Riley's Torment, A Moon's Glow Novel #2 (27 page)

Nate sucked in
a sharp breath and leaned back into his chair. His jaw hardening
was the extent of his reaction.

“He knew I had
a mate, and he could see the mark,” I added. Nate winced but stayed
silent. “Which, I don’t understand.”

Lauren’s brow
furrowed. “What mark? It healed, didn’t it?”

Joe crossed his
long leg over the other. “Only male werewolves can see it. It’s a
warning to back off.”

Lauren looked
away, her eyes wide with disapproval.

“Anyway,” I
said, trying to get off of that topic. His marking me was the least
of my worries. “He asked who turned me, and I told him that it was
Charlotte.”

No one said a
word, but they all looked away, knowing the subject was
painful.

“He said that
other werewolves can sometimes come looking for trouble. So he
asked if I wanted to learn how protect myself.” I left out the part
of going for runs. I’d tell them when it came up.

“What do you
mean?” Nate asked leaning forward, his elbows resting on his
knees.

“He taught us
kick boxing and how to fight.”

Joe sat up,
glancing from me to Lauren. “Us?”

Lauren pressed
her lips together, looking down at the wood floor. “After her first
session, I went to see her. She told me about him and what he had
been teaching her. She asked me to go with her so I could also
learn to defend myself.”

Joe placed his
foot back down on the floor. “But we can protect you,” he
protested.

Lauren frowned
at him. “I don’t want to upset you, but when Charlotte took us, we
were alone.” Her words stung. Both of our men winced. Joe looked
away. Nate gazed at me, uncertainty clouding his face. Lauren went
on, ignoring their reactions. “If we knew how to fight, we might
have had a chance to get away.”

Nate shook his
head. “She’s a werewolf, you were not. A few punches and kicks
would not have helped a human.”

I had to speak
up. I couldn’t let him think he could make my decisions for me. I
chose to learn kick boxing. He’d have to get over that. “We’re
werewolves now. Are we in any less danger? Is there something wrong
with being able to protect ourselves?”

How could they
argue with that? They couldn’t, and instead, they fell silent.

It was Nate who
finally spoke. “Is that all? Did he try to…” He trailed off,
looking uncomfortable. I knew what he was asking.

“
Did he
make a move on me?” I asked with a smirk. He nodded sharply, his
face filled with both anger and hurt. “No, he didn’t. I know now
that he was with Charlotte, but it doesn’t make sense. He was
nothing but kind. When I met him, I was depressed and in denial of
being a werewolf. He took me out for a run, and even though I’m
still not happy to be a wild animal, it’s definitely getting
better.”
Oh
crap, I didn’t mean to tell them that.

Nate spun to
face me. “You changed into a werewolf and ran with him?” He gasped,
looking shocked.

I gulped, not
sure what his reaction meant. “Yes.”

“
How
often?” His voice was rough, his eyes turned yellow.
Okay, he was
mad.

Joe glared at
Lauren, silently asking the same question. Her only response was to
look at the fingers in her lap.

Feeling like I
was about to be lectured by the principal or my father, I cleared
my throat. “A few times a week.”

Nate surprised
me when his lips twitched upwards, his eyes flashed blue again.
“I’m relieved you were learning to adjust to your new life.” He
shoved his hand through his hair roughly. “I just wish you trusted
me to help you.” He stood up, clearing his throat. “I just
remembered that Will wanted to see me.” He put his jacket on,
avoiding my eyes. “I’ll be back. Please stay here for now.”

All I could do
was nod, confused by his reaction. Was he angry or happy? What was
going on?

All three of us
stared after him as he opened the front door and closed it behind
him. All that was left of him was the wash of cold air that had
blown in when he opened the door.

“What was that
about?” Lauren asked me, lifting her feet onto the coffee
table.

I shrugged my
shoulders. “I have no idea.”

While Nate was
gone, I sat and listened to Lauren and Joe arguing, swinging my
head back and forth when each one spoke. I felt like I was watching
a tennis match. Joe was angry that she didn’t tell him about
Adrian.

“It was my
fault,” I admitted, cutting Joe off before he could say anything
more. His head shifted to me, his gray eyes sharp. “She wanted to
tell you, but I asked her not to. I wasn’t ready for Nate to know
anything about what I had been doing.”

His harsh stare
was making me nervous. I picked at my yoga pants, twirling the
material between my fingers.

“If it was as
innocent as you say, then why keep it a secret?” He was still
looking at me, but it was obvious the question was directed at us
both.

My shoulders
slumped as I leaned back into the soft sofa. “I didn’t want Nate to
know. I would have told him everything when I was ready. I wasn’t
ashamed of what I was doing. I just wanted space.”

I hated how
that sounded, like a permanent break. It really wasn’t though, I
still loved him, but I had to work through all of the rest of my
feelings.

Joe’s hard
expression softened. “You have to forgive him at some point, Love.
He didn’t mean to do it,” he said in his melodious Irish
brogue.

A sudden ache
in my chest appeared. I wasn’t ready to talk about this.

Instead of
answering, I stood up and wandered into my old room. I could feel
their sympathetic gazes on the back of my head as I closed the door
behind me.

I didn’t want
to be here, but since I was, I felt drawn to my nightstand drawer.
I sat on the edge of the bed, and switched on the lamp, staring at
the wooden surface. The urge to get up and leave was strong. I
couldn’t handle seeing what was in there. I wasn’t ready—for any of
this. All I wanted was to train with Adrian. Learning to fight like
that was so therapeutic. Every punch I threw cleared my mind. I
didn’t dwell on what my life was like a month ago. I focused on the
moves—the power of my punches and kicks and the boost in my
confidence. Learning to protect myself had fixed something inside
of me that had broken the day I turned into a werewolf. I no longer
feared other werewolves. Deep inside of me, there was a girl who
wanted them to try and hurt me, just so I could test my new
abilities. I had strength because of the bite, but Adrian helped me
put it to good use. And no matter his reasons for doing that, I
would always appreciate what he had done for me.

The sound of
Lauren’s laughter brought me out of my head, and back into the room
I had ran from. Joe must have forgiven her for deceiving him. I
couldn’t help but smile. I was happy that I didn’t cause permanent
problems in a relationship that was still new and vulnerable.

No longer able
to fight the urge, I leaned forward and pulled the drawer open. The
book I had been reading still lay where I left it. There was also
lip balm, hand cream, and The Box. The white exterior was so small,
yet held so much meaning. Inside was a future I could choose or
reject.

It felt like I
stared at the small, inanimate object for hours, but only minutes
had actually passed. I finally gave up and reached for it. The
papery smooth surface was cool in my hand, and when I opened the
lid, my breath caught. The ring was more beautiful than I
remembered. It sparkled like stars in the night sky. I yearned to
put it on my finger just to see if it fit. I hadn’t had the chance
the night he gave it to me. Now the fourth finger on my left hand
throbbed, itching for me to try it on. Just as I lifted my fingers
to do just that, the front door of the cottage swung open, and
Nate’s scent wafted into my senses. Feeling like I was caught with
my hand in the cookie jar, I slammed the box shut. The sound echoed
in the small quiet room like a gunshot. I was sure that everyone
would now know what I was doing. I threw it into the drawer,
shutting it quickly, and jumped up from the bed, rushing to the
door. I felt like I had been snooping in a stranger’s house, as
though I had no business to be there.

My face was hot
as I stepped out into the living room. All eyes shifted to me, and
I was sure everyone could hear the sound of my pounding
heartbeat.

“Are you all
right?” Nate asked me, a look of concern etched on his
features.

“Of course I
am. Why wouldn’t I be?” I answered defensively, feeling instantly
annoyed with myself. I was acting like I had done something wrong.
I shook my head and took a deep breath. “I’m sorry. I’m fine
really.” My voice was back to normal—at least, I hoped it was.

Lauren looked
at me funny, as if she knew I was hiding something, but instead of
inquiring, she turned to Nate. “What did my dad want?”

“What do you
mean?” he asked, seeming confused by her question.

“You said he
wanted to see you,” she answered as she stretched her legs out in
front of her on the floor.

Realization
donned on Nate’s face, and if I didn’t know any better, I would
have thought he flushed. “Oh, he just wanted to ask about some
paperwork I had sent him.”

He was lying, I
could sense it, but it had nothing to do with me. Besides I was
ready to get out of there. The cottage was making me feel
claustrophobic. Since I was there, I felt the need to make a
decision. The words—FORGIVE HIM—screamed in my head. But as I
thought this, my neck throbbed, and the vision of his bloody fangs
after he tore at my neck in the dream played in my mind. A
heaviness the size of an elephant sat on my chest. I felt like I
was being smothered with the need to make a decision.

“I have to go.”
I snapped, making everyone in the room turn my way. I took a few
steps toward the door. “I’ll see you later, Lauren,” I said nodding
to her and ignoring the other two. I wasn’t sure how I was going to
get home, but I’d walk if I had to.

As I wrapped my
hand around the doorknob, Nate’s voice called out. “You can’t go
home.”

The weight on
my chest deepened. “You can’t stop me. You might have branded me
yours, but I still call the shots in my own life.” My voice was a
little harsh but I wouldn’t let him tell me what to do. The weight
on my chest was threatening to smother me. I felt like I couldn’t
breathe. I was panicking and needed to get away from here.

His eyes washed
with both guilt and hurt. I didn’t want to hurt him, but I just
couldn’t get my breath in this house.

“I don’t trust
that guy, and he knows where you live.” His voice was laced with
pain, and longing.

“She can stay
with me,” Lauren suggested. The weight lifted a tiny bit at her
suggestion.

“Fine, let’s
go.” I rushed out the door before he could object.

I was waiting
outside, wondering how we’d get there since her car was still at my
family’s home. We had ridden in Adrian’s jeep, not knowing how the
day would turn out. Even though he had lied to me, I wanted to go
back to just before Nate and Joe had shown up. I was having so much
fun with my two friends.

We could walk
, I
thought, when I pushed the former thoughts to the back of my mind.
It wasn’t that far.

“Joe said we
could take his car,” Lauren explained when she emerged a few
minutes later. “Are you okay?” she asked, stopping in front of me.
All I could manage was a shrug of my shoulders as I wandered over
to Joe’s car. We were back to where we started six months ago, with
Nate refusing to let me go while a deranged werewolf threatened our
lives. So much had happened since then, and all of it rushed
through my mind, leaving me feeling overwhelmed and beaten. I was
exhausted, and I just wanted to sleep for no other reason than to
stop thinking. I climbed into the front seat, and the scent of
leather from the seats and lemon filled the car. As Lauren started
the ignition and pulled away, I gazed out at the lake. Twilight had
settled upon us, making the world dull and gray. The water rippled
in the wind, and a gull screeched overhead. I couldn’t see the
bird, but I could hear it even with the windows closed.

When she pulled
up to the main house, the only car that was visible was her
father’s. “My mom’s at a charity thing,” Lauren explained before I
could ask.

“Where’s
Nathan?” I slid out of the car, slamming the door.

“He’s at a
sleepover.” She walked around the vehicle, and together, we took
the few steps up to the door. We heard a crash inside the house,
and glanced at each other in confusion. Then we heard loud voices.
I reached the door first, but she was directly behind me. The foyer
was empty of the usual employees. We glanced at each other again,
this time with fear and confusion.

“Where is
everyone?” I asked her.

She shrugged
and opened her mouth to answer just as we caught a scent of
werewolf coming from her father’s office. We ran with our enhanced
speed, shoving the doors open. My eyes widened in shock at what I
saw. Will was up against the wall of windows, and a man with pale
blond hair had his hands wrapped around his neck. Will flailed his
arms and kicked out trying to get free, but it was no use, his face
was turning blue.

Before I could
think, I rushed toward them and spun on my heel kicking out with my
right leg, hitting the man right in the head. My sneaker made
contact with his skull. The impact made him fall backwards,
releasing Will.

Lauren moved
quickly, catching her father before he fell to the floor. With a
glance at the stranger, she led Will away with her extra speed. Out
of the corner of my eye, I could see his eyes widened as he watched
us both. We were obviously no longer the human girls he thought us
to be.