REIGN OF THE HYBRID; RULER OF ADVERSITY

Chapter 4

The night was dead calm, cold wind howling strongly, trees dancing to the whispering tune of the wind. There had been reports of werewolf appearance in the eastern side of skyview forest Rob and Maya decided to help without getting noticed, fame was not necessary the disguises were meant to protect them from being tailed. There was a huge ground to cover so they decide to split up and cover more ground in less time. Leon was sound asleep at home, drugged to buy them more time in case their mission overlapped their work plan. They lay traps, motion sensors on tress and explosive devices, their helmets were equipped with electronic night vision to match their enemy’s abilities. Maya was to update Rob on her location after every five minutes, their wireless communication devices we're intact. The hunt began, everything going according to plan as each of them followed trails of rended clothes, the prey was already in wolf form that demanded keenness and agility, one’s head straight on the game failure to which the last sound they could hear was that of their scream. Maya had done everything right, set the right traps and c****d her gun, her helmet was capturing heat signals from all the nearby living organisms apart from the one hanging above a tree. A smart human, a master of voluntary morphing. By the time he hit the ground he was already a huge brown male wolf form and grabbed her leg throwing Maya almost 2 meters across the forest, she hit her head and got a concussion. Her gun a few inches away from her and the familiar wolf was approaching fast. The communication device in her ear fell out thank God Rob was in the way but he had to come fast because she was losing time. As she groaned with pain, the wolf clawed her back tearing away the fabric before he was shot in the frail gut. He managed to run away bleeding while Rob took care of his wife.

"Are you okay hunnie?” Rob inquired breathing heavily.

"Yes am fine it’s just a scratch but am gonna need a doctor"

****end of flashback *****

Maya took his hairy right arm into hers and intertwined their fingers "He almost killed me Rob because you let him live the first time"

"Why are you reminding me the exact moment when I almost lost you?” Rob complained stroking her back gently.

"Because you might if you keep ignoring me or it might be you next" Maya said, “Although in that case they’ll have to go through me”, she added confidently.

"You are still trying to prove your theory about Leon besides if he is one we have him under control love we can't just kill him like a dog" Rob said with sympathy.

"I know he is at his best behavior and so are we but one day you'd have to make this call on your own"

"He apologized and I've been watching him all night he is not one of them "Rob barked, he was getting pissed.”If he tries something I will shoot him in the head", He added and walked out on her.

She had to do it herself, defy Rob and kill him when they are alone. Call in sick at her work place when Leon is at home hopefully without his newfound girlfriend. Maya still had doubt's how the Aubrey girl could settle for so low when she could have someone better. She heard voices in the living room, speaking of the devil.

Leon smiled broadly walking towards her "Aunt Maya I got an A in my philosophy test"

"Ooh congratulations Leon"_ Maya faked surprise giving him a lazy hug. She couldn't remember the last time they asked him about his results, none of them cared enough.

"So Leon what did you want to tell me?” Rob asked giving a restraining look at Maya, she was holding a pen knife in her hands ready to slit his throat.

He inhaled sharply, despite the fight and tapping a little into the supernatural world Leon still respected his guardians as a matter if fact he loved them more than ever "If its ok with you, Aubrey invited me for a sleep over tomorrow can I go?”

"Yes", Rob and Maya said in unison, they looked at each other and smiled hugging. Rob made the move to keep Maya in check.

"Thanks guys, see you in the evening", Leon said and went to his room.

He was not surprised that they agreed, it had been a strange week for him. Leon felt like he died in his suicide attempt and his ghost was watching him, helping him do extraordinary stuff, giving him courage and protecting him. The sleep over was his chance to understand what he was, Aubrey had offered to help him find out and he was willing to take a chance. Leon took his back pack and rode to school, the college was a walking distance but he enjoyed riding, the warm air brushing past his face. He was dressed in blue jeans, a white T-shirt and black rubber shoes, a helmet on his head smiling all the way, he had a reason to be happy, the second shot at life was turning out to be great than he expected and also happiness is a choice. Unlike joy it doesn’t depend on gratitude and faith, it relies on circumstances at hand and his were providing joy.

It was the shortest time he ever rode from home to campus and he did not feel a hitch in his hip. He was twenty minutes earlier, in lieu of hanging around with his sadistic classmates Leon went to the playground to watch the rugby team prep for a game that was due on Saturday that week. The team was nothing but a bunch of masculine bullies some of whom had body shamed him in the past. He took a front seat, fished out his phone selected his favorite somber play list and plugged in his headphones, music helped him ignore the numerous sounds and heartbeats that sometimes threatened to burst his ears. Students walked in and out of the arena talking happily others stopping to laugh at Leon, throw a couple of shameful comments about how handsome yet so lonely and walked away. Leon chose to ignore them, rage was building up slowly almost taking over him. Mike, one of the rugby bullies threw the ball straight to his direction aiming at his face, Leon grabbed it midair and continued to listen to his music like nothing happened. Some of Mike’s team mates called him out, hurling abuses and teasing him but Leon still ignored them until mike decided to make an example out of him. He was well known for not taking disrespect lightly and the worst part of it was that his definition for disrespect relied on what the public wanted. Mike was that guy who’d make fun of anyone to get people laughing and clapping. Leon was his favorite target most of the time yet he was showing some resistance, now that was disrespect.

Mike scoffed staring at frozen Leon “You think your balls are big enough huh!”

"Pick the ball mike I don't want any trouble ", Leon urged standing up on him eye on eye.

Even mike could not believe Leon's bullet proof confidence. Some time back he used knock him out several times installing fear in his gut and now the fear had expired. Mike raised his huge right arm to punch him but Leon grabbed and dislocated it easily. The audience applauded while others jeered on as Mike moved backwards nursing his arm in fear. Pain is the universal constant even the strongest of people are not immune to it. He charged and came back with a left punch that Leon brushed it off and gave him an uppercut sending mike flying to his team mates. The free boxing match was getting fussy as spectators cheered on but it came to a halt when Aubrey came and dragged Leon away.

"What are you doing!?” She asked walking briskly, Leon was following her trying to catch up.

"He started it I had to defend myself"

"You are attracting unnecessary attention, by evening everyone will be talking about this"

He stopped abruptly and seized her arm "Am sorry Aubrey but I don't like it either, you are not the Freak hearing voices and peoples heartbeats involuntarily, the freak with strength enough to beat up your uncle and definitely not the freak everyone despises in college"

A small crowd was converging, his outrage had captured the attention of everyone passing by.

Aubrey feigned a smile "ooh don't worry people he is just rehearsing for a play nothing to worry about you can go on with whatever you were doing thank you"

The blabber mouths walked away disappointed. Aubrey took his arm and dragged him in an alley.

"Look Leon. Am none of those things you said but am on the only one who can help you so the more you push me away the farthest you are to getting the truth now if you excuse me I got somewhere to be “Aubrey said and matched out.

He followed her immediately, they had the same class and he wanted to apologize seated close to her during Mr. Jefferson’s boring lecture. His class was always centered on super naturals, complains on how it was unfair for some humans to possess such abilities that could allow them to live like gods while others were weak. Not because there was a chance he was one them, but Leon constantly disagreed with his tutor, after class of course he had no courage to raise his arm in class. His argument was based on choice, none of them chose to be more advanced so there were not to blamed what they decided to do with their advancement was totally upon them. Most of the time he'd end up walking out of Jefferson’s office disappointed after the tutor showed him evidence of werewolf killings, he would sometimes ague there was a chance the wolf was an animal rather than a werewolf but Jefferson would shut him down with a forensic report indicate human DNA at the crime scene. There was a time Leon wished to be a werewolf and prove him wrong, maybe God heard his pledge.

The lecture hall was filled to the brim, many students, even those who were not taking his class enjoyed his class due to less learning and more stories, more laughing. It was more of a story telling session than an actual class.

"Good morning humans", Mr. Jefferson waved placing his laptop on the stand.

There was a chorus of “good morning Mr. Jefferson” and some laughter, chuckles and cheers. Jefferson was welcomed in class like a politician rather than a tutor. He concentrated on preparing for the lecture while students settled in, rubbing the whiteboard and going through his notes, which was useless because he never stuck to the topic like he was born in the tropics. Leon managed to secure a seat besides Aubrey, she was very mad at him and since they were somehow strangers to each other’s personalities, Leon didn't know how to make her feel better besides he was not that good with girls.

He cleared his throat, "hey Aubrey, am sorry am not usually like that I mean with anger issues"

"It’s ok I understand", She answered without looking at him.

It was hard to keep her past hidden, she wanted someone to talk to apart from the family she was staying with. Her dad and mum were somewhere captured and all she had was an address to some unknown place in some strange town full of their enemies, the vampires. The beasts of the night and shadow had managed to drive her kind out of the town making it a complete enemy zone. That's where Leon came in, to offer help and she didn’t know it before saving him but she was sure it was the right decision. Only one problem, in fact two. How was she going to convince him to help? To leave his selfish guardians and follow her in search of her own family. And two, Leon didn't know his guardians were the hunters of his kind or so to be the next day on a full moon. She was hoping they hadn't noticed he was one the same way she noticed they were hunters, reckless ones who were unable to hide their berserker marks from her.

Mr. Jefferson cleared his throat staring in the ceiling, his typical attention seeking gesture "Before we begin who will tell me what lycanthropy is?”

The whole class was silent, students kept shifting their necks to see who was smart enough to answer one of Jefferson’s supernatural queries. There was none all hands were down and no one was even willing to try. Google couldn’t help due to his strict topic on gadgets.

He covered his mouth in shock, "None of you has come across that term? None of your parents are psychiatrists? "

Everyone kept quiet getting curious with the suspense he was creating until Leon shot his hand up confidently. Jefferson was the first one to release a mockery laugh, except that he wasn't mocking he knew Leon’s abilities beyond the class area others laughed to crush his courage that wasn’t shaking so they stopped and waited patiently for an answer what else could they do?

The tutor exhaled sharply and supported his body on the stand "I can see you're relentless, yes Leon"

"Am just gonna try, since you mentioned psychiatry I think it’s a condition where a patient believes he or she is supernatural or more advanced than a normal human being is" He said avoiding eye contact with the rest of the class.

Jeff, as most of his students preferred to call him stood up happily to congratulate Leon, "correct but in this case of just any kind of supernatural it entirely means a... wolf and some of you here after watching many movies have this condition"

The whole class burst into laughter apart from Aubrey who froze and stared directly into Leon’s eyes, her lips said something and she walked out of the classroom. Her heart was racing so first and she had a bad feeling something bad was going to happen and no matter how she tried to bury it the hunch couldn’t go away.

“There she is dude shoot your shot”, Mike the bully said pushing his friend in Aubrey’s way.

The guy was reluctant but no match for mike. From how he was behaving it was so clear as water he had a crush on Aubrey and it couldn’t wait anymore he was prepared to ask her out after he lecture but she came out earlier before he was ready. Aubrey was well aware of their game if she were fine she could have played along but she wasn’t.

“Hey Aubrey I’ve been...” He started off.

“No am not going on a date with you”, Aubrey said making his way past the two. Mike was infuriated even more than the guy who was turned down. He ran towards her and grabbed her arm. He might have not won the fight with Leon but he had a chance for retribution against one of the people he seemed to love the most. According to mike she turned down his friend because of him and he wanted her to suffer for it, just not that day, it was one of his worst because Aubrey was something else compared to Leon. She choked him and mike had to tap out. It took another crowd and pleads from mikes wingman to buy him some oxygen. She then ran away and disappeared behind halls. Watching closely from a distance was a spy, dressed like a grounds man with all the tools but keeping a close eye on any unusual activity within the college. For a man like him who believed in the existence of a higher order of humans, there was no way a girl like Aubrey was capable of making Mike gasp for air. So like a good spy he was, He called it in. “I might have found someone that matches your description”, he said.

“Where?” A deep male voice asked from the other end of the line.

“Skyview College”

“But we searched the area there was no sign of her besides she wouldn’t risk going to school before the dust settles keep looking”, He ordered and hung up.

The grounds man wasn’t surprised. His boss was so short tempered and it was his nature. He knew he had to follow the order and look for another girl but his instincts were suggesting otherwise. So he decided to tail her, know where she lived and have her daily routine until he was sure enough that was going to be his secret project.