Riley's Torment, A Moon's Glow Novel #2 Read online

  The man turned our way; his cool, almost silver eyes assessed us before he gave a nod and disappeared outside with Lola.

  Adrian dropped his bag on one of the mats and opened it. He stood up holding black leather boxing gloves. We both shed our coats, throwing them into the open bag. After he helped me put the gloves on, he lifted a heavy bag that was lying on the floor in the corner and hung it on a hook in the center above the mats.

  He stood beside the bag that swung gently from the ceiling. It creaked softly as he stood in front of me. We both had changed into more comfortable clothing before we left my house. I chose yoga pants and a white tank, while he threw on his extra sweats he kept in the trunk of his car.

  “Okay, are you ready?” he asked, a glint appeared in his dark brown eyes. It was obvious that he enjoyed being here. “We’ll start with your stance. Bend your knees, hands up to protect your face, elbows in tight to protect your rib cage.” As he spoke, he demonstrated until he was poised for a fight in front of me. I followed suit until I was standing with my fists up ready to punch. I felt a little silly. “And don’t forget to breathe.”

  Breathe, okay, I can do that.

  “How’s this?” I asked, feeling self-conscious.

  He nodded his approval with a small smile playing at his lips. “First, we’ll do a jab. Rotate your shoulder and keep your arm straight out.” He did the movements as he spoke, punching the bag. It looked like he hit it pretty hard, but the bag only moved marginally. He stood back while I gave it a try.

  It was fun actually, and I could feel the power in my swing as my fist connected to the leather. I did the move a few more times and with each swing, I could feel my new strength. This, I could get used to. Now I knew why Adrian liked to do this. If Mona could see me now, she’d regret ever laughing at me at the idea of me working out.

  Next, he showed me the cross punch, which I practiced a few times before moving onto the next ones—the hook punch and uppercut. I worked on all of them for the first half of our session, while Adrian paced behind me, occasionally correcting my technique. Finally, we moved onto kicks. But before we began, he got us each a bottle of water from a small mini fridge. After our thirsts were quenched, he showed me some stretches. When he was satisfied that my muscles were loose enough, he demonstrated a front kick, a shin kick, and then a spinning back kick.

  I watched in awe at his technique. He was really good at this and obviously enjoyed it. He was definitely in his element while explaining the moves. When he was done, he stepped aside while I tried.

  The kicks were harder and used more of my muscles. But I had to admit, they were more fun. When our hour was up and Lola and Tommy returned, I felt like a bad-ass, excited for our next session. Adrian confirmed with the owners that we could use the space at lunch tomorrow. They usually closed at that time, but since they trusted Adrian, he could take advantage of the empty gym.

  Adrian wanted to work out every day until he felt I was capable of taking on any werewolf who threatened me. He knew about my kidnapping and told me that he had a few run-ins with werewolves who just wanted to cause trouble. He said he felt better knowing he could protect himself, and I understood what he meant. Since I met Nate, I had always relied on him to save me from the sadistic werewolves in his life. But now, I could take care of myself. I reasoned that I didn’t have to feel guilty about spending time with Adrian because it had a distinct purpose. I hadn’t told Nate about my new friend yet, but knowing how much Nate wanted to protect me, wouldn’t he want someone to teach me to fight?

  When Adrian dropped me off at home, my excitement was wearing off. Now I was just tired and thirsty. I had finished the bottle of water he gave me earlier, but I needed more. I grabbed a couple waters from the fridge, said a quick hello to Mona, then rushed to my room to fall on the bed. I needed a nap. Once I was curled under the warm blankets, instead of drifting off, I thought of calling Nate. I wanted to tell him about my afternoon but decided against it for two reasons. One—I wasn’t ready to hear his voice, and two—I didn’t want to tell him about Adrian. I was afraid he’d think something was going on between us, and the idea of him being jealous made me nervous. No, it was better to keep my friendship secret for now. Besides, I still wasn’t ready to contact him. Every time I thought of doing so, the image of him biting me surfaced. I even felt his teeth sink into my skin. I knew my imagination was way worse than reality. It didn’t hurt when it happened, but the mind was tricky, and maybe my inability to forgive him was behind the false reality.

  I woke slowly to the sound of crunching next to me. I could also hear the low drone of the TV. It sounded like some dating reality show I wouldn’t be caught dead watching. Why was the TV on? And why on that show? I breathed in and got my answers. The smell of werewolf and guava was all I needed. Lauren was a reality show junkie, something that I never understood. Without turning to face her, I mumbled, “What are you doing here?” My voice was barely audible, but of course, she heard me.

  The crunching stopped, replaced with a crumpling sound. “I came here to visit my best friend. You still are my friend, aren’t you?”

  My eyes were closed, and I still felt groggy as I sighed, suddenly feeling like we were in grade school. “Yes, you’re my friend.”

  She leaned over me. I could feel her face hovering in front of mine. Her breath smelled of dill pickle, her favorite flavor of chips.

  “Why are you napping in the afternoon? Did you age fifty years since I saw you last?”

  Unfortunately, the sleepy fog was lifting from my brain, but I refused to open my eyes. “I worked out today, and I was tired.” That felt really odd coming from my lips, I did not exercise. The very idea would normally make me laugh, but since so many werewolves insisted on tormenting me, my opinion was changing. I was actually excited for tomorrow when I could do it again.

  I could feel her fingers on my eyes just before she yanked my eyelids open. I jerked back not expecting her hazel eyes to be so close. “You worked out? Did hell freeze over?”

  I couldn’t help the small smile that flickered across my lips as I pulled my head back forcing her to let go of my eyelids. “It must have.” Her head was indeed hovering in front of me, her sandy hair falling down like a veil around both of our faces. Her body was still sprawled over my side, and she was starting to get heavy.

  She sniffed hard, her nostrils flaring. “Why do you smell like another werewolf? I saw you with Mandy this morning.”

  Oh crap, I really didn’t want to tell her or any of my werewolf friends, but I couldn’t lie. She could smell Adrian’s scent on me. Damn it, I should have had a shower before I lay down. I pushed my arm upward. “Can you get off of me please?”

  Her eyes narrowed. “Only if you tell me whose scent that is.”

  “Fine, just get off of me. This is getting weird.”

  She grinned before disappearing from my view.

  I sat up, and leaned against my headboard next to her. Lauren had her knees up with the bag of chips in her lap. She was wearing a long mauve sweater with black tights. She leaned forward and stuffed another chip into her mouth. The TV screen was filled with half naked girls sitting around a pool, all vying for one guy. I didn’t understand why people watched these shows.

  “So who is it?” she asked again, holding out the bag of dill pickle chips.

  I grabbed one and took a bite. As I chewed, I thought of my answer. And the only thing I could come up with was the truth. “It was a guy I met at Le Crème. He came in after Mandy left.”

  Her mouth fell open, her brows creased in confusion. “Wait,” she held a hand up in front of her. “I thought you were going to hang out with her all day.”

  I sighed, looking away from her, back to the TV where now all the girls were lined up waiting to be picked. “I was only there because Mona told me to go. She’s getting annoyed with me hiding out here.” I paused to sneak a glance at her. She was still gaping at me in shock. “I wanted to leave ten minutes into my visit with Man
dy.”

  “But why did you act like you were friends with them again?”

  “I don’t know.” I turned away from her, staring at my lilac duvet. I picked at the material trying to put into words how I’d been feeling. “Ever since I got back from the island, I’ve been kind of miserable. And for some reason, I like to make others that way. I’ve been having a blast pissing Mona off.”

  She stared at me blankly and then stuck another chip in her mouth. “I think the changing process has been screwing with our emotions,” she mumbled while chewing.

  I jerked my head up to gaze at her, relieved that there was a reason for my snottiness. “Really?”

  She nodded, her face serious. “I’ve been so obsessed with you and Nate. I yelled at the both of you any chance I got, and I was avoiding my own issues.”

  “Which are what?” I asked, suddenly feeling guilty for being out of the loop with her. I used to be the one who she came to when she had problems. Although I guess I still was—I just stopped listening.

  “Joe.”

  “You still haven’t talked to him?” I grabbed a chip, and took a bite.

  Her eyes brightened as a smile formed. “I did today, thanks to Nate. He was the one that pointed out that I was obsessed with you guys not dealing with your issues, even though I was avoiding my own.” She sighed, sliding down the head board. “He left us alone in the cottage today, and I finally let Joe talk.”

  I reached into the bag and grabbed a handful of chips, needing a distraction. I didn’t want to think of him, how he was kind and generous to others, how he put those he loved before himself, or how his vivid blue eyes sparkled in the sun. I tried to avoid thoughts of running my fingers through his shaggy blond hair. The feel of his muscular arms when they were wrapped around me, making me feel safe. I blinked back the tears that threatened as I bit into a chip, focusing on the strong dill taste that burned my tongue leaving cracks in it. I wiped my eyes roughly and cleared my throat.

  “So um…Did you guys settle things?” My voice broke with emotion, and I could tell Lauren noticed. Her eyes held sympathy, but thankfully, she didn’t mention it.

  She nodded before answering. “Yes. He told me he loved me, and that he was sorry that he waited so long.” She paused and sighed happily. “I started to object, telling him I had too much to deal with without adding him to that list. I wanted to wait until I felt better about becoming a werewolf, and my emotions evened out. But I didn’t get most of the words out because he yanked me against him, and he devoured my lips with his.” She sighed, a big grin spread across her face.

  “So, I guess it was good.” I was happy for her and Joe. Their union was a long time coming.

  “You could say that.” She laughed, her eyes bright with joy. “I felt it in my toes. I knew then that I was being stupid. Why put off our happiness because of what Charlotte did to me? If I continued to do that, she would get what she wanted, which was for us to suffer. So I decided to be happy. He’s taking me on a date tonight. I can’t wait.”

  “What about your dad?” I asked, irritated with myself that we had been back a week, and I didn’t know this stuff.

  “We talked the other day. I told him I was really upset that he was trying to keep us apart. I waited for him to yell at me and forbid me to see him, but he didn’t. He apologized and wished us well.” She took another chip and took a bite. As she chewed, her eyes brightened.

  I gaped at her. That didn’t make sense. All three of us had been trying to get Will to change his mind. But he refused, basically telling us to mind our business. “Are you serious? What changed his mind?”

  She shrugged. “He said that after I went missing for two days, the fear of losing his daughter made him realize that life was short, and it wasn’t right to keep me from being happy.”

  I reached out to rest my hand on her knee, feeling a closeness that I hadn’t felt since we’d been back. “That’s awesome, Lauren.”

  She smiled, and then a crease appeared on her forehead. “Hey.” She leaned up and twisted on the bed, slapping me on the shoulder. I pulled my hand back surprised by her move. My shoulder stung a little. She didn’t realize how strong she was now. “You never finished telling me about the other werewolf.”

  Apprehension replaced my surprise. “His name is Adrian, and he just moved here. He said he wanted to be friends, since he didn’t know anyone.”

  “And that’s all there is? He just left after you told him no?”

  I winced, knowing I’d have to tell her the truth. Hiding things was different from outright lying. “I didn’t actually say no.”

  Her eyes went wide. “What?” She tossed the chip bag to the end of the bed, and sat in front of me, her legs folded in front of her. “He could be dangerous. He could be working for Charlotte.” Her voice went up an octave.

  “I asked him about her, and he denied knowing her.” She opened her mouth to speak, and I held up my finger to stop her. “I trust him, okay. I don’t know why, but I do.” I glared at her pointedly, trying to get her to listen. “When I told him I hadn’t changed since the first full moon, he talked me into going for a run.”

  “He got you to change into a wolf willingly?” Lauren looked shocked.

  I nodded.

  “He didn’t hurt you, did he?”

  I shook my head. “No, he actually told me I needed to change more often, or I’d put the people I love in danger.” I paused as she watched me carefully. “He even took me to a gym and started to teach me kick boxing to protect myself. He said there are a lot of werewolves out there that like to hurt others, and he wants to train me.”

  “Really?” Her face grew thoughtful. “That’s strange for someone you just met.”

  “I know, but if he wanted to hurt me, why would he show me how to defend myself?”

  She frowned. “I don’t know.”

  “Why don’t you come tomorrow? You could use the lessons too.”

  She was quiet while she thought it over. “Okay,” she said. “I’d like to meet him and make sure he’s being honest with you.”

  I was about to argue and ask why she thought she’d be a better judge of character than I was. I changed my mind when I realized that it didn’t matter why she was coming. I wanted her to learn how to fight so she could feel safe like I did today.

  “Great, be here at eleven,” I said. “We’re going earlier tomorrow. Don’t tell the guys though.”

  She paused, her brows creased as she thought this through. “Fine, I won’t. But if I think this guy is dangerous, I’m going to make you tell them. With Charlotte on the loose, we can’t take any chances,” she explained as she stood up.

  “Deal. But I’m telling you, I trust him.”

  “I’ll see you tomorrow. I gotta go. Joe and Nate should be back by now.”

  “Where were they?” I asked, only being polite. I wasn’t curious or worried about him. Really, I wasn’t.

  “Nate found the scent of one of the werewolves from the island, and they followed it, hoping to find Charlotte.”

  Excited by the idea of not looking over my shoulder worrying about her, I asked, “Did they find her?”

  “I don’t know, I haven’t heard. But I’ll call you later if they did. If you don’t hear from me, then you’ll know why.” She handed me the chips and waved before opening my door and closing it behind her.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Confidence

  The sound of springs squeaking pulled me from a deep sleep. There was movement on the bed as someone crawled up the mattress to hover above me. As I was about to let out the scream that was poised in my throat, the scent of leather and pine floated towards me. Instead of screaming, I froze. Why was Nate here in my bed? There was a reason why we weren’t together, but I just couldn’t remember it.

  When I opened my eyes, all confusion melted. He was here, just a heartbeat away. His bright blue eyes were almost black in the darkness of my room. His tousled hair hung down from his face creating a shadow
over his features. I couldn’t see his intense gaze but I could feel it boring into me.

  “I miss you so much, Meg.” His voice was just above a whisper, but I could hear the pain in it. It matched the agony I felt every day I woke up without him. He brushed my cheek with a finger, and my skin burned at his touch. “Don’t push me away; I love you so much.” His voice faded into a whispered plea on the last two words.

  My mind was reeling. I loved this guy more than anything, but there must be a reason I didn’t want him with me. How could I think clearly with him so close?

  He leaned down even further, his hot breath caressed my face, and the heat from his body seeped into mine. “Tell me you still love me, Megan.”

  A buzz of awareness stirred. And as much as my mind screamed not to say the words, I felt them in my heart and soul. “I love you,” I whispered softly, my voice deep with emotion.

  His eyes were smoldering as he gazed into mine. His finger moved over my face slowly, the burn searing a trail along my cheek. His finger stilled when he reached my mouth. I sucked in a breath when he traced the tip of his finger over my top, and then bottom lip. When he lifted his hands to cup my chin, I shivered, knowing what was about to happen. I missed the feel of his lips on mine, the taste of his tongue and the feel of his body. I needed, no yearned, for his kiss. It seemed to take forever for him to lean forward; it felt like an eternity since I had been wrapped in his strong arms. He moved closer, his hot breath branding my lips.

  “We belong together,” he whispered, his mouth brushing against mine.

  “Megan, get up!”

  A dull ache throbbed in my chest as I jerked awake, feeling Nate’s absence like a missing limb.

  “Ugh. Go away,” I grumbled, hoping to fall back to sleep and into Nate’s arms. I wasn’t sure who woke me up, but all I knew was that I wanted the dream back. I could be with Nate without the complications of life. In the dream, I couldn’t remember there was a psycho werewolf waiting for another chance to terrorize us. In the dream, Nate had never bitten me and taken away my humanity. In the dream, it was just us, as we were meant to be.