“I guess this is it!” said Jeremy excitedly.
“Why are you so giddy about this?” asked Becca.
Jeremy shrugged. “Well, it’s a bit of excitement. Not like anything interesting ever happens around Elkwood.”
Becca and Colin glanced at each other.
Classic Jeremy.
The trio made their way to the packed gymnasium. Elkwood School was the only one in town that catered to all grades, from kindergarten to grade twelve. They even had preschool twice a week for a handful of younger children.
Colin, Becca, and Jeremy were directed to take a seat on the floor. This came with its own set of challenges, as Colin had to stay away from certain students. Tori, Elkwood’s resident smoking hot teenage girl, was actually a siren. She had the ability to drive people crazy by releasing pheromones. Sirens usually did this to lure victims so they could eat them. Tori did it to tease every teenage boy within an eight-mile radius. Her pheromones wreaked havoc on Colin’s werewolf senses and had actually triggered his first-ever transformation, a fact he wasn’t proud of. Consequently they were no longer allowed to be in class together, which Tori found amusing. She took every opportunity to tease Colin, much to the dismay and rage of Becca.
Another problem was Nathanial and Micah Cross, known throughout the school as the goth twins, so called due to their love of dark makeup, spiked hair, and black clothing, and their deathly pale skin. They were both vampires and the smell of a werewolf made them physically ill. Their mother, Mrs. Cross, was an ancient vampire who hated werewolves thanks to a several-hundred-year-old feud and had tried to pull the twins from school when it was discovered what Colin was. Mr. Emerson had convinced her otherwise and the twins joined Tori on an alternate class schedule.
Colin noted the twins were at the back of the gym, looking pale and miserable. He could smell Tori, who was sitting on the far side of the gym. She gave Colin a wave and flashed that teasing smile of hers. Colin’s heart skipped a few beats until Becca stood in front of him and scowled hard at Tori. She quickly looked away.
Elrick Varson entered through the side doors, which opened automatically, and took his place at a podium that had been set up at the front. The buzz quieted down and Colin could smell the anticipation in the room. It smelled minty. He made a mental note to write that down in one of his notebooks.
“Hello, uh, students,” said Varson. “I am Mr. Varson, from the local school board.”
Also commander of a local supernatural task force and protector of our fair town. Also the world’s greatest fidget.
Proving Colin’s thoughts, Varson started to tug on his tie nervously.
“As I’m sure you’re all aware, we’ve been searching for a new principal to take the place of Mr. Hebert, who passed away so suddenly last year.”
Head. Bitten. Off.
Of course the norms believed that story because they’d had a spell cast on them. The freaks knew better.
“And I’m sure everyone noticed the new doors,” continued Varson, “and that you’re all wondering what that’s all about.”
“Get on with it!” Gareth Dugan shouted from somewhere near the back. This was received with a round of sniggers from his small gang of thugs and some stern shushing from the teachers.
“Yes, well,” said Varson. “I should explain that our new principal has a particular condition that, um, prevents him from touching things. He’s rather sensitive to germs, you see.”
“He’s a germaphobe?” Colin whispered to Becca, who shrugged.
“We’ve installed automatic doors all over the school so he won’t have to touch anything, and we encourage you to not make any efforts to shake his hand or touch him. Other than this one tiny detail—”
Tiny detail?
“—Mr. Sampson is an excellent candidate for the role of principal and has a long history of working in various schools throughout the world. As such, we’ve agreed to accommodate his sensitivity and we’d like you to join us in welcoming him here today.”
Colin felt a subtle shift in the air, as if the pressure in the room had dropped ever so slightly. It was similar to the tingly feeling before a storm.
The side doors to the gym swished open and a short, bald, broad-shouldered man with a round, rosy face, small dark eyes, a neatly trimmed beard, and a friendly smile entered the gymnasium, stood next to Varson, and beamed happily at the students.
“I’d like to present to you your new school principal, Mr. Sampson,” said Varson proudly.
The students applauded, and a few of the more enthusiastic ones cheered.
Colin’s muscles had tensed and he momentarily forgot to breathe.
“Colin,” whispered Becca, “what’s the matter?”
A mild panic washed over Colin as he flashed back to the previous night, when his wolf senses had been blinded. As he sat and studied Mr. Sampson, he felt a similar sensation.
“Colin,” said Becca more urgently, “what is it?”
Colin turned to look at Becca and could see the concern painted across her face.
“It’s Mr. Sampson,” whispered Colin.
“What about him?”
“I can’t smell him. He has absolutely no scent.”
“What? That’s impossible.”
“There’s more. I can’t hear a heartbeat either. Our new principal has no heartbeat!”
Chapter Four
Lone Wolf
Colin!
Hi, Silas. What’s up?
Meet me at the forest.
On my way.
The final bell had just rung to signal the end of the school day. After the initial introduction at the gymnasium classes had resumed as normal, but Colin had even more trouble than usual concentrating on his classwork. What kind of person has no scent and no heartbeat? Becca had said she’d try and find out more info from her dad about Mr. Sampson but it did little to ease Colin’s mind. Since becoming a werewolf, Colin was aware of everything. Hyper-aware, thanks to his superhuman senses. To not be able to sense someone felt disturbing.
On the bright side a meeting with Silas probably meant training, which meant he could duck Becca for another few hours and avoid telling her about Seattle.
“You’re making it up,” said Becca. “You’re just trying to avoid telling me what happened last night.”
Colin could tell her feelings were hurt. He could smell it. That’s the last thing he had wanted to do. He just didn’t want to recount the embarrassing affair; especially not to a person he cared so much about.
“I’m sorry, Becca. But I promise, Silas really did call out to me. And I’ll tell you everything. As soon as I’m done training, I’ll call you and we can meet up for coffee?” He threw in a pleading smile and his best effort at puppy-dog eyes.
“You look ridiculous,” said Becca. But Colin could sense a slight crack in her icy demeanor. “Fine. But if I don’t hear from you, I’m going to put such a hex on you that you’ll regret it for the rest of your life.”
“You can do that?” said Colin.
“Try not calling me, and you’ll find out,” said Becca. She kissed him lightly on the cheek, smiled playfully, and turned and headed in the general direction of her house.
Colin turned and broke into a light jog away from the school. The weather was overcast and it looked like a fog would be settling in on the town overnight. Colin headed around the edge of downtown and jumped the low stone wall into one of the many farm fields that circled Elkwood’s township. The forest sat at the far edge of the field, looking ominous. From there the wooded area stretched north for miles. It was a perfect place for werewolves, as it provided cover and game for hunting. Colin had developed a taste for deer. He couldn’t help himself. In his werewolf form it felt so normal, the meat practically melted in his mouth. Only when he turned back to his human form did he become completely grossed out.
He reached the edge of the forest and sniffed the air. Only a faint scent of Sila
s. Colin entered the forest and listened, casting his hearing as wide as possible, which at his best guess was around half a mile when he was in his human form.
Insects. Birds. The rustle of trees. A stream. Nothing out of the ordinary. No other people as far as he could hear.
He quickly stripped down and stashed his clothes in his backpack and hung it on a tree branch. Colin thought wolfy thoughts and felt the change ripple through his body. It was still a slightly painful sensation. The first time he changed, it felt like he was rolling around in broken glass. Now it just felt like a bad sunburn. The transformation was so much quicker now; he could practically explode into his wolf form within seconds. Despite the pain, Colin enjoyed the sensation: the power surging through his body, the strength in his muscles increasing, his senses becoming so sharp that he could hear for miles and could practically see scents in the air.
Colin’s arms, legs, and muscles expanded, his head changed shape, and his teeth grew. The ground sank away from him as his body stretched and his powerful legs grew longer. Hair sprouted all over him, thick and coarse, covering his entire body. The transformation finished with claws sprouting from the tips of his massive wolf fingers. Colin stretched into his new form. The forest sprang to life, scents wafting in on the gentle breeze. He could smell Silas now, also in his wolf form.
Colin dropped to all fours and took off at a run through the forest, pounding the ground and propelling himself forward and through the trees. The world became a blurred rush as he easily covered two miles and skidded to a stop by the small stream that had become their usual meeting place. Silas said it was because of the distance from the town and that there was a stream for drinking, but Colin knew he’d really chosen this place because it was the location of Colin’s first change.
Werewolf sentimentality.
Took your time.
The old wolf stalked out of the tree line on the other side of the trees.
Not true. I know how much you like your alone time, wanted to give you an extra few minutes.
Silas barked a laugh.
The two massive creatures stalked each other in a wide circle. Colin was always on alert when they were both in wolf form—Silas had a habit of turning everything into a lesson.
So, why the last-minute training session?
Not a training session. I have some news.
I can tell from your tone that it’s not good news.
It’s not great. The Butcher is long gone, no trace of him.
Do you think these other wolves got him?
Maybe. Either way, that lead is dead.
That is bad news.
That’s not the bad news.
Colin felt a sinking feeling deep in his gut and his ears drooped a little. He stopped stalking and sat on his haunches. The scent of a distant deer tickled his nose but now was no time for food.
We’ve got a new lead. A confirmed kill by a werewolf.
But that’s good!
It’s in Europe.
Oh.
I’m leaving with Beta Team tonight. I’m guessing we’ll be gone a week. Maybe more, depending on how long it takes to track the group.
You think it’s a pack?
I do. They left obvious clues. It was a bit of a mess.
Other than him not being allowed to go along, Colin couldn’t figure out the bad news. And then it hit him.
The full moon starts in three days!
I know. You’re going to have to go it on your own.
Colin whimpered a little.
If a werewolf had enough control, they could change whenever they wanted. But the three days during a full moon, they can’t control the change. Once the sun goes down and the moon rises, they change regardless, every night for the three days. Since Colin’s transformation, he and Silas had headed deep into the northern-forested areas and camped for those three days. The full moon change was erratic. For Silas it was a walk in the park but for Colin, being a new werewolf, it was a struggle. His inner-wolf was never stronger than it was during a full moon.
I talked to Varson. He wanted to lock you up but I convinced him to give you the option. You can spend the nights locked up in a cell at the base, or you can head out camping by yourself.
But … what if I can’t control it? You’ve always been with me.
Silas stood on two legs, walked over to Colin, and placed a large, hairy, clawed hand on his head.
Colin, you have so much more control than I had when I was first turned. If you choose to camp, I think you’ll be fine. Keep to the forest. You can do it; I have faith in you.
I don’t know.
A couple of days ago Colin would have been fine with the arrangement. Since the Seattle incident, he wasn’t quite as confident.
Think about it. I have to go. I’ve got rogue werewolves to catch.
There was a sparkle in Silas’s eyes during that last thought. Keeping the order and hunting bad werewolves had been his entire mission for the last couple hundred years. It’s what made him happy. Colin had suggested Silas get a hobby, but the old man just laughed and replied that he already had one.
Be careful, Silas
Always.
The two wolves touched noses. Two humans doing that would seem weird, but as werewolves, it felt right, like a handshake or a hearty hug.
Silas turned and raced off into the forest.
Colin felt a pang of sadness as he watched his mentor disappear into the dark trees. He had hoped to ask Silas about Principal Sampson and if there was any reason why he wouldn’t able to smell him or hear a heartbeat, but something had held him back. Silas didn’t believe him about the floating man in Seattle, and that made Colin think his claims that the new school principal had no scent and no heartbeat would be dismissed just as quickly.
I’m not going crazy.
He’d just have to figure out that mystery by himself.
Colin’s stomach grumbled and the smell of deer came back to him again. His ears perked up and he stretched his muscles before launching off into the forest to follow the scent. He had only one thought in his mind.
Dinnertime!
***
Two hours later, the fog had settled comfortably over the town, darkness was beginning to fall, and rain floated down in a fine mist as Colin entered Elkwood’s only coffee shop. Becca was already at the coffee bar ordering a drink for herself and a hot chocolate for Colin. She turned and waved.
She looked beautiful. Her hair was tied back, and she wore a woolen sweater, fingerless gloves, a skirt and tights. All black, naturally.
The smell of freshly ground coffee beans gave Colin a bit of a headache. Three girls from school, all a little younger than Colin, congregated at a table in the corner. They took turns looking over at Colin and then would talk quickly then laugh in that weird way girls do. Girls confused Colin. Even having an actual girlfriend didn’t help very much in that respect. They were still beyond any sort of reason or logic.
Given the choice between hunting dangerous, murdering werewolves and figuring out girls, Colin would choose the werewolves. Far less scary.
He casually listened to the girls’ conversation while Becca waited by the coffee bar for their drinks.
“Ohmygod! That’s Colin Strauss,” said one.
“He’s so hot!” said another.
“I don’t see it,” said the third.
“Oh please, Patricia! Like you don’t see it. That hair!”
“And that body! He works out. He has to.”
Their tones quickly shifted to disgust.
“I can’t believe he’s dating that Emerson girl.”
“What does he see in her?”
“I guess he likes that pale, sickly look.”
“Eavesdropping?” Becca said as she handed him his hot chocolate. She stood in front of him, smiling.
“What? Me? Innocent little me? Of course not,” said Colin.
“They’re making fun of me
, aren’t they?”
“Whhaattt?” said Colin with as little sincerity as possible.
“They’re just jealous,” Becca said, and shrugged. She glanced over at the three girls, who were hiding their giggling faces behind coffee cups. Colin watched as Becca placed the tip of her finger in her own coffee and whispered a few words, though he had no idea what she said. It sounded like a different language, maybe Latin. Colin felt a slight shift in the air.
One of the girls at the table let out a scream and dropped her coffee on the table, spilling it. The other two looked shocked and then did the same thing. All three jumped away from the table.
“That coffee is burning hot!” shrieked one of the girls.
Becca licked the coffee from her finger, took Colin’s hand, and led him out of the coffee shop, a devious little sparkle in her eyes.
“You did that,” said Colin. It wasn’t a question. He’d seen Becca work magic before. She’d brought him back to life once. She’d made some objects float. And one time she’d created a glowing ball of fire. Colin’s grandmother was training Becca, though he rarely saw them together so he wasn’t entirely sure how they were doing it. It seemed Becca’s magic continually got stronger and stronger. The only bit of information Colin had managed to get out of his grandmother was that each witch’s powers differed slightly. While his grandmother used the elements, Becca’s power was firmly rooted in her ability to touch things. Tactile Magic she called it.
They headed down the block, around a corner, and into a dark alleyway. Colin unlocked the back door to his grandfather’s old automotive garage. It smelled of old cigarettes, motor oil, and dust. Colin’s hearing also picked up a rodent living somewhere in the walls. This is where Colin and Becca came to be alone, when they wanted to talk away from anyone who might want to listen in.
They sat down together on the comfy couch at the back of the workshop. Colin wanted to kiss her. He always did. He couldn’t think of a time that he didn’t want to kiss her. He was sure there would come a time when he didn’t want to kiss her, but that time had not yet occurred.
Hair in All the Wrong Places 2 Page 4
