Riley's Redemption (A Moon's Glow Novel)

by Christina Smith

  I stared at them, surprised by their sudden appearance. “Why?”

  “You said you would teach us to fight,” Marisa reminded me. She was talking about when we had first met. It felt like such a long time ago and so much had happened since then, I vaguely recalled the conversation.

  At first I was tempted to turn them down, hoping to have a quiet workout without any distractions; but, they looked so excited I couldn’t say no. “Fine.” I grumbled, opening the door to my red convertible.

  Sadie climbed in beside me, while Marisa slid into the backseat.

  After a few minutes of driving, I remembered last night and that Sadie had yet to fill me in on what happened after the run with Adrian.

  “Um…Sadie?” I began, flicking my eyes to the back where Marisa was texting on her phone, not paying attention to me. Sadie glanced at me, waiting for me to continue. “What happened when we left you and…”

  Her brows rose as she realized what I was asking. She turned back to look at Marisa who was still texting, with a wide grin on her face. “We frolicked and played,” she whispered. In wolf behavior that would be considered flirting.

  “And when you turned back?” I asked dreading the answer. Since Adrian hardly acknowledged her at the cottage, I had a feeling I already knew what she would say.

  Marisa giggled at something she read on her phone.

  Sadie waited until she was again immersed in her cell and then her expression hardened. “We changed back together and there was some touching and an almost kiss…” she trailed off, her eyes turning cold. “Until Joe and Lauren walked by.”

  “And then?” I asked, confused by her words, because only minutes after, at the cottage, he treated her as he always did, indifferently.

  “He pulled away from me and ignored my existence.” I expected her voice to be laced with sadness, but that wasn’t what I heard. She was pissed and I didn’t blame her.

  A flash of anger for my friend pierced through me. I would have to have a talk with Adrian about that. I hated when guys toyed with us girls. I’d been through it with Nate and Lauren with Joe. Why couldn’t love be simple in the werewolf world?

  As I turned onto Hazel Street I gripped the steering wheel, happy that my friend wasn’t here with us or I’d have to take my anger out on him. “I’m sorry, Sadie. I’ll talk to him.”

  Her lips pursed together and so quickly I almost missed it, her eyes flashed yellow and then back to chocolate brown. “Don’t bother. I don’t care what he thinks of me anymore.” Suddenly she smiled and all her frustration washed away. “I know what I did was right. In my mind I was protecting a little girl. And I’d do it again. He knows I was unaware of the real situation and yet he still blames me. I’m done trying to convince him otherwise.” Fierceness edged her words that I had never heard from her before.

  I felt my lips turn up as I pivoted to face her. “I like your attitude and it’s about time too. This is the girl Nate told me about, not that pathetic one that has been so apologetic toward Adrian. ”

  She grinned and nodded sharply. “Thank you. It’s been a long time. I lost myself a long time ago when I lived in fear of Sebastian finding me. And then as a mother figure for Marisa, but last night when Adrian pushed me away again, I realized it was time I let her come back. I’m done being his punching bag.”

  I felt like yelling Halleluiah! “Well, it’s nice to meet the real Sadie?”

  “It sure is,” Marisa agreed behind us. Apparently, she wasn’t as engrossed in her phone conversation as we had thought.

  As I pulled to a stop at a stop sign, Sadie and I swung around to gape at the girl who was grinning like a canary.

  “What do you know about this?” I asked. When Adrian and Sadie realized they were mates, Marisa wasn’t around and I had thought they were keeping that from her. At the sound of a horn behind us I waved at the impatient people behind us and turned back to face the road, merging back into traffic.

  “Oh come on, you said you were his mate when you threatened him with that gun.” I had forgotten about that. So much had been going on that day it was hard to remember everything that had been said. She paused, sliding her phone closed. “I didn’t exactly know what that meant at the time, but I’ve figured it out since. You two are mated werewolves, like Nate and Megan and Joe and Lauren and he’s treating you like trash.” She leaned forward and placed her hand on the top of our seats. “He’s my brother and I love him, but he’s acting like an ass.”

  I couldn’t help the snort that escaped my lips.

  Sadie’s brow furrowed, as she gazed at the girl she considered her daughter. “I don’t want to change how you see him. This is my problem, not yours.”

  Mari shrugged her shoulders, flipping her black hair over her shoulder. “It won’t, but I can still be annoyed with how he acts toward you.”

  Sadie and I exchanged glances as I turned the corner. The gym was in sight and I held my breath when I saw Adrian’s vehicle in the lot.

  “Don’t say anything to your brother, okay,” Sadie said to Marisa, as I pulled to a stop and turned the car off.

  “Don’t worry, I won’t,” she said. The look she gave Sadie spoke volumes. Adrian might be her brother that she loved very much, but Sadie had raised her and had been there for her when she had no one else. She would always side with her.

  As we made our way into the gym, I couldn’t help but worry about this situation. I hoped that Marisa didn’t get caught between two people she loved. Adrian was my friend and he meant a lot to me, therefore so did Marisa.

  The smell of sweat and wax assaulted my senses, as we entered the gym that was full of people. All the exercise machines were taken, but that was okay, because that was not why we were here. The mats and heavy bags were free and that’s all I cared about. Adrian was just sliding on his gloves when we approached him. He was wearing track pants and a navy blue sleeveless shirt. His ink black hair was as short as it was when I first met him, since he got it cut yesterday. “You’re here early,” I observed, tossing my workout bag on the floor against the wall, the straps fell against the mirrors. “I thought you were going to work at the shelter for a few hours.”

  He eyed my guests curiously before answering. “I did. I got there at six.”

  My eyes widened. “Six! Was Brian there?”

  “No, but I knew what needed to be done. He arrived about an hour later.”

  “How is it looking?” Sadie asked. She had been doing night shifts before the full moon and was heading back in tonight.

  “Good, we should be done in a few days.”

  “Just in time for Fun Day. I’d like to have the new residents in by then.” I had chosen the new people that would move into the eight rooms and Julia and I were so excited to have them move in. Fun Day would be a perfect time for that.”

  Adrian shrugged. “If not before then, definitely the day of.”

  I frowned. I had wanted a different answer. The sooner we got them in the better. But I had to let go of that. It would happen sooner or later and I couldn’t rush them. I wanted everything done right.

  “What are you guys doing here?” he asked his sister and mate. His voice held no agitation, just curiosity.

  “Remember you and Megan promised to teach me kick boxing?” Marisa answered her brother defensively.

  He narrowed his eyes, looking confused.

  “When we first found her,” I reminded him, as I dug into my bag for my gloves.

  “Oh right. Okay, Um…I’ll go get you two some gloves.”

  As he walked away, I pulled mine on. “You okay?” I asked Sadie. The continuous sound of pounding and underlined buzzing had me looking over my shoulder to see an overweight man running on the treadmill. His puffy face was red and glistened with sweat. His face was set with determination. I smiled at him as he noticed me and before I turned away he gave me a wink. The smile turned to a grin as I faced my friends.

  Sadie was watching Adrian as he made his way to the shelves where the
owners kept the equipment.

  She jumped. As if she was so focused on the guy she had just said she was going to forget and the sound of my voice scared her. She forced a smile and punched my shoulder. Ow! She was strong. “I’m fine.” There wasn’t time to argue, because Adrian had picked out the gloves and was on his way back.

  “Well, since I also need a workout, I’ll get another bag.” He handed the gloves to the girls and they helped each other put them on while he disappeared into the storeroom. He came back out with another heavy bag and hung it beside the three others, it swayed to the right, bumping another one slightly, but it remained stationary. He explained all the punches and kicks, while I demonstrated each one. Marisa struggled with the kicks but exceled with the punches. But Sadie was a natural at everything. She was such a tiny girl, with an almost cherub face that you would never guess she would have caught on so quickly.

  After an hour of working on the bag, I asked Adrian to spar with me. Marisa and Sadie watched from the floor, where they sat leaning against the mirrored wall, their legs crossed in front of them.

  Adrian wasn’t kidding when he had said he hadn’t worked out in a while. It only took a few tries to pin him to the mats, my knee to his throat. “Okay, you win,” he grunted, inaudibly. It was hard to understand him when my knee was jammed into his windpipe. I grinned before I got off him and stood up. As I spun around to face the girls, his leg swung out and knocked me off of my feet. I fell to the mats with a loud thud. I heard a deep rumbling chuckle as I gazed up at the ceiling lying flat-out on my back.

  “Can I try?” Sadie asked from above me. She was staring down at me, her braid falling over a shoulder, wisps of hair that had come loose, framing her face.

  I sat up and leaned on my knee.

  “You did well your first try, but I’m not sure you’re ready for fighting yet,” Adrian answered her, getting to his feet.

  She grinned at him. “I’ll take my chances.”

  He shrugged and held out his hand to help me up. I took it and stood in front of her. “Do you want to spar with me?” I asked, thinking that if she wanted to fight with someone it would be easier to do it with me, especially after what happened last night.

  She only grinned wider. “No. I want to fight Adrian.”

  Marisa snorted behind me as my eyes widened with so many unspoken questions. I suppressed the urge to laugh.

  “Why do you want to fight me?” Adrian asked. He was rubbing his throat where my knee had just been lodged, his face appearing guarded.

  Sadie lifted a shoulder in a half shrug. “Because I like Megan.”

  Marisa’s snort turned into a snicker. I took a few steps away from them to avoid the fallout and plopped down beside Mari. I folded my legs in front of me and leaned forward on my knees, excited for the show.

  Adrian was staring at Sadie with narrowed eyes. “Fine, I’ll go easy on you.” He turned around to smirk at me, at the same time as Sadie’s arm shot out and in a blur of movement she had flipped him over her shoulder. He hit the mats with a loud thump.

  He lay on the mat in a daze staring at the ceiling as I had just done, while Marisa and I gaped at our friend. What just happened?

  “What the heck was that?” Marisa asked, her mouth hanging open.

  “What?” Sadie asked. “I work out every night after you go to bed?” She glanced at me and then Adrian. We were still staring at her in shock. “I’m a werewolf running from a vampire; I had to be able to protect myself.”

  I couldn’t help but notice Adrian’s lips twitch. He was fighting a smile.

  Sadie was full of surprises today, first her declaration earlier and now this. I wondered how long she had wanted to take Adrian down. I was just glad that I was there to see it.

  As she held out her hand to help him up he tried to knock her down like he did me. She anticipated the move and caught his leg between her own, twisting onto the floor and flipping him onto the mat again.

  This time I laughed out loud and Marisa joined me. When Adrian sat up he was staring at Sadie, his eyes shining with approval.

  Sadie stood up and began to peel the gloves from her hands without a look to anyone and then she sauntered away. “I’ll meet you outside,” she called over her shoulder.

  All we could do was gaze after her speechlessly.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Fun Day

  “It’s beautiful,” I gasped, as I spun around the common room of the new wing. Fun Day was in two days and the eight families were coming this morning. But first Adrian and Brian were giving Julia, Sadie and I a tour. The rooms were all equipped with en-suites, built-in shelving and large closets. The common room for all the residents to share held a mini kitchenette, for the hours that the dining rooms were closed and a large comfortable living room. The furnishings had arrived yesterday and Adrian had insisted on putting everything together. He didn’t want us to see it until it was all there and in place. The rooms were painted in calming neutral colors, with livelier splashes in the accessories. Throw pillows, the color of violets, dotted the furniture and bright whimsical artwork hung on the walls. The scent of vanilla filled the air, along with the underlined smell of paint. There was a large flat screen TV, DVD player and game system. We had all of those electronics in the main common room, but with eight more families we needed more.

  It was beyond what I had imagined when I first thought of adding on to the shelter.

  “It really is. I’m so glad you insisted on doing this Meg,” Julia gushed from beside me as she wrapped me in a hug. She smelled like flowers and shampoo. Her honey brown hair tickled my nose. “Okay, enough of this. Let’s get back to the main room to welcome the new residents.” She pulled away from me, fighting tears.

  I hugged Brian and Adrian, feeling their warmth wrap around me. I was getting emotional and if I wasn’t careful, the tears that I was trying to hold back would flow and I didn’t want that. I cleared my throat, stepping away from the men to take Sadie’s hand, pulling her along with us. There was work to be done and no time for tears. We were finally able to use the door separating the wings. We had blocked it before for the safety of the current residents.

  Each of the eight families had children ranging from one to four kids each. After we had shown them their rooms, explained the rules and what was expected of them, it was late and I couldn’t wait to get home.

  Julia and I separated in the parking lot out back, knowing that although our day had been busy, it was about to get worse in the days to come. I watched her car drive off, her break lights glowing red for a brief moment before she turned onto the street. I took a few seconds to breathe in the cool evening air and the quiet of the outdoors. It had been a long day filled with noise and chaos. It was nice to have a second to myself before going home to my wonderful husband. As I approached the car, a chill crept over my skin. The hackles on the wolf inside me rose as I spun around to search for danger. There was nothing there of course, but I couldn’t help but feel the weight of someone’s gaze on me.

  I sniffed the air, but was only rewarded with the smell of dirt, garbage from the shelter’s bin and a woman’s scent who was walking her dog about ten yards away.

  “Hello,” I called out; knowing that no one could be there or I’d have smelled them. When no answer came, I shook my head, chocking it up to a long day and opened my car door. I froze as a scent of rotted flesh entered my senses. I glanced around my surroundings again and heard the whisper of laughter. It was male and it echoed softly off the building. It was the exact sound I had heard in the woods the night of the full moon. I spun around searching for the source but still there was nothing but the scent of rot. I waited a few minutes more and when nothing else happened I slipped into the car. As I drove away, I thought I saw the silhouette of a man in the rear-view mirror. I stomped on the brakes and spun around to look, there was nothing there, just the garbage bin.

  With an eerie feeling lurking in my mind, I called Sadie to make sure the shelter was locked
up and warn her to be careful. When she asked me why, I couldn’t answer her. I just said that I wanted to be extra cautious with the added residents.

  After my call, I felt better knowing that everyone was safe. But I couldn’t get rid of the icy cold fear that had settled in the pit of my stomach.

  We were busy the next day with preparations for Fun Day. When it finally arrived there was an exciting, energy, buzzing through the air. I had lined up twenty volunteers to be divided into groups for all the events and food prep.

  The theme of the day was Vacations around the World. With little to no funds available to them and more important issues, like lack of food or shelter, traveling was the last thing on our resident’s minds. So we decided to bring the vacations to them. We had rooms set up that represented popular vacation spots. Each room had aspects of resorts: massages, umbrella drinks, food and music. For the kids, there were games, candy and even toys from different countries. The excitement in the house was palpable. The former residents had been anticipating this day for months and the new ones were already excited about their new living arrangements, spending a fun day instead of worrying about their future was a welcome distraction.

  I was busy running between rooms, checking if the volunteers needed anything. Midmorning, I stopped in at the kitchen where Nate and Lilly were working hard to prepare different foods from the countries we were featuring. The aroma in the room was decadent and I couldn’t wait until lunch time when I had the chance to taste some of what was cooking. I snuck a kiss as Nate stirred what looked like goop, in a large pot. “Hey beautiful, how is it going?”

  “Great,” I gushed excitedly. “Everyone is having a ball. No one is worrying about their problems, just enjoying the day.”

  “That is the point of the day, right?” Lilly said, smirking as she pulled a pan of desserts out of the oven. I stuck my tongue out at her and gave her a playful slap on the shoulder with an abandoned oven mitt.