Page 20 of Draven

I approached the trailer, my heart sank at the sight of my brother's latest fling stumbling out, completely disregarding my presence.

"Call me later, Tom!" the omega called out, his attention elsewhere as if I were invisible.

With a heavy sigh, I stepped inside, greeted by the familiar mess that seemed to define my brother's lifestyle.

A wave of frustration washed over me as I began to pick up after him once again.

It was exhausting, this constant cycle of cleaning up his messes, but I couldn't seem to break free from it. Tom came out of the bathroom.

"I didn't hear you come in last night," Tom remarked.

I didn't have time to indulge in conversation, I was already running late. I shoved my way past Tom without answering his question.

As I hurriedly showered and dressed, I thought about my car, my upcoming pointless trip to the sheriff’s office and about Draven.

I found Tom in the dining area, a cup of coffee in hand.

Surprisingly, there was another cup waiting for me, a peace offering, perhaps.

I accepted it with a nod of thanks, but the bitter taste made me wince. It was a reminder of why I usually took charge of making coffee in the mornings.

“There’s an alpha’s scent lingering on you.” Tom's remark caught me off guard.

I shot him a glare, not appreciating his intrusion into my personal affairs.

We may have had each other's backs when it mattered, but that didn't mean he had the right to pry into my love life.

"Why is that any of your business?" I retorted, my tone sharper than I intended.

Tom raised his hands defensively, trying to diffuse the tension.

"It was just a simple observation," he replied, but I could sense there was more to it.

I hastily finished my coffee, the bitterness now a welcome distraction from the awkward conversation.

I thought that would be the end of it but Tom apparently had more to say.

"Tobias, of course you can date whoever you want, but... just be careful, okay? It's my job to look after you,” Tom said.

His concern was unexpected, and for a moment, I softened. But then frustration bubbled up inside me.

"So far, our roles have been reversed, don't you think?" I snapped, immediately regretting my harsh words as I saw hurt flash across Tom's face.

"Sorry, it's been an awful morning," I muttered, pulling out a chair.

Tom looked at me intently, waiting for an explanation. I took a deep breath, trying to gather my thoughts before telling him about my car.

I briefly mentioned Draven as well, but only told him what he needed to know.

“Are you sure it was Justin and his pals?” Tom asked.

"Yeah, it's them,” I confirmed, frustrated.

Tom furrowed his brows in concern as he processed the information.

"I hate to break it to you, bro, but nothing would come out of this," Tom finally said.

"Don't you think I know that?" I muttered angrily. "But I promised Draven I'll report this. Otherwise, he'd..."