“Was I reciting romantic poetry? Because if so, that likely wasn’t me.”
“Ha. Ha. No, you wanted me to remember a name for you. Damon Talbot? Does that mean anything to you?”
Colin shook his head. “No, never heard it before.”
Becca shrugged. “Hm, weird. Must have just been a dream.”
***
The campsite was exactly as Colin had left it. Jeremy got to work putting up his tent while Colin helped Becca with hers. The rain was falling in a light mist but Colin easily got the fire restarted as the light dipped beneath the horizon.
Between what Jeremy and Becca had brought, they had plenty of food. Becca cooked up some burgers on the skillet Colin had brought.
“Geez, Becca,” said Jeremy, “There are only three of us. Ten burgers seem like overkill.”
“Colin has a healthy appetite,” said Becca matter-of-factly.
Colin, who was busy finishing off a family-sized bag of potato chips, looked up, and through a mouthful said, “’S’true! ’M a growing boy.”
They all laughed. Colin ate seven of the burgers, and finished off another bag of chips.
“Maybe you should try packing down some salad?” said Becca.
How many wolves do you know who like a nice salad?
Good point.
They sat around the fire after dinner and shared stories and idle gossip about Elkwood. Jeremy admitted to having a massive crush on Tori, which wasn’t surprising considering what she was. They talked about the new principal and what everyone thought of him so far. Naturally, Jeremy didn’t find anything weird about him and even brushed off the germ phobia as something completely natural that could happen to anyone.
Becca excused herself to use the bathroom and disappeared into the forest with a flashlight. Colin decided to push his friend a little.
“Jer,” he began, “when the biology lab thing happened the other day, did you find anything strange about it?”
Jeremy had been sharpening a stick with a small hunting knife. “The fire?”
“The stuff floating around the building? Lockers crashing into stuff?”
Jeremy gave a look that suggested Colin might have completely lost his mind. “I don’t know if having a girlfriend is the best idea for you, Col. It seems to have sent you a bit weird.” Jeremy laughed at his own joke, shook his head, and went back to sharpening his stick.
“I’m glad we’re friends, Jer.”
“Me too, buddy.”
“And I hope you know I’d never do anything to hurt you.”
“Are you breaking up with me, Colin?”
They both laughed. Becca stepped back into the firelight, startling them both.
“What are you two laughing at?”
“Apparently you’ve stolen Colin from me,” said Jeremy.
“We’ve decided we can’t date anymore,” added Colin.
“I’m really happy you guys can make each other laugh because no one else finds you funny,” said Becca with a grin.
“That’s cold,” said Jeremy.
“Freezing,” said Colin.
The clouds broke for a moment and moonlight fell across the campsite. Colin felt a shiver run up his spine and a tingling sensation spread through his arms and legs.
“Well,” said Colin stretching and yawning, “I think I’m going to turn in for the night.”
“It’s only seven o’clock,” said Jeremy. “Oh, I get it. You two want to make out. Well forget it, you’re not getting me into bed early just so you guys can suck face. No parents means no bedtime. I may even stay up all night.”
Colin looked at Becca and she flashed a mischievous smile.
“I agree with Jeremy,” said Becca.
“Yeah!” said Jeremy. “In yer face, Colin!”
“High five!” said Becca, and Jeremy obliged.
As soon as they touched hands, Jeremy’s eyes glazed over and he fell backward off the log upon which he’d been sitting.
“That was awesome,” said Colin.
“High five?” said Becca, raising her hand to Colin.
“I’ll pass, thanks.”
“Don’t you feel a little bad doing this to our friend?” Becca asked as Colin hoisted Jeremy over his shoulder and loaded him into his tent.
“Well, it’s this or he watches his friend turn into a giant dog.”
“Ugh, no one wants to see that,” said Becca as Colin stripped off his shirt and then removed his shoes and socks.
Colin laughed. “Sure you’re going to be okay here?”
“With sleeping beauty? Yeah, I’m pretty sure I’ll be fine. I’m going to cast a protective spell around the tents so nobody will be able to get in. You know, in case you get hungry but can’t find a tasty deer. Are there a lot of wild animals out here?”
Colin sniffed the air. “I don’t want to alarm you but there are a lot of squirrels out here. And I mean a lot!”
Becca rolled her eyes and gave Colin a half smile.
“No, you’ll be fine. There’s nothing in the immediate area.”
Colin had already let Becca know he was going to head away from the camp to change. After last night, he felt he had enough control that he wasn’t going to hurt anyone and he’d certainly eaten plenty of food. But better to be safe. What he didn’t tell Becca was that he had an ulterior motive for heading away, particularly to the south. He wanted to pick up the scent of that other wolf and see if he could get any more information, maybe even follow it a little ways, see where it went.
Colin pulled Becca close and kissed her. He felt warm and tingly all over. His stomach fluttered, and it wasn’t because he was about to change into a giant wolf. This was a feeling he would never get tired of. He really just wanted to stay, but the wolf clawing at his insides to get out disagreed.
“If you need me, just shout. Or think loudly,” said Colin as he leapt into the forest.
“Be safe!” shouted Becca.
And then Colin was running through the trees, the damp ground squishing beneath his bare feet. He was very aware that he was still wearing pants but he hadn’t wanted to take them off in front of Becca. This meant he was about to lose another pair of jeans. He wished he’d grabbed his uniform from the army base before he left; at least his Night Watch outfit stretched with his changes.
He leapt high into the trees, swung under a branch, and propelled himself up and through the top of the trees. The change surged through him, the transformation expanding his body, hair exploding, bones and muscles re-sculpting in seconds, and then he was falling back down through the branches and landed on all fours on the forest floor. He threw his head back and howled a long, mournful cry before taking off at a gallop, claws gripping the ground. A deer scent distracted him, but only for a moment, as he skidded to a stop on the hiking path. The night looked alive through his werewolf eyes, foliage shone brightly, the scent of animals traced thin paths of light through the forest. The world was sharp with the smell of animals, trees, and shrubs, but Colin was only interested in one thing: the bright line that marked the scent of the other werewolf.
It stretched out even brighter than before and disappeared off in the distance. Sitting around the campfire laughing and joking had been fun, but at the back of Colin’s mind was the dominating thought that another wolf had ventured on their territory, and Colin wanted to know more.
Colin felt like he must have run for over an hour following the scent. Every so often, when the scent was strongest, a picture of the werewolf would flash in his mind. The more he got those flashes, the more he felt like he knew the werewolf. He was older than Colin, angry at himself, at the world, and not fully comfortable in his skin.
How much ground had he covered? There was a rushing sound somewhere up ahead, and the smell of gas. But Colin had to know where the creature had gone. Before he was sure what was happening, he burst out of the forest onto the highway. A semi-truck was bearing down on him and screamed i
ts horn. Colin leapt out of the way and landed on top of a moving car, which swerved. Colin could smell the fear and the panic of the driver. Fear and panic that was completely justified, as a giant wolf creature had just landed on top of his vehicle.
Colin jumped back into the forest and crouched in the undergrowth. Both vehicles sped on in their opposite directions. The scent was gone. The wolf must have hopped on a vehicle, or maybe someone picked it up?
Disappointed, Colin spent the rest of the night hunting big game. He was angry at losing the scent and took his frustration out on a bear. It was a strong creature but no match for a hungry werewolf.
Several hours later, as the sun crested the horizon, its rays spilling across the forest, Colin awoke sprawled across a massive boulder. He wasn’t far from the camp; he could smell the remains of the fire. Using some large leaves to cover himself, he made his way back to the campsite, snuck into his tent, and slipped on some clothes. When he popped his head back out, he came face to face with a tired-looking Becca who was nursing a cup of coffee. The coffee pot sat bubbling over the fire and the smell was intoxicating, so much so that it almost drowned out the smell of Becca’s worry.
“What’s the matter?”
She looked up and pointed to the sky.
Colin hadn’t noticed it before but the sun was shining. A few clouds dotted the sky but he could actually see blue sky. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen the sun like this. It had been years. His grandmother always kept the weather overcast to hide Elkwood. His heart began to thunder in his chest.
“Gran?”
“It’s not like her to let the guard down like this. Unless—”
“Unless something’s happened to her,” said Colin. His heart was thundering in his chest until he realized it wasn’t his heart at all. It was a helicopter. It swooped out from above the trees and hovered above them.
A very worried and tired-looking Varson slid open the door and leaned out, and Colin knew that something was definitely wrong.
Chapter Thirteen
Granny Gone
“The weather began to clear at around four o’clock this morning,” said Varson. They were bouncing down the dirt service road away from the army base in one of the base trucks. Jeremy was in a different vehicle, sound asleep, being driven back to his home, where he’d later wake up in his own bed and think he dreamed the whole camping trip. Colin felt bad that they had to magic him yet again but it was for the best. Colin was unsure how he would have been able to explain why an army helicopter had come to pick them up from the forest.
“We reached your grandmother’s house within half an hour but she wasn’t there,” continued Varson. “I’m sorry, Colin. There were signs of a struggle. We spoke to the neighbors. They said there was a lot of noise but they assumed it was the TV.”
Colin couldn’t believe it. His grandmother was missing. It felt like they’d barely even got to know each other. He didn’t want her to be gone.
Becca clutched Colin’s hand. He could only imagine how she was feeling. She was Colin’s grandmother but she was Becca’s mentor. Colin imagined what it would be like losing Silas and that was a thought he didn’t like at all.
“You have to contact my father,” said Becca.
“And Silas,” said Colin. “Night Watch needs to get back here. Something’s not right. All the trouble at the school, Charles disappearing, the werewolf trail I found, now my Gran. The team has to know. Something bad is going to happen.”
“N-now, calm down,” said Varson, clearly upset. “Wait, what werewolf trail?”
Colin looked at Becca. “I didn’t want to worry you. I found the scent trail of another werewolf not far from my camp. It was a few days old. I followed it last night and it ended at the highway to the east.”
“Another werewolf!” said Varson. Colin could hear the poor man’s heart racing. “We’ll work this out. Commander Emerson will respond soon,” he said with a complete lack of confidence.
“You’ve already contacted them,” said Becca.
Varson let out a sigh. “I’ve been trying to get hold of them since the demon went missing. No one is responding, and there’s no answer at the safe house in Europe.”
“What about Principal Sampson?” asked Colin.
“What about him?” said Varson.
“What if he’s behind all of this?”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” said Varson. “Commander Emerson and I hired Mr. Sampson personally.”
“But how much do you really know about him?” said Becca
“I know enough that you shouldn’t be worried. If there truly is something horrible happening in Elkwood, Mr. Sampson will be a great asset to us.”
Colin wasn’t convinced and he could smell Becca’s uncertainty. Too much mystery surrounded the new principal. Colin’s inability to smell or hear him was concerning, and the man was always there when something went wrong. But Varson seemed so certain.
The truck drove up to Colin’s home and instantly he could smell the burning and feel the static in the air. It was like a storm had rushed through the area, but the skies over Elkwood were clearer than Colin had ever seen them.
“Sir,” said the driver, “base is reporting a lot of calls from worried residents regarding the weather.”
Varson looked so pale that his face almost matched his white shirt. “Schedule a Town Hall meeting for tonight, seven o’clock. We’ll address everyone’s concerns then.
Colin jumped out of the truck and ran to the front door. Varson shouted after him but Colin was already inside. He moved down the hallway and into the living room, where his Gran spent most of her time, usually watching game shows. The room was a mess. The coffee table was splintered and there were burn marks in long lines across all the walls. The television was completely melted all over the blackened floor.
Electricity. Lightning. She put up a fight.
The front door opened and closed. Becca stood by Colin, surveying the room.
“She wasn’t taken easily,” said Becca.
“She’s a tough old lady,” said Colin. “All powerful. So who or what could have taken her?”
“We’ll find her, Colin,” said Becca.
“How?” said Colin, feeling truly helpless. “We don’t even know where to—”
Something about the room caught his attention. It wasn’t the sight of something, more a feeling. Something he felt almost all the time in Elkwood, but it was out of place here.
The room was a mess. Furniture overturned. Scorch marks on the wall. But there was something else in the center of it all.
“Colin?”
“What do you know about Gran’s weather powers?”
“She can control the weather,” said Becca with a shrug.
“But how?”
“She creates weather patterns by manipulating the pressure in the air.”
It’s there! She must have known I’d be able to see it.
Colin walked the perimeter of the room. “I can sense when there’s a storm coming. It’s part of being a werewolf. I know when the weather is going to change. I can even pick up on subtle changes.”
“Colin, what—”
He held up a hand at Becca.
I just have to be able to see it.
Colin closed his eyes and focused all his senses on the room. The smells, the smallest changes in the air, the sound of Becca’s breathing and heartbeat as it bounced around the walls. He inhaled deeply and growled a little. This was more focus than he was used to. In his mind, the world sprang to life in vibrant colors. The walls, the broken furniture, the scorched walls. Becca was a glowing light purple, which Colin had learned was a mix of confusion and concern.
Only one thing in the room was brighter than the scents coming from Becca, and it was coming from the small weather pressure system that floated in the very middle of the room. His Gran must have known he’d be able to sense something out of the ordinary. She’d
left Colin a message. The pressure was different from the rest of the room. It swirled and spiraled, forming words.
The message was clear and Colin knew what he had to do.
“We have to go see Alfred,” said Colin, his eyes still closed.
“What? Why?” said Becca.
“Because Gran left me a message. She changed the pressure in certain parts of the room to spell out words.”
“What’s it say?”
Colin read over the bright words again. “Hellstone. Damon Talbot. Ask Alfred.”
***
“Who is Damon Talbot?” asked Varson.
“I don’t know,” said Colin.
Varson was pacing back and forth in the kitchen while a cleanup crew worked to restore the living room. Colin sat perched on the counter while Becca sat at the small kitchen table.
Colin felt a pang of sadness. What if he never saw his Gran again?
Don’t be ridiculous. She’s easily the toughest person you know.
“But that’s the same name that I dreamt you said, Colin,” said Becca. “Just the other night.”
“I know, but I still don’t know who it is. It doesn’t mean anything to me.”
Red eyes flashed in Colin’s field of vision so briefly he thought he imagined it. He rubbed his temples.
“We’re wasting time,” said Colin. “We need to go see Alfred.”
“It’s not that easy,” said Varson. “Alfred doesn’t believe in phones. We always have to pick him up by helicopter, and that damn cottage of his is constantly moving.”
“Moving?” said Becca.
“He says it’s a safety feature. The cottage is his safe place. And to keep it secret he moves it around the forest. Some sort of magic,” Varson said, waving his hand dramatically.
“I can find him,” said Colin. “I can cover the ground as a werewolf, just drop me in the forest. I’ll sniff him out.”
Varson shook his head. “It’s too dangerous,” he said. “We don’t know what’s going on here, and I don’t want you running off into the forest alone.”
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