Page 14 of Draven

I envisioned her fleeing in terror before me, her scent tainted with sweat and fear.

How would it feel to be utterly helpless, to be at someone else's mercy, as I once was? The thought lingered in my mind as I continued my solitary flight.

As I soared through the night, another thought crept into my mind. What would Tobias think if he knew the thoughts of vengeance frequently consumed me?

How would he react if he glimpsed the beast that resided beneath my skin? Tobias still believed me to be an alligator shifter, and I hadn't corrected him yet.

Was it because I didn't fully trust Tobias with my secret?

Apart from the biker bears from Moon Burrow aligned with Zane, no one else knew about the existence of Zane, me, and the other surviving dragons.

I flew on through the night, lost in my thoughts.

When the first hints of dawn began to appear on the horizon, I landed on the forest floor and shifted back into my human form.

Zane was right again. I did feel better after that flight. Retrieving my clothes, I dressed unhurriedly and made my way to my hidden motorcycle.

A quick sniff told me no one was around, so I didn't need to worry on that account.

I mounted my bike, but thoughts of Tobias lingered in my mind.

Was my little wolf still sound asleep, or had he woken up in the middle of the night, wondering where I had gone?

As I revved the engine, I took a deep breath. If I left Red Vine now, I'd cut all ties with Tobias. That was for the best.

Still, simply picturing Tobias' devastated expression when he woke up felt like a dagger to the heart.

Tobias had been hurt before, and hurt badly. I didn't relish being another disappointment in his life.

"Maybe I could buy breakfast, sit him down, and tell him an emergency came up, and I needed to go," I thought out loud.

It was still an awful move, but it would somehow cushion the blow of me suddenly leaving. I ran a frustrated hand through my hair.

What a mess I was, unable to make up my mind about Tobias since last night. Then again, ever since Tobias entered my life, he made everything confusing.

Pulling up at a diner near the hotel, I paused, pondering what to do. I wasn't sure what Tobias liked, so I decided to order one of everything on the breakfast menu, just in case.

With a bag full of food in hand, I returned to the motel room, still debating how to approach the situation with Tobias.

Entering the room, I found Tobias awake and sitting up in bed, looking a bit confused. I cleared my throat.

"Hey, Tobias," I began, my voice slightly strained. "I, uh, got us some breakfast."

I set the bag down on the table, and considered my next words with care.

"Draven!" Tobias blurted, looking surprised.

I noticed he was already dressed and ready to leave and wondered what time he had woken up, what conclusions he had come up with when he saw the empty space next to him.

"You... brought breakfast," Tobias said, biting on his lower lip, bringing my attention to the tempting curve of his mouth.

How would he react if I kissed him unexpectedly? I was betting he would taste sweet as strawberries, my favorite fruit.

No, no. I shouldn't be thinking these thoughts, not when I was about to announce that I was leaving.

"Yeah, I wasn't sure what you liked, so I got everything off the menu," I said, taking out the food to distract myself and buy more time.

Tobias sat on the edge of the bed, staring at all the food. Then he let out a laugh.

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