Figment of Dreams
Leo's Back

The next week was uneventful. Besides the fact that Sebastian had stayed over every night while Skylark had been at Lenn’s the entire week. Dosch had disappeared from the side of the earth since that night in his hotel. He wasn’t even at the Poison study class. Which I must admit did hurt me a little.

Around campus, the rumor had spread that Sebastian and I were a new thing. They didn’t use the word dating because I made sure everyone knew that we were just friends with benefits. After Kai, I wasn’t ready for commitment yet. I figured Sebastian would feel the same way, but somehow he was oddly protective and possessive of me. Wanting me to be his girlfriend.

I was rounding the corner to go to Dean’s animal studies class. Once every month we would go out into the forest and do some fieldwork. This was that kind of day. In my class were Olive and Nexxar. Baylor, Melixes, and Jax. And Sebastian. I had left him this morning, it being a normal routine these days. He slept in while I ate breakfast and went to my morning classes. He never went to his morning classes.

‘Love.’ He kissed my lips softly as a way of greeting me. ‘I didn’t hear you leave this morning.’ I had intentionally slipped out before he awoke because I had already missed three of the four morning classes earlier that week because I had kissed him good morning and that kiss had ended up in more than just a quick good morning cuddle.

I plucked a stray hair from his shirt. Today he was wearing a bright pink Hawaii shirt with black and yellow guitars on it. He was always on one of two ends of the spectrum, this one. He was either in his band tee, all-black look, or in the brightest, most kitschy shirt he could replace at a dollar store. I smelled my shampoo on him, he had showered at my place every day and I could tell. ‘I couldn’t miss my history class. That’s the one I really need to be at.’ I winked at him. He hugged me closer to his body. ‘Well, we could squeeze in a little break after this class don’t we?’

‘When the two lovebirds are done, why don’t we get going with the class shall we?’ Dean was right beside us suddenly, scowling down at me. He couldn’t really scowl down at Sebastian since he was a head taller than him. Seb rubbed my back and kept me close. ‘We are listening, Dean. Don’t worry about it.’ He was back to his obnoxious self again so I stepped back. I needed to be professional right now.

Out of nowhere, Leo appeared in the clearing. His amber eyes fixated on me and me alone.

The entire class stood still in their tracks. It was as if nobody dared to breathe. I knew what Leo could turn into but I wasn’t afraid. Something told me he would never hurt me. Behind me, somebody was crying. I felt Sebastian and Dean shuffling closer to me, despite the lethal danger they were facing. ‘Love, step back please.’

‘Lux, you need to be very careful.’ Dean whispered. I could tell that he was motioning for the rest of the class to silently move away from the forest and get help. When I glanced over my shoulder it was just me and the two guys. Leo made a growling noise and started to change. I needed to act now. When he was in that other state he wasn’t the same.

‘Leo.’ I said calmly. My heart beating really fast though. ’Please, don’t change. Please. Good boy.’ I said when he started shrinking again. Behind me, Dean whispered ‘Unbelievable.’ Sebastian was bent over on his knees, bracing himself. Both of them breathed hard from fear and shock. I stepped closer to the Wolvaby and crouched down. ‘LUX!’ Sebastian whisper shouted. ‘Goddammit little bird, don’t do THAT!’

‘Get back Sebastian!’ growled Dean. ‘Don’t approach her!’

Behind me, they started scuffling, which caused Leo to grow again.

‘Stop it you two!’ I yelled.

I reached out my hand.

’Oh my god she is, she is crazy.’ Said Sebastian. ’Love, you are going to get hurt! Fucking fuckery. Fuck!’

Leo came closer. Sniffed my hand and let me pet him. Dean and Sebastian were flabbergasted, rooted to the forest floor in pure shock. ’This has never been…. seen… done… before.’ I heard Dean say with emotion in his voice. Behind me there was another scuffle, Ash and Oak had appeared. They also were rooted to the spot.

‘Sweetheart, you need to step back NOW.’ Ash put on his hard voice. The one that had earned me a spanking. That wasn’t really urging me to abandon this to be honest.

‘Lux, what are you doing?’ Oak’s voice was slightly higher than usual.

‘Love, get back here!’ Sebastian added his hysterical two cents again.

Dean intervened. ‘It is a fucking miracle. Look at them!’ His voice was laced with so much awe it made me gloat.

Leo was in my lap, crooning underneath my touch. Staring the others down. Sebastian tried to approach me again and Leo growled at him.

‘He is being protective of her.’ Dean said in admiration.

‘Fuck that, Wolvaby or not. She is not staying there, petting that fucking monster!’ Ash whisper shouted and tried to approach but Dean held him back.

‘Leo…’ I spoke to him again because I saw the guys losing their minds. I couldn’t continue this much longer without one of them scooping me up and getting their head bit of. I looked Leo into his amber eyes. ‘I got to go now. Will you let me and my friends go?’

He stared at me, and pawed at my face, which caused the men in the clearing to gasp loudly. But he silently crazed my face. I let him rise from my lap and silently stepped back.

‘I’ll come and visit you soon.’ I said.

’Like fuck you are.’ Sebastian and Ash said in unison.

I stepped backward while the others were also stepping backward. All white-faced. Leo let us.

As soon as we were out of the clearing. Sebastian and Ash were nearly fighting to get to me first.

‘Are you crazy?’ Ash shouted. ‘You could have been killed!’

‘Love, you are not ever going back in that forest, ever. Promise me!’

They were all shouting and yelling at each other. It was Dean that ended the madness.

‘She has to go back, brother.’

Ash looked at him and pointed one giant finger at his face. ‘Dean, you are my boy. But if you say shit like that we are going to have a big fucking problem!’

‘Don’t you see! She is the only one that can communicate with a Wolvaby. This is so extremely valuable…-’

‘I am going back to him.’ I said firmly. ‘I have too, I promised.’

Ash and Sebastian both stared at me as if I had grown three heads.

‘I will lock your ass up, little bird!’ Yelled Sebastian, clearly done playing.

‘ …and I will go back into that forest with the Razz Moros and kill that monster!’ Ash was livid.

‘NO!’ Dean and I shouted together. I was grateful for the backup and gratefully looked his way.

Tears formed in my eyes. I went to Ash and made him face me. ‘Please, promise me you won’t!’

‘If you promise to never do that shit again!’ he was still so very angry. His nostrils flared. His fists opened and closed. He was red in the face and ready to kill somebody. Sebastian was in a similar state.

‘I can’t promise that.’

‘Then he is a dead monster.’

‘No!’ I stepped back from him. ‘He is innocent!’

‘The thing has probably already killed more than a hundred Rainers in his lifetime. It is ancient and dangerous, definitely not innocent!’ He shouted so loud I had to step back from him.

Oak added in his two cents. ‘ And very unpredictable, Lux. Don’t underestimate it.’

‘I’ve seen his other form. I know.’