5. Tobias

CHAPTER FIVE

TOBIAS

Draven's admission hung in the air between us, sending my heart into a frenzied rhythm.

Was he implying what I thought he was? That Draven was staying because he felt the same magnetic pull I did?

The mere thought sent a surge of exhilaration coursing through my veins. It seemed too good to be true, like something out of a fairy tale or a romance novel.

But as I stole glances at him, the warmth in his eyes and the curve of his smile seemed to confirm what my heart already knew.

Grinning, I eagerly dug into the breakfast Draven had brought back. My thoughts then drifted back to his earlier words.

"You mentioned something came up. Was there... trouble at home?" I ventured, the question slipping out before I could stop myself.

It occurred to me then that I didn't know much about Draven beyond the surface.

Given that we had just met, it was understandable, but a part of me was curious to learn more about him.

Draven took a deep breath and I wondered if I was being too pushy.

"You don't owe me any explanations," I said quickly. "But if you're comfortable sharing, I'm here to listen."

He seemed to consider my words for a moment before finally speaking.

"My dad and I mostly kept to ourselves," he began. "Even after he died, I only left the cabin where I grew up to get supplies in town."

I listened intently, feeling a pang of empathy for the solitude he must have endured all those years.

But then his next words caught me off guard. "But due to some recent events... I joined a pack,” Draven admitted.

Draven was silent for a few minutes. I sensed there was more to the story, more that he wasn't ready to share just yet. And that was okay.

For now, all that mattered was that he was here, sitting across from me, sharing breakfast and a piece of himself with me.

In that moment, that was enough, or so I thought.

"Tobias, you deserve to know the truth," Draven finally said. "I'm not exactly stable at the moment. That's why I joined a pack."

His admission left me reeling, my mind racing with questions and concerns.

But before I could voice them, he reached out for my hands, and I found myself instinctively intertwining my fingers with his.

His touch was wonderfully warm, sending a jolt of electricity coursing through me.

Draven's expression shifted, a flicker of guilt clouding his features as he pulled back slightly.

"Watching you sleep last night... it woke my sleeping beast," he confessed, his voice barely above a whisper. "I called my lead alpha for advice. He told me to take some time off, to unleash my inner animal until it calms down."

His words alarmed me a little. A little voice in my head was telling me to run, to run now.

Sometimes, there were stories about feral shifters on the news—shifters who lost control of their other half and often went on a rampage, killing former friends and loved ones.

This was just great. I finally thought I had found a man, an alpha who saw through me and accepted me for all my flaws, and he turned out to be... what exactly?

I took a deep breath, and shoved aside the fear that threatened to overwhelm me.

My dad didn’t raise a coward. Even my inner wolf seemed to understand that if I ran away now, I would regret it for the rest of my life.

I couldn't turn my back on Draven, not now. As Draven gazed at me, silently bracing himself for my reaction.

Knowing I had the power to hurt him, didn’t sit well with me at all.

Reaching out, I gently cupped his face in my hands, drawing him closer until our eyes met.

"Draven, thank you for being open with me. It couldn’t have been easy, laying your soul bare to a stranger you just met,” I said, my thumb tracing soft circles on his cheek.

Draven rested his hand over mine, his touch sending a shiver down my spine. With a tender gesture, he leaned forward, pressing his lips against my forehead.

He closed his eyes, and in that moment, he seemed utterly at peace.

"You're not a stranger," Draven whispered, his voice barely a breath.

My heart fluttered at his words, hoping for more but he left it at that.

“There's more, but I've hit my limit today when it comes to sharing," Draven said, opening his eyes to meet mine.

"That's fine with me," I replied, although a small part of me was still second-guessing my decision.

"I hope you don't regret this, Tobias," Draven said. "I'm...a mess right now, but I won’t be like this forever.”

"Well, who am I to judge? I'm not exactly perfect either," I said, offering him a reassuring smile.

My phone beeped, signaling the end of our precious moment.

"I need to head home, change, and head to work," I grumbled.

I momentarily debated taking the day off and offering to show Draven around town, but before I could speak, Draven spoke.

"I'll take you home,” he offered.

It then just occurred to me that I left my car parked at the roadhouse the night before. I groaned.

"What's wrong?" Draven asked, watching me with concern evident in his eyes.

"Uh, my car. I left it at the roadhouse," I said rather sheepishly, feeling a flush creeping up my neck.

"Then, shall we get it first?" Draven suggested.

I brightened up at that. "You don't mind?" I asked, pleasantly surprised.

"I have all the time in the world," he responded.

As Draven stopped the motorcycle, my heart sank when I saw the state of my car.

It was surrounded by shattered glass from the broken windows, with graffiti sprayed across its once pristine surface.

The tires were flat, slashed with deep cuts, and there were scratches and dents all over the body.

My stomach churned with anger and frustration. How could someone do this?

I felt a wave of embarrassment wash over me as Draven took in the scene.

I had brought him here to retrieve my car, expecting a simple errand, but now he was faced with this mess.

I couldn't help but feel ashamed that he had to witness the aftermath of such senseless destruction.

As I stepped closer to assess the damage, I couldn't bring myself to meet Draven's gaze.

A sickening realization dawned on me. Justin and his friends. It had to be them.

Their mocking gazes from the night before flashed through my mind.

Anger boiled inside me, hot and fierce. How could they do this? High school was ages ago. Shouldn’t Justin have moved on by now?

Vandalizing my car—it was a cruel and cowardly act. I clenched my fists, my knuckles turning white with the force of my anger.

My inner wolf growled inside me, equally pissed.

Draven must have sensed my turmoil because he placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder, grounding me with his touch.

I looked up at him, meeting his gaze, and was taken aback by the intensity burning in his golden eyes.

It was a rage so palpable, so raw, that it sent shivers down my spine.

His aura, usually calm and composed, now pulsed out with unbridled fury, crackling with energy that seemed barely contained.

I remembered his confession about his struggles with control. That was the reason he joined a pack.

Taking a step back, I tried to remain calm, reminding myself that adding fuel to the fire would only escalate the situation further.

With a deep breath, I forced myself to calm down. I couldn't let Justin and his friends get to me.

I would deal with this, but first, I had to calm Draven down. I reached for his hands.

"Draven," I said softly. "It’s okay--"

"This is not okay," Draven interjected. "Those humans deserve to burn."

The vehemence in his voice made me pause, made me a little wary of him.

All of a sudden, I wondered if I was too foolish, too naive earlier. What did I really know about shifters with control issues?

Was I way over my head with Draven?

"Don't give up on him, on our mate," my wolf whispered.

I jolted at those words. Mate. Such a frightening word. Draven gripped my shoulders, and I realized I was trembling.

Draven tightened his grip on my shoulders and I felt the tremors coursing through my body slowly begin to subside.

His touch, though firm, carried an unmistakable gentleness and my doubts about him faded a little.

"I'm sorry," Draven said, his voice softer now, tinged with a hint of guilt.

His golden eyes were filled with obvious regret and remorse.

Slowly, his grip loosened, his hands falling away from my shoulders as he took a step back, giving me space.

I watched as Draven visibly composed himself, his shoulders relaxing, the tension in his jaw easing.

It was as though he was pulling himself back from the brink, reining in the violent instincts that had threatened to overwhelm him.

Taking a deep breath, Draven closed his eyes briefly before meeting my gaze once more.

"I didn't mean to scare you," he said. "I let my anger get the best of me."

"It's okay," I reassured him, reaching out to gently touch his arm. "We all have moments when our emotions get the better of us."

Draven nodded, and he blew out a breath.

"I'll try to do better,” he said.

I smiled back, relieved to see him regain his composure.

"Look, I'll report this to the police," I said.

Draven gave me a skeptical look, and I flashed him a reassuring smile. I couldn't bring myself to tell him that going to the sheriff's office would be completely pointless.

Justin had gotten away with worse, and his father always bailed him out of trouble.

Still, I didn't want Draven getting himself and me in trouble because of this.

"I still need to head home and change for work. I'll go to the station during lunch break. Can you give me a ride?" I asked.

Alpha shifters had a hard time saying no to requests, I recalled.

Draven nodded. "I can do that," he said. He hesitated. "Maybe I can help. I'll call a service to tow your car."

I was about to refuse, then realized the task might keep Draven occupied.

"Thanks, that would tick off one task from my list," I said.

We got back on Draven's motorcycle. The ride back to the trailer park was a silent one, save for me giving directions.

Things were going so well earlier. Just a short while ago, everything felt perfect—Draven and I were connecting, getting to know each other better.

But Justin's senseless act of vandalism had shattered that peaceful bubble, leaving me feeling frustrated and disheartened.

The roar of the motorcycle engine drowned out the thoughts racing through my mind.

I glanced sideways at Draven, noting the tense set of his jaw and the tight grip on the handlebars.

He seemed lost in his own thoughts, his golden eyes focused on the road ahead. I couldn't help but wonder what he was thinking.

He was probably felt guilty for losing control earlier. Did he regret revealing that side of himself to me?

Or was he simply angry—at Justin, and by extension, himself?

As we neared the trailer park, I wrestled with my own conflicting emotions.

Part of me wanted to confront Justin, to demand an explanation for his actions and hold him accountable for the damage he'd caused.

But another part of me feared the repercussions, worried that escalating the situation would only make things worse.

In the end, I decided to focus on what I could control—reporting the incident to the police and getting my car fixed.

After that? I could just focus on getting to know Draven better.