Riley is the daughter of a werewolf and a badass mercenary. She was never going to be a shrinking violet. Her parents taught her how to fight (for herself and her family) from an early age. They both hoped she wouldn't have to, but theirs wasn't exactly the safest life, and they didn't want their daughter to be caught unprepared. 

Riley could control her wolf well enough. But anytime she got angry, she would lose control. The same was true on full moons. She gets better all the time, but there are still plenty of times she has to be chained up on a full moon to keep her from hurting anyone.