Riley's Torment, A Moon's Glow Novel #2 Page 14

  “No, thank you. I’m just looking for someone,” Nate mumbled as he scanned the patrons crammed in the tiny restaurant. The tables and booths were filled with families and people in business suits having lunch. The room was loud with laughter, voices, and country music playing overhead. Despite the myriad of smells, he found the scent he was searching for at a booth near the back of the room.

  He made his way through the tables to three young men. Two men had dark brown hair that had similar features—they could be related. The other had short, pale blond hair, the same color as Nate’s. Three sets of faces spun to face him as he approached, all of their nostrils flaring as they caught his werewolf scent. Nate froze when the blond man turned to him, an evil leer appearing on his face.

  It was James.

  “James, what are you doing here? And why are you a werewolf?” Nate whispered.

  James smiled as his eyes flashed with fury. “Uncle, so good to see you after all this time. I’m here with some pals.” He gestured to the other two men. His smile widened, showing long pointed teeth, his eyes flashing yellow. If he was trying to scare Nate, he’d have to try harder than that. Nate looked around the dimly lit restaurant and was thankful no one had noticed James’ little trick.

  “Why?” Nate said in disbelief.

  “Why, what?” James asked. “Why am I here with Charlotte?”

  Nate nodded.

  “Well, Uncle, that’s because of you. When I was shunned from my family for reacting the way a normal person would to you being a monster, I became penniless and alone. Then I met a lovely red-head that changed my life forever.” His voice was jovial, but Nate could hear the hate underneath it.

  Nate clenched his fists and leaned in toward his nephew. “That doesn’t mean you had to stay with her. She is an evil murderer.” Nate was overwhelmed with disappointment. The way James reacted to the secret made him sad, although he understood the reaction. But being a Riley came with a responsibility. The Rileys as a family strived to help others. Nate always upheld that cause despite the bite that had changed his life. But James was obviously ignoring his family heritage.

  “Who else would I turn to? My family treated me like I had the plague, all because I couldn’t accept what you were. And now, I’m the same.” He paused, tapping his fingers against the table. “But don’t worry about me. I’ve embraced what I am now. Charlotte has shown me an exciting new world, one you were too much a sap to appreciate.”

  Nate realized that his nephew had gone to the dark side. There was no reasoning with him.

  “Where’s Charlotte?” Nate growled as he leaned one hand on the wooden table, the other on the leather seat of the booth. His patience was slipping away. The need to kill her now consumed him. She had taken too much from him, and now she was turning his family into werewolves one by one—first James, and then Lauren and Megan.

  James’ bright blue eyes narrowed as he shoved Nate away. Nate was about to return the favor with a punch, when he noticed a little boy with round brown eyes watching the scene. Instead, he halted the altercation by leaning against the booth, appearing casual.

  “You’ll see her soon enough.” James paused as the men across from him cleared their throats. “Where are my manners? These are my friends, Caleb and Cody. Brothers, that Charlotte found about five years ago.”

  “Hi,” the brothers said in unison, their voice strained with unease.

  Nate spared them a quick glance and turned back to his nephew. “How many of you are there?”

  James lip curled. “I’m not at liberty to say. But there are more than just us.”

  Nate knew he wouldn’t get any more information, but he had to try. “Tell me where she is.” This time his voice rose and drew the attention of a few more customers around them.

  “Now, now, we don’t want to cause a scene.” James didn’t take his eyes off his uncle. “I think you should go. Charlotte will contact you when she’s ready.” James was dismissing him.

  Anger flowed through Nate’s body, almost waking the wolf inside him. Through clenched teeth, Nate asked, “What does she want? And what is she planning?’

  “Who said she’s planning anything? We’re just here for a visit. Right, guys?” he asked the brothers across from him.

  Their eyes were wide as they nodded their dark heads. Nate could see fear in them, and he knew it wasn’t him they were afraid of, it was his nephew.

  “See? There’s no evil plan here,” James continued conversationally. “Charlotte just wanted to visit and was disappointed when you weren’t home. By the way, how is your mate doing? I only saw her briefly, but she smelled and looked mouth-watering.” The smile on James’ face vanished when Nate grabbed his button down denim shirt and yanked him forward. Nate hadn’t even registered the move until his nephew smiled, knowing he had rattled his usually controlled uncle.

  The werewolves at the table stood up and surrounded Nate. The aggression in the restaurant was palpable. The room fell silent. He could feel all of the eyes penetrating the back of his head. The music sounded much louder now that all conversation had ceased. There were too many witnesses here. He couldn’t beat the information out of James as much as he wanted to.

  “If you, Charlotte, or any of her other minions touch her again, I will rip you apart with my teeth.” He growled the words so softly that no one other than the werewolves could hear. He shoved James into the seat, his arm knocking over a ketchup bottle with a clang. Nate glared at all three of them and then stormed out of the restaurant.

  Once he made it back to his car, he took out his cell and made a call to Joe. “Hey, I need you. We have some werewolves to follow.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  The Reluctant Wolf

  “Are you ready?” Adrian asked, once he pulled up behind me and climbed out of his car. I had led him to the back of my family’s property, knowing nobody would be around. There were acres of woodland we could run in. But remembering the pain with changing was making me think that maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. “I’m not sure about this. It feels strange turning into a wolf and going for a run without Nate.”

  Adrian’s lips curled upwards, making his dark eyes sparkle with laughter. “Nate? That’s your mate?” He chuckled softly. “You know that rhymes don’t you?”

  Despite my apprehension of becoming a wild animal again, I laughed and gave him a playful swat on his shoulder. His jacket was made of a black puffy material. I’m not sure why I felt like I could trust him since we’d only just met, but I did. And for some reason, training to become a better werewolf with him sounded more appealing than doing it with Nate right now. I think it was because I felt too close to Nate. Every time I balked at the thought of changing into a werewolf, I thought I was disappointing him. If I screwed up with Adrian, I could care less—the stakes were lower. I didn’t know him.

  “I’m really not looking forward to this,” I said, doubtfully. “I’m not someone who welcomes pain.”

  “Who is? But the more you do it, the easier it becomes.” He took off his jacket and opened his car door to toss it inside. Holy cow, he was going to change in front of me. I hadn’t even really seen my boyfriend naked, and I wasn’t about to see a near stranger in his birthday suit. “You should also learn to fight,” he said unaware of my internal dialogue as he yanked off his long sleeve shirt.

  Facing the trees, I asked. “Why do I need to learn to fight?”

  “I’m not naked yet, you don’t have to look away.”

  When I turned back around, all I could see was his bare chest. It did nothing for me besides remind me of the man I was avoiding. My stomach dropped at the thought of Nate. I missed him so much, but my mind just wasn’t ready to see him yet.

  “There are werewolves out there that like to terrorize others, so you should know how to protect yourself,” Adrian said. “I could show you some moves later, or maybe you could ask your boyfriend, if you’d feel more comfortable with him.”

  I shook my head; my heart
ached as the words formed in my mind. “No. We’re not speaking right now.”

  His brows drew together. “Why? That’s odd for werewolf mates. I’d expect it’s difficult to be apart.”

  For the wolf inside me, it was like living without a soul. She craved her mate constantly and yearned to be with him. But my human side couldn’t be around him right now. Nate did this to me without asking, how I could forgive that?

  “I’d rather not discuss him right now,” I muttered. The idea of discussing my boyfriend with some random guy just felt wrong, like I was betraying Nate in some way. I tried to refocus on what lay in store. But I was a human girl, not a savage animal. I was having a hard time with the adjustment.

  “Are we doing this or what?” A deep voice sliced though my thoughts.

  I blinked at Adrian, so wrapped up in my internal argument that I forgot he was there, standing with no shirt on. And as I stared at him, he was yanking down his jeans.

  “Uh..y-yes.” I took a deep breath to clear my mind, hoping to push away the fear that had begun to grip my insides. My body and mind were hesitant to willingly allow the change to happen. My face felt hot, my stomach began to twist, and I was suddenly breathless. I couldn’t do this. I was a human girl, not an animal. NO! My mind screamed. RUN! Don’t let this happen! I was panicking, but while I realized this, I couldn’t stop myself.

  Just as I was about to run to my car and escape, strong arms wrapped around me. “Take deep breaths, and try to calm down. You’ll be okay. You’re not alone.” The voice in my ear was calm and reassuring, even if it wasn’t the one I craved to hear. The combination of his wild werewolf scent with his human smell was somehow comforting. It was of chocolate and mint. It made me think of Christmas and of stealing some of Mona’s homemade chocolates when she wasn’t looking. My new thoughts began to calm me, and I was able to do as instructed— to take deep breaths in and out. Finally, my brain cleared of all panicked thoughts. I was still afraid of what was about to happen, but it was no longer controlling me.

  I was suddenly aware that Adrian was still hugging me, and I began to feel uncomfortable. “I’m okay now. You can let go,” I said slowly, my voice only cracking once.

  His eyes searched mine as if he wasn’t sure if I was telling the truth or not. He still looked uncertain as he lifted his arms from mine and stepped back. I gazed at him and my eyes widened in alarm that had nothing to do with turning into a werewolf. He was practically naked, wearing nothing but black boxer briefs, and he had been hugging me. Guilt flooded through me, as I thought of Nate. What if he had stopped by and seen a guy wearing only underwear with his arms wrapped around me? My face heated, and I turned away, hating how good Adrian’s body looked to me. Were all werewolves so muscular and defined? The heat in my face deepened as I turned my attention to the tires on my car, staring at the deep treads that were caked with dirt, instead of Adrian’s tanned skin. Finally, I found my voice, hoping to end this awkward situation.

  “Let’s go. I’m not changing out here. I’ll do it in the cover of the trees.” I glanced at the top of his black hair, avoiding what was below. “And away from you.”

  He chuckled, “You are still new. You’ll eventually get used to being nude in front of other werewolves.” He laughed as I scowled at him.

  “Yeah, don’t hold your breath,” I mumbled, stalking toward the woods ahead of him, knowing he had just tossed his boxers onto the rest of his clothes. My face was so hot with embarrassment you could fry an egg on it.

  I rushed into the trees, anxious to be away from the naked stranger. I found a patch of sumac bushes and stepped between them. Taking a deep breath and repeating I can do this in my head, I reluctantly began to peel the clothes from my body. When my jeans, sweater, jacket, and undergarments were folded neatly, I got down on all fours. Nate’s voice was in my mind, making me miss him even more. The images of fur, fangs, pointed ears, and an exhilarating run through the forest flashed through my brain.

  A slow, prickly feeling came over my skin as fur started to grow. I cried out when my limbs began to snap and twist. It was over in a few seconds, but I remained immobile, panting wildly trying to recover from the excruciating pain. When the change was complete, I smelled Adrian—his scent was so much stronger in my wolf form. He had finished his change and was waiting about twenty feet to the left. When I emerged from the brush, he huffed at me and took off running. His coat was midnight black, the same color of his hair. His wolf body was large and powerful, and for some reason, I felt safe in this new and scary world.

  I followed behind him as he explored his new surroundings, getting used to the new terrain. I’ve grown up next to this forest, and yet it was still unfamiliar. I used to take walks as a child with my grandmother and mother prior to her socialite status. Of course, all we did was search for treasures, like pine cones and leaves. I hadn’t been here since my grandmother died. My mother lost interest in me, and the forest was too scary to walk in alone.

  We ran for a long time, jumping over large boulders, thickets, and tree stumps. It seemed that if there was a smooth trail or a difficult one filled with obstacles, Adrian would take the latter. Although it was fun, all the jumping was tiring me out. Eventually, he took pity on me, and we found a small stream where we could quench our growing thirst.

  After we drank our fill, Adrian sniffed the air. When he caught the scent of a rabbit, he took off in its direction. Despite my growing hunger from the run, I hadn’t gotten over my aversion of killing animals. I remained by the stream and sat down on my haunches. It wasn’t long before he returned with a rabbit in his mouth and began tearing into it. He glanced up, his yellow eyes boring into me. He shook the rabbit and nodded his head into a thicket where he had caught his prey, obviously telling me to go hunt. I puffed air out of my nose in answer, lying my head down on my front paws, my ears flat on my head. I was not going to kill an animal. It was bad enough that I had eaten a few. The idea of the neck of a poor rabbit breaking under the power of my fangs made my human brain cringe, while the wolf in me became excited at the thought. But since this was only really the second time I had changed, my humanity was still in control.

  Adrian whined, clearly confused. He placed what was left of the rabbit down beside me. I tried to fight the urge to rip the meat from the bones by placing my paws over my eyes, my sharp claws poked into my fur.

  Even though I couldn’t see the rabbit, I could still smell it, and it made my mouth water. I felt a wet nose nudge my muzzle, and I lifted my paw. Adrian was standing over me with another rabbit. It was alive, flinging its poor body in Adrian’s jaw hoping to escape. I jumped back as if it had bitten me and took off toward our cars. This time I took the smooth path, no longer in the mood for jumps. As my paws pounded over the ground, the occasional root and thistle dug into my soft pads, but not enough to slow my pace. I was finished with the run, I had changed into a wolf, and that had been the point of this excursion, nothing more. I couldn’t kill the poor rabbit, and even though the wolf in me would like to gnaw on the warm fresh meat. I knew the human in me would regret it afterward. Last time I had eaten a bunny, I couldn’t get the thought of the fur and guts out of my mind and could barely hold in the bile rising in my throat.

  Adrian followed behind me reluctantly, judging by his slow tread. He was used to being a wolf and had been one for ten years. I wasn’t sure if I’d ever be.

  I was waiting, fully dressed when Adrian emerged. Thankfully, he was wearing his black jeans and navy blue shirt. Since I had finished changing quickly, I had time to put his clothes in the forest where he could change in private. I wasn’t ready to see him almost nude again. I had enough embarrassment for one day.

  “What was that?” he asked with a hint of laughter in his voice. Thankfully, he wasn’t annoyed by my behavior but found it humorous.

  I sighed heavily. “I don’t like to kill animals. I haven’t done it yet, and I don’t want to. Nate killed a couple of rabbits for me the last time I turned, but I hate
d the thought of eating it raw. The wolf in me likes it, but I don’t, and I’m the one who has to live with it once I return to my human form.”

  His eyes were wide with shock. “But aren’t you hungry? It takes a lot of energy for the changes, and we had a long run.”

  “I’d rather eat a hamburger.”

  He shrugged. “Well, let’s get you something to eat, and then we’ll focus on your fighting.” When he started toward his car, I suddenly questioned his motives.

  “Why are you helping me?” I liked him a lot, but I couldn’t forget we had just met.

  He stopped and turned to face me. A bird shrieked above us, and he blinked at the sound. “Because, I don’t have any friends here, and no one to run with. Besides, what else am I going to do?”

  “Look for a job?” I suggested, jokingly. I had pushed my other werewolf friends away, and I found myself getting attached to this stranger. Deep inside, I knew that I could no longer deny what I had become, and I needed companionship during this transition. And for so many reasons, I couldn’t get it from the people I was closest to. For now anyway, I needed Adrian.

  “Soon. But right now, I want to help you. I hope your friend is learning to fight as well. It’s something that every werewolf should know.”

  I started to shrug, feeling relieved with his answer, when I remembered what he said. I narrowed my eyes at him. “How do you know I have a friend that is a werewolf? I never told you that.”

  He lifted a brow. “You’re not the first werewolf I scented around here—I just haven’t spoken to the others yet.”

  Even though I wasn’t sure if I believed his explanation, what could he possibly get out of helping me learn to fight? And I trusted him. I just didn’t know why. “Okay, come on, we’ll get something to eat at my house. And I can tell you right now it will be better than a raw rabbit covered in fur.”

  He chuckled as he headed to his car.

  “Did Mandy turn into a boy?” Mona asked as I led Adrian into the kitchen. “You left with her and returned with a new hottie. What happened to being a hermit?” Mona was wiping down the counters, wearing a flowered apron to protect her bright red blouse and black dress pants. Her hair was in a braid today with strands falling out.