Page 71 of Draven

His heartbeat was strong and steady beneath my fingers, a comforting reminder of his presence and strength.

And the rune on his chest... was fading. My eyes widened. Draven grasped my fingers, kissed them, the tender gesture making my heart flutter.

"Up so early?" he asked.

I laughed. "It's almost noon."

"It is?" Draven gave me a sheepish look.

Today, Draven had volunteered to finish packing the rest of our stuff. Meanwhile, I was planning on meeting Lucinda for lunch.

"Hey, did you know the mark on your chest is almost gone?" I asked.

"It is?" Draven looked down in surprise, then traced the fading lines on his chest in wonder.

"Yeah," I said, my fingers following the lines of the mark. "It’s almost completely faded."

Draven's eyes met mine, a mixture of curiosity and concern in them. "I wonder what that means."

"I don't know," I admitted. “Do you think it’s because we’re now mated and Belladonna has less sway on you?”

“That’s a wonderful thought,” Draven murmured, leaning over to give me a kiss.

His lips were warm and reassuring, grounding me in the moment. When he pulled back, his eyes were softer.

"Maybe our bond is stronger than her curse,” Driven said.

"Maybe," I said, feeling a surge of optimism. "If our bond can weaken her magic, then we might have a real chance against her."

Draven nodded. “That sounds promising.”

We lingered in bed for a moment, savouring the moment. Then, with a final kiss, we got up to face the day.

Draven headed off to finish packing while I prepared to meet Lucinda.

As I dressed, I couldn't help but feel hopeful for the first time since finding out about Belladonna.

I met Lucinda during her lunch break at a cafe in town. Today, I took my car.

As I got out, I felt that strange sensation of being watched again.

I hadn't had that feeling since the time in the woods when I discovered Draven was a dragon shifter.

I never told Draven about the incident because it felt silly. I looked around the street, but there was nothing suspicious, just people going about their everyday business.

I rubbed the goosebumps on my arm, then heard Lucinda calling my name from inside the cafe.

Dismissing the strange feeling, I headed inside.

Lucinda seemed mildly surprised when I hugged her, but she hugged me back and gave me a pat.

"You're looking better than I imagined," she said.

We ordered drinks and shared a BLT sandwich and a muffin before taking our seats at a nearby table.

"So," Lucinda began, taking a sip of her iced coffee, "what's been going on with you?”

"It's... complicated. Things have been intense lately,” I admitted.