Page 1 of Draven

CHAPTER ONE

TOBIAS

Mrs. Moore,the senior librarian, approached me and asked, "Tobias, could you handle locking up today?"

I nodded without hesitation. It wasn't a chore; in fact, it was a routine I relished. There was something soothing about the quiet hum of the library at night.

I took my time, moving through the aisles and returning each book to its rightful place on the shelves. I also gently nudged the few remaining readers towards the exit.

It was my second year, being a junior librarian and I loved my job. Alone in the empty library, reality crept back in.

Home awaited, a cramped trailer shared with my brother, Tom. The memory of our heated exchange from the night before lingered in my mind.

I'd only asked Tom if he managed to pay this month’s electricity bill. No surprise it turned into a full-blown fight in minutes.

Maybe I should have waited for the morning, when Tom was sober. Since he lost his job at the factory, he’d been coming home drunk.

With a heavy sigh, I turned the key in the lock, sealing the library's embrace for the night.

Outside, the cool night air greeted me as I made my way to the car. Behind the wheel, I sat for a moment. Dread twisted my insides into knots.

I could do the usual routine, grab some greasy grub at my favorite diner. Or maybe, just maybe, I could break the monotony for once and swing by the bar next door.

Who knew? Perhaps fate would decide to throw me a bone, and some handsome alpha shifter would saunter over and buy me a drink.

My inner beast scoffed at the notion, reminding me how unlucky I was in the relationship department.

Tom had always been the golden boy, the one everyone adored. He had it all—charm, athleticism, popularity.

Meanwhile, I was his socially awkward, geeky younger brother, the one everyone conveniently forgot existed.

"High school's over," I muttered to myself, trying to shake off old insecurities.

Still, in a small town like Red Vine, where everyone knew everyone else's business, the chances of stumbling upon a single gay alpha shifter were slim to none.

With a resigned sigh, I turned the key in the ignition and headed to the nearest diner.

The plan was simple: hit the drive-through, grab some grub, and retreat to the solitude of home.

A night of binge-watching my favorite TV shows seemed like the perfect end to the day.

But just as I was about to place my order, a text from Tom flashed across my screen. He was bringing company home.

I groaned, because the walls of the trailer were thin and I could hear every sound from his room.

The trailer—a gift from our omega dad, who had raised us on his own after our alpha dad left—had become my home after he passed away.

In his will, our omega dad had bequeathed the trailer to me, but I never imagined it would become a permanent residence for Tom as well.

Originally, Tom had his own place in town, but after losing his job, he found himself knocking on my door, asking for shelter.

I couldn't turn him away, not after everything Dad had done for us. I expected it to be temporary, a few weeks, maybe a month at most.

Yet, here we were, almost half a year later, and Tom still hadn't found a new job.

As I walked into the diner, the familiar scent of comfort food enveloped me. Lucy, my favorite waitress, greeted me with a warm smile as she ushered me to my usual booth.

"The usual, Tobias?" she asked.