Page 25 of In Love With the Leshy

I’m too scared to answer. I hate heights. Always have. I hide my face against his neck, which earns me a reprimand.

“You can’t see if you’re hiding. You need to trust me. As long as you are with me, you are safe.”

Clutching my arms around his neck tighter, I take in the view. The trees bend and lilt to make room for us. At first I think I’m imagining it, but the further we go, the easier it is to part through the denser trees.

A family of deer ambles along the ground, grazing on grass and bushes. Birds fly from tree to tree. Exotic flowers add bright, vibrant color to the landscape. Streams of bluish-gray water navigated by large rocks run through the area.

“This is the section the animals know is abundant with food and water. They come here mostly for nourishment. We’re going to the outskirts now. You’ll see less color and more animals. Snakes. Bears. Wolves.”

My body tenses. I know he said I’d be safe, and right now, he’s as big as a giant from another realm, but vicious, wild animals unnerve me.

“Since I won’t have my full size and magic complement, I asked the wolves to meet us at the edge of the forest for added protection.”

“You think Nikolai is waiting at my car?”

“I don’t know what to think. So I’m looking ahead and not taking any chances.”

When I see my car through a thin layer of trees, Em shrinks down to his normal size.

“I can either shrink down and sit on your shoulder as you retrieve what you brought, or I can shift into a wolf and wait at the tree line.”

“The wolves will be outside of the tree line?”

“Yes, they will escort you the few feet to your car.”

“Then I want you with me.”

From my vantage point on Em’s back, I spot my car, along with five wolves on the ground about ten feet from it. If not for their whitish-grayish coats, I’d think it was a pack of wild dogs.

Em lowers himself to the ground as he helps me off his back. Keeping my hands in his, he walks me around so that I’m facing him. My balance is a little off as I swoon, both from being back on my own two feet and from the well of emotion in his green eyes. How does he have such a profound pull on my heart?

“Are you nervous?” I ask, unsure of what I see.

“Only because we’re close to your car, and I’m not certain you meant it when you said you’ll stay.”

“I meant that I’ll stay. At least for now.”

This is not the time to get into pesky details. Not with wolves only feet away. Em promised he wouldn’t hurt me, and I believe him. If I hurt him, however, or clear up a misunderstanding that leaves him hurt, who's to say the wolves won’t turn on me?

“Honestly, we need to have a longer conversation about how it would work, but we can do that once I fulfill my promise to Irina.” He nods and closes his eyes as his lips meet mine.

“Delicious,” he whispers. I only hope the wolves don’t agree with that sentiment.

With my hand in his, Em leads me to the edge of the forest. I spot the wolves near my car, lying mostly on the passenger side.

“You can relax,” Em whispers. “Nikolai can’t hurt you.”

I nod, trying to stop my hands and teeth from trembling. I don’t know what has my nerves strung so tight, but the sooner I get this part over with, the sooner I can settle down. The moment we step to the tree line, the wolf pack surrounds us, their tongues hanging out of their mouths, panting.

I once read that snakes smell the air with their tongues; I wonder if wolves do that too. If that is the case, am I in more danger? Unfortunately, the only things I read about wolves were how they tricked their prey and ate them, like in Little Red Riding Hood and The Three Little Pigs. In the end, the wolves died, but not before they did some serious damage and killed off other characters.

“This is Fang,” Em says after introducing me to the other wolves. I can’t tell one from the other, and I immediately forget their names, with the exception of Fang, who’s larger and has more beige in his fur.

I believe that Em does have magical powers as a calm washes over me. I greet the pack and talk to them as if they are people I just met.

“What a perfect flower you are. Delicate but strong.” He soothes. “Now it’s time to show me how you stand against the wind, unafraid and undeterred.” I nod, feeling strong and brave with him whispering in my ear.

The car is only a few feet away. Of course I can do this. After going over the expectations one last time, Em shrinks down to the size I imagine a Smurf would be. Approximately three apples tall. I bend so he can climb on my shoulder. What a role reversal.

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