Chapter 28 Tobias

I was excellent at compartmentalizing my thoughts and feelings—most of the time. I was so adept at it that I'd been accused more than once of being cold and unfeeling. That I was closer to something of artificial intelligence , a robot, rather than a living, breathing dragon.

I often blamed it on my father because my mother was the direct opposite. And Tamara, my sister, didn't seem to have the same issues, either.

But when the image of her —of Arya—entered my thoughts, I lost all control, no matter which direction I wanted my thoughts to go. Glancing at my bed, I couldn't help but picture her lying there naked like she had yesterday, playing with herself while she compelled me to jerk off in front of her.

Fuck that had been the sexiest thing I had ever seen and also the cruelest torture I'd ever endured. She was nothing short of amazing.

And she was my girlfriend.

No girl had ever owned that label. I tried not to think about the fact that no one should own that label. And though I hadn't consciously intended to ask her for that, I was glad it happened. I just needed a little more practice compartmentalizing with her, I supposed.

I tried and failed to write the English essay that was due last Thursday. I'd never asked for an extension before, but with everything that had happened the past several weeks—and being that I was a prince— I got a pass. I'd never used the Dracul card before and cringed a little that my grade demanded it.

What was a few more hours? I'd write the damned essay later.

This whole girlfriend business made me uneasy, so I pulled out the history book about that first shifter school I borrowed from the library: Skye Boarding House - The Original Shifter School: A History. There had to be a way to break the curse. It pained me, more than I'd even admit to myself, to know that the instant I let myself fall completely in love with Arya, I'd lose her.

The fact she actually wanted to be with me advertised that my feelings hadn't deepened past infatuation just yet. The curse wasn't triggered. But I knew it was only a matter of time.

Flipping through the first few pages, I discovered the one I'd found in the library. The picture of my relative Claudette Elana Dracul, the person who caused the Dracul curse. Studying her picture, I was surprised at how Claudette's nose—large and Roman—was near-identical to my sister's.

The book listed the background history of Claudette. It said she fled her family in New Orleans for unknown reasons to find solitude and sanctuary in Washington state, and was taken in by a human family, the Skyes . It said Claudette and her bodyguard, a phoenix named Evandrus Summers, spent a year helping convert the once human-only boarding house into a safe house for shifters, and then a makeshift school where she and Mr. Summers assisted in helping shifters control their powers and defend themselves .

Summers. I wondered if this Evandrus was any relation to Igneaus, the phoenix teacher at the Dome, and Ashlyn's dad.

Ashlyn, who was Arya's friend.

Arya.

And there she was again, intruding on my thoughts.

I imagined running my fingers through her silky hair, exploring her pretty mouth with my tongue, feeling the press of her body against mine...

I slammed the book closed and bounded from my bed. Throwing on my gray wool overcoat and the red scarf Tamara had sent to me as an early Christmas present, I marched out of my bedroom. Before I realized where I was going, I found myself out of the Dome and on the sub heading into the city.

Might as well finish Christmas shopping , I justified as I stomped up the steps from the tunnel. The city buzzed with the activity of last-minute shoppers, and I quickly merged into the crowd.

I couldn't explain why I'd felt compelled to leave. I'd felt frantic and on edge, and I guess I'd hoped the distance and distraction would offer some clarity about what to do about this curse.

And, in truth, I really did need to buy Arya a Christmas gift. This would be our first big holiday as an official couple, and I'd be a major douche if I didn't get her anything. I wanted to get her something perfect.

When I walked past the alley— the alley , the one where Arya, Niko, Ashlyn, and I were attacked by those vampires—I paused. It was such a drastically different memory, but it also intruded on my thoughts more often than I would like. It felt like it happened just yesterday. It felt like it happened a hundred years ago .

When the hair at the back of my neck stood on end, I had that very familiar, very disconcerting feeling I was being watched. I resumed walking and resisted the urge to look behind me. It was probably just PTSD, but part of me swore I saw some shadows shrink just then.

Quickening my steps, I rounded a corner I hadn't intended to. Vampires couldn't come out during the day, anyway.

I felt every bit the hypocrite. My own words about Arya stupidly leaving the Dome rang in my ears. Whatever! Go and get yourself killed!

At least Arya had Ashlyn—and the witch—with her when they'd left the Dome for their "girl's day out." Not that Ashlyn was the most reliable protection, but she had handled herself well in the alley and could've at least called for help if something happened.

Here, today, in the middle of Chicago, I was alone.

Then I swore I heard a gunshot, but decided it was more of my paranoid imagination. Still, without another thought, I dialed Brett, thinking he'd be the more available friend. The call went straight to voicemail.

I tried Niko next, who answered on the first ring.

"Can you get away from Arthur for a few hours?" I asked.

There was a pause. "I think so," Niko said. "He shut himself in Caesar's office again for phone calls or something. I've been counting ceiling tiles for the past half hour, which is code for wandering the school because Arthur doesn't seem to care what I'm actually doing."

None of that surprised me. I'd experienced both extremes growing up. Either Arthur had his attention focused on me like a microscope, watching every minuscule movement and showing distaste if one strand of my hair disobeyed, or he was too busy with other things that he didn't care whether I was doing my algebra homework or practicing my fireballs in the master walk-in-closet.

"Meet me in the city?" I asked. "M Burger at Water Tower Place?"

"Yup," was all Niko said before hanging up.

I requested an Uber, then when I arrived at M Burger ahead of Niko, I ordered two Chicago doubles and two orders of jalapeno cheese fries. The loudspeaker played Silver Bells when Niko joined me, and we ate in near silence until we'd finished.

"Since when does Tobias Dracul go to a mall?" Niko asked, discarding his tray.

I eyed him as I dumped mine and wondered if the news of mine and Arya's relationship had spread across the Dome yet. It was only a matter of time. Niko wasn't technically a student anymore, but he'd still spent plenty of time at school as of late. I shoved my hands into my coat pockets and led the way toward shopping .

"Since I suddenly found myself with a girlfriend to buy for." I ducked my head, almost in embarrassment. I wasn't sure what the right emotion was in this situation. It was an awkward way to announce I had a girlfriend.

I was so completely out of my element.

Niko punched me in the arm. "Congrats, man," he said, though his tone sounded less than enthusiastic.

"It's Arya," I said, as if clarifying would change Niko's reaction.

His eyebrows pinched, and he leaned away from me. "I know."

My shoulders lifted. "You don't sound thrilled. "

"It's just..." he paused. "I saw Ashlyn this morning."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. She'd been training and had her hair all up in those... fiery curls."

I suspected Niko had different adjectives in mind, but didn't mention it. "I thought you broke up with her."

"I did. I figured it was for the best, since I was leaving."

"Smart," I agreed.

Before Arya, I probably would've made the same choice. But I didn't exactly have that luxury with this imprint. And Arthur might take her away. Would she break up with me if that happened? I didn't like where my thoughts led, and that scared the hell out of me.

"Anyway," Niko continued with his eyes narrowed in irritation, "she asked out one of the weres today. Right in front of me."

"A were?" I was more shocked than appalled.

I didn't know what girls—well, girls who weren't weres themselves—saw in the weres. They were volatile and explosive. They started fights over green beans and music subscriptions. They were slaves to the moon, but more than anything else, they weren't born shifters. They were bitten. They were made.

I realized this prejudice was probably Lord Dracul's influence on his son, but despite my rationale that they were, in fact, shifters, I'd always seen them as lesser. I hated myself for it, but it was true. I held regular humans in a higher regard than the weres. Especially the hounds.

"Yeah. Jackson." The way he said his name made it clear how disgusted he was by the situation, a social cue I didn't miss .

"The...dog?" I scoffed.

Niko nodded.

"Do you think she's moved on?"

He shot me a glare. "No! She's obviously trying to get under my skin. You know, make me jealous?"

"Ah," I said. But it was too late. I felt extra-blind to those emotional cues. First Arya, and now Niko.

"But thanks for the confidence, man," he said in a sardonic tone.

"Sorry," was all I could think to say.

He shrugged. "So what do you have in mind for Arya's present?"

"There's this store called Pandora, I think?" I said.

"The one with the jewelry? I think I've seen the commercials."

"Yeah. I figure I can't screw up too bad with jewelry."

He leaned over the table. "If you really want my advice, don't just get her something random. And definitely don't get her something gaudy. Arya is a classy girl, and she'll recognize a last-minute trinket right away. Whatever you get her, make sure you put some real thought into it. That's what I would do if I hadn't fucked up."

He scowled down at the table for a moment, then pushed away from it. "I'd better get back before the general notices I'm gone."

He was already waking away before I'd finished saying, "Okay."

I slouched against the back of my chair and sighed. As it turned out, I didn't need some curse to make people I cared about hate me. I inherited that special skill from Arthur, too, apparently. And now I had the added pressure of not pissing Arya off with the wrong gift. Great.