Page 16 of Draven

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.