A Werewolf's Moon (The Council) (8 page)

I could imagine Mrs. Hong nodding, maybe checking off items on a list. She sounded so stiff, like she had a broomstick jammed up her ass. “Have you thought about the all girls’ college I told you about?”

“No.”

“It’s one of the best in the country.”

“I am going to design school.” She sounded robotic again.

“I’m sure once you see the college I’ve chosen you will change your mind.”

“Don’t bet on it.” She sighed.

“
Pepper
, fashion is not a realistic choice for a career. I knew when your father decided we should name you after a vegetable you were going to be trouble.”

“I have to go. See you tomorrow.”

She hung up the phone and tossed it o
nto the bed, not looking at me.

Normally I wasn’t what
Pepper
called cuddly, the kind of guy to get mushy. But sh
e looked like she needed a hug.

“Our flight leaves at ten, and the airport is over an hour away.” I said, trying to break the silence.

She propped her chin in her hand, “Couldn’t we just phase to my mom’s?”

“I need to have been there once before. We won’t ha
ve to worry about flying back.”

She slid to the foot of the bed to be closer for our conversation. “Anything else I need t
o know about being a werewolf?”

We covered more than I thought we would. It was an added bonus that
Pepper
was already familiar with my world since she spent so much time with Venna. I didn’t have to worry about ex
plaining certain things to her.

“We don’t have to go over everything tonight. I got to the important stuff.” I stood and walked toward the window and looked out into the night. The street was quiet. Lights were on in the house across from us, a family was watching a movie together with a big bowl of popcorn.

Thunder rumbled, and I listened as the first drops of water sizzled on the pavement. This storm was huge, bigger than I thought, and a good distraction.

I heard
Pepper
shift on the bed and her bare feet touch the carpet. She padded softly to my side and peered out the window. “What are you looking at?”

“I’m watching the sto
rm. It’s getting ready to rock.
”

“It’s a bad one?”

“Lots of thunder and
lightning
, I think it will last all night.”

“Great, I always sleep better when it rains.”

“Yippee for you.”
I was going to be up all night again.

She walked over to her closet, yanking out a hot pink suitcase and matching bag.
Pepper
reminded
me
of a doll with all the brightly colored accessories. Barbie had her convertible, Ken, and a dream house.
Pepper
had funky clothes, a werewolf, and cherry bubble gum.

Unzipping the suitcase, she began tossing shoes into the
bottom,
once she hit the five pair mark I cleared my throat. “How long will we be at your mom’s?”

“Four nights, we’ll leave on the fifth day,
early
, just so we don’t piss her off.”

“And you need six pairs of shoes?” seven, eight…I gave up counting.

“I like to have plenty of choices so I can mix and match. I dress according to my mood.” She opened the doors wider and started pulling out shirts and skirts, then jeans, shorts, and a few more tops.

“No one would call you unprepared.” I sat on the edge of her bed, watched in fascination as she packed the suitcase
to the point of exploding.

I tried not to laugh when the lid wouldn’t shut all the way. She must have detected my amusement, and smirked, sitting on top of it to force the zipper closed. “And that is how you pack ten pounds in a five pound bag.”

“Great. What happens when you get up?”

“Uh...”

I crooked my finger.

She shook her head.

“Are you going to sit on it all night?”

“Maybe,”

I stood, “Then I should probably get going.”

Her heart rate accelerated, “Really?”

Was she disappointed?

“You don’t have to
go, Quinn.”

I crossed the room and crouched in front of her, trying to make sense of the slightly panicked expression in her eyes. “Why?”

“I might have more questions.” She blinked furiously. “Bunnies, I love bunnies. I’m not going to start hunting animals and hurting innocent bunnies, am I?”

I chuckled, understanding her worry. I didn’t want to leave either, and even though I had every right to be here with her, alone, I still felt a little guilty that she wasn’t my mate officially. And I hadn’t met her father, which I wanted to do. “No, and you can call me if you nave anymore questio
ns. I’ll be with you tomorrow.”

“I don’t have your number.”

“All you have to do is say my name.”

She fiddled with the zipper on the suitcase. “Really, I just say your name?”

I nodded, “Yeah, I’ll hear you.”

“How?”

“I turned you, we’re apart of each other. I just will.” Of course, that only applied to mates and turning wasn’t required. I wasn’t going to let her in on that information though. “I don’t mind staying, if you want.
”

Her cheeks tinged pink, “Oh, well, I’m not sure what we’d do.”

I swept my gaze around the room. She had a laptop on her dresser, and in her closet I coul
d see a few DVD’s on the shelf.

I watched her out of the corner of my eye, judging her reaction to my contemplation. She seemed to be hanging with anticipation, an anxiousness radiating from her that made me wonder why she wanted me to stay. I could count numerous times when she flat out told me that I got on her nerves and asked me to leave.

“We could watch a movie.” I offered.

Her expression brightened and her pulse began to slow.
“Sounds good.”

I grabbed the laptop and she reached into the closet to shuffle though the movies, still sitting on the suitcase. I had the screen up and ready on the bed, the movie she’d picked out set to play. She still hadn’t moved.

“
Pepper
, why don’t you get up?”

She pouted, “It’s going to break. I just know it. This is my favorite suitcase.”

I’d never met anyone who had an attachment to luggage. “I’ll find you an exact replacement.”

Her eyebrows went up, “You’re not serious.”

“Why would I lie?”

She seemed to debate my offer then stuck her hand out for me to take. I pulled her up and we stared at the suitcase. It didn’t do anything. I turned it on its side and pushed it against the wall.

Chapter 9

Pepper

Quinn sat beside me on the bed while we watched an old detective movie. It was the kind with the gumshoe and the wispy blonde who always seemed to get into trouble.

“She did it.” He said confidently.

“Have you seen this movie before?” I wondered how he was so confident in knowing who the thief was.

“No, but you know she did it. She looks guilty. The detective isn’t thinking strait because she’s distracting him with…” he grinned. “You know.”

I laughed, repeating a line from the movie, “Her
feminine wiles?
”

“There’s that, and then th
ere’s the dress she’s wearing.”

“Yeah, it doesn’t
leave much to the imagination.”

I snuggled into my pillow, trying my hardest not to scoot any closer to him. The warmth radiating from him was so tempting. Quinn was just solid, like I c
ould lean on him without worry.

My dad was gone a lot, and I loved my aunt and uncle, but they were like
the
rest of the residents in Capeside, gossipy and always invo
lved in some function or other.

Oh, no…my dad. “What about my family?”

He frowned,
pausing
the movie and looking really guilty, maybe even sorry. “What about them?”

“I see my mom every once and a while. The woman did give birth to me, and who knows, maybe one day she’ll warm up a little. But my dad and I are really close. Will I be able to see him again?”

“Eventually you
may
have to discontinue contact.”

My heart fluttered, “May?”

“We can tell your father under certain circumstances.”

I sat straighter, “Wait, I thought you guys had
a
law against telling humans.”

“We do.” He grinned, leaning toward me. “You would have to petition the Council for permission.”

I knew plenty about how Quinn’s system of government worked from spending time with Venna. She explained to me that the Council ruled over the magical beings together, united. Venna said that it was easier to govern their people if each magical being was represented. They didn’t want any of their people worried about favoritism, which is why the Council was formed. It was made up of a vampire king and queen, a werewolf king and queen, and th
e warlock king and witch queen.

You had six people with equal amounts of power, meaning no one was
able to take complete control.

I
n many ways, it shouldn’t work.

But it did, quite well.

“So, how would I go about petitioning?” I shifted just a teensy bit closer. We started out sitting on far sides of my bed, and now we had mere inches left between us.

It was chilly in my room and he seemed to hav
e plenty of body heat to share.

Why not?

He chuckled, “You won’t have to. I’ll take care of it.”

“How do you tell your dad that you were turned into a werewolf?” I really wanted to tell him everything that had happened to me. I just was
n’t sure how to break the news.

“What kind of man is he?”

“Well, he’s smart, and goofy, good at crossword puzzles. He’s also a captain in the Navy.”

This interested him, “Really?”

“Yeah, I think he’s on a destroyer right now.”

“We like maintaining contacts in the government. Having a
naval captain would be useful.”

Thunder echoed in the distance. I’d forgotten about the storm completely and looked up at the window as rain started to fall. It beat rhythmically against the glass.

“Where should we meet tomorrow?” The rain pounded, rattling the windows. A little chill ran through me. I was fine, safe. I had the big bad werewolf with me. My behavior was just silly. I couldn’t figure out why I didn’t want Quinn to leave me.

“Here, I’ll pick you up at six a.m.”

I groaned, sagging into my pillow.
“Too early.”

He smiled, “You can sleep in the car on the way to the airport.”

“Okay.” I yawned.

“I’ll see you in the morning.” He kissed my cheek. I reached out to grab his arm, keep him from going, but it was too late. He was gone.

“Okay.” I repeated, dazed, and pressed my fingers to the spot where his lips touched my skin. I felt a little zap, almost as if he’d given me a jolt of electricity. It felt
really good, exciting. I wanted him to do it again. But what if he kissed me in a friendly gesture, just to become comfortable being affectionate to play the perfect boyfriend?

I glanced back at the window. The shade was up, the flag out front whipping in the wind. I hit play on the movie, doing my best to drown out the sound of the storm growing louder and stronger.

“You’re fine.” I went to the bathroom and got ready for bed, throwing on an oversized football jersey and my floppy bunny slippers. I turned off the lights and climbed under the covers. All the way under, pulled them over my head, squeezing my eyes shut. For some bizarre reason I had a really bad feeling, like something was going to jump out and go,
boo
.

I stayed frozen, every muscle stiff and uncomfortable, and my slippers still on my feet. I focused on the fact that I was safe and sound. I tried to relax. The house had good deadbolts and shatterproof windows.

That didn’t help.

Maybe I could crash at my aunt and uncl
es, they lived right next door.

No, I’d have to go outside,
alone
, in a thunderstorm.

My ears perked up to hone in on another sound, one that didn’t come from the storm hammering my house.

I slipped out of bed and tiptoed to the top of the stairs, looking down into the living room. It was a creaky sound, like the way the wood groaned on the back porch when someone walked on it. It was old, and my dad hadn’t gotten around to replacing it, so it wasn’t hard to distinguish.