Son of a Hunter

18

The group the next day relaxing in Washington DC. They visited many of the sites and memorials. When the were at the top of the Washington monument, Malcolm signed and told everyone that Annabeth would love to be here. The girl was an architect wannabe, as Malcolm put it. Leon was not all that impressed with the Washington monument, great as it was. He mentioned to Connor that they should cut the top part off and put a statue of Washington himself, giving America a thumbs up.

Thalia especially liked the way the sky was so open on the walkways around the sites, and Leon was just grateful for the fact that he was not going to be attacked by anything anything today. The Lion had really been a shock to him, but if that was a shock, then he shuddered to know what might be next on the list for him to kill.

They where returning to there room after an all-you-can-eat buffet, with Connor and Malcolm moaning about how stuffed they were. When asked why they ate so much if they couldn't handle it, they bluntly told them that it was all-you-can-eat, and they were going to hold it to it's word. Leon rolled his eyes in annoyance. All he had were several plates of chicken and pizza. Liana hadn't eaten much out of fear of getting fat. It wouldn't be appropriate of a daughter of Aphrodite to be overweight. Thalia was also a modest eater, not wanting to feel like a pig.

As if she ever could, Leon thought to himself.

When they returned to their rooms, Malcolm and Connor went asleep instantly due to the "food coma". But Leon sat at the window and gazed at the moon, his nightly routine. He felt it's power wash over him and it calmed his nerves, almost as if having the moon on him was like his mother's eyes watching him directly. He smiled to himself and slipped into the bed, closing his eyes and controlling his breathing, inviting sleep to take him.

His dream was again of wolves, but not the standard one he used to have...

This time he dreamed of a wounded wolf pup. It was limping badly and was crying out in pain. It was attempting to get away from something, but what it was, Leon did not know. It's cries tore at his heart, and he was desperate to help it. And then he saw something that made his heart sink, for it was probably to going to end well for the helpless pup.

A bobcat was slowly closing in on the poor thing, licking it's lips as it savored the meal to come. It was approaching slowly and deliberately, almost as if it was taking pleasure in the fear of the baby wolf. It was coming closer and closer. The wolf pup was desperate in it's attempts to get away, hobbling on it's damaged leg and crying out in fear and pain. The bobcat was almost upon it.

And then it pounced...just to be met by something worse than it. For the bobcat at least...

A full bloodied Alpha Male wolf came out of nowhere and met the bobcat's attack dead on. It leaped over the wounded pup and smashed into the bobcat, snarling and biting. The bobcat snarled in shock and responded by delivering several cuts with it's powerful claws to the wolfs head and body, the Wolf responding with a vicious bite to the Bobcat's neck and face, forcing it to reel back in pain. It hissed and tried to get around the wolf to the pup now cowering behind it. But the Alpha was not going to allow it to harm the young, and it turned with the bobcat, keeping itself between predator and prey. It bit the bobcat's neck again and the Bobcat gave a sharp cry of pain. It turned and tucked tail, running for the safety of the trees.

The Alpha did not pursue. Instead, it gently walked up to the wounded pup. The pup looked up in fear of this new wolf, not knowing if it was going to eat him or not. And then the Alpha wolf gently licked the pup's wounded leg, and nuzzled it with it's snout. The pup responded in kind, and began affectionately licking the older wolfs jaw, where the bobcat had slashed it.

Leon's eyes opened at the end of the dream, and he stood up in bed. This one was far different then the powerful one of the running pack he regularly had. This one seemed so much richer and vibrant, despite the extra blood and the feeling of hopelessness. But it gave him feelings of love, love for the wolf who was obviously from a different pack, yet defending the helpless pup that was not his. Guarding it from the predator that sought to make it it's meal.