Alpha Island: My Unbearable Mate

Chapter 6 Draven

Kiara tossed and turned before she finally gave up. She couldn’t sleep… not yet. She couldn’t stop thinking about her cousin and how he was doing. She rolled out of bed and pulled her hair up in a ponytail. She was wearing a crop top and revealing bedtime shorts. She wasn’t planning to be out long, and everyone was asleep in their dorms at this time. So, she didn’t worry about changing. After sliding her feet into her shoes, she quietly opened her door. She stepped out of her room and into the living room. Her eyes widened in shock as her lips parted. Eli was asleep and was very much in his birthday suit. The blanket he had was bunched onto the ground, leaving him completely revealed.

For a moment, she allowed her eyes to wander over him, remembering the way his body felt against her. She didn’t think she was one to get caught by temptation but da.mn if she didn’t feel the urge to enter hell's gates right there. It confused her. How did this man have this strange hold over her? It was as if her body craved him. The only thing she could rationalize was that she was still in shock over what happened with Jhett. And she was looking at him as a comfort. Nothing else made sense…

She shook her head and crept to the door quietly leaving their apartment. She walked down the hall and regained her focus. She could sense Dylan’s presence. She was of royal blood, and he was her prince. She made her way outside and walked along a paved sidewalk in the shadows.

The night air was cool and crisp. It swirled around her, tossing her pulled up hair to the side. The scent of her cousin drifted in the air and was getting stronger. At the corner of one of the dorms she halted. Under a tree in the distance, she spotted her cousin along with the dragon prince. They were both just staring at a dark window.

Her cousin didn’t look like the vibrant co.cky lycan prince he always was. His color looked more dull and his face looked exhausted. Even from the distance between them she could see he looked like he had aged considerably. Her heart ached as she bit her bottom lip.

She backed away and turned around, slowly walking back to the apartments. She decided against going to him. She didn’t even want to imagine what he was going through. He had been separated from his mate for a year and when he finally finds her, she doesn’t know him. Not only that, but she has an exploding curse inside of her. It is far from over.

A single wet crystal slid down her cheek as she stopped walking.

“Are you okay?” A baritone voice said next to her.

Kiara jumped and jerked her head to the side to see a dark-haired stranger with gray eyes right beside her. Where had he come from?! She didn’t hear anything… or smell anything.

“Don’t be alarmed. I’m sorry if I scared you.”

Kiara scoffed and folded her arms over her chest. “Scared me? You startled me. Where did you come from?” She looked around at the wide-open area. They were covered in the shadows of the night but there were no objects he could have been hiding behind. She watched as his lips curled up and he shrugged.

“I guess its magic.” He said with a wink.

“Really? At a school for magical creatures? How odd…” She rolled her eyes, and he reached up towards her. His hand wiped over her face, brushing the wet streak away. She pulled back in shock as his eyes pinned against her.

“Who caused this?”

“It’s nothing.” She said as she wiped her own face. He looked at her unconvinced and then sighed pulling his thin black jacket off. In one motion, he swooped it around to cover Kiara.

“Don’t object.” He said as she parted her lips in protest.

“It isn’t that cold…” She watched as his lips twitched upwards.

“Yeah, but I can’t keep my eyes from traveling where they shouldn’t, so just oblige me.” He glanced up at the sky and rubbed the back of his neck.

She felt her cheeks heat up as she remembered she went out in her night clothes. “Uhm… thank you…” She looked at him for a moment and he flashed her a bright white smile.

“It’s Draven. What is your name?”

“Kiara…” She watched as he looked at her curiously.

“Hmmm not a werewolf…” He reached his hand up that touched her cheek and licked it, “a lycan.” Draven eyed her curiously. “What is a lycan doing here? We don’t see a lot of your kind here…”

Kiara shrugged. “I have wanted to come here since someone I am close with came here. This is supposed to be my chance to experience a normal life…” She inwardly scoffed, since there was no way she would get to have a normal college experience. She looked at Draven as she tried to figure out what magical creature he was. He wasn’t a warlock…

“Vampire.” He said, as if he was reading her thoughts.

“Oh, what clan?” Kiara asked and he only smiled.

“You’ll have to figure that part out on your own.”

Kiara laughed. “Are you implying I’ll be spending more time with you?”

“That is the plan. Besides… that is one of my favorite jackets, so you’ll have to return it to me.” He watched as she went to hand it over and he reached out holding it in place. “Ah ah ah… next time we meet. It’s my insurance to see you again.”

“Well, aren’t you the clever one?” She rolled her eyes and glanced over at his hands that were still resting on her shoulders.

“Clever… or desperate to be able to see your beautiful eyes again. Hopefully, next time with no tears.”

“Hmm… is that what it is? Or does someone have an appetite for lycan blood?” She watched as a Cheshire Cat smile spread over his lips and he stepped closer to her.

“I might have an appetite for a lycan but not for blood.” He let his eyes wander over her, freely making his point.

“What am I releasing some sort of pheromones? Or are there a lot of hard up males on the island?” She watched as he raised his brows as he looked at her.

“You’ve had other offers? Not that I am surprised… I mean you are… well you know you are gorgeous.” Draven felt her shrug away from him and took a step back to distance herself.

“Thank you but I’m not interested.”

“I understand. You obviously already have someone in your life, but you aren’t bearing anyone’s mark, so there is still hope.”

“What about you? Why aren’t you already off the market?” Kiara asked, trying to deflect the topic from herself.

“So… you find me attractive?”

Kiara laughed. “It seems like men with huge egos aren’t in short supply.”

“That’s not the only thing I have that is huge.”

Kiara’s lips parted as a smirk crept over his lips.

“I also have big hands and feet…” He grinned and took a step towards Kiara. “What did you think I was talking about? You have a dirty mind…”

Kiara turned her head away and looked at the ground. She then focused on his feet and noticed how they seemed to blend in with the shadows. Of course! She looked up at him and clicked her tongue. “Shadow! You belong to the Shadow Clan.”

“Impressive, Kiara.” Draven looked at her, appreciating her beauty.

“So why don’t you have someone? A shadow vampire and with your big hands and feet?” Kiara teased and listened to his low baritone chuckle.

“I’m looking for something more. I don’t want someone who is only after who I am or the size of my hands…” He winked at Kiara. “I’m looking for someone I can have by my side for eternity. Someone I can trust unconditionally.” He shrugged and his gray eyes met with hers. “I was engaged once… but it isn’t a nice story.”

“Did she find her mate and leave you?” Kiara blurted out and sucked in a sharp breath of air. He looked at her seriously and then his eyes softened.

“Is that what happened to you?”

Kiara closed her eyes and chewed on her inner lip. She didn’t want to talk about what happened to a complete stranger, but there was a pain in his eyes that she recognized. She opened her eyes and looked back into his pools of gray and nodded her head. “Yeah, just the other day…”

Draven winced and let out a breath of air. “At least the mate pull could be used as some sort of solace in your case. I caught my fiancé in bed with my best friend. I found out she never loved me. It was always my friend she wanted. I lost both of them… and now I am here.” He shrugged, but the pain in his eyes was agonizing.

“I’m so sorry… that’s terrible.” Kiara watched as he shook his head and shrugged.

“It’s better to know now before things had gotten deeper. And we will find someone who will make us forget about the pain.”

He was right. That was the one positive with what happened with Jhett. At least she found out now before they exchanged marks. Even though what happened was really painful when it occurred, surprisingly, she didn’t think about it as much already. Ever since she spent the night with Eli it felt like the wound didn’t cut as deep anymore. She wasn’t saying he was making her forget about the pain because that would be crazy. He couldn’t heal a wound like that. He just kept her mind occupied. Yes, she was convinced that must be what it was.

His gray eyes were locked onto hers. The color was captivating and beautiful. It was like a storm swirling in his eyes.

“What are your skills as a shadow vampire? Besides melding with the shadows,” Kiara decided to change the topic entirely.

“You want me to give away my secrets?” He chuckled and leaned back comfortably on his heels. “You’ll have to get to know me better first. Luckily, we are on an island and attending the same university. We are bound to run into each other.”

Kiara went to say something but then spotted someone from security walking towards their direction. She didn’t think they would get in trouble, but they would be questioned. And she was wearing her night clothes. Draven suddenly stepped into her and wrapped her in his embrace.

“Shh… just hold still and stay quiet.” He whispered into her hair.

He held her tight against his chest, keeping her wrapped in his arms. The security guard walked right past them. He continued a slow stroll as if they weren’t even there. Of course, to him they weren’t. He was a shadow vampire, which meant he could meld into the shadows. But she never knew they could hide another person too.

His chest was toned and chiseled under her fingers. He held her delicately but steady against him. She could feel his breath tingling her hair. She swallowed as she controlled her breathing. His steady scent filled her nostrils as she felt the rise and fall of his chest. He then stepped away from her and she glanced up realizing the security guard was no where in sight.

“I couldn’t have him seeing you like this… even with my jacket covering you.” Draven reached out and tucked a stray strand of her hair behind her ear. “Want me to walk you back to your room?”

“No… that’s okay.” She gripped the jacket on her shoulders and smiled. “Thank you… I’ll be sure to return it.”

“What is your phone number?” He pulled out his phone and held it out to Kiara. “Put your number in here so we can plan to meet up. It doesn’t have to just be coincidence, right?”

Kiara reached out and typed her information in. She could always use another friend and Draven has been through a similar situation with his relationship. He probably needed someone to talk to as well. “This is just as friends… right? I am not interested in—”

“Friends.” Draven smiled, taking the phone back from her. “At least for now. We will see what fate has in store.”

“Goodnight, Draven.” Kiara said as she took a few steps backwards before turning around.

“Sleep well Kiara.”

She held her hand up on the jacket as she walked back to her apartment. She had thought what had happened to her was bad… but he was betrayed by his fiancé and best friend. That must have been incredibly painful. How do you get over something like that? How do you move on and learn to trust again?

She stepped inside her apartment and took the jacket off of her. She hung it up by the door and slipped her shoes off. She then quietly made her way back to her bedroom door. A moment before she walked in, she felt hot hands land on her waist pulling her against a sizzling sculpted… naked… body.

“Where did you go? Why do you have another’s scent on you?”

Her heart was beating wildly as she felt his body against hers. The flashbacks were consuming her mind as if they were taking over her senses. She was being consumed by him and it scared her… and excited her. She didn’t owe him an explanation… but she didn’t want him to misunderstand. Why? She didn’t know why… she just didn’t.

“I went out to check on Dylan… then on my way back I met a new friend. He gave me his jacket and helped me not get detected by a security guard.”

“I was getting worried… you were gone awhile.”

Her eyes widened and she turned around to look into his eyes. “You knew I left, and you didn’t follow me?” She watched as a tired smile spread across his lips.

“I figured you were worried about your prince. I was getting ready to go and look for you when you returned. I wanted to follow you… but I… I don’t want you to think I don’t trust you.”

Her mouth parted in shock, and he took the moment to cover her lips, plunging his hot tongue inside of her. He pulled her body flush against him, and she felt his arousal against her body. Her arms wrapped around his neck as she responded to his demands. Why was it like this with him? What was it that made her forget her convictions and senses with just a touch? But it wasn’t just a touch… it was HIS touch. She had been wrapped in Draven’s arms, but it was nothing like this. Eli’s touch was all consuming… it was terrifying.

If it felt like this already… what happened if she went all in with him? It was as if his body was part of hers. She was alive because he existed. The connection she had with Jhett didn’t even scratch the surface of the feelings she had with Eli. If he ended up finding his mate and leaving her…

What was she even thinking about? This was just a fling. That’s all it was supposed to be. He had every right to find someone else. She told him she didn’t want a relationship. So why was her mind getting all messed up just because he was kissing her?

He pulled away from her and she felt his hand cup her cheek.

“Kia…” His voice cooed to her as his thumb brushed against her. “Baby, are you okay?”

That was when she noticed he was wiping the dampness off her face. She was crying. CRYING?! Why? What the hell was wrong with her? She didn’t know why she was crying. She couldn’t explain this. This was completely unlike her. She was someone who rarely cried and now it was becoming a regular occurrence.

“Hey… I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to come on too strong…” Eli’s voice sounded like a wounded soft whisper. He started to step away from her, but she gripped her fingers into his body. She stepped back into him and pressed her face against his chest. She felt his arms come around her, sending a rushing wave of comfort over her.

“You didn’t do anything…” His kisses weren’t unwanted. If anything, she realized she welcomed them. He wasn’t coming on too strong for her and it was this that scared her. It was almost as if… but that was impossible, right? There was some type of connection between them. But what kind of connection was it? Was it stronger than the mate bond? She couldn’t give in to this feeling. She needed to sort herself out more. She wondered how Draven did it since he seemed to have himself together. She would have to ask him about it.

Without a word, Eli scooped her up and carried her to the bed. He climbed onto the soft mattress and curled her body against him, lying her head on his chest.

“I’m here.” He brushed his fingers through her hair. “I’m right here… everything is going to be okay.” He didn’t know what was wrong, but he would be there for her. If she would just open up and trust him, he could help her. He understood she wasn’t ready. Instead, he would stay by her side and do whatever he could for her. He felt the dampness on his chest and he leaned his head onto hers. “Rest…” He commanded softly.

She closed her eyes as she felt the rise and fall of his chest. She tried to rationalize her momentarily overload of emotions. She was just overly emotional because of Dylan and Ava. Especially after what happened to her recently. And she was tired. In the morning… she would have a much clearer outlook on everything.

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