used when he met me.

The evening
hadn’t turned out too terrible. My mother only embarrassed me once.
And my father, who was usually condescending, was as cordial as he
could be, although we haven’t been asked back since.

The microwave
beeped, bringing me out of those thoughts. I pulled out the
steaming bowl and took a big whiff of the delectable smell. Mmmm. I
missed Mona’s cooking. Nate was a very good cook, but I had been
eating Mona’s food my whole life. If I was honest with myself, it
wasn’t the food, but the woman I missed. I hopped up on the island
stool and took a bite. It was so good. The vegetables were cooked
to perfection; the beef was flavorful and delicious, and the gravy
was mouth-watering. I was surprised at my reaction; I swear my eyes
rolled back in my head in ecstasy. It must be the werewolf in me. I
didn’t remember reacting quite so dramatically to food before. Sure
I liked it, who didn’t? But this was something different. I hoped
my eyes were still green. I didn’t feel a change in them, but you
never know. It was a good thing I was alone in the house.

I was almost
finished my stew when the kitchen door swung open. Ben stood in the
doorway, with a golf club raised above his head. Mona stood behind
him with her hands clutched at her chin.

I had heard
footsteps on the walkway outside, but my heart raced when the door
suddenly opened. I held my hand to my chest. When I recovered, I
waved at them. “Hey, guys. How are you?”

Mona shoved
past Ben and stood in front of me with her hands on her hips.
“Don’t you, hey guys, us. What are you doing here? And where is
your car?”

I winced,
dreading the upcoming conversation. “My car is down the road
because I didn’t want anyone to know I was here.”

She studied me,
looking me up and down. “Why are you dressed like that? Did you
sleep here last night?”

“No. I had a
fight with Nate and left this morning before I had a chance to
change. I’ve been out ever since, and I don’t want to go back there
right now. I need some time to myself.”

“Where have you
been with your hair a mess and no makeup on?” She looked
suspicious, not believing my explanation.

“At the
quarry.”

“Of course you
were. Should I tell Nate you go there when you want to be
alone?”

“No,” I
answered a little too quickly.

“I’ll leave you
two to talk,” Ben said quietly as he let himself out the side
door.

After Mona
watched him leave, she turned to me, her chocolate colored eyes
filled with concern. “Spill it. What’s wrong?”

“I already told
you, we had a fight. I just need some space.” I stood up and
wandered to the dishwasher to put my dishes inside.

She stood in
the center of the kitchen, eyeing me as I went. “Are you sure? Do
you need to talk?”

I shook my
head. “No, I’m fine, really. I’m going to stay here for a few days
though, so please don’t attack me with the golf club.”

She smirked,
wrapping me in her arms. “I’m sorry that you’re fighting, but I’m
so glad to have you back, even if it’s just for a few days.” I
breathed in her gardenia scent and squeezed her back. I missed her
so much.

“Ugh! Megan
you’re hurting me,” she gasped.

I released her
instantly, feeling horrified by my new strength. I couldn’t stand
it if I hurt Mona, even accidentally.

She gasped for
air and narrowed her eyes. “What was that?” she asked.

My mind was
blank, and no good explanation popped into my mind. “I’ve been
working out a lot.”

She stepped
back and eyed me suspiciously. “Okay.” She dragged the word out,
not buying my explanation. Of course she was right. I had never
worked out a day in my life. But how else was I supposed to explain
my strength?

I needed to get
away from her before she pushed the issue. “Well, I’m tired.” I
added a fake yawn. I’m going to go to bed. I’ll see you in the
morning.” I left her staring after me.

I crawled
into bed with the light out and my TV on mute. A quick glance at my
phone showed that I had two calls and three texts, all from Lauren.
I didn’t even read them. I wanted to close my eyes and forget my
werewolf life, and it was easier to do in my family home. It felt
like none of the past six months had happened. And although I still
loved Nate, the feeling was refreshing. I turned the TV up and fell
into a TV coma.

She’s been gone for seven days, and it feels like she took
my heart with her,
Nate
thought as he stood back to raise the axe. He loved the feeling
when the metal sliced through the wood. The more power in the
swing, the smoother the blade went through. It was something he
used to do when he was upset. No matter how stressed or upset he
was. Physical activity usually helped clear his head. He hadn’t
needed to split wood since a year or two after he was turned into a
werewolf. But after what he did to Megan, he had started it up
again.

He was so
enraged by his careless actions. Letting the wolf take over like
that was reprehensible. He was having a hard time living with
himself. After he realized what he had done, he was fully prepared
to grovel at Megan’s feet. But she was gone, and he let her go
without a fight. He didn’t deserve her love. He had made her into a
monster, and that was unforgivable. As soon as he finished texting
her the day she left, he rushed to the shed to grab a chainsaw and
an axe. Not that he needed wood; his family’s house, and his
cottage were both heated with oil furnaces, not woodstoves. After
seven days, he had four huge piles of split wood and a lot more
space in the nearby woodland.

The axe made a
thwacking sound as it slid through the piece of oak like butter.
Nate stood up and wiped the sweat from his brow. He glanced to the
end of the driveway where Lauren was just pulling in. He sighed
heavily, preparing for another argument with her. He set the axe
down against a log and lifted his water bottle, taking a long
drink. Lauren pulled to a stop and got out of her car.

He watched her
as she headed toward him, thankful that she was adjusting well to
her new situation. Against Nate’s wishes, she hadn’t told her
family yet about becoming a werewolf, but that was her business. It
took a few days, but eventually, she began to except her new life.
He started taking her for runs in the woods at night, and she was
getting really good at her changes. They came easier the more she
let the wolf out. He had learned the hard way that by ignoring the
wild animal inside, it only fueled the savage cravings. Letting the
fear of the pain stop you from turning regularly actually make the
pain more unbearable when the full moon appeared. But changing
frequently helped regulate the pain. Lauren finally believed him on
the fourth night of changing when the pain had been much more
manageable.

Lauren still
refused to let Joe go with them on their runs. Joe begged Nate to
talk Lauren into changing her mind. But Nate knew Lauren; she
wouldn’t back down. She would only let Nate help her with this
transition. Nate didn’t think she was rejecting Joe; she just
needed to deal with one thing at a time. She had gotten an extended
holiday at school, but was planning on going back after the full
moon. With his help, he hoped that she’d adjust better than he did
when he was first turned all those years ago.

“Hey,” she
called as she walked up to him. She gaped at the wood piles behind
him. “Have you ever heard of racquetball?” she asked, rolling her
eyes.

Nate furrowed
his brow. “What do you mean?”