11. Tobias

CHAPTER ELEVEN

TOBIAS

I stirred awake, the soft touch of grass beneath me greeted my senses.

Draven’s warm leather jacket enveloped me, offering a sense of comfort.

Beside me, Draven lay, his arms securely around me. Despite the initial confusion of waking up in an unfamiliar place, the sight of Draven brought a sense of ease.

We were still in the woods, at the summit where we had arrived earlier in the afternoon.

Time had slipped away, and night had descended upon us while we slept peacefully in each other's embrace.

Draven closed his lips on the side of my neck and a smile tugged at my lips.

But then, the sharp edge of his fangs pressed against my skin, and my body tensed with a mix of excitement and apprehension.

Was Draven about to give me his mate mark? Did I even want it?

The answer was clear in my heart – yes, I longed for our souls, our inner beasts, to be bound together. But were we truly ready for such a profound commitment?

Questions flooded my mind, each one demanding attention.

Draven's past, his temper, the witch who hunted him – all these complexities weighed heavily on my thoughts.

I needed time to process everything.

Draven sank his fangs deeper into my skin, and a shiver ran down my spine – not from fear, but from the electric anticipation coursing through me.

My heart raced erratically, pounding against my chest, and for a moment, I reconsidered.

To belong to him completely, to be mated to this damaged and gorgeous dragon shifter...maybe it wouldn't be so daunting after all.

When Draven's golden-flecked eyes met mine, I sensed a deeper connection, as if his dragon half gazed upon me with recognition and longing.

But then, with an abruptness that startled me, Draven withdrew his fangs, his fists clenched with visible struggle.

Black scales rippled across his arms, and a brassy growl of frustration escaped his lips.

"Draven?" I ventured, reaching out to touch his shoulder.

He gritted his teeth, his turmoil evident in every tense line of his body.

"I'm here," I murmured softly, urging him to take deep breaths.

As he complied, miraculously, the scales began to fade away. But deep down, I knew that his dragon was stirring dangerously close to the surface and that wouldn’t be good.

I was confident Draven wouldn't harm me, but the thought of what he could unintentionally do to others sent a shiver down my spine.

He hadn't divulged much about his time under Belladonna's control, but the mere mention of it had left his voice strained and filled with remorse.

"I nearly..." Draven's voice trailed off, his expression clouded with self-directed anger.

"Don't blame yourself, Draven," I said. "I just think…well, this is a lot to process."

He nodded, avoiding my gaze, so I reached out, grasping his hand firmly.

"This isn't me saying it's over between us," I told him.

A small smile tugged at the corners of his lips. "Thanks for clarifying," he replied.

"I can still feel my beast, lurking beneath the surface," Draven admitted, his eyes dark with frustration. "I need to shift."

"I can manage the drive back to town myself," I assured him. "But before we go...can I watch?"

At my unexpected request, Draven chuckled softly, the tension in his shoulders easing just slightly.

I stepped back as Draven instructed, giving him the space he needed.

"Is this good?" I called out, ensuring I was at a safe distance.

"Good enough," he answered.

Draven closed his eyes, his muscles tensing as energy pulsed around him. Slowly, his form began to change, morphing into something magnificent and terrifying.

A sense of awe washed over me.

First, his skin took on a dark hue, shimmering with an otherworldly iridescence. His limbs elongated, muscles bulging.

Then came the wings, unfurling from his back, their span stretching wide enough to cast a shadow over the forest below.

His features stretched and contorted, reshaping into that of a dragon, complete with fearsome fangs and gleaming golden eyes that seemed to pierce through to my very soul.

Heart racing, I approached Draven with cautious steps, suppressing any signs of fear that threatened to surface.

Despite my attempts to remain composed, a part of me couldn't help but feel intimidated by the sheer presence of the majestic dragon before me.

But I refused to let fear overshadow my feelings for Draven – the man I was crazy about.

Draven lowered his head, allowing me to reach out and touch his muzzle.

A pleased rumble reverberated through his chest as I ran my hand along his massive jaw, feeling the rough texture of his scales beneath my fingertips.

"I'll see you later," I whispered, knowing that he needed this time to let loose.

In response, Draven exhaled a cloud of steam, the warmth enveloping me in a comforting embrace.

Draven spread his wings and launched himself into the night sky.

I stood there, watching in silent fascination as his form disappeared into the darkness.

The sight of him soaring through the air. Part of me still couldn’t believe I was actually dating a dragon shifter.

Once Draven's form became nothing more than a distant speck in the night sky, I reluctantly tore my gaze away and began the hike back down the hill.

Half an hour later, I approached my parked car. A shiver ran down my spine and an inexplicable sense of unease crept over me.

The familiar feeling of safety and invincibility I experienced when I was with Draven had vanished, replaced by a nagging sense of vulnerability that made my skin prickle with apprehension.

Every instinct in me screamed that something was terribly wrong.

My wolf, usually dormant but now restless, added to the growing tension, its senses heightened and on high alert.

I scanned the surroundings, my heart pounding in my chest, but there was no one in sight.

"Is someone there?" I called out.

Silence greeted me in response, amplifying the feeling of dread that twisted in my gut.

Shaking my head, I hurried back to my car, each step feeling like an eternity as I fumbled for my keys.

Every sound, every rustle of leaves, sent a wave of panic coursing through me.

As I finally got into my car and drove away, the feeling of being watched lingered.

What or who was watching me, or perhaps it was my imagination getting the best of me?

I woke up to the day, sunlight streaming through the windows of my trailer.

Groaning, I stared at the ceiling for a few seconds, trying to shake off the remnants of a vivid nightmare.

In it, I found myself back in the woods, running for my life, chased by some ominous shadow.

My car was tantalizingly close, yet continually slipped further away.

Even when I spotted Draven in the air, calling out to him yielded no response, leaving me to face the terror alone.

"Just a dream," I muttered to myself and tried to shake it off.

I heard arguing voices in my tiny kitchen.

My mind had been consumed by my nightmare; I hadn't even realized there were people in my trailer.

"I don't believe you!" That was definitely Tom's voice.

"You better believe it, Tom. Your brother's dating a monster," I heard Bruce's voice in response.

"Hold on a second there, boss," came a third voice. Tim.

What were the leopard shifters doing in my home? Talking to Tom, no less, about me?

What right did these people have, barging into my trailer and talking negatively about Draven?

I scrambled out of bed, heart pounding as I hurried towards the kitchen, my mind still foggy from sleep.

As I reached the doorway, I froze, taking in the scene before me.

There stood Tom, his expression contorted with anger, facing off against Bruce, the leader of the local leopard shifter pard.

And there was Tim, standing between them, looking uncomfortable.

"What's going on here?" I demanded, my voice sharper than I intended.

Tom turned to face me, his eyes ablaze with fury.

"Tobias, Bruce and Tim came by earlier and told me what they knew about your boyfriend. If what they’re telling me is true, then you have to listen to reason,” Tom began, but I cut him off.

"Reason? The leopard shifters are in my trailer, talking about Draven and me behind my back!" I shot back, my own anger rising. "What gives you the right?"

Bruce stepped forward. "Tobias, we're just concerned for your safety. Draven... he's already lied to you about what he was. You were as shocked as we were when he revealed himself. He can’t be trusted,” Bruce said.

I clenched my fists, feeling the heat of indignation rising within me.

"Draven's not here to defend himself. And I won't stand for anyone bad-mouthing him in my home," I said.

Tim stepped forward, his expression troubled.

"Tobias, we're just looking out for you. You need to see reason,” Tim began.

“Looking out for me?” I scoffed. “The only reason I’m on your radar is because I’m dating Draven. You don’t really give a damn about me.”

Without another word, I gestured towards the door, my message clear.

"It's time for you all to leave," I said, my voice unwavering.

Tim opened his mouth, but Bruce gripped his shoulder and shook his head.

"We'll leave, and I'm genuinely sorry to have intruded on your home, but your brother needed to know," Bruce said.

"Why? Tom doesn't have a say in who I date," I threw back.

I thought of Draven incinerating Justin's Lamborghini yesterday and reined in my anger.

"Is the mayor pressing charges?" I finally asked.

"He was going to, but I convinced him otherwise," Bruce said.

Was I supposed to thank him?

I found I couldn't open my mouth, because my relationship with Draven really wasn't anybody's business.

"Just so you know, Draven wouldn't intentionally hurt anyone," I said. "Justin pushed him to the breaking point. I doubt even you would keep your cool if Justin messed with you.”

Of course, Justin wouldn’t do such a thing to Bruce or any of his leopards.

Bruce was the leader of his pard and I knew he had some kind of deal with the mayor to keep Red Vine safe from other paranormal groups looking to claim this town as their territory.

I mean, deep down, I knew I couldn’t blame Bruce for being wary about Draven.

Bruce was just doing his job, looking after the town and his own people. He just needed to understand Draven wasn’t a threat, not really.

Bruce looked at me for a long moment.

"Yes, but I'm not capable of raining down fire or causing massive destruction,” he said.

Bruce’s words felt like a slap to his face, because maybe I was hedging the truth a little, even to myself.

Draven openly admitted he'd hurt people, but only because he was under the witch's binding curse.

Bruce didn't need to know that, however, because Draven's pain and his past were private.

He only shared it with me, because he trusted me without question. Bruce and Tim finally left, giving me some breathing space.

"Your boyfriend, he could really turn into a..." Tom began, and I almost forgot he was there.

I turned to him. "Yeah," I stated flatly.

"And you're absolutely certain he'll never hurt you?" Tom asked.

Huh, I expected an argument from him, for him to try to convince me to break it off with Draven.

"He'll hurt himself first than lay a hand on me," I said firmly.

Tom nodded, a thoughtful expression on his face.

"Okay then," Tom said. "I won't get in the way since you've made up your mind about him. But if things get too hairy...you can count on me to help."

I blinked in surprise. "Why the sudden change of heart?" I had to ask.

"I've watched you, but watched him mostly...and I've never seen you this happy," Tom said.

“Draven makes me happy," I pointed out.

"Yeah. Finding that special someone in your life, that's rare. I'm even a little envious," Tom admitted.

"That's surprising," I said.

"I really wished I could've seen the expression on Justin's face when your boyfriend set his flashy ride on fire. Did he really pee himself?" Tom asked.

I laughed. It felt like a bit of pressure in my chest was gone and I realized it felt good, having my big brother on my side.

"Yeah, he did," I said, and told him all about it.