Riley's Secret (A Moon's Glow Novel # 1) (28 page)

I simply nodded to her as I pulled a chair over from
the end of the deck to keep myself busy. I couldn’t look at Nate at the moment
and I jumped at the chance of a distraction.

She sat down. “Hi, Nate. I just thought I’d come over
and see how things are going.”

He glanced at me, unsure. “You’d have to ask Megan
that.”

She turned her gaze on me as I took my previous seat
on the lounge chair.

“I’m fine. Why don’t you hang out for a while until we
go up to your place for dinner?”

I think Nate understood that I needed time away from
him to think. He stood up and pulled his shirt over his head. “That’s a good
idea. I need to call your father to discuss a problem at the store. I’ll just
be inside if you need me.” He gave me a hesitant smile and a soft kiss before
disappearing into the house.

Lauren and I were silent until we heard his voice on
the phone and then the door to his bedroom close. “Did I interrupt something?”
Lauren asked, moving to claim the chair Nate had vacated.

“No.”

“Really? Then why did he just run into the house as
soon as I showed up?” She bent over to dig through the bag she had thrown on
the deck beside her and pulled out her sunglasses.

“He just left to give me some time.”

“I thought you accepted what he was.”

“I did and I was fine with everything. I still am, but
when he told me what drew him to me, I panicked.”

“Oh, you mean when he caught your scent?”

My head spun to look at her. “You knew?” When she only
shrugged her shoulders, I went on. “It makes me sound like an animal. And him
sniffing me sounds like when a dog sniff’s your…you know what.”

She covered her mouth, trying to hide her laughter.
“Don’t think of it like that. Think of it as love at first sight.”

I rolled my eyes. “More like love at first sniff.”

She laughed, this time unable to hide it. “I think
you’re lucky. He loves you so much that he risked getting caught to protect
you. That’s what it’s like for him.” She sat up and turned her body around to
face me, but instead of setting her feet on the deck, she sat cross-legged on
the lounge chair. “You know how a mother bear will do anything to protect her
cubs. You never get between a baby and its mother, right?” I nodded and she
continued. “That’s the instinct werewolves have for their mate. When he saw you
talking to Rowan he risked being seen changing by the guests at your party just
to get him away from you. That’s love. I’m a little jealous. No human has
instincts like that. Close, but not quite so raw.”

“Wild, you mean? Like an animal.”

“He loves you, that’s all that matters.” She grinned
widely at me.

I sighed. “I know and I love him. I’ll get over it.
It’s just that I’ve had a lot to process in one day.” I really just needed to
stop thinking for a few minutes and I had just the way to do it. “Do you want
to go for a swim?” I asked Lauren.

“Sure. I just happen to have my bathing suit on under
my clothes.”

I ran into the bathroom to change. When I came out
Nate was in the living room just hanging up the phone. I stood in the bathroom
doorway carrying two towels and wearing my black two-piece bikini. A
mischievous grin spread across his face when he saw me. “I’m so glad I didn’t
let Will convince me to go over to the house and discuss some papers, like he
wanted.”

“We’re going swimming. Are you coming?”

“I’ll be right back,” he said, rushing over and
suddenly standing so close I could feel his hot breath on my face. He looked
down at me, his deep blue eyes turning to stormy seas.

I stepped back, startled at his sudden closeness. “I’m
never going to get used to that.” How could he move so fast?

He leaned in. “Sorry.” His voice was soft and then he
was gone, the door to the bedroom shutting behind him.

After our swim, we changed our clothes and then headed
to the main house for dinner. Lauren went ahead of us to get ready for her
guests.

Nate let himself into the house. Holding hands, we
walked into the large foyer. The sound of loud ticking drew my attention to an
old grandfather clock. It looked ancient, with cherry wood that shined so
bright I could see my reflection. The face was an old-fashioned design that was
hard for me to read. Beveled glass covered the face and the brass pendulum
below. “It was my mother’s, a present from my father for their twenty-fifth
anniversary.” He stood close behind me, his soft voice full of pride and grief.

“It’s beautiful,” I whispered, not able to take my
eyes from it. I couldn’t believe I didn’t notice it the last time I was here.

“Nate, Megan, I’m so glad you could come.” Carolyn
Riley, Lauren’s mother, walked toward us. Since most of the Rileys were blond,
her brown hair stuck out, reminding everyone that she married into the family.
She was different in other ways as well. The rest of the Rileys were tall with
a bulky build, like a family full of bodyguards. Even Lauren was tall. But
Carolyn was short with a tiny frame. Her shoulder-length hair was flipped up on
the ends. She was dressed for dinner in a gray silk blouse and black dress
pants. Long silver hoops hung from her ears. She held a champagne glass in her
right hand. “Come on in and have a drink before dinner.”

She led us into their living room where Lauren was
relaxing on a small couch beside her father, Will. There were two other men
standing by the window. One of them was the guy who had been yelling at me
alongside Lauren and her father in the office. Carolyn and another woman sat in
armchairs.

Since it was just a couple of hours ago that they were
angry with me, I was a little nervous. Sensing this, Nate took my hand again
and squeezed it.

“Megan, you’ve met my husband, Will. This is his
brother Richard and his wife Elaine.” I nodded to them as Carolyn went on, “And
this is their cousin, Philip.”

“It’s nice to meet you all.”

Nate led me to a small two-person settee in front of
the window. I sat down, tugging the hem of my skirt.

“Megan, we’d like to apologize to you for the way we
behaved this morning. We’re a little protective of Nate. He means a lot to our
family and we didn’t understand what happened. We’re very sorry.” Will stood
up, making his way to a silver mini fridge hidden under a cabinet in the
corner.

“No, it’s fine, I understand.” My voice was soft,
filled with nerves.

Will handed each of us a soda. “Good. Let’s start
over, shall we? How was your day?”

“It was fine.”

Nate leaned in and said, “He wants to know if you were
you freaked out by what I told you.”

“Oh, yes. It’s not something you hear every day.” I took
a sip of my drink, mostly to do something with my hands.

“No, it’s not. Our son Nathan doesn’t know yet; he’s fourteen.
It’s a family secret that each member learns when they’re ready, or when the
parents can trust them to keep the secret. Our fathers pass down the story
every generation. We have letters from Nate’s family. Each one wrote one about
Nate and what happened when he was turned. They are passed around the family
when the secret is told. They are very moving and we would like you to read them.”
Will stood up and walked to a large family picture. Behind it, he opened a
safe. He took out a photo album and handed it to me. “You can take this with
you if you’d like and then you’ll understand why we’re so protective.”

I took it from him. “Thank you for trusting me with
this.” I held the book on my lap. The silky material was soft on my bare legs.

“You’re a part of the family now. You’re his—”

“Dad, she’s a little touchy with that word,” Lauren warned,
standing up.

Nate glanced at me with one eyebrow raised in
confusion.

Will froze just as he was about to take a drink out of
his champagne glass. “I was going to say girlfriend.”

“Oh, never mind then.” Lauren sat back down.

“I think dinner is ready,” Carolyn said as a maid
dressed in black pants and a white shirt stood in the doorway.

Letters from the Past

I followed them into the dining room and sat between
Nate and Lauren. Dinner was delicious, beef tenderloin, gravy and Yorkshire
pudding. Everyone took turns telling me how they reacted when they were told
the Rileys’ Secret. That’s what they called it. I noticed that Nate didn’t like
all the attention. Each time they told a story he would cringe. Of course he
just smiled and laughed at something that was supposed be funny, but I could
tell by his eyes that he was tired of being the center of attention.

After the fourth time we heard the story, I decided to
change the subject. “So Lauren, are you going to school in the fall?” I asked,
interrupting Will’s story.

Everyone glanced at me with confusion, no doubt
thinking that I was rude to interrupt. I just smiled and waited for Lauren to
answer. When she raised a brow at me, I motioned with my eyes to Nate. I’m not
sure if she understood, but she answered me. “I’m going to Wentworth. What
about you?” Wentworth was the local university.

“I’m going to work full days at the charity. I
couldn’t make up my mind about what to take so I decided to take a year off.”

“We’ll be lucky to have you. Maybe you can do Nate’s
job since he’ll be working at the department store full time,” Will suggested,
forgetting about the previous conversation.

Nate focused on me. “Would you like that? It’s a lot
of paperwork.”

“Yes, I’d love to. I told you I wanted more
responsibility.” I smiled and touched his arm lightly. “That is, if you trust
me.” I looked up at everyone. “He was nervous about sending me to the grocery
store.” Everyone laughed while Nate squeezed my leg.

We finished our dinner and then returned to the living
room for drinks. After a few, we politely said our goodbyes.

Back at the cottage, I changed into the T-shirt I
usually wore to bed. It smelled like Nate and each time I wore it I’d take a
deep breath just before I drifted off to sleep. Since my clothes had arrived, I
also slipped on some cotton shorts. Despite my nap, I was exhausted and ready
for sleep.

“Are you going to bed?” Nate asked me, surprised,
coming into the bedroom.

“If you don’t mind, I’m really tired.” I climbed under
the covers while he sat on the edge of the bed.

“Why did you interrupt Will when he was telling his
story?” He gently brushed his fingers along my forehead. His touch was warm and
tingly.

“Because you didn’t seem to be enjoying all the
attention. I got the feeling you felt like some kind of circus freak but
wouldn’t stand up for yourself. I didn’t intend to offend him. I just knew you
wanted them to stop.”

He sighed. “How is it that they have known me for
years and years and they don’t understand me? You have known me a few months
and you already know how I feel?”

“Because I’m your mate.” I spit the word out.

“You don’t like that, do you? What did Lauren mean?”

“I don’t like the word mate. It makes us sound like
animals. And I find the whole scent thing weird, like a dog sniffing…
stuff
.”
I couldn’t say the word.

He laughed. “It’s not like that. It’s really hard to
explain.” He paused, as if searching for the right words. “Yes, it’s triggered
by scent, but the feelings are very strong. You’re the only one I will ever
love. When I first saw you, it was like the room emptied out and I only saw
your
face. And now, you’re the most important thing in my life. All of the instincts
from my wolf side are screaming to keep you safe. That’s why I stayed away from
you for so long. To protect you from me and from Rowan.” He leaned over to
gently kiss my forehead. “Do you understand?”

“Yes, I do and Lauren explained some things that
helped me earlier.”

“Good, because I can’t lose you.”

I reached up and touched his cheek. “You won’t,” I
whispered.

A warm smile spread across his face. His eyes were filled
with relief and joy. “Are you going to read the letters?”

“Yes, but I want to wait until morning when I’m not so
tired. Are you coming to bed?”

“In a bit. I just want to go outside and make sure
everything is clear. See if I smell anything or anyone.” He brushed my hair off
my forehead. “You’ve been through a lot in two days. Get some sleep, I’ll be
right back.”

I must have fallen right to sleep, because I woke up
later and the bed was still empty. I went out to the living room and found Nate
in the chair reading the letters. The only light was the slight glow from a
small lamp beside him but I could see his face was full of sadness. “Nate,” I
said softly, standing in the bedroom doorway.

His head jerked up, startled. “Oh, you scared me,” he
said, wiping his cheeks.

“What are you doing?”