Chapter 86

Evaline:
It was Draven Thorne.
I should have known. Only he had the audacity to stroll into the second floor of the library like he owned the place. He was holding a bottle of fresh orange juice in one hand, a small brown bag in the other, and a lazy grin on his face like he wasn’t breaking at least four school rules just by being him.
“You look like you are about to hex someone,” he said in a low and amused voice “Please tell me it’s not me.”
I looked up at him and asked before I could catch myself. “What… are you doing here?”
“I’m on duty,” he said innocently, setting the items down on the table beside my open notes. “Evening shifts in the library. I just started today.”
“Since when do you volunteer for anything that doesn’t involve rules breaking or detention?”
He placed a hand on his chest like I had wounded him. “Eva. You wound me.”
“You just stole my line.”
“Technically, I borrowed it. And technically he leaned forward slightly, his eyes gleaming with mischief, I requested this library job so I could see more of you. You study here every evening, always in the same corner, always with your face buried in books and barely a sip of water. It’s impressive. And a little tragic.”
I raised a brow. “So you are stalking me?”
“Observing,” he corrected smoothly. “I’m just good at paying attention to people whom I care about. Like how you prefer fruit-based drinks over milk-based ones. And how you eat exactly three slices of toast when they serve sweet potato stew. You never touch the meat unless it’s grilled. You always go for extra servings of herbal soup on Thursdays because they add saffron, and you avoid all the junk stuff like they are cursed.”
I stared at him, left stunned.
He grinned, clearly satisfied with my reaction. “What can I say? I notice things.”
That was putting it mildly.
“Also,” he continued as he settled into the chair beside mine without asking, “I know you have been stressing about the Monday quiz. My brother is probably the coolest professor out there, but his class can be intense. It was my weakest subject when I started, but I figured it out eventually. I could help.”
“I thought you said it was your weakest subject.”
He gave me a sly smile. “Yeah. And I still topped the class. I’m not just here to look good and break rules, you know. I have layers.”
I hated how easily he could make me smile. I hated even more how effortlessly he made my heart race just by sitting close enough for our knees to almost touch. The worst part?
He had brought me food. The juice smelled fresh and delicious while the bag held a mini whole grain grilled sandwich, low sugar oatmeal cookies, and a few dried berries.
“I could get detention for eating this in here,” I muttered, even as I took a sip of the juice.
He gave a dramatic sigh. “What a tragic way to go. Receiving detention over snacks and study sessions with a handsome second-year.”
I sighed and reached for my notes. “Are you actually going to help me or not?
“Of course,” he said while scooting closer. “Show me what you are stuck on.”
To my absolute horror and reluctant admiration, Draven was a genius.
He didn’t just help me through the sections I was struggling with, he even broke things down in ways that made everything click. It was like he lived and breathed the subject now.
I almost forgot that he was also the same man who could charm someone into handing over their deepest secrets with a single smirk.
Almost.
Because whenever I looked up from my notes, he was watching me. Fresh chapters posted on ~net
Not staring in a creepy way. But watching. With real interest. Like he was fascinated by how I processed information or how I chewed the corner of my lip when I was confused. Like he was enjoying just being near me.
It was… overwhelming. And oddly comforting.
After an hour, I finally leaned back and let out a deep sigh. “Thank you for the help.”
He smiled warmly. “Feel free to ask for help any time you want. I’ll be in the library daily during evening from today onwards.”
And I was sure that I didn’t like the idea of that. Library was my safe haven. I came here not only to study but also to give myself some alone, peaceful time.
As if he read my thoughts through my expression, he quickly explained, “Don’t worry. I won’t disturb you too much. I will make sure not to overwhelm you with my presence. I’ll respect your boundaries.”
A lump formed in my throat, and I hated it. I hated how sincere he sounded. How safe it made me feel.
Because I didn’t believe it. I couldn’t.
Two months ago, I was nothing more than a girl on the run. A broken, wolf-less nobody with nothing to offer and too many secrets to count. Then Kieran helped me get into the Academy. He was the first to show me kindness, the first to believe I deserved a chance.
And now, both Oscar and Draven seemed ready to accept the very mate bonds with me that they tried to ignore in the beginning.
Even River had cracked in some strange, almost painful way last weekend.
It was too much.
Too good.
Too perfect.
And I wasn’t the kind of girl fate favored. Not for long.
So I gave Draven a small, grateful smile, took another sip of juice, and said, “Thanks for the help.”
But I didn’t reach for his hand. I didn’t lean into his touch when his fingers brushed mine.
And I definitely didn’t tell him how badly I wanted to believe him. Because I couldn’t afford that kind of hope. Not when I know how painful disappointment felt like.
I wasn’t going to reveal my secrets or lower my walls, not even when my body and heart were ready to betray me any second.