Riley's Torment, A Moon's Glow Novel #2 (12 page)

He nodded.
"Just do as I said to change back to human, but in reverse. When I
change, I get down on all fours, lean my head down, and think all
things wolf. I concentrate on the fur, teeth, and paws. Take deep
breaths and relax. The moon will call the wolf out, but you just
have to let it. If you fight, it’s more painful." He paused and
glanced down at his arms. Fur had started to grow. "Do you
understand?" he asked, his voice almost a growl.

I nodded,
heading down the steps and making my way around the side of the
cabin. The icy grass froze the bottom of my feet, but that was the
least of my worries. The last I saw of Nate was him tossing his
jeans on the ground. I knew it was silly of me to care if he saw me
naked. I had been naked when I changed back from wolf to human. But
it was going to take me a while to get used to this.

I heard a soft
whine. Nate, who was now a wolf, peeked around the corner of the
cabin.

"Just a
minute," I yelled over my shoulder with a wave of my hand, wanting
him to give me the privacy I needed.

Knowing I had
stalled enough, I pulled off Nate's shirt, and the smell of his
scent and laundry soap wafted into my senses. I bent down on the
ground to prepare for my change as Nate had suggested. I shifted my
position when my left palm landed on a thistle. It wasn't necessary
for me to do this tonight, since I had already changed, but I could
still feel the tingle as the moons glow touched my skin. Taking
deep breaths, I tried to calm down. I pictured fur on my arms and
legs, my teeth pointed and sharp, long claws that dug into the
terrain as I raced through the woods. As the images played in my
mind, I began to feel a prickling sensation as fur grew along my
body. I gritted my teeth as they began to grow long and pointed,
and I cried out in pain as my limbs snapped, starting to
reform.

When it was
over, I huffed out a breath, getting used to my new body, if that
was even possible. I took a moment to rest; the process of changing
had taken a lot out of me. Knowing Nate was waiting for me was
comforting. I was unbelievably terrified when I had turned earlier
all by myself, without knowing what to do. If it was up to me, I
would never do this again, but apparently, it wasn’t.

The sound of
another whine had me looking towards the cabin. Nate was peeking
around it again, his nose and muzzle was all I could see, but his
scent drifted into my nostrils. The smell was so strong; it hit me
like a ton of bricks. This scent I would recognize anywhere—it
belonged with me. He was my mate, and I needed to be near him. My
four legs couldn't get me to him fast enough. I rounded the bend
and plowed into him. We tumbled onto the wet grass, and when I
hovered above him, I licked his muzzle. His yellow eyes gazed into
mine with his head tilted in question. He grunted low, as if asking
what had happened to make me change my mind. I had been reluctant
to become a wolf, and now I was frolicking with him on the
ground.

I jumped up to
let him do the same, and he nodded his head toward the woods, and
began trotting slowly. With the thrill of his scent still buzzing
in my senses, I followed, pushing past him, and breaking into a
run. I caught the scent of Joe and Lauren and turned northeast
towards the center of the small forest. My paws pounded the ground
like drum beats with Nate right on my heels. We ran together with
the wind rushing through our fur, and the smells of the forest
whirling around us. I couldn't help but feel alive, racing through
the woods with my mate. A half mile into the run, we caught up to
Joe and Lauren. Joe had laid a dead rabbit at Lauren's feet. The
human in me hated that drool pooled in my mouth at the smell of
blood and fresh, warm meat. When we skidded to a stop, Lauren
glanced at me and whined. I rubbed my muzzle against hers in both
comfort and understanding. I knew the confusion she was feeling. We
still had the minds of teenage girls but now also the urges of an
animal. It was very disconcerting, and if I hadn't felt the strong
urge to be with Nate, it would be much more of a struggle.

Nate
disappeared and came back with a rabbit in his mouth, dropping it
on the ground in front of me. Like Lauren, I hesitated. The
wildness in me wanted to rip through the small animal and devour it
as fast as possible, but deep inside, the girl I once was wanted to
vomit at the thought. Nate and Joe glanced at each other and then
at us. Lauren and I continued to just stare at the dead animals,
fighting the urge to maul it. Nate nodded at the dead furball and
huffed out a breath. When I only glared at him blankly, he took off
into a small thicket, returning with another one. He glanced at me
quickly and then dug into his meal. Watching him was too tempting;
it made my mouth water, and without thought, I did the same,
relishing in the fresh meat. When Lauren saw me start to eat, she
hesitantly sniffed her rabbit and started to eat as well.

I tried to let
the wolf take over and not think about what I was doing. I couldn't
be Megan Banks, chowing down on a raw, bloody, rabbit. When my
thoughts strayed that way, my gag reflex kicked in. Once I
finished, I wanted more. Nate was right earlier. I hadn't eaten in
over a day, and I was starving.

Nate and Joe
tried to teach us to hunt and my instincts caught on, but my human
side fought it tooth and nail. I would rather Nate catch it for me
than feel the poor animals bones break. After a few more rabbits,
we went for a run. It was strangely exhilarating, running as a
group. However reluctantly, we became a pack. And if I had to
become a wolf, I was glad to be among people I loved.

"Here,
wrap this around you," Nate said, handing me the checkerboard quilt
after we had changed back to our human forms. I went inside the
bedroom, removed his shirt, and replaced it with the blanket,
holding the edges for dear life. I was feeling shy, and I didn’t
want him, let alone Joe, to see me in all my glory.

Back out in the
living room, I handed his shirt back to him. He slipped it over his
head, making a couple strands of his blond hair stick out. I could
see his toned arms through the rips in the sleeves. I winced,
remembering how that happened. I was so confused and terrified at
the time. I was thankful it was only his shirt that I had torn
into.

Lauren was also
wrapped in a blanket, the striped quilt from the other room. Nate
had extra clothes in the car that we could change into once we
arrived.

I gulped at the
clicking sound of the latch when Nate closed the door to the cabin
behind us. That tiny sound symbolized so much. It was the sound of
finality—our night of terror was over. I should feel relieved, but
instead, I felt detached, like I was outside my body, watching.

Lauren followed
the men down to the beach, the bottom of her blanket dragging along
the ground, making the material damp and dirty. They were headed to
a silver speed boat that was tied to the dock. I trailed behind
them in my bare feet, leaving dark imprints in the frosted grass.
Each blade I stepped on felt like a needle piercing into the soles
of my feet.

We climbed into
the vessel with only the moon to give us light. I could see
everything, compliments of my new freaky abilities. Lauren and I
sat down on the bench together without a word. I noticed Nate and
Joseph exchanging worried glances. I couldn't help my silence. Gone
was the feeling of jubilance that washed over me when I smelled
Nate's scent. Now that I was once again in control, I was wallowing
in what I couldn't change. I hated Charlotte for making me like
her.

As Nate started
the boat, I watched the eerie little cabin get smaller as he pulled
away. Its two tiny windows reminded me of eyes watching its prey
escape. In the darkness, the trees and vacant cabin appeared
isolated and haunted. I couldn't help the lump in my throat at the
sight of the island. The events that happened there were still so
fresh in my mind, and they would change our lives forever.

The smell of
gas and fish was overpowering as we raced across the lake toward
freedom. The smells were now so strong that it made my eyes water.
My new heightened senses were distressing, and something I wasn't
sure I'd get used to.

Nate had been
driving for few minutes when the lights of the boat shone off a
black speed boat docked along the mainland. I now knew we were in
Alexandria Bay. The vessel was tied to a private dock in the
backyard of a house.

"That's the
boat that was at the cabin!" I called out, pointing to the
vessel.

Nate glanced at
me, narrowed his eyes, and frowned. He looked at all of us and then
nodded.

I held onto the
edge as he took a sharp turn, towards the private dock. The
freezing water splashed my face, feeling like broken glass cutting
at my skin. I wiped my cheeks dry with the edge of the blanket as
the boat travelled over our own waves, making the ride jarring.
Lauren and I held hands as we bounced up and down on our aluminum
bench.

Nate slowed
down when he came up to the dock, and Joe leaned over to tie us up.
"You two stay here. We're just going to see if we can catch their
scent," Nate hollered over his shoulder, as he jumped off the boat.
They didn't give us any time to argue before rushing up the hill
that bordered the lake.

Just as I
started worrying that they wouldn't return, leaving Charlotte a
chance to take us again, I caught Nate's scent. They were back,
looking disappointed.

"They were here
a few hours ago, but their scent goes down the road. It looks like
they ditched the boat and took off. The house is empty."

Disappointment
flooded through me. She was going to get away with everything. Once
again, Charlotte would senselessly ruin lives without any
consequences. How many people would she terrorize in the name of
boredom? She needed to be stopped.

As if Nate
could read my mind, he stepped into the boat and pulled me up into
a hug. I breathed in his strong scent, and laid my face on his
shoulder. My hands gripped the blanket to keep it from falling, and
flashing Lauren and Joe. The boat swayed with the movement, and
water splashed against the sides with a sucking sound. He buried
his face in my hair and whispered, "I will make her pay for this,
don't worry." The sound of certainty in his voice comforted me.

Joe heard Nate,
and worry lines formed between his eyes. I didn't understand his
expression. Wouldn't he want to punish his sister for what she did
to his mate? I pulled away from Nate and took my seat next to
Lauren. I wasn't ready to ask Joe what he was thinking. I wasn't
really ready to talk at all. I needed to get home and rest and try
to accept what I had become.

Nate headed
back out to the lake. The reflection of the moon made the waves
shimmer as the boat sliced through the calm, inky liquid. It was
quiet; the only sounds were the motor purring and the occasional
splash of water.

As we docked at
a small deserted marina, Nate turned the motor off. I didn't know
what time it was, but it had to be after midnight. We were wolves
for quite a long time.

Nate dropped
the keys in a slot on the door of a tiny steel sided office, and
then we headed to his car. He handed Lauren and me clothes from his
trunk. We hid behind his vehicle as we traded the stolen quilts for
the spare clothes. Lauren was wearing oversized sweatpants and a
green sweatshirt. And I was in a t-shirt and jeans that I had to
hold to keep from falling down.

When we both
climbed into the backseat, the men once again shared a concerned
glance. I guess I should have wanted to be near Nate, he was my
wolf mate and fiancée. Even though I had been taken from him, I
couldn't help feel more connected to Lauren. We had been kidnapped
together and experienced the same hell. And now we were going
through similar changes. We were numb from everything that had
happened in the last few days. I felt comforted with her by my
side.

The drive took
about three hours. Lauren and I held hands but didn't talk. The
only time I spoke was to ask Nate to stop at a late night drive
thru so we could each get a burger and fries. I wasn't hungry, but
I needed normal food to get the memory of eating a dead, raw rabbit
out of my head. The image of chewing on fur and bones kept popping
in my mind. Bile kept rising in my throat in response. I needed a
drink to wash everything away.

I thought that
the sight of our home would cheer me up, but as the cottage came
into view, nothing changed. I was still numb and felt incredibly
lost. Lauren glanced at me as Nate pulled to a stop, and her lips
twitched into a ghost of a smile. Her normally bright hazel eyes
were flat and lifeless. I knew she felt the same as I did.

She let go of
my hand and opened her door. I followed suit and froze. Charlotte's
scent still lingered from yesterday when she took us—yet another
reminder of what we had become. I really hated my new extra
senses.

Nate stood with
the door of the cottage open, waiting for us to enter. "Are you
girls okay?" he asked, with the now permanent worry lines etched
between his eyes.

I squared my
shoulders and took the two steps up the porch with only one thought
in my mind—sleep. We had had an exhausting couple of days, and all
I wanted was to close my eyes and forget they ever happened.

"I'm going to
bed," I said with a quick glance at each friend standing inside the
living room. Nate and Joe looked unsure of what to do or say, and
Lauren appeared as tired as I felt.

She nodded. "Me
too. Can I stay here?" she asked her cousin.

Nate smiled
sadly. "Of course, Lauren. Take the spare room."

She nodded to
him but couldn't manage a smile. She followed me as I headed to the
bedrooms.