7. Tobias

CHAPTER SEVEN

TOBIAS

The sheriff never once glanced up from his notepad, his eyes distant.

I knew he wasn't really paying attention to me, just nodding along as I explained what happened to my car.

He moved his pen absently across the paper, leaving idle doodles in its wake.

It was clear to me that I was just another item on his to-do list, another report to file away and forget about.

“That’s everything,” I said, feeling deflated.

The sheriff finally looked up from his doodles, offering me a polite nod.

"Thanks for coming in, Tobias. We'll look into it and give you a call if there's any update," he said, his voice lacking any real conviction.

I nodded in return, trying to muster a grateful smile despite my disappointment.

Resigned, I turned to leave the office. What a complete waste of my time but I supposed it had to be done.

I stepped out of the sheriff's office and I caught sight of Draven waiting for me, and a smile instantly tugged at my lips.

It was like a ray of sunshine on an otherwise cloudy day. Draven wore a concerned expression as he approached me, probably noticing my disappointed face.

That was one of my faults—I always wore my emotions on my sleeve.

"How did it go?" he asked.

I recounted my conversation with the sheriff, expressing my doubts about any real progress. Anger flashed in Draven's eyes.

"Because Justin Moore's the mayor's son?" Draven asked.

I blinked in surprise.

"Tim mentioned it," he explained.

"Oh, right. Thank you for contacting Tim to bring in my car," I replied, feeling a wave of relief wash over me.

"Not a problem,” Draven said. I was relieved to see the intensity in his gaze fading a little. "Let's grab lunch. How about that sandwich shop nearby?"

"Sounds good to me! They make some killer sandwiches there,” I replied.

"Perfect. Let's head over,” I said.

The thought of riding on Draven's motorcycle again filled me with excitement as we headed to the store.

As expected, it was crowded when we arrived, bustling with people eager for their midday meal.

Draven assured me he'd find us a table while I volunteered to brave the queue and place our order.

Then I remembered I hadn’t asked him what he wanted.

"Hey, Draven, what kind of sandwich do you like?" I asked.

"Hmm, I'm not picky. Surprise me,” he answered.

"Got it. I'll order something tasty for us,” I told him.

As I waited in line, I stole a glance over my shoulder to check on Draven.

To my surprise, he had already secured a table, but what caught my attention more was the space people were deliberately leaving around him.

Draven scowled, clearly discomforted, and yet there was also something adorable about his demeanour. Eventually, I got our food.

"Hope you're hungry,” I said, sliding into the seat opposite his and setting the tray on the table.

"Thanks, Tobias,” he said, grabbing the BLT sandwich on the tray.

"Looks like people are giving you some extra room,” I joked, hoping to lighten the mood.

Draven sighed. "Yeah, seems like it."

"Don't worry about it. Let's enjoy our lunch,” I told him.

Draven turned his gaze fully to me, and my heart skipped a beat at the intensity of his gaze. It felt like we were the only ones there.

We couldn't talk much over the din.

I stole glances at him whenever I could, still unable to believe that a gorgeous guy like Draven was interested in me.

“Do you have to return to work soon?” Draven asked.

I was tempted to say no, just to spend more time with him. I shook my head in answer.

“Why don’t we walk in the nearby park?” Draven asked.

“Sounds good to me,” I said.

As we strolled through the park, the cool breeze playing with our hair, I found myself reaching for Draven's hand almost instinctively.

To my relief, he didn't pull away. Instead, his fingers intertwined with mine, fitting together as if they were always meant to be.

"I wasn't having a good day, especially after I gave my report to the sheriff, but seeing you standing there made me happy," I confessed, wondering if I was oversharing.

Draven gave my hand a gentle squeeze. "Yeah? I did wonder if seeing me again so soon was... too much," he admitted.

"It wasn't," I reassured him.

"Oh, I forgot to mention, but Tim said we could pick your car up in a few days," Draven said.

I couldn't help but smile at the way he included himself in my plans without hesitation.

Could I call him my…boyfriend now? I knew we only met yesterday but being with Draven felt so right. So perfect.

“I also informed my lead alpha that I'll be staying here in Red Vine a little longer," Draven told me.

"Really? How did he react? Was he mad?" I asked.

"More concerned than mad," Draven admitted.

He released my hand and ran his fingers through his hair, looking a little frustrated.

"Concerned...about you and your control issues?" I asked.

To be honest, I did feel like I was worried about nothing. True, Draven's behavior last night frightened me a little.

For a moment there, all hell was about to break loose, but he did manage to reel in his temper before anything happened.

"That and...an old enemy is looking for me," Draven admitted.

"An enemy?" I looked at him in alarm.

Draven touched my cheek, and I couldn't help but lean into his touch like a needy puppy.

I ought to be more ashamed of myself, but I wasn’t. Draven’s hand felt so big and warm.

"Yeah, there's so much I want to tell you, but I haven't talked about what happened to me other than Zane, my lead alpha," Draven admitted.

I felt a little disappointed, but the haunted look in Draven's eyes gave him pause.

"Is this enemy the reason why your control is shaky?" I asked.

Draven nodded. "This enemy, is he or she dangerous?" I asked.

"Absolutely, but Belladonna Payne is thousands of miles away," Draven said with a shudder.

It struck me that he was scared. I never thought I'd ever see that. Draven seemed invincible to me.

I felt his massive aura and knew Draven was no pushover, so what kind of creature was this Belladonna? Some kind of special shifter?

"She's not a shifter," Draven confirmed. I flushed, realizing I said my thoughts out loud.

Draven fell silent for a few moments, and I didn't quite like how distant his eyes seemed. I immediately reached for his hand.

"Hey," I whispered, "don't go to a place I can't follow, okay?"

I already suspected that being with Draven came with its own set of complications.

Now, I started to wonder if I was really in way over my head. I gave his hand a squeeze, and Draven looked at me.

"A black witch," Draven said.

At first, I wondered if I had imagined the words, but Draven looked steadily at me, once more waiting... waiting for me to reject him.

"Black witches don't exist; they're only in fairytales told to shifter kids to behave," I said, suddenly unsure.

"Your lunch break's over. Let me walk you back to the library," Draven said, abruptly changing the topic.

I had so many questions to ask him, but Draven looked guarded, no longer in the mood to talk.

Whatever this Belladonna did to him, it had traumatized him to the point where his animal half was growing unstable.

Now wasn't the time to push, and I had a feeling that if I pushed him too much, I might lose him. That much was certain.

So, I only nodded. We walked to the library and talked about more pleasant things.

"I'll uh, text or call you later?" I said once Draven dropped me off at the library.

I was supposed to be manning the desk, but thankfully, Mrs. Moore was there.

Once again, I wondered if I was being too needy, too pushy, too much overall. But Draven only flashed me a small smile.

"I'm looking forward to your call," Draven said.

He paused, then leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on my cheek, sending a shiver down my spine.

I watched his retreating back for a few seconds, feeling a warmth spread through me.

"I didn't realize you had a boyfriend, Tobias," Mrs. Moore remarked, breaking the silence. “Congratulations.”

I flushed, turning to her. She adjusted her horn-rimmed glasses on her nose and gazed at Draven thoughtfully.

"What an...interesting choice," she murmured.

Mrs. Moore was one of the few witches living in town, so she probably knew Draven was a shifter like me.

"Yeah, you don't meet an alligator shifter often," I joked, trying to ease the tension.

However, Mrs. Moore's expression remained serious.

"Alligator?" she repeated, her tone indicating she knew more than she let on.

It seemed she had more to say, but eventually, she sighed.

"Well, your relationship is none of my business, but Tobias... be careful with that one. I'm quite fond of you." Her words caught me off guard.

Despite working together for two years, Mrs. Moore had always been cordial and professional, but we weren't exactly close.

Her warning left me feeling uneasy, wondering what she knew that I didn't. Still, a sudden idea struck me.

Draven's confession earlier had left me curious about the existence of black witches.

"Mrs. Moore," I began.

"Lucinda," she gently corrected. "We've been working together for a good while now. I feel you should call me by my first name."

"Lucinda," I began again, feeling a bit hesitant. "We've been working together for a while now. I feel like we should know more about each other. Are you still a practicing witch?"

Most of the paranormal groups in town kept to themselves, so I felt a little awkward bringing this up.

"Indeed," she replied with a small smile.

"Well... I was wondering what kind of witch you are, and are there other kinds of witches?" I asked, trying to sound casual.

"What's this really about, Tobias?" she questioned, her eyes narrowing slightly.

"Well..." I hesitated, debating how much I should reveal.

Draven had mentioned he'd only been comfortable enough to share what happened to him with his lead alpha.

He wasn't even ready to tell me the full story, yet I felt like I needed more information.

"A friend of mine made an enemy of a witch," I began.

"Your 'alligator' shifter friend?" Lucinda asked, placing special emphasis on the word 'alligator'.

It struck me as odd, especially considering Draven's amused reaction when I brought it up last night.

"Well, crossing a witch is always a bad idea," Lucinda said. "Even a white witch like me and my coven. There are three kinds, in case you're wondering: white witches who practice earth and healing magic, gray witches who dabble on occasion with the unsavory arts, and..."

She trailed off, her expression uncertain.

"Black witches? Do they exist?" I asked, feeling a bead of sweat form on my brow.

"They no longer do. The last family of black witches, the Paynes, were hunted down a century ago by a group of shifters," she said matter-of-factly.

"I'm sorry," I blurted out, feeling a pang of sympathy.

"Don't be," Lucinda said, giving me a sharp look. "The world is better off without their kind. They're a plague on this earth."

"This friend of yours," Lucinda began, her gaze piercing. "I sense you haven't told me the full story."

I shifted uncomfortably under her scrutiny.

"I was just curious, that's all. I think he pissed off a white witch, come to think of it. Ahem." I cleared my throat, feeling the need to change the subject. "Let's go back to work."

Lucinda gave me a skeptical look, but thankfully didn't pry any further. I breathed a sigh of relief as we returned to our tasks.