Riley's Torment, A Moon's Glow Novel #2 (35 page)

I found myself
up in the library. The food was still out, and the fire still
simmered in the fireplace. I fell into the sofa and stared at the
red coals at the bottom of the hearth. I needed a distraction from
the hurt look in Nate’s eyes as he said he wanted time
away—obviously from me.

I reached for
the remote and flicked on the movie, allowing myself to be swept
away from my troubles.

Sometime later,
after five mini egg rolls, six mozzarella sticks and countless
nachos, Adrian appeared at the door. “Is there room in here for
me?” He sounded just as tired as I was. When I nodded, he moved to
the couch and fell into the soft cushions near my feet. A soft
whooshing sound puffed out as air rushed out of the cushions.

“So how was
your day?” he asked cheerfully, like we hadn’t just been through a
battle with four werewolves and killed the only person who knew the
whereabouts of his sister. He smiled, clearly trying to lighten the
mood.

I kicked his
leg, and he laughed softly, as if it was all he could manage.

He grew quiet,
focusing on the movie that played on the small TV in the corner.
After the zombie mother ate her third brain, Adrian turned to me.
“What the hell are you watching?”

I laughed at
the expression on his face. “Zombie Mama? What, you’ve never seen
it?” He shook his head with a quirked brow. “It’s a classic,
cheesy, horror flick.”

He watched for
a few more seconds as the mother zombie fed her children pieces of
brains that looked like shriveled up green grapes. He turned back
to look at me, his face was expressionless. “It’s really
stupid.”

I snorted. “I
know, but are you stressing about your life?”

His lips
twitched as he bent his head. “You’re right, I’m not.”

I smiled as he
began watching again, leaning over to grab a cold chicken wing. The
food had chilled while we were gone, but I didn’t have the energy
to heat it up. That would involve moving, and I was quite content
tucked away in the library, hiding. The cheese for the nachos had
congealed, but I was lazy enough to overlook it and gulp it
down.

“Are you and
Nate fighting?” he asked, breaking though my much needed silence. I
was supposed to be getting lost in the movie, not discussing my
messed up life.

I ignored him,
never taking my eyes from the TV screen.

“I know that
you said you were apart when we met. But when I saw you two in here
earlier, I thought you must have made up. That was until I saw the
awkwardness between you before he left.”

I debated
whether I should continue pretending that Adrian wasn’t speaking to
me. I hated reliving my issues with Nate, but Adrian was now my
friend, and if he was going to stay, he would probably guess our
problems sooner or later. I took a deep breath and jumped in.

“The night
before Charlotte kidnapped us, Nate asked me to marry him.” I
glanced at Adrian to see his reaction, but all he did was raise a
brow. He stayed silent while I told him my very private story on
what happened that night. My cheeks flushed several times, but the
only reaction he gave me was the occasional nod of his head.

He waited until
I finished before commenting. “If you didn’t know he turned you
that night, how did you know it wasn’t Charlotte? It had only been
a few hours. You wouldn’t have been fully turned yet.”

I reached over
to grab a garlic knot and dipped it in the marinara sauce. I waited
until I finished chewing before I answered. “Lauren couldn’t change
fully, but I could.”

“What do you
mean?”

I sat up and
crossed my legs, turning to face him. “She couldn’t change. Hair
would grow, and her limbs would crack and reform, but then the hair
would retreat and she’d start to turn human again.” I shivered at
the memory. Her screams still haunted my sleep. I picked at the
tassels on the throw pillow next to me as I explained Nate’s theory
about the drug diluting Charlotte’s DNA. When I finished my
explanation, he looked a little green.

Rubbing his
hand through his hair roughly, he sighed. “I feel awful for my part
in this.”

I lifted a
shoulder dismissively. “You couldn’t help it. You were just one of
Charlotte’s minions. She’s the one I blame.”

“Minions?” he
asked with a crooked a smile.

I nodded.
“Yeah, that’s what we called her werewolves.”

He scoffed, his
eyes turning cold. “That pretty much sums it up. But I want you to
know that I never attacked you or Lauren that night at the cabin. I
admit I should have intervened, but I never wanted to hurt you.”
The remorse was visible on his face, and I knew he felt guilty for
his part in our kidnapping.

I was going to
say something comforting, but the words just wouldn’t come. I know
it wasn’t his idea, but he didn’t try and stop her either.

“I have one
question,” he said, sitting up straight.

“Go ahead.” I
tucked my hair behind my ear, waiting.

“If Nate hadn’t
changed you by mistake, you would have gone through hell like
Lauren did, right?”

I nodded.

“Then why are
you mad at him? He saved you from having to go through what sounds
like an incredibly, excruciating experience, even more painful than
a normal change.”

I was silent.
Of course I had thought of that, but it didn’t get me past my
anger. “But what if she hadn’t kidnapped us, I still would have
become a werewolf.”

“But she did
kidnap you,” he pointed out matter of factly.

“I know that!
But if she hadn’t, I would still be a werewolf.”

He just stared
at me blankly. “But she did kidnap you. There is no point in what
ifs. Look at the facts. He changed you because he lost control.
Charlotte kidnapped you. Yes, you went through pain, but nothing
compared to what you would have suffered.” He stood up and looked
down at me. His dark eyes, filled with compassion. “Before you
punish him anymore for something he didn’t mean to do, I’d ask
Lauren how she feels. I bet if given the chance, she would have
taken your place.” And with that he left the room, leaving me
feeling confused and guilty. A second later his head popped through
the doorway. “I’m going to head out. I want to go look through
Charlotte’s things. Hopefully, I’ll find my sister’s location.”

When I smiled
sadly and nodded, he disappeared.

I sat for a
while longer, thinking about what he said, and then finally decided
to do what he suggested.

I left the room
leaving the movie playing. I could hear shrill screams from behind
me as I turned the corner and headed to Lauren’s room. I knocked
once and then opened the door to see Joe lying above Lauren. Her
hands were on the back of his head grasping his hair.

“Oh god, I’m so
sorry,” I gasped, backing out into the hallway.

They flew
apart. Both of them had the deer-in-the-head-lights look. When
Lauren saw it was me, she smiled. “No, that’s okay, come in.”

I glanced at
Joe for clarification.

“It’s fine.
I’ll go see if Nate’s back yet.” Joe stood up and rushed past me, a
slight hint of red on his cheeks.

I laughed when
the door closed behind me.

Lauren sat up
and patted the spot next to her on the couch. “What’s up?” she
asked.

I sat down and
leaned back in the comfy sofa. “How do you know something’s
up?”

“Your face is
all serious. You should be happy. The witch is finally dead and out
of our hair.”

I grinned. “Why
didn’t you want me to tell her about your ordeal on the
island?”

“Because I
didn’t want her to know how much I suffered. She thrives on that. I
wasn’t going to make her happy knowing she succeeded.”

I nodded in
understanding and then asked the question I had come here for.
“Knowing what happened to me with Nate and going through what you
did at the island, would you have changed places with me?”

Her smile
vanished. “You mean, would I have rather been turned ahead of time
by someone I loved without my knowledge, preventing me from going
through that pain?”

When I nodded,
she sighed.

“In a
heartbeat,” she said. “I understand why you’re upset, I really do.
And if circumstances were different, then yes, I would feel hurt
and betrayed. But the way things actually are… I’d be in that
cottage sucking up to him for saving me from the pain.” She paused
taking a deep breath. “I’ve changed into a wolf almost every day
for the last three weeks, and yes, it’s been painful. But it’s
nothing compared to what happened at the cabin. Nate saved you from
that, and I’m glad he did because I wouldn’t wish that on my worst
enemy.” She paused again and tilted her head. “Well, I wouldn’t
mind seeing Charlotte in agonizing pain. I think she got off too
easy.”

I pressed my
lips together, thinking about what she said.

“Are you okay?”
she asked, concern was evident in her voice.

I nodded and
stood up. “Yeah, I just have a lot to think about. Thanks for being
honest with me.”

“Sure, no
problem.”

I turned to go,
spinning the knob on her door.

“And for the
record, the whole stupid mate thing aside, he doesn’t carry the
weight of the world on his shoulders when he’s with you. And he
makes you a better person. You two are meant for each other.”

I had nothing
to say to that, so instead of commenting, I slipped out into the
hallway and headed down the stairs to the front door. I had to
think, and I needed to be alone to do that. I found myself walking
aimlessly. The sky above me was riddled with stars, and the air was
cold and bitter. I was thankful I had thought to grab my jacket.
The moon appeared to be full, although I knew I had two days before
I had to change.

I ended up at
Joe’s place, a small cottage nestled in the woods not far from the
main house. He had taken it over when the gardener retired to
Florida. But it had originally belonged to my ancestor, Lucy, who
was killed the night Nate was turned into a werewolf. I didn’t go
in. I just stood on the front lawn and gazed at the small house
nestled in the trees. It was a two-story, stone building with a
small porch. Two rocking chairs sat on either side of the door.

Memories of my
last visit here came flooding back. Nate showed me this house, and
he gave me a silver brush and mirror that had belonged to her. The
gift was so thoughtful; I didn’t expect him to also give me the
gemstone necklace that he had given to her soon before she died. My
heart swelled with love from the memory of that day. I kept the
feeling in my heart and also thought of why I had fallen for him in
the first place. He was kind, giving, and very sweet. I closed my
eyes and took a deep breath, taking in the cold crisp air, and
pictured pale blond, wavy hair and dimples that popped out of both
cheeks when he smiled lovingly at me. Could I stay mad at him,
never see that face again, or feel his touch? The answer was a
resounding NO! We would always have issues, and complications that
might come up, but that was life. Nobody was perfect, and I
realized that was my problem. In my mind, Nate was flawless, and it
was shocking to find out that it wasn’t true. He made mistakes just
like the rest of us. But that was my issue, not Nate’s. He never
said he was perfect. He admitted to his mistake and was sorry for
it. Was I going to punish him for the rest of our lives or finally
let forgiveness into my heart?

As those
thoughts flowed through my mind, I realized that I was wasting time
away from him. I needed to remedy that as soon as possible. I took
off in a run to our cottage, knowing for some reason that he would
be there. The ground under my feet was bumpy and at times, rocky,
but I never lost my footing. I was too focused on my destination
and who was waiting inside.

As I pushed
open the door, he looked up from a book. He was sitting in an
armchair, with a small fire burning in the fireplace we usually
never used.

“Thank you,” I
whispered.

He gazed at me
in confusion. “For what?” he asked, folding his page over and
tossing the book on the table in front of him. It hit the surface
with a smack. He had changed, wearing blue plaid pajama pants and a
light blue long sleeved t-shirt.

I closed the
door behind me, feeling my limbs begin to thaw. I pulled off my
coat and tossed it on the bench. I ignored it when it fell to the
floor. “For taking my pain away.”

I took a few
steps closer, until I stood above him. His brow rose slightly. He
didn’t understand. “If you hadn’t bitten me, I would have gone
through what Lauren did. So, thank you. You are always trying to
protect me.”

He closed his
eyes briefly, pressing his lips together, and breathed deeply. “You
know I didn’t mean to do it. I couldn’t have known what Charlotte
was planning.”

I shrugged. “I
know, but it doesn’t change that it did happen and that you stopped
me from suffering.”

“But I didn’t
mean to,” he repeated.

“Doesn’t matter
what you meant to do, all that matters is what happened. You.
Saved. Me.”

When I thought
of the pain and misery that all four of us had gone through, I just
wanted it all to stop. No more heartache, no more drama. We were
together, and I wanted to be happy.

“I’m sorry I
took so long to realize that. When I think of what I put you
through...” I couldn’t finish the words. My eyes burned with tears
at the thought of him suffering through all of the guilt alone. The
thought vanished as I was suddenly pulled against his hard chest. I
didn’t even see him stand up. The scent of leather and pine
overwhelmed me, waking up feelings I had been suppressing. I
couldn’t hold back any longer. A fire erupted inside me and every
nerve in my body screamed for his touch. I leaned up and kissed
him. He breathed in deeply and then wrapped his arms around me. I
may have started the kiss, but he took it so much deeper. He kissed
me hungrily with desperation. It felt like so long ago since his
soft lips touched mine. I craved him more than I ever thought
possible. My heart ached for more of his touch, and it felt like an
eternity since his fingers brushed my skin. My hands moved under
his shirt and over his firm skin and hard muscles. Before I
realized what was happening, I was being lifted up into his arms
and carried into our room. We fell onto the bed wrapped around each
other. All reason left our minds. We were mated werewolves that
were meant to be one. His kisses were soft, and his touch was so
right. Our clothes were quickly disposed of, and we were finally
able to continue where we had left off so many nights ago.