Dragoste Academy: Bayne and Lucas

by Kayci Morgan

  *****

  Lucas shuffled Bayne out of his room and leaned against the door, as if his weight could really stop an intent werewolf. But Bayne didn’t use force. From the other side of the door he asked, “Um…what just happened? Are you okay?”

  Wiping his face with the back of his hand Lucas answered, “Yeah. I’m fine. Just go home. Okay?”

  “No. Let me in and we can talk about this. You’re obviously upset about something. Maybe I can help.”

  No one could help. What was he thinking letting Bayne get so close? “I’m fine. Just go. Please.”

  The pressure on the door increased as Bayne leaned against it. Lucas closed his eyes. It was almost like they were touching.

  “I’ll go. But I’m not giving up on you,” Bayne said.

  The weight lifted and Bayne’s footsteps drifted away. Lucas slid to the floor clutching his knees to his chest. What was he going to do? He needed to stop Bayne’s advances and so far his responses had been less than discouraging. But he couldn’t help himself. Those intense blue eyes and that huge, well-packed body made Lucas want to melt. He was, after all, a nymph.

  Lucas looked at the rose petals and shook his head. He should put dead carcasses in Bayne’s bed and see how romantic he finds it. In a whirlwind the petals rose from the bed and drifted out the window. They twirled and changed until petals joined together to form roses, which in turn formed a bush. Lucas settled the new bush into the soil outside his window, brushing his hands together. Much better.

  It was morning when Sekou returned home, a wicked grin on his face. “Someone got lucky last night.”

  Sitting up in bed, Lucas rubbed his eyes. “Did not.”

  Sekou pushed his blond dreads out of his face. “Oh, don’t try to deny it. You’re glowing. Literally. It’s a shaman thing.”

  Lucas studied Sekou with a raised brow. “You have the ability to tell when people have sex? Talk about useless powers.”

  “Well, it’s not sex exactly. When people are intimate their souls touch. I can see when a person’s spirit is at the surface.”

  So, there was a metaphysical reason Lucas felt so vulnerable. Maybe Sekou’s bone shaking voodoo magic wasn’t completely useless. He just needed to take his spirit, and shove it right back in. Then Bayne wouldn’t be in his every thought. Bayne. His soft fur caressing Lucas’s skin. His wiry, overconfident grin. His animalistic swagger. Down spirit. Bad spirit.

  After an ice cold shower, Lucas headed off to his Mythology of the Multi-realms class. As he stood in the hallway waiting for the professor, a pair of arms wrapped around his waist. Lucas stiffened at the familiar touch, and forcefully threw his elbow back into the gut of the perpetrator only to hit air. Across from him stood Art, his beady hazel eyes full of amusement.

  Lucas’s teeth ground together. “I’ve asked you to stay out of my head.”

  “You didn’t use to mind.” Art said dismissively.

  “I’ve always minded. That’s one of the many reasons I dumped you.”

  “Pfft. We’re just having a tiff.”

  “It’s been fifty years!” Lucas wondered if Art would ever get the picture.

  “Yes. You are quite high maintenance, but I’m a very patient man.”

  The professor arrived to unlock the classroom. Lucas hurried to the back of the room. Art claimed the seat next to him. The other students glanced at them awkwardly. What had they seen instead of a fight? Probably an image of Lucas slobbering all over Art. Another blow to dryad dignity.

  Lucas headed straight to the greenhouse after class. Art found his research incredibly boring and usually left him alone to do his work, but he must have sensed something was amiss because he was right on Lucas’s heels the entire time. Tending his table in the greenhouse Lucas began ranting about the ill effects of wendigo dung on the cross-pollination of hydra plants. Art’s head drooped.

  Lucas always felt the most powerful when surrounded by his element. Especially when it came to Art who could climb into his brain and affect his every sense except one. Art could only control senses he understood. As a dryad Lucas was in tune with nature in a way Art could never comprehend. No matter what he did, he couldn’t make Lucas think a tree was anything but a tree. Sekou’s perceptions must have been completely foreign because he seemed immune to Art’s abilities. Unfortunately, illusion wasn’t the full extent of his power.

  Just as Art rose to leave, the door opened and Bayne walked in. Bayne smiled, shaking his head. “A dryad in a greenhouse, you’re almost a cliche.”

  Lucas nervously eyed Art who had already stepped between him and Bayne.

  “And who is this?” Art asked.

  That’s when it started.

  Bayne frowned. “Oh, I didn’t know he was seeing anyone.”

  From the pain in his eyes Lucas knew he was seeing things that weren’t really happening. “Stop it, Art.” Lucas said.

  “I’m just having a bit of fun with your new friend.” Art replied.

  Bayne stumbled back towards the door. “I’ll just leave you two alone.”

  Lucas wanted to punch Art, but he’d learned over the years it was a waste of effort. Art was rarely ever standing where he seemed to be and for good reason.

  It took hours to shake Art after that. The moment Lucas was alone he headed straight for Bayne’s dorm. He had to explain. He couldn’t leave Bayne thinking whatever he’d seen was true.

  Lucas knocked on the door. A head popped out the door causing him to jump back. “He doesn’t want to see you,” the ghost declared.

  “Tell him…” Lucas raised his voice to make sure Bayne could hear him. “Tell him whatever he thought he saw, he didn’t. Art is an illusionist.”

  The door opened, moving through the ghost. Behind him stood Bayne, his eyes were red. Lucas’s heart caught in his chest.

  “You mean he’s not your boyfriend?” Hope gleamed in Bayne’s tone.

  “Not even a friend. I can honestly say I hate the bastard.”

  Bayne turned to the ghost. “Chad, can you give us a minute?”

  Chad floated in front of Lucas. “You hurt him and I’ll…well, let’s just say you’d be amazed at the amount of damage I can cause with my thoughts if I’m motivated enough.”

  It wasn’t the proper time to mention Lucas lived with an exorcist, so he just gave a nod of acknowledgment and entered the room. The bed on the left side was brand new, but the bed against the right wall looked like a worn out scratch post.

  As Bayne flopped down on his bed, Lucas said, “You know, there’s an enchantment for that.”

  Bayne patted the spot next to him. “Yes, there’s an enchantment for everything now. But I like it this way, reminds me of home.”

  Lucas sat next to him. He could feel the heat of Bayne’s body even from a few inches away. He wanted to snuggle against it.

  A smile crept across Bayne’s lips. “So explain why he wanted me to think you two were a couple?”

  Lucas sighed. “We used to date, decades ago. He just won’t let go.”

  “And you haven’t dated anyone since?”

  “How can I? Who would stay with me while never being able to tell reality from fantasy?” Lucas asked.

  “I should’ve been able to tell. It didn’t smell right. Had I known he was an illusionist, I wouldn’t have fallen for it. And yesterday you acted so strange. I thought you were upset because you had cheated on your boyfriend.”

  “It didn’t smell right?”

  “No. You didn’t smell aroused, you smelled sad.” Bayne grinned. “But right now you don’t smell sad, you smell...”

  Lucas pinched Bayne’s nose. “Get whatever you’re thinking out of your head. I’ve already told you I can’t be in a relationship.”

  “You think I’m scared off by a little illusionist. I’ll squash him.”

  “And how do you expect to fight something you can’t see? He can have you battling phantoms for days.”

  “That’s easy. I’ll swat at the s
tink.”

  Lucas rolled his eyes, laughing. Bayne lifted his chin and kissed him. Lucas understood what Sekou meant about the spirit coming out because his was totally packing a bag for a vacation in Bayne-land.

  Lucas pulled back. “No. We can’t.”

  Bayne’s expression grew concerned. “There’s more isn’t there? What aren’t you telling me?”

  “He has my tree.” A weight lifted from Lucas the moment he said the words aloud.

  “How is that even possible?”

  Lucas took a deep breath. “I was young when I met Art. He was sophisticated and powerful, and I fell head over heels for him. By the time I realized who he really was, it was too late. I had taken him to my tree. Right when I decided to break up with him, he hid my tree in a pocket universe. He claimed it was for my protection. But it’s just another way for him to control me.”

  Bayne grabbed Lucas’s shoulders looking deeply into his eyes. “Lucas, I swear on my clan. I will get your tree back.”

  He was telling the truth. Bayne would move mountains for Lucas if he had to. Tears welled up in Lucas’s eyes as he pulled Bayne into a kiss.

  The next time Sekou saw Lucas, he intended to be glowing like a wisp.

  Bayne undressed him with expert hands. As Lucas reached for Bayne’s shorts, they vanished. Bayne laid Lucas across the bed and spread out on top of him. Lucas delighted in the werewolf’s weight pressing him into the mattress. Trails of kisses marked paths across Lucas’s skin. His entire body tingled. Every nerve had come alive under Bayne’s attentions.

  Bayne raised Lucas’s legs to his shoulders. His ankle looked delicate in Bayne’s sturdy grip. Lucas encased him in his arms as Bayne entered him. With a moan, Lucas arched his back in an attempt to get even closer to him. Slow, steady movements elicited continuous cries of pleasure. As Bayne thoroughly ravished him, Lucas’s fingers dug into his broad shoulders, lost in bliss. Bayne’s thrusts began to falter, and then with a howl he threw his head back, filling Lucas. This sent Lucas over the edge, causing him to give in to his own rapture.

  After collapsing on top of him, Bayne whispered in Lucas’s ear, “Mine.”

  And for once, that word didn’t scare Lucas. Mind, body and soul, Lucas was exactly where he wanted to be.

  The next morning Lucas awoke wrapped in Bayne’s strong arms. He fought the urge to close his eyes and go back to sleep. The miniature sundial on Bayne’s nightstand reflected the time of its outdoor counterpart, and both said he needed to get ready. Lucas’s attempt at escape woke Bayne up.

  “Where’re you going?” Bayne asked.

  “I have to get ready for class.”

  Bayne looked at the sundial and shook his head. “Plant people. Okay, I’ll walk you to your dorm.”

  As they crossed campus, Bayne held Lucas’s hand. Lucas had to fight the stupid grin determined to form on his face. Lucas hoped Sekou didn’t think he was dead, but the shaman probably had some way of checking for him on the other side. When they reached Lucas’s door, Bayne pushed him against it, kissing him fervently. Was making it to class really that important? Missing one class was fine. Lucas grabbed the waistband of Bayne’s shorts, ready to pull him back into bed.

  From the corner of his eye, Lucas spotted Art. His throat closed, and Bayne followed his stare. At the sight of Art, Bayne began to shift. Lucas braced himself for one horrific illusion. But it never came, instead Art ran off down the hall.

  Lucas was confused. Bayne was intimidating but not enough to send Art running. Lucas didn’t have long to ponder the situation. A few minutes after Art left, Lucas for the first time in decades, sensed the presence of his tree.

  “That bastard’s going to destroy my tree!”

  Lucas ran full speed toward his tree, with Bayne right behind him. Once Lucas entered the forest, he used the magic of nature to quicken his step. When he reached his tree Art was waiting for him. A crystal ball rolled back and forth across Art’s hand, inside it, a fire spell.

  “All I wanted was for you to love me back. Why couldn’t you do that?” Art asked.

  Lucas held out his hands. “Please Art. If you drop that. You’ll kill me.”

  “You deserve to die, you treacherous slut!”

  Bayne leapt onto Art before he had the time to use his ability. The crystal ball flew from Art’s hand slamming into the tree.

  The last thing Lucas saw was Bayne tearing Art apart and his tree engulfed in flames.

  *****

  Lucas opened his eyes. Every inch of his room was covered in potted plants. Sekou smiled, watching him from the other bed. “You’re awake. It’s been three days.”

  Sekou’s words woke Bayne who had been sleeping in a chair at the foot of Lucas’s bed.

  “But how?” Lucas asked. He was weak, but he was very much alive. And he couldn’t quite sense his tree. It was different than before.

  Bayne brought a sapling over and placed it in front of him. A piece of Lucas’s tree was grafted onto the sapling. “I figure we can find a nice hidden spot in the forest to plant this when you’re up for it.”

  “You saved my life. And Art? Is he dead?”

  “I’m also the one that put it in jeopardy. I’m sorry for that. Art’s alive, but I put so many holes in him, he wishes he wasn’t. The administration had to get involved and he’s no longer allowed to come anywhere near you or he’ll be expelled. That’s after he’s able to walk and is back on solid foods, of course.” Bayne produced a second sapling with a piece of Lucas’s tree grafted to it. “And this one is in case anything happens to the first one, fireballs, overzealous werewolves...”

  A laugh escaped Lucas's lips. “I know the perfect place for it. I hear the Tani Mountains is an excellent location for a second home.”

  Bayne smiled. “Definitely, the perfect place.”

  About the Author

  Kayci Morgan has had a passion for romance and fantasy for as long as she can remember. She lives in Chicago with her family. In her cozy apartment, she spends endless nights tapping away at her keyboard and playing computer games unheard of by normal people. Her English Literature degree serves as a superb coaster for her 20oz mug of coffee. Follow her sleep deprived ramblings at her website: https://www.kaycimorgan.weebly.com