Page 9 of Draven

His words eased some of my nerves. Draven revved the engine and we sped off into the night.

I found myself holding on tight, trusting Draven to keep us safe.

At first, I was terrified, my grip on Draven's waist tight as we zoomed down the road.

I kept my eyes fixed on the square of his back, unable to focus on anything else. But true to his word, Draven didn't speed up or show off.

Instead, he maintained a steady pace, navigating the twists and turns of the road with precision.

Gradually, I found myself relaxing, the initial fear giving way to a sense of exhilaration.

I loosened my hold on Draven, allowing myself to lean into the ride. As we cruised along, I couldn't help but marvel at the sights around us.

The town where I had grown up my entire life looked different from this vantage point, almost alien.

Perhaps it was the rush of adrenaline coursing through my veins, or maybe it was simply the presence of Draven beside me, but everything seemed to take on a new perspective as we sped by.

"Where to next?" Draven asked.

I hesitated for a moment, savoring the thrill of the ride and wanting to prolong this moment just a little longer.

"Take a left here," I said, purposely giving him the wrong directions.

Well, to be fair, I wouldn't call it wrong, but I simply wanted us to take a more scenic route to the Moonlight Inn.

Soon enough, we arrived at our destination. I dismounted from Draven's motorcycle, my feet touching the solid ground once more.

With a small smile, I handed him back his helmet, but part of me was still reluctant to part with him.

An idea struck me, and I blurted it out before I could second-guess myself.

"I should go with you inside. I know the proprietress, Mrs. Harris. Maybe I could convince her to give you a discount," I said lamely, hoping he wouldn't see through my thinly veiled excuse to spend more time with him.

"Sure, why not?" Draven said, unstrapping his pack from his bike and shouldering it.

He followed me inside the inn, and I silently hoped Mrs. Harris was around because I didn't want to embarrass myself. Thankfully, she was.

"Hey, Mrs. Harris, how are you doing? It's Tobias Anderson, Jackson's kid? My friend here is new in town, and I know it's late, but is it possible to give him a discount?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.

Her eyes grew a little misty. "Jackson's kid, yes. I could see so much of him in you, Tobias. Your brother, well, not so much. How is Tom, by the way?" She asked.

"He's uh, still getting back on his feet. About that discount..." I ventured, aware of Draven's looming presence behind me.

Surprisingly, his aura seemed more subdued, or perhaps he made an effort to tone it down.

"Of course, I'd be happy to give your friend a discount," she said, beaming at me, then at Draven.

Her smile didn't falter, but then again, her vision wasn't so great these days.

After Draven filled in the necessary paperwork, she handed him a key to his room.

"Jackson... that's your dad's name?" Draven asked as we entered the elevator.

His question caught me off guard, and for a moment, I wondered if he was just making polite conversation or if he was genuinely interested in getting to know me better.

Was I reading too much into this?

"Yeah, that's right," I replied, feeling a twinge of nervousness creeping in.