Page 8 of Draven

Tobias halted, then cleared his throat awkwardly. "Not that that's an incentive, of course."

"Will you show me the way to the Moonlight Inn?" I asked, trying to hide my eagerness.

Tobias looked at me blankly for a moment, clearly puzzled by my request.

It occurred to me that I could easily find the inn with the help of my phone's location app. But I wanted to spend more time with Tobias, even if it meant taking the scenic route.

I took off my helmet and offered it to him.

“Take a ride with me?” I asked.

“A ride? Of course," Tobias replied, finally understanding the unspoken invitation to accompany me.

CHAPTER THREE

TOBIAS

I fumbledwith the helmet strap for a few seconds, my mind still reeling from the whirlwind of emotions that had swept through me tonight.

First, Draven seemed ready to leave, and then the next moment, he decided to stay the night?

It was all so confusing. I couldn't help but wonder if I was the reason he changed his mind.

Ridiculous, I knew, but a small part of me dared to hope.

"Here, let me," Draven's voice broke through my thoughts, and I watched as he took the helmet from my hands.

With practiced ease, he undid the strap, placed the helmet on my head, and tugged the strap tighter.

His closeness sent a shiver down my spine, and I couldn't resist giving him a subtle sniff, trying to make sense of his scent.

The faint smell of alcohol lingered on him, but underneath that was something unexpected—a mix of mountain pine and the scent of freshly ironed clothes.

It was an intriguing combination, one that stirred my curiosity.

"Are you sniffing me?" Draven's voice pulled me out of my thoughts, and I felt my cheeks flush with embarrassment.

"Um, yeah, you got me there," I admitted sheepishly, unable to meet his gaze.

"It's just, I've never met an alligator shifter before. Or is it crocodile?" I asked, my curiosity getting the better of me.

Draven's reaction caught me off guard. His brows furrowed, and for a moment, he seemed almost insulted by my question.

Then he quickly recovered and gave me a toothy grin.

"I suppose you'd just have to stick around long enough to find out," Draven said, his tone teasing.

He then proceeded to give me instructions on how to properly sit on a motorcycle.

Moments later, my feet were off the ground, and I had wrapped my arms around his solid waist, trying to ignore the butterflies fluttering in my stomach.

"Scared?" Draven asked, his voice soft with concern.

I shook my head, then admitted, "This is my first time riding a motorcycle."

Draven didn't laugh or make a joke out of my confession.

Instead, he reassured me, "Don't worry. I'm a careful driver. And I burn off alcohol faster than most shifters.”