**CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR.**
“Everything okay?” Draken asked as I buckled myself in and placed my tote bag on my thighs.
I forced a smile, even though the nagging feeling wouldn’t quit. “Yeah, just Karina being Karina,” I said, hoping that would throw him off. “Turns out she ditched us for a breakfast date with Tyler.”
Draken chuckled as he pulled away from the curb. “Guess I’m not cool enough for her to ride with me, huh? I'm hurt.”
“Oh no, you’re definitely cool,” I smirked at him. “But apparently Tyler has some secret breakfast moves that I’m unaware of. They planned a breakfast date this morning.”
“I’d love to meet him and ask for some pointers to use on you,” Draken said, flashing a grin that made my heart do a backflip.
We fell into a comfortable silence as Draken focused on driving. I had my head full. Filled with thoughts. I still couldn't get over the feeling I'd gotten from Tyler's tattoo and bead. It moved. I saw it move. Tattoos shouldn't move. They shouldn't.
“You’re quiet,” Draken commented as he glanced over at me, pulling me out of my thoughts.
“Just thinking,” I said. I wasn’t sure if I should bring up what I saw. After all, it could just be my overactive imagination. Maybe I was tired. Or maybe Draken would know something...
“About what?” He raised an eyebrow, keeping his eyes on the road but clearly curious.
“Tyler,” I blurted out before I could stop myself.
“Tyler?” Draken gave me a sideways glance. “Okay? Should I be jealous?”
I rolled my eyes. “Hardly. It’s just...I don't know how to really explain this.”
“Why don't you start from somewhere?”
“Well it's about this Tyler dude,” I said with a start, fidgeting with the strap of my tote bag.
“Hm. What about him?” There was a noticeable strain in Draken's voice as he spoke.
I placed a hand on his shoulder. “Hey, I already told you there's nothing to be jealous about, didn't I?”
“I'm not. I swear to Cessi,” He replied immediately.
“Cessi?” I noticed the name he'd used.
He nodded with a smile. “She's the moon goddess. We believe she's the one who bestowed life upon wolves and our kind.”
“The one responsible for the mate bond between us, got it. I'd love to hear more about her,” I commented. “So…back to Tyler. There's this ominous feeling I get from him…not him in particular, but he was wearing this weird necklace with a black bead hanging down—”
The sudden halt of the car made me stop talking. I noticed the vein popping on Draken's neck as his grip tightened on the steering wheel. Draken’s smile had faded a little, replaced by a more serious expression. I took my eyes outside the car window and noticed we were now on school campus. “Go on. I'm listening,” He said calmly, but I could tell something was bothering him.
I looked back at him and cleared my throat as I continued. “Well, the bead was glowing. Like it had its own light source. And he had this tattoo... it was moving. Like actually moving. Do tattoos even move?”
“What sort of tattoo was it?” he intoned. His voice laced with an urgency that set me on edge.
“It looked like an animal…? One being stabbed by a sword,” I replied, watching as his face went stoic.
Draken tapped his fingers on the steering wheel, his brows knitting together like he was deep in thought. He looked away from me, eyes set into oblivion, but his jaw was tense. “An animal being stabbed by a sword…it can't be. Did you feel anything else? Like... off vibes or something?”
I hesitated. “Yeah. It felt like... danger. My cat's tingles were buzzing like crazy.”
“Oh, shit! It can't be. It shouldn't be them. It just —”
“Hey, Draken,” I took his hands off the steering wheel and held it in mine. I tilted his chin a little so he would be staring at me. I smiled a little as I rested one of my hands against his cheeks, caressing it softly. “Talk to me. What's wrong? Is it about Tyler? What exactly?”
There was a sort of look in Draken's eyes, one that took me off guard. He looked so vulnerable as he stared back at me. The look reminded me of the day by the deserted waterside where we'd both watched the sunset. It scared me to think of what could be bothering him…I had an inkling of what it could be, but I also didn't want to think about that. “Is Karina human?” Draken asked.
“Karina? My roommate? Yes, she is,” I replied.
Karina was human. As far as I was concerned. If she wasn't, I would have known. We'd been close friends for more than a year now and I hadn't been given any reason to make me think otherwise.
“Why do you ask?”
“How sure are you that she's one?”
“I know werecats don't have sensitive noses that can sense out a shifter, but I'd definitely feel it if Karina was a threat to me — a predator, my cat tingles would pick that up,” I said.
“What if she's a lower class of shifter?”
I stopped caressing his cheeks. “Like?”
“Dogs…” he trailed off as I took my hand off his cheeks and held his other hand, so both of his hands were in mine. “A smaller type of dog. Like a chihuahua.”
I frowned, absolutely confused as I felt my pulse quicken. “Okay, where are you heading with this, Draken?”
“Listen carefully, Eline,” he grappled his hands away from mine and placed them on my arms as he pulled me as close as the space within the car would let him. “Can you try calling Karina? This is a matter of life and death.”
My heart nearly stopped. I fumbled for my phone, my hands shaking as I dialed Karina’s number. It rang. Once. Twice. Three times. Nothing. No answer. Panic tightened in my chest. I called again. Still nothing. Four times. Five. Then came the automated voicemail.
*“...leave a message after the beep,”* the mechanical voice droned, sending me into a frenzy.
I dropped my phone, my breath catching in my throat. “What the hell is happening, Draken? Why isn’t she picking up?”
“From what you've said, Eline, I'm afraid to say Tyler might be one of them,” He said gently. “A hunter. And Karina might be in danger.”