20. Draven

CHAPTER TWENTY

DRAVEN

One moment, I was loading boxes into the car. The next, intense pain exploded in my head.

It felt like someone had bashed my skull with a hammer. I groaned, dropping the box, and staggered, the world spinning around me.

Dizziness overwhelmed me, a suffocating sensation like I was drowning. It was similar to the time Belladonna had hit me with that curse, the one that bound me to her will.

Panic surged through me. No, I thought, furious. My dragon rose inside me, demanding to be unleashed.

But before I could reach for my beast, the pain intensified. Darkness closed in around me and I blacked out.

I found myself lying on the dirt path leading to Tobias' trailer. Groaning, I pushed myself up, the pain in my head still throbbing.

I touched my chest, tugging at my shirt to peer at the rune there, but it appeared as it did that morning, almost faded.

What just happened?

"Tobias," I thought, anger simmering to the surface as I struggled to get to my feet.

What I felt earlier was an echo of my mate's pain. My mind raced with questions while my inner dragon seethed.

Someone had gotten to Tobias while he was in town.

How much time had passed? I looked up, cursed, and saw the sun was setting.

Tobias ought to be home by now, but instead, the distance between us was growing.

I could hardly sense his presence anymore, and that realization nearly sent me into full panic mode.

My dragon roared inside me, almost bursting out of my skin. I was on the verge of transformation, teetering on the edge of losing control.

If I gave in to my beast, the rest of my sanity would follow. I clenched my fists, struggling to hold back the change.

The memory of the night I met Tobias flashed through my mind—the moments we spent together, the way he never gave up on me once.

I couldn’t lose myself, not now and not ever.

My rage subsided, allowing me to think clearly. I needed to be level-headed about this, or else I'd truly lose my mate, my treasure.

I took a deep breath, focusing on the bond we shared, and steadied myself. I had to find him, and I had to do it with a clear mind.

When reaching out to Tobias through our mate bond didn't work, I knew he must have been too far away by now.

I tried calling Tobias first, but there was no answer. I told myself not to breathe in and out. After leaving a text message, I called Lucinda next.

"When I left him after our lunch, everything seemed fine. Are you telling me Tobias has gone missing?" she demanded.

I had no time for explanations. "I'll let you know if I find something," I told her, and called Zane next.

"Draven, stay there. I'll come to you," Zane said after hearing what transpired.

"No, I can't afford to wait. It's Tobias' life at stake, Zane," I insisted.

"Draven, dammit--" Zane began, but I cut him off.

I took a deep breath, realizing that could have been the last conversation I ever had with my lead alpha. What a pity.

I was just beginning to know Doyle and Zane, and was even considering moving to Sky Stead—if Tobias agreed with that plan—and starting a new life there.

That future seemed all but gone now.

I could still feel my beast beneath my skin, hungry for blood, but I had it under control for once because we both agreed that saving Tobias was our number one priority.

My phone vibrated in my hand again. I expected the call to be from either Zane or Lucinda, but seeing Tobias' name flashing across the screen, my heart leapt into my throat.

"Tobias?" I immediately said. "Where are you?"

"Tobias can't come to the phone right now," answered an oily male voice.

That voice sounded familiar, and it took me a few seconds to place it.

"Justin," I growled. "You took my mate? I'll make you regret this."

Justin laughed, a chilling sound that crept under my skin. He had always been a jerk and a bully, but now he sounded unnaturally twisted.

"I'm not scared of you, dragon. My mistress will soon put her leash on you as she did me. Then you'll be nothing," Justin said.

His mistress? Belladonna? Had the witch known all along where I was?

Then again, when I rescued Doyle, I'd left behind my blood, and black witches had plenty of applications for that.

Using my blood to track me wasn't a far-fetched idea. Belladonna wasn't a fool, so confronting me head-on wouldn't be her style.

It was just like her to use a lackey to do her dirty work.

Reeling in my temper, I took a deep breath. "I want my mate back, Justin," I said, my voice dangerously calm.

"We're in your old home. Come pick him up," Justin replied, and before I could say anything else, the bewitched human ended the call.

I stood there for a moment, my heart pounding and my mind racing. My old home. Raven Port. Of course, Belladonna would pick that location, knowing it would trigger old memories.

I rang up Zane again, but there was no answer. Four rings later, Doyle picked up.

"Draven, Zane is getting ready to head to Red Vine. Can you wait? Do you have any new information on Tobias?" Doyle asked.

"I do," I said and told him about Justin's—well, Belladonna's—invitation.

"Smells like a trap," Doyle said.

"I know, but I don't have a choice. Tell Zane thanks for taking me in and...I'm flying out to Raven Port as soon as I end this call," I said.

"Understood," Doyle said.

I liked how he didn't try to stop me. Then again, Doyle understood loss. He probably didn't want the same fate to happen to Tobias and me.

After ending the call, I undressed and prepared to shift.

The transformation began with a familiar, intense heat spreading through my veins, as if molten lava coursed through me.

My bones elongated and shifted, a painful but quick process as my skin turned to scales. Wings sprouted from my back, stretching out as they unfurled.

My senses heightened, picking up every minute detail of my surroundings. With a final, powerful burst, I was fully transformed.

My dragon form stood tall, scales shimmering in the fading light. The air rippled with the heat of my breath as I spread my wings wide.

With one claw, I extracted the protective necklace Darcy had given me from my pile of clothes and made sure it was wrapped securely around my paw.

Taking a deep breath, I leapt into the air, my powerful wings propelling me toward Raven Port. I glided past Tobias' hometown, casting a huge shadow over the buildings below.

A few locals who spotted me gasped, their faces turned skyward in awe and fear. I didn't care that I was seen.

At that moment, I wanted one last look at the town where Tobias was born and raised—the home he was willing to leave behind for a more promising future with me.

My heart ached as I thought of his selflessness and kindness. The memories of his laughter, his touch, and his unwavering support filled my mind, urging me forward.

Don't think about death yet, I reminded myself. Tobias needed me, and I would do everything in my power to save him.

The wind rushed past me, and with each beat of my wings, I drew closer to Raven Port. The familiar landscape unfolded below, triggering old memories and a surge of emotions.

This place held my past, but Tobias was my future. The thought of losing him was unacceptable but could I truly win this fight?

Raven Port came into view, and I descended, my dragon senses on high alert. The sun had long since disappeared, replaced by the darkness of the night.

I scanned the area, searching for any sign of Justin or Belladonna. Reaching for my mate mark, I found an echo to the north. Tobias was close by.

By now, Doyle had probably informed Zane where I was. I wasn't alone in this fight, but even flying at top speeds, Zane might not be able to reach us in time.

It didn't matter. I had a score to settle with a black witch.

As I neared the outskirts of town, the echo from my mate mark grew stronger. My heart pounded in my chest.

Turning a corner, I spotted my old cabin, its windows dark and foreboding.

The echo led me here. Beyond the cabin, in a nearby clearing, my breath caught as I saw a figure curled on the ground, unmoving and still. Tobias.

I landed cautiously, and immediately, my senses tingled with the heavy press of Belladonna's dark magic. The air was thick with it, an oppressive energy that made my skin crawl.

The old trees cast long shadows under the moonlight, and the smell of brimstone lingered in the air.

I only had eyes for my mate, bound and unconscious on the grass.

"You came. What a fool," muttered a voice.

Justin stood a few feet away, hands in the pockets of his leather jacket.

I roared, about to unleash a jet of flame at him, but sudden pain emanated from my chest and spread to the rest of me.

Agony radiated through my body, as if every nerve was set on fire, and my muscles seized up.

I froze, unable to move. Then I saw the faint black glow surrounding the forest.

I cursed in my head. I knew this was a trap, but after seeing Tobias, I didn't think, simply landed...right into a damn magic circle probably designed to contain and incapacitate me.

A small crack made me look down, and I saw the moonstone connected to the necklace Darcy had given me had cracked right in the middle.

More pain entered my body as bones cracked and my scales disappeared.

Shock flooded through me at the realization I was shifting back to human form—against my will.

My wings retracted painfully, my claws reformed into fingers, and my scales melted back into skin. Every second was excruciating, like being peeled alive.

In minutes, I was shivering in pain on the ground, a few feet from my mate. It felt like my armor had been stripped away, and my teeth chattered uncontrollably.

"How does it feel to be human, oh once powerful dragon?" Justin jeered.

He walked up to me, and my entire body was wracked with pain; I couldn't even stop him from kicking my ribs or stomping at my face. I grunted in agony.

"Stop, stop hurting him, please," rasped a weak voice. Tobias.

"You heard the wolf, Justin," said a familiar velvety voice.

Belladonna stepped out from the trees, smiling like a viper.

Justin immediately stopped, his earlier expression of rage replaced by a blank-eyed look that sickened me, because it felt like I was looking at a mirror.

"You have one more job to do," she told the human.

Justin nodded mechanically and walked over to where Tobias lay. With cold, detached movements, he pulled out a gun.

"No!" I shouted, struggling to move despite the pain.

Belladonna's laugh was a cruel melody.

"It's no use, Draven. You're powerless now,” she said.

Justin aimed the gun at Tobias, and my heart pounded in my chest, fear and rage mingling into a desperate fury.

I had to do something, anything to save him. But my body refused to respond, leaving me helpless as the nightmare unfolded before my eyes.

"Belladonna," I began, hating how weak I sounded. "Leave Tobias alone, please. I'll do whatever you want, just...don't hurt him."

"Wait," Belladonna told Justin, holding out a hand.

"No, I've had enough of Tobias and his dragon," Justin gritted out.

With a chilling determination, Justin raised the gun and fired, but Tobias moved at the last minute.

My heart raced with fear for my mate as Tobias tackled Justin to the ground.

In a blur of motion, Tobias had somehow managed to undo the ropes binding his hands together. The two tussled, struggling for control. Another shot went off, but it went wild.

Belladonna cursed, and I realized the bullet had hit her in the leg. This was my chance. Through our mate bond, I could taste Tobias' fear, but also his thirst to live.

My mate was fighting for his life, fighting for us. I couldn't let him outshine me. I reached for my dragon.

He was still there, shoved under layers of Belladonna's control spell.

"We can't let her control us or ruin our lives any longer," I thought, and he agreed.

I wouldn't lie; it hurt like hell, pulling him back to the surface. This must be what it felt like, being skinned alive. But slowly but surely, I could feel my other half awaken.

Belladonna raised her hand, and I watched in horror as she began casting a spell toward Tobias and Justin.

I couldn't complete a full transformation in time, but I managed to summon fire and aimed it at her.

Belladonna shrieked as the flames hit her arm, stopping her from finishing whatever dangerous spell she was casting.

As Belladonna's spell took hold of me, my body seized up, every muscle locked in place. I felt helpless, trapped within my own skin, unable to move or even speak.

The nauseating sensation swept over me, threatening to overwhelm my senses.

In that moment of despair, I heard Tobias's voice, cutting through the fog of fear that clouded my mind.

"Draven, snap out of it. You're stronger than you know.” Tobias's words were a lifeline, a reminder of the strength that lay within me.

But Belladonna's attention shifted to Tobias, dismissing me as a mere nuisance. In that moment, I felt a surge of desperation.

I couldn't let Belladonna harm Tobias, couldn't let her win.

Despite the overwhelming pain and fear, I summoned every ounce of willpower I possessed, pushing against the suffocating grip of Belladonna's magic.

I fought against the paralysis, refusing to succumb to defeat. My mate needed me, and I wouldn't let him down.

As Belladonna's spell hurtled towards Tobias, I reacted on instinct, darting in front of him to shield him from its deadly embrace.

The impact was like being plunged into an icy abyss, every nerve in my body screaming in protest against the bone-chilling cold that engulfed me.

I could feel the frost gnawing at my very essence, threatening to freeze me in place.

Tobias's panicked cry echoed in my ears as I sank to my knees, his arms wrapping around me in a desperate attempt to ward off the encroaching cold.

"You're so cold," Tobias whispered, his voice laced with fear and concern as he felt the chill emanating from my body.

"I'll get over it," I rasped out, my words strained as I struggled to push past the numbing cold that threatened to consume me.

Tobias's horrified gaze only spurred me on, igniting a new fire in me. Summoning every ounce of strength I had left, I turned my gaze towards Belladonna.

With her injured leg, she looked small and weak.

Opening my mouth, I conjured a ball of searing flame, the heat driving back the biting cold that had enveloped me moments before.

Belladonna's eyes widened in fear as she realized that her spells were no match against me. Not anymore. It was time to finish her off.

My muscles screamed in protest as I conjured another searing ball of flame, hurling it towards Belladonna's retreating form.

The fire struck her back with a satisfying impact, eliciting a pained grunt from the black witch.

But to my dismay, she didn't falter. Instead, she pressed on and frustration welled inside me.

"Dang it," I muttered under my breath.

My body trembled with exhaustion as I tried to summon more fire. But I felt drained, my energy reserves depleted from the fight.

"I can go after her," Tobias offered. "I still have enough strength to shift and hunt her down. She’s injured. I don’t think she’ll put up much of a fight."

I held him tighter, refusing to let him go. I couldn't risk losing Tobias again, not after coming so close to losing him once before.

"No need," I said, flicking my gaze upwards as I sensed a familiar presence approaching. "Zane's here."

Together, we looked up to see Zane, in his monstrous dragon form, soaring through the skies towards us.

Belladonna seemed to sense Zane’s arrival too, halting in her tracks and staring upwards with a mixture of defiance and fear.

"My kin will avenge me!" Belladonna shouted, but her words were drowned out by the roar of flames as Zane unleashed his fiery breath upon her.

She continued to laugh even as she burned, a chilling sight that sent shivers down my spine.

I held Tobias close, shielding him from the gruesome spectacle as Belladonna's laughter turned to screams.

I stroked Tobias's hair, offering what comfort I could as I watched the black witch finally meet her end.

"Is it finally over?" Tobias whispered.

He lifted his head from my chest.

"Yeah," I murmured, leaning in to kiss him tenderly. "It's over."