A dragon shifter novel Chapter 50

What I Never Thought I Deserved

Allison

Evander finally lowers me to my feet, his hands lingering a heartbeat too long at my waist before he steps back. His eyes are softer than I’ve ever seen them,

gold still flickering faintly at the edges like his dragon isn’t ready to retreat fully. “I’ll leave you to get dressed,” he says quietly, his voice rough but gentle,

and then he turns his back. There’s no teasing, no smirk, just the sound of him moving away. The door clicks shut behind him, and I’m alone. I exhale hard,

my knees a little shaky, and reach for the uniform I left folded on the bench earlier. My fingers tremble as I pull the fabric over my skin, the cool cotton a sharp contrast to the warmth of his hands still ghosting over my waista mate. The thought slams through me again, louder now that the room is empty. I have a mate. Me. Allison Rivers. The girl who spent her life fighting for scraps. The girl who swore she’d never need anyone. I never wanted this before. I told myself mates were for other people, people who weren’t built like me, who hadn’t been left behind like me. But now? Now that I have one, it feels strange. It’s… alien. Like a missing piece of me has fallen into place without permission. There’s warmth where there was always cold. A voice where there was always silence. It’s mine. He’s mine. That part is undeniable. But underneath that warmth, a slow dread coils low in my stomach. This ties him to me. That ties him to whatever happens to me, and knowing me, knowing the way my life has twisted so far, fate has a lot more in store. There will be big things, dangerous things, terrible things to come. That thought terrifies me more than anything. I tug my shirt straight and stare at my reflection in the mirror, at the faint golden shimmer still ghosting through my eyes. A dragon. A mate. A secret that could destroy both of us if it comes out too soon. I’m not sure if I

want to laugh, cry, or run.

Evander is leaning against the wall when I step out of the changing rooms, one hand shoved into his pocket. His eyes flick up the second he sees me. “Do

you want to try and get some food in the hall?” he asks, his voice soft but hopeful. I shift my bag on my shoulder. “I’d rather not… not with all the people

in there.” I watch his expression dim a little, his shoulders dropping like he’s been bracing for that answer. My stomach pinches. I’m not trying to push him

away, not after everything that just happened, so I add quickly, “You can come back to my room to eat, though, if you like.” The effect is instant. His eyes warm with the faintest edge of a smile tugging at his mouth. “I’d like that,” he says quietly. We walk together without touching, careful to leave space

between us. The last thing I want is a dozen sets of eyes following us up to my attic and turning my sanctuary into gossip fodder. The corridor stretches out

ahead of us, muted and echoing with the sounds of dinner being served down the hall. It almost feels normal… Until I see Cage is planted at the base of my

attic stairs, arms crossed, looking like a viper waiting to strike. Boredom and irritation war on his face until he catches sight of us, and then it twists into

something nastier. “Well, well, look who finally decided to show up,” he sneers, his voice dripping venom. “Where the fuck have you been, stray?” The word cuts, but I expected it. What I don’t expect is the low, rumbling growl that vibrates out of Evander beside me. His dragon’s heat rolls off him in a wave,

subtle but deadly. Cage’s.eyes flick between us, his lip curling. “What have you two been doing?” His tone drops into something ugly. “Are you really such a

slut, Rivers? Missing half a class to go and bone a dragon?” Evander’s body goes rigid, his pupils thinning to slits as he bristles, a growl deepening in his

chest like a building storm. He’s half a heartbeat away from shifting right here in the hall. I don’t think. I move, my hand slides onto his arm, fingers

pressing against hard muscle. “Don’t,” I say softly but firmly, looking up at him. His eyes cut down to mine, molten and wild, and for a second, I’m not sure he’ll listen. Then something in my touch, or my voice, reaches him. His jaw flexes, grinding slowly, and the growl thins to a tremor. I keep my palm there

because I know exactly what Evander wants to do. What I want him to do. If he touches Cage now, though, if he loses control here, we’ll all be in Scorched’s

office before the hour is up. Cage smirks like he’s won something, but the way Evander’s heat radiates off him says otherwise.

Cage’s eyes slide off Evander and lock onto me. “We have to study,” he snaps, his tone cutting. “Thanks to you being incompetent and all.” I foid my arms

tight across my chest, lifting my chin. “You’re not coming into my room.” His laugh is short and sharp. “Like I’d want to be in your filth infested space

anyway. We’ll use the common room.” He turns with all the smug arrogance in the world, already striding down the hall like I’ll follow just because he says

1. so. He gets about three steps before he realises Evander is still at my side. Cage’s head jerks back toward us, brows drawing down. “What, you need a tutor

too, golden boy?” Evander doesn’t flinch. He lets out a low, deliberate huff, a curl of smoke trailing from his nostrils. His voice is rough steel. “I’m not

leaving you alone with her.” For once, Cage doesn’t have a comeback ready. His sneer falters slightly, like even he isn’t stupid enough to press further

against a dragon barely holding his temper in check. I stand between them, my pulse rattling in my throat. One boy sneering, one burning and me in the

middle, torn between wanting to slap one and drag the other away before he sets the whole damn corridor on fire.

The common room is bright and empty. Usually, it hums with voices, footsteps, and laughter. Right now it’s just the three of us. Cage slouches into one of

the couches like he owns the place, tossing his bag down so hard the books inside thud. “Sit,” he orders. Not asks. Orders. My jaw clenches. Every instinct screams to tell him where he can shove his command, but Evander’s presence at my side is a furnace, too protective and far too ready to ignite. I don’t need a fight breaking out and dragging me into the spotlight, so I sit. I take the opposite end of the couch, arms crossed tight across my chest, and I wait for Mr Know It All to begin,