Page 81 of Draven

I leaned back in my seat, my eyes closing almost immediately.

As I drifted into sleep, I felt a sense of peace I hadn’t experienced in a long time. We had survived the worst, and in Sky Stead, we could heal and rebuild.

DRAVEN

I woke up feeling groggy, like I had slept for a week. As I sat up, I felt a pang of disorientation.

The bed was familiar—Tobias’ bed—but something was off. The furniture in the bedroom looked like Tobias’ but the room was much bigger than his usual bedroom.

“Tobias?” I called out, my voice raspy.

Seconds later, I heard hurried footsteps. Tobias appeared in the doorway, and all my worries eased.

He broke into a huge smile, a smile that never failed to warm my heart. Without hesitation, he flung himself towards me, and I easily caught him.

A soft grunt escaped my lips from the impact, but it didn’t matter. All that mattered was that Tobias was safe, and he was here with me.

“Draven,” he whispered, wrapping his arms tightly around me.

“Tobias,” I replied, relieved.

I held him close, feeling his warmth seep into me, melting away the residual coldness from Belladonna’s spell.

He pulled back slightly to look at me, his eyes shining with unshed tears.

“I was so worried. I thought I’d lost you,” he said. “You were asleep for three whole days.”

“I’m here,” I said, cupping his face gently. “And I’m not going anywhere.”

We stayed like that for a moment, just holding each other. It felt like the world had narrowed down to just the two of us.

Belladonna was really gone. That finally sunk in. For the first time in a long while, I felt at peace, with myself and my dragon.

“This room,” I said, glancing around. “Where are we?”

“Sky Stead,” Tobias explained. “Zane and the others brought us here. They thought it would be safer. This house is one of Zane’s properties. He said we could stay here until we get back on our feet.”

I nodded, taking in the larger space. “It’s nice.”

Tobias laughed softly. “Yeah, I figured you’d like it,” he said.

I sank deeper into the soft pillows, relishing the warmth of Tobias beside me.

"Bruce's town council meeting," I murmured, the memory flickering through my mind like a distant echo.

"Yeah, you don't need to worry about that," Tobias replied, snuggling closer, his head resting comfortably on my shoulder.

"Oh?" I intertwined my fingers with Tobias's, seeking the comfort of my mate’s touch.

“I’ll get to that in a bit,” Tobias said.

"Zane, Doyle, and I took turns watching over you. And when I wasn't by your side, they showed me around town. Introduced me to some of the folks here." His voice grew animated with excitement. "I've decided, Draven. I want to stay here."

My heart swelled with emotion, a mix of surprise and joy.

"You sure?" I asked, gazing into Tobias's eyes, searching for certainty.

Tobias's expression was resolute.