A Werewolf's Moon (The Council) (18 page)

Quinn threw him into a tree, and the werewolf stopped, he snarled, and ran into the woods.

I stared at him. I just stared at Quinn in shock. It wasn’t that I was stupid. I knew exactly what he was capable of, but seeing was different than knowing it. It was real now. He really was a monster that could rip someone limb from limb.

But Quinn was my monster, and he risked his life to save me and my dad.

My dad—I shook myself out of the almost debilitating shock and ran down the road the short distance where he was laying.

“Dad?”
I knelt beside him and gently turned him on his back. The front of his white shirt was soaked red, and his arm rested at a funny angle. There was so much blood…too much. It was on my hands.
In the dirt.
Just everywhere.
“Wake up, please. Please, you have to wake up. It’s you and me, remember? All summer…we’re going to do the father daughter thing. You can’t leave me.”

I felt Quinn’s hand on my shoulder. He crouched beside me, hushing me. I didn’t understand what he was doing. “
Pepper
, he’s fading.”

“What?” I looked back at Quinn. “No, no…please no! You can’t know that.”

“
Shh
, listen.” He said. “Your change is close, and you should be able to sense this.”

I calmed myself just enough to hear what he was talking about.
A faint heartbeat.
Slowing.
Shallow breathing.
The air felt different. It was like I could feel the change…that he was getting ready to…

“You are not go
i
ng anywhere,” I grabbed my dad’s good hand and held it
tight,
“You were supposed to spend the summer with me. Do something,” I looked at Quinn, begging him. “Please, save him. Make him like us so he can’t die!”

He grimaced, brushing his fingers down my cheek. “It needs to be his choice.”

“How the hell can it be his choice if he can’t wake up to make it?”

“
Pepper
, sweetie,” my dad squeezed my hand weakly, drawing my attention to him. “It’s going to be okay.” He coughed before turning to Quinn. “You take care of my girl.”

“Sir,” Quinn swore under his breath. “There is a chance I can save you.”

I nodded.
“Yes, daddy.
Let him. Let Quinn save you.”

“I don’t want to leave her.” My dad looked from me to Quinn. “Not if I don’t have to.”

“Is that a good enough yes?” I shouted.

“It won’t be me.” Quinn said. “I can’t do two turnings. But I can take you to my Aunt. She’s turned men on the brink of death, and if she can save them, she can save you.”

“Dad!”
His eyes rolled back and his body jerked.
“Quinn, hurry.
Please, save him.”

“Stay here,” they were gone.

I didn’t even have
time to say goodbye…if a goodbye was needed.

What if he didn’t make it?

What if I never saw him again or had the chance to tell him how much I loved him?

I closed my eyes and opened them, staring at the blood on my hands. Praying, feeling tears slide down my cheeks. I could feel my body growing weaker, the pain in my chest increase, but I didn’t care. My dad was going to be like me. Like Quinn. I wouldn’t have to say goodbye now, or ever.
But only if Quinn got him to his aunt in time.

I was on my knees, begging, looking up at the sky to whatever being presided over our tiny planet, and asking that Quinn wouldn’t be too late.

“Don’t turn around.”

I froze, my breath catching in my chest. “Who’s there?”

“A friend.”
His voice was faint, just above a whisper. “I want you to meet me tomorrow night in the woods.”

My lips curled and I fisted my hands. “No.”

“What?”

“Do you think I’m stupid? You just attacked us. My father could die because of you.” I was really pushing my luck, but too pissed to care.

“That wasn’t me. And if I did think you were stupid, I wouldn’t be here.” The sound of footsteps coming closer kicked my instinct to run into high gear. “You’re smart, and you’ll listen.”

“What if I don’t show? I could tell Quinn all about you and your offer.” I stole a look out of the corner of my
eye but saw nothing. “If I tell him, he’ll hunt you down
.”

“Yeah, and you’ll be as good as dead. We all will.” He was very close now, voice in a normal register. “This is bigger than anything you ever imagined. Craven was just the beginning.”

“This has to do with the Resistance?”
I asked, my curiosity peaked.

“Maybe, but your mate will be back soon. I don’t have time to explain it all. Besides, he won’t listen to me.” He said. “So nine o’clock tomorrow night at the old mill. Bring no one.”

There was a flash of red light. I glanced behind me. “Hello?”

He…whoever he was…was gone.

Chapter 18

Quinn

“Aunt Sarah?” I
phased
Pepper
’s father into
sun room on the back of the house.

“Quinn?” she stood from her seat in the rocking chair by the window. The wine glass in her hand hit the floor and shattered at her feet. Her eyes glowed purple, more vibrant than I’d ever seen them glow before. “Robert?”

“Do you know him?” I asked, wondering when and how she could have bumped into a human, much less a naval officer who spent his time on a boat in the middle of the ocean. She didn’t run in the same circles as the rest of us.

“I-I,” she shook her head and backed up. “He’s dead. He died.”

“No, he’s still alive…” I looked down at
Pepper
’s dad, who was bleeding on the wood floors. “Wait, this can’t be your husband.”

She shook her head, backing away. “I buried him. He’s been gone since the winter of… Robert is
dead
.”

I lifted Mr. Peterson onto the couch and pleaded with my aunt. “Sarah, this is
Pepper
’s father. She can’t lose him, and he consented to being turned. He’s a captain…”

“In the army.
A captain in the confederacy.
He lost his leg. He died in my arms.” She wasn’t backing away now. She was slowly moving forward, reaching out with shaking hands. “Why has he come back to me?”

Of all the insane things that could happen, this one had me thrown for such a loop I could only roll with it. “Don’t question it. Don’t argue. Just save him. Please.”

“He didn’t want me to.” She sighed.

I hated to be forceful, or to scare her, but I grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her. “That was then. This is now. You lost him once. Are you going to lose him a second time?”

Her eyes blazed. “
No.”

“Can you save him?”

She nodded, looking over his wounds. “I think so.”

“Good, thanks.”

“No, I should be thanking you.” She smiled.

I nodded, leaving her to take care of him, and phased out, appearing where I’d left
Pepper
. She was standing in the middle of the road. Her face was streaked with tears. She looked a little dazed.
If anything else happened.
I wasn’t sure how she’d handle it. “Is my dad going to be okay?”

“My aunt is hopeful he’ll pull through.” I hated seeing her so upset. It was torture knowing I couldn’t do anything to make this better for her and her dad. On purpose I left out the part about him being her long lost husband who died in the Civil War. We’d tackle that conversation later. “Come here.”

She came right to me, throwing her arms around my neck. I phased to the chateaux in France, wanting to put as much space between us and Capeside as possible. Zane was in the kitchen where I’d left him when I felt
Pepper
crying out for me. It had been more than just the pull at my chest. I’d felt pain, doubled over, like lightning struck me with all of her emotions at once.

“Whoa, who’d you two piss off?” Zane eyed us. “Hey Venna, we need some help.
Got some big booboo’s for you.”

Venna whisked
Pepper
upstairs to help her clean up. I went in search of
Henry
and found him in a small library on the second floor
.

“Good God, what happened to you?”
Henry
dropped the book he’d been reading on the table beside him as
he
took in my torn, bloody clothes.

I fell into one the chairs in front of the fireplace and told him what happened, “We’ve got a problem.”

“No shit,” he grimaced. “I was hopeful we’d cleared Capeside of anything threatening.”

“No, this was a werewolf. He wanted
Pepper
.” I
frowned,
something about that werewolf was off. He just didn’t smell right, like there was something more to him. That rotting, meaty stench was foreign to me. “The whole thing was weird though. He could have gotten her. I’d left her wide open, damn it. But he snatched her father.”

“Mr. Peterson? What happened to him?”

“He’s in bad shape. I took him to Aunt Sarah to turn. I couldn’t let him die.”

“Of course not.”
Henry
nodded in agreement.

I lowered my voice, “I want to hunt the bastard down, but I can’t get
Pepper
through tonight if I am constantly watching my back.”

“Are you going to take her to the compound?” he asked. “I think she’d be more comfortable with us around, rather than a bunch of strangers. Stay here.”

“Thanks, I think she’ll want Venna with her.” I relaxed, knowing that
Henry
’s invitation meant
Pepper
would be safe, and I wasn’t going to have to worry about a
surprise attack. For one, that thing couldn’t trace us to France after I phased. I could have taken her somewhere else, but he only said what I’d been thinking.
Pepper
would want to be with her friend if she had a choice. She didn’t know my parents or any of the other people at the compound
.

“We should search Capeside, every inch of it.”
Henry
marked his place in the book and he sent it flying back to a shelf on the other side of the room. The other books slid over to make space.

“Tomorrow night,” I nodded. “I won’t leave
Pepper
.”

“Right, well, I don’t really see what we could do now. He’s phased and long gone.” He stood, shoving his hands in his pockets and paced in front of the fireplace. “I’d ask Dmitri if he wanted to join us, but he’s off searching for Christy.”

“She’s still missing?” this was going to be bad. She was probably dead, if not dangerously close.

“I’ve never seen him so consumed by someone before, but he’s determined to find her
.
How much longer can she last on her own though? It’s been too long.”

“This doesn’t sound like it will have a happy ending.”

He shrugged, “We’ll know soon.”

We went back to discussing the search and decided
to pair a werewolf and warlock together.
H
ave them
scour the town and woods
. I’ m sure Dmitri would send us a few vampires if we asked, but
Henry
and I were confident with our teams working together, we’d find something.

Once we had a rough plan worked out, we summoned Davy,
Henry
’s cousin, and Captain Adrian Luke, my father’s right hand man. Davy was filling in until a suitable replacement was found to take the traitor, Captain
Fulk’s
,
place.

“So sunset,” I said. “We’ll work our way in a circle around the town. Have the men dress in civilian clothing. It’s likely they will be see
n
by the residents. Keep that formation until we reach the lake.”

Henry
added, “I hope we can find some clues, a place he’s been staying…anything. We’re the only magical beings there. Anything or anyone magical outside of my home will be investigated thoroughly.”

“Sounds like a good plan.” Davy bounced slightly on his toes, pumped and ready to go. “I’ll get the men ready for tomorrow.”

“Would you prefer to notify their majesties of your plan, or shall I?” Captain Luke had his business face on. He wasn’t very…I don’t know…fun? Zane said he lacked the warm
fuzzies
. The guy had a serious, don’t shit with me attitude, and he worked hard. He also reminded me of Billie Idol with his bleached hair.

It would have been nice if he just relaxed around us. I wasn’t my father, and I didn’t expect him to treat me any differently than he treated anyone else, but, he did. And it irked me sometimes.