A Werewolf's Moon (The Council) by J.C. Isabella Page B

phone rang and I fished it out of my pocket before it woke Pepper .
    “Hello?”
    “Hey, Quinn.” It was my younger brother Garret . “What’s up?”
    I phased into the bedroom. “Nothing, thinking about hitting the sack.”
    “Cool, so I was wondering, is it okay if Kylie and I stay with you for the weekend? She’s never seen New York.”
    “Sorry, man, I’m not going to be here.”
    “Oh,” he sounded disappointed. “That’s cool.”
    “I know I’ve been hard to get a hold of.”
    “Dude, you’ve got responsibilities, and there was almost a war. I get it.”
    “Well, there’s something else I haven’t told you about.” Rubbing a hand over my face, I decided to let my brother in on what was going on. “I’ve met my mate.”
    Garret howled with surprise. “No way!”
    “Yeah.”
    “What’s she like?” Kylie’s soft voice trilled in the background. The little mongrel had me on speaker. “Is she pretty? What’s her name?”
    “Well, yeah. Pepper ’s beautiful, and she has an attitude that would send some people running with their tails between their legs.”
    “Do we know her family?” Garret asked.
    “No, she’s the girl that was kidnapped with Venna.”
    Kylie gasped. “Human?”
    I kicked off my shoes. “Not for long. I accidently turned her when we were trapped in the mill.”
    No doubt Garret was ginning ear-to-ear. “That’s a big deal .”
    Kylie agreed, “What about your parents, have you told them?”
    “Not yet, so don’t say anything.” I paused, glancing at my watch. “H ang on, what time is it there?”
    “Uh, ten. Not that late.” Garret sounded a little caught off guard.
    “Where are mom and dad?” I asked.
    “Out with the rest of the Council.” He supplied. “It’s karaoke night.”
    Right. “And do they know Kylie is with you?”
    The silence on the other end of the line went tight with tension. I’d caught them again.
    This was a problem mates faced when they found each other young. You craved contact, even if it was just being in the same room together, and getting any sleep without the other close by was impossible. I should know. I haven’t slept more than a couple hours each night for the last month. I’d sleep tonight, no problem. But that wa s because I had Pepper with me.
    It was annoying, and could g et you in some serious trouble.
    Garret and Kylie liked having sleepovers. My brother had a bunk bed in his room, and ever since they met three years ago Kylie spent most nights at the Council Compound, on the top bunk, and Garret curled up on the bottom.
    Our parents were fine with it, until they became teenagers. I’m waiting for the day someone finds them sharing the same bunk. Not that Garret would do an ything more than sleep—I hoped.
    Nevertheless, he was a thirteen-year-old boy. He and Kylie were bound to try something sooner or later. I only hoped it was later. If he could wait to mark her, then he could wait until they were old enough to start experimenting.
    “Quinn, I know what you’re thinking,” Kylie sounded embarrassed. “But we’re just sleeping in separate bunks. I don’t function well when I wake up every hour, and neither does Garret .”
    “Yeah, you’ve only been around Pepper for a month. Think of how we feel…three years is inhumane.”
    I couldn’t fathom spending years tossing and turning all night long. “I understand, just keep it PG.”
    Kylie laughed nervously. I knew I was being a little intense. “Oh, don’t worry, we will.”
    They said goodnight and I hooked my phone to the charger, flipped off all the lights. I was beat, after a month of sleepless nights my eyelids were starting to stick shut. Pepper was still out on the sofa. I wasn’t going to leave her there. I phased her into my room and set her under the covers. She didn’t wake up. I grabbed a pillow and a spare blanket to make a bed on the couch. And the second my head hit the pillow I was gone.
    It wasn’t all that early when I heard the