Legend of Witchtrot Road - By E.J. Stevens Page 0,1

a great silver wolf and could shift into wolf form. But even among his pack, Cal was special.

More special than being a studly werewolf? Yes, even among the werewolves Cal was different. He was the pack alpha, and with that role came the weight of responsibility.

After our recent troubles with a psycho, werewolf hating murderer, Cal was taking his role as pack alpha more and more seriously. There were changes that needed to be made to protect the pack. This was made especial y clear when a young member of the pack was kidnapped just before Hal oween. When we tried to find Sam, and warn others of potential danger, we discovered that prior pack alphas had been keeping member identities a secret. The practice stemmed from a combination of paranoia and greed and had made contacting pack members nearly impossible.

Now Cal, with the help of our friends Emma and Simon, was creating a central database so the pack could be notified in the event of any emergency. We had al been spending a lot of time together at the cabin lately working on the project. Cal was determined to keep his pack safe.

Simon, who was also a werewolf and a major pain in my behind, was taking his new role as Cal’s second-in-command seriously as wel . We had al worked straight through the night, which was why I was nursing my second double-shot latte of the morning.

“No worries, the only thing I can smel is yummy caffeine goodness,” I answered with a smile.

Cal leaned in closer and nipped my ear once, sending shivers down my spine and heat to my face.

“You are a very bad boy Calvin Mil er,” I said huskily.

“Just keeping you awake,” Cal said with an impish grin.

He may have the face of an angel, but that didn’t mean he always acted like one. I was starting to wonder how much of Cal’s increasing wild streak was caused by his wolf spirit and how much was just teen rebel ion against massive responsibility. I was hoping it was the latter.

We al knew what a whopping dose of wild wolf could equate to. Simon was the poster child for “wolf crazy” and his wild side made him only one step away from a gigolo, but then again, maybe that was just Simon. I couldn’t picture Cal strutting around the room and flirting with anything that moved. No, Cal had always been a deep thinker who only acted after giving something a great deal of serious thought. He was calm and reserved. Wel , except for these recent displays of affection and thril seeking behavior. Who knows? Maybe it had something to do with me. It’s not like I was the most normal girlfriend in the world. Not by a long shot.

Chairs scraped back as the bel rang.

“Saved by the bel ,” Cal teased. Looking down at me through his shaggy, brown bangs with shining blue eyes, he winked.

“Brat,” I said, reaching up on tiptoe to give him a quick kiss on the cheek. “See you at lunch.”

“Stay safe,” he said. “Text me if Dylan’s ghost starts bothering you.”

“Right, ‘cause you’l show him who’s boss,” I laughed.

“No, I’m just wondering what smel he’l have,” Cal said lightly.

It was meant as a joke. Cal always knew how to cheer me up, even when what I needed was just for him to say something sil y so I’d stop worrying. That’s the funny thing about soul mates and best friends. They always know the right thing to say.

*****

I barely made it down the hal before I learned the answer to Cal’s question, but I had to wait until lunch to tel anyone. Sitting through al of my morning classes while smel ing motor oil had ruined my appetite, but I raced through the crowded hal to the cafeteria. I couldn’t wait to share the news with Emma and Cal.

When I first realized that the weird smel s that fol owed me around were the psychic smel impressions of dead people, I wasn’t too thril ed. Who wants the ability to smel the dead? I guess, in a bizarre twist of fate, I do. Smel ing the dead wouldn’t make me rich, or cool, or help me get into col ege, but it was a gift that I was beginning to appreciate.

I may not love being bombarded by smel impressions, especial y when they were unpleasant… not everyone came back smelling like roses, but I took my new responsibility seriously.