21. Tobias/ Draven

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

TOBIAS/ DRAVEN

TOBIAS

Draven remained conscious just long enough to see Zane land near us, his massive dragon form shifting seamlessly into his human one.

Zane immediately came over to check on us, but his main focus was on Draven. He looked concerned..

"He doesn't look too good," I pointed out, worry gnawing at me as I took in Draven's condition.

He was battered, bruised, and bleeding, barely able to stand on his own. His eyes were half-closed, and he was fighting to remain conscious.

"He'll be right as rain," Zane assured me, although I wondered if he only said that to make me feel better.

I looked at Draven, my heart aching. Even in his weakened state, he looked formidable, fierce and mine.

He leaned against Zane, covered in cuts and bruises. Blood trickled from a gash on his forehead, and he was struggling to breathe evenly.

Despite his condition, he managed to flash me a reassuring smile.

"Draven, please, hang in there," I whispered, my voice cracking with emotion.

I could feel tears stinging my eyes, but I blinked them back. This wasn't the time to fall apart.

Draven reached out to gently touch my face.

"I'm not going anywhere, Tobias," he said. "I promised you forever, remember?"

I bit my lower lip, trying to hold back a sob. "You better keep that promise," I said.

Zane placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder.

"He’s stronger than he looks. He’ll pull through this," Zane said firmly.

Draven moved towards me and tugged me possessively close. I couldn't help but feel a surge of hope. His heartbeat was weak but steady.

The warmth of his body against mine was a comfort, grounding me in this moment.

"We'll get through this," I whispered, pressing a gentle kiss to his mouth.

Draven’s eyes fluttered open, and he gazed at me with an intensity that made my heart skip a beat.

“We will,” he replied, his voice stronger this time.

Zane nodded, satisfied. "Let's get him somewhere safe," he said, helping to support Draven’s weight.

Then I remembered Justin. I looked for my former bully, who was still lying unconscious on the ground.

I was tempted to leave him there, especially after all the damage he'd caused. We'd traded a few words while we were waiting for Draven.

It turned out that after Draven burned his Lamborghini, Justin had gone to his father, asking him to hire a paranormal assassin to deal with Draven.

The mayor refused, and Justin resorted to looking for one on his own through the dark web. That was how one of Belladonna's people found him.

From his ramblings, I gathered that he and Belladonna met up in person... and after that one meeting, he was her creature.

I made a mental note to call Lucinda. She'd find a way to retrieve Justin and return him to his father.

A mix of pity and anger swirled inside me as I continued staring at Justin. He had been manipulated, yes, but he had also made his choices.

As much as I wanted to leave him to his fate, I knew it wasn't right. Lucinda would know what to do. She always did.

“Tobias? You know that human?” Zane asked me.

“Yeah, but someone else will take care of him,” I answered.

As we began to move, I looked up and saw the first light of dawn breaking over the horizon. I couldn’t help but think it felt like a promise of a new beginning.

It turned out it wasn't just Zane who had flown to Raven Port to back us up.

Not far from Draven's old cabin was Doyle, waiting in his truck. As soon as he saw us, he hurried over and took over supporting Draven's weight.

"I'll see you three in Sky Stead," Zane said, glancing at me.

I was about to open my mouth, but he beat me to it.

"I won't take any chances. Draven is hurt," Zane said. "I understand your witch friend might be willing to help, but as a member of my pack, it's my responsibility to keep a close eye on Draven until he's recovered."

I cleared my throat. "I was just about to say, I'm looking forward to seeing your town,” I said.

Zane smiled at me then, a rare expression that softened his otherwise stern features.

Then he parted from our group, preparing to take to the skies once more.Doyle took out his first aid kit, and I insisted on patching up my mate. Doyle let me.

I carefully tended to Draven's wounds, cleaning and bandaging each one with care.

Soon enough, we had Draven bundled up and snoozing in the back seat. Hearing his snores made me smile because it was a sign he was alive and going to get better.

I remembered to give Lucinda a call. Our conversation was brief.

"We'll make sure Justin’s returned to his father. He probably won’t remember anything. And as for Belladonna, we'll handle any remnants of her presence,” Lucinda said.

"Thanks, Lucinda," I said, feeling a weight lift off my shoulders. "I appreciate it."

"Anytime, Tobias," she replied warmly. "Take care of yourself and that mate of yours. You've both been through enough."

With that, we ended the call. I felt a sense of closure starting to settle in.

As Doyle drove, I gazed out the truck window, seeing Zane's massive outline against the night sky.

I had a feeling he wasn't going to let us out of his sight until we arrived at Sky Stead. That gave me a measure of relief.

With Draven in this injured state and Doyle still recovering, we had no chance of winning a fight if more of Belladonna's kin appeared, but I doubted it.

I looked over at Doyle, who was focused on the road but glanced my way with a reassuring nod.

"We'll make it," he said, his voice steady. "Draven’s tough. He’ll pull through this."

"I know," I replied, squeezing Draven's hand gently. "He's stronger than anyone I've ever known."

Doyle smiled faintly. "And he's lucky to have you."

As we continued our journey, the tension in my chest began to ease. I leaned back, closing my eyes for a moment, letting the rhythm of the road lull me into a state of calm.

Zane's silhouette was still visible in the distance, a silent guardian watching over us from the skies.

Belladonna Payne was truly gone, reduced to ashes, but the threat of more of her kin coming after us lingered in the back of my mind.

It was another problem for another day, I thought, feeling an overwhelming wave of exhaustion wash over me.

The adrenaline that had kept me going was now fading, leaving me drained and weary.

“Take a nap, Tobias. I’ll wake you once we’re there,” Doyle said.

The offer was too tempting to resist, and I knew I needed the rest.

I nodded, giving him a small, grateful smile. "Thanks, Doyle."

I leaned back in my seat, my eyes closing almost immediately.

As I drifted into sleep, I felt a sense of peace I hadn’t experienced in a long time. We had survived the worst, and in Sky Stead, we could heal and rebuild.

DRAVEN

I woke up feeling groggy, like I had slept for a week. As I sat up, I felt a pang of disorientation.

The bed was familiar—Tobias’ bed—but something was off. The furniture in the bedroom looked like Tobias’ but the room was much bigger than his usual bedroom.

“Tobias?” I called out, my voice raspy.

Seconds later, I heard hurried footsteps. Tobias appeared in the doorway, and all my worries eased.

He broke into a huge smile, a smile that never failed to warm my heart. Without hesitation, he flung himself towards me, and I easily caught him.

A soft grunt escaped my lips from the impact, but it didn’t matter. All that mattered was that Tobias was safe, and he was here with me.

“Draven,” he whispered, wrapping his arms tightly around me.

“Tobias,” I replied, relieved.

I held him close, feeling his warmth seep into me, melting away the residual coldness from Belladonna’s spell.

He pulled back slightly to look at me, his eyes shining with unshed tears.

“I was so worried. I thought I’d lost you,” he said. “You were asleep for three whole days.”

“I’m here,” I said, cupping his face gently. “And I’m not going anywhere.”

We stayed like that for a moment, just holding each other. It felt like the world had narrowed down to just the two of us.

Belladonna was really gone. That finally sunk in. For the first time in a long while, I felt at peace, with myself and my dragon.

“This room,” I said, glancing around. “Where are we?”

“Sky Stead,” Tobias explained. “Zane and the others brought us here. They thought it would be safer. This house is one of Zane’s properties. He said we could stay here until we get back on our feet.”

I nodded, taking in the larger space. “It’s nice.”

Tobias laughed softly. “Yeah, I figured you’d like it,” he said.

I sank deeper into the soft pillows, relishing the warmth of Tobias beside me.

"Bruce's town council meeting," I murmured, the memory flickering through my mind like a distant echo.

"Yeah, you don't need to worry about that," Tobias replied, snuggling closer, his head resting comfortably on my shoulder.

"Oh?" I intertwined my fingers with Tobias's, seeking the comfort of my mate’s touch.

“I’ll get to that in a bit,” Tobias said.

"Zane, Doyle, and I took turns watching over you. And when I wasn't by your side, they showed me around town. Introduced me to some of the folks here." His voice grew animated with excitement. "I've decided, Draven. I want to stay here."

My heart swelled with emotion, a mix of surprise and joy.

"You sure?" I asked, gazing into Tobias's eyes, searching for certainty.

Tobias's expression was resolute.

"Absolutely. I've met Otis, Zane's mate, and their kids. Everyone in your pack has been so welcoming. We can be a part of something amazing here,” he said.

"And what about your job back in Red Vine?” I had to ask.

Tobias's grin widened. "Well, there's an opening at the library here, and I applied. Zane seems pretty confident I'll get it. They've been searching for a librarian for months,” he said.

“Have you told Tom and Lucinda?” I asked.

Tobias nodded. “I had a long conversation with the two of them, as well as a quick one with Bruce. Bruce seems relieved we’ve decided to move to Sky Stead. Convincing Tom took awhile, but I’ve invited him here, as well as Lucinda.”

I chuckled softly. I didn’t need to worry about my mate at all. It seemed he had everything sorted out while I was unconscious.

“You're jumping into this with both feet, aren't you?" I teased.

Tobias shrugged, his gaze softening with affection. "When you find a place where you belong, you hold onto it, right?"

My heart swelled with warmth, overwhelmed by the love and certainty in Tobias's words.

"Right," I agreed, pulling Tobias closer, savoring the sweet moment.

Tobias leaned back to kiss me, a soft, lingering kiss that promised better days ahead.

“I love you, Draven,” he whispered against my lips.

“I love you too, Tobias,” I murmured back, feeling a sense of completeness I had never known before. “Always.”

THE END

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