Page 15 of Draven

"Is something wrong? Are you allergic to anything?" I asked, concerned.

"No, it's just... I thought you left. That I was just a one-night stand to you," Tobias admitted. "I know. Horrible thought."

"Tobias, you have no idea how special you are to me," I said.

I sat next to him, acutely aware of how close we were. He smelled so good.

His scent wrapped around me like a blanket, and the lingering ache in my chest disappeared.

Maybe, just maybe, Tobias could be my cure.

Tobias froze, eyes wide. He was partly terrified; I could smell his fear. But underneath that, there was something else. Eager anticipation.

I lifted his chin with two fingers, gazing at him. Tobias swallowed, and I wondered how I was looking at him. Hungrily perhaps?

Because I certainly wanted to devour all of him. If I had to be honest with myself, I didn't want to leave yet. Leave him.

Tobias looked at me with those mesmerizing blue eyes, waiting for an explanation.

Something told me fate nudged Tobias in my direction for a reason, and it was bad luck to ignore fate.

My father believed that, and so did I.

"Last night, something came up," I admitted, breaking the tense silence. "So I left to get some air."

"But you came back," Tobias whispered, his voice barely audible over the racing of my heart.

"I did. The thought of leaving you...it kills me," I said.

"Draven," Tobias ventured, his voice trembling with uncertainty. "Are you...going to kiss me? Because you're sending me all these confusing signals and I--"

I didn't let Tobias finish. Without hesitation, I closed in and plundered his mouth.

Tobias hungrily kissed me back. The world seemed to fade away and a spark ignited between us, setting every single nerve ending ablaze.

Gripping his shoulders, I deepened the kiss and Tobias eagerly sucked on my tongue.

When I pulled away, I couldn't help but notice the way Tobias's eyes were dilated with desire, mirroring the intensity of my own.

We were both panting slightly, caught up in the whirlwind of emotions that surged between us.

In that moment, everything became clear.

That kiss helped me make up my mind. Leaving was no longer an option.

Despite the lingering witch mark making my dragon unstable, Tobias seemed to be the solution to all my problems.

With him by my side, I felt a sense of calm wash over me.

"Tobias," I said. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Now I just needed to find a suitable excuse to tell Zane that I wasn’t planning on returning to Sky Stead any time soon.

CHAPTER FIVE

TOBIAS

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