1. Tobias
CHAPTER ONE
TOBIAS
Mrs. Moore, the senior librarian, approached me and asked, "Tobias, could you handle locking up today?"
I nodded without hesitation. It wasn't a chore; in fact, it was a routine I relished. There was something soothing about the quiet hum of the library at night.
I took my time, moving through the aisles and returning each book to its rightful place on the shelves. I also gently nudged the few remaining readers towards the exit.
It was my second year, being a junior librarian and I loved my job. Alone in the empty library, reality crept back in.
Home awaited, a cramped trailer shared with my brother, Tom. The memory of our heated exchange from the night before lingered in my mind.
I'd only asked Tom if he managed to pay this month’s electricity bill. No surprise it turned into a full-blown fight in minutes.
Maybe I should have waited for the morning, when Tom was sober. Since he lost his job at the factory, he’d been coming home drunk.
With a heavy sigh, I turned the key in the lock, sealing the library's embrace for the night.
Outside, the cool night air greeted me as I made my way to the car. Behind the wheel, I sat for a moment. Dread twisted my insides into knots.
I could do the usual routine, grab some greasy grub at my favorite diner. Or maybe, just maybe, I could break the monotony for once and swing by the bar next door.
Who knew? Perhaps fate would decide to throw me a bone, and some handsome alpha shifter would saunter over and buy me a drink.
My inner beast scoffed at the notion, reminding me how unlucky I was in the relationship department.
Tom had always been the golden boy, the one everyone adored. He had it all—charm, athleticism, popularity.
Meanwhile, I was his socially awkward, geeky younger brother, the one everyone conveniently forgot existed.
"High school's over," I muttered to myself, trying to shake off old insecurities.
Still, in a small town like Red Vine, where everyone knew everyone else's business, the chances of stumbling upon a single gay alpha shifter were slim to none.
With a resigned sigh, I turned the key in the ignition and headed to the nearest diner.
The plan was simple: hit the drive-through, grab some grub, and retreat to the solitude of home.
A night of binge-watching my favorite TV shows seemed like the perfect end to the day.
But just as I was about to place my order, a text from Tom flashed across my screen. He was bringing company home.
I groaned, because the walls of the trailer were thin and I could hear every sound from his room.
The trailer—a gift from our omega dad, who had raised us on his own after our alpha dad left—had become my home after he passed away.
In his will, our omega dad had bequeathed the trailer to me, but I never imagined it would become a permanent residence for Tom as well.
Originally, Tom had his own place in town, but after losing his job, he found himself knocking on my door, asking for shelter.
I couldn't turn him away, not after everything Dad had done for us. I expected it to be temporary, a few weeks, maybe a month at most.
Yet, here we were, almost half a year later, and Tom still hadn't found a new job.
As I walked into the diner, the familiar scent of comfort food enveloped me. Lucy, my favorite waitress, greeted me with a warm smile as she ushered me to my usual booth.
"The usual, Tobias?" she asked.
I hesitated for a moment before replying, "Yeah, thanks, but uh, cancel the vanilla milkshake."
"Bad day?" she ventured, her voice laced with genuine empathy.
"Something like that," I murmured.
I slowly chewed on my bacon cheeseburger and fries. I shifted my gaze past the smudged windows of the diner, and to the roadhouse across the street.
The busted-up neon sign across the street flickered on and off, seeming like an unlikely invitation.
After settling the bill and leaving Lucy a generous tip, I made my decision.
I refused to spend another night stewing in my car, silently resenting Tom for his thoughtlessness.
Determined to make the most out of the evening, I strode out of the diner and crossed the street.
I caught sight of a few guys loitering outside the roadhouse, their laughter mingling with the haze of cigarette smoke.
Ignoring their presence, I took a moment to gather my resolve before pushing open the door and stepping inside.
The bar was a at max capacity, the air thick with the scent of alcohol and sweat.
Almost immediately, someone jostled me from behind, sending a shiver of unease down my spine.
Doubt gnawed at my resolve, whispering that this was indeed a terrible idea.
"Just stay for a little bit," my inner wolf urged.
"One drink," I told myself, trying to dismiss my rising apprehension.
Surely, one beer wouldn't do me any harm. Pushing through the throngs of people, I navigated my way to the bar.
By the time I reached the counter, I was panting, my energy levels already waning.
To my surprise, the bar was deserted, save for one lone figure perched at the edge, nursing what appeared to be his tenth beer.
I squinted, trying to discern his features through the dim lighting. Messy black hair fell to his broad shoulders.
He looked…slightly comical, his massive and muscular frame hunched over the tiny barstool.
I found myself silently wishing he would turn, so I could see his face and eyes.
As if hearing my silent plea, he swiveled on his stool, and I sucked in a sharp breath as his gaze locked with mine.
Golden-tinged eyes, set in a hawk-like face, bore into me with an intensity that sent shivers down my spine.
His aura, staggering and imposing, enveloped me in its grip, stealing the breath from my lungs for a few heart-stopping seconds.
It was a sensation unlike anything I had ever experienced before.
A leopard pard and its leader had settled in Red Vine a few years back, so I was familiar with the aura of a lead alpha, but this was something entirely different.
What kind of shifter was he? Where did he come from? I knew everyone in town, so he was definitely an outsider.
It was no wonder that both humans and supernaturals alike kept their distance from him in the bar.
Frozen in place, I stood there, feeling like a stunned prey animal caught in the gaze of a predator.
Seconds stretched into eternity as I waited for some kind of reaction from him.
When nothing happened, my momentary paralysis shattered, and I found myself inexplicably drawn to the stranger.
Summoning what little courage I had left, I approached him, my heart pounding in my chest.
"Uh, is this seat taken?" I asked, gesturing awkwardly to the empty stool beside him.
Instantly, I felt foolish for asking such an obvious question.
"Brave little wolf. Come sit next to me," he said, his voice rough, with a gravelly edge that sent shivers down my spine.
I should have been offended by the nickname, but instead, I found it... incredibly hot when he called me 'little wolf'.
Excitement hummed through my veins like an electric current, sparking something primal within me.
In the eyes of the town, I was just plain Tobias Anderson. I blended into the background, never standing out.
I kept to myself, accepted long ago that I wasn't anyone's romantic prospect.
Once upon a time, I had dared to dream of finding a mate who would embrace my awkwardness, maybe even find it endearing.
We would create our own little haven in the world, build a home together, perhaps even start a family. But those dreams faded as I grew older.
I had resigned myself to the idea of being the town librarian until I was old, grey, and alone.
And strangely enough, I was okay with that. I had my books, my dad's old trailer, my little flower bed, and all the simple comforts that came with them.
But the way this intimidating outsider looked at me, it was as if I was the only thing he could see in the entire room.
It was... intoxicating.
"You have a name, little wolf?" the stranger's voice was low, his gaze still locked with mine, making it impossible for me to tear my eyes away from his.
Such strange eyes. Not just because they were gold, a telltale sign of a shifter's animal half peeking through.
On second thought, maybe I shouldn't be engaging in conversation, let alone flirting with this stranger.
But then again, was this even considered flirting when I had no idea what I was doing or saying? Where was I even going with this?
Focus, Tobias. His eyes.
Under the dim light, they almost seemed slightly reptilian, a curious anomaly.
I knew alligator shifters existed down south, but this was Red Vine, not exactly known for its reptilian population.
Curiosity killed the cat, they say. Part of me, the cautious side, urged me to step back, to come up with some excuse and leave.
But there was this new, unfamiliar side of me that whispered to stay, to see where this would lead.
I snapped back to reality as I remembered he had asked me a question.
"Tobias. Tobias Anderson," I replied, cringing inwardly.
He didn't ask for my full name, but I blurted it out anyway.
"Tobias," he repeated.
He whispered my name like it was some sort of prayer, and it made me shiver with anticipation. Goosebumps appeared across my arms.
He took a long pull of his beer, the silence stretching uncomfortably between us.
I couldn't bear it any longer, so I decided to break it.
"Um, I might not have plenty of experience when it comes to this, but this is the part where you tell me your name," I said, trying to inject a bit of humor into the tense atmosphere.
He looked at me again, his gaze piercing, and I swallowed nervously.
It felt like he was silently drinking me down, and strangely enough, I didn't mind being the center of his attention.
"Draven," he finally said.
I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding, relieved that he had broken the silence.
But then he asked, "What do you mean by 'when it comes to this'?"
I felt a flush of embarrassment heat up my cheeks as I stared down at my beer bottle. Was he really going to make me say it?
The sound of a chuckle from somewhere behind me only added to my discomfort.
Someone was laughing at my expense, and for a brief moment, I was transported back to the most humiliating memory of my high school years.
Confessing my feelings to my crush, Justin Moore, had been a disaster. He had laughed in my face, joined by the chorus of laughter from his friends.
I had wanted to disappear, to hide away in my room for weeks.
"At dating," I whispered, feeling a surge of bitterness welling up inside me.
Just great. The first guy who showed any remote interest in me turned out to be a jerk, just like Justin Moore.
"Look at that, Tobias is so desperate to get any action he'd proposition the first outsider he'd see," a familiar voice sneered from the background.
Justin. My fists clenched instinctively as I rose to my feet, ready to exit the bar.
But before I could move, Draven's hand gripped my arm firmly, and I shot him a glare, torn between anger and embarrassment.
I had a storm of words ready to unleash on Draven, words that I knew I would regret as soon as they left my lips.
But as I stood there, bracing myself for the confrontation, I realized that Draven had risen from his stool as well.
Standing, he practically towered over me, his presence commanding the attention of the room.
Somewhere behind me, someone laughed again, but the sound barely registered in my ears.
Instead, all my focus was on Draven, on the firm grip he had on my wrist.
His hand was large and callused and I always appreciated a man who wasn’t afraid of hard work.
Now wasn't the time to be noticing such small details, I reminded myself sternly.
"Hurting or humiliating you wasn't my intention, Tobias," Draven spoke, his voice surprisingly gentle as he looked down at my wrist for a moment before releasing me.
Then, he turned his attention to where Justin and his cronies were standing.
Justin may have been human, but he was the mayor’s son and he practically got away with anything.
He stared Draven down, or at least attempted to, but I could see the tension building in Draven's posture, the subtle shift in his breathing.
His teeth lengthened to wicked fangs and I knew I had to do something before someone ended up injured or worse, dead.
I reached out and touched Draven's arm.
"They're not worth it," I murmured. "Let's get out of here?"