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My worry for him succeeded in distracting me from my thoughts. “What’s wrong?”

My question seemed to be the catalyst. He unbuckled his belt and reached toward me. However, instead of opening my door, which I thought was his intention, he gripped my hands.

“I have a present for you.” His cheeks turned pink. Yet, despite his shyness, his voice was strong and unwavering, and his gaze remained steady. “I wasn’t sure when to give it to you, but this seems to be the perfect time.”

I tilted my head, curious, and my insides twisted. The boys had done so much over the last few days, including buying me a phone. It seemed wrong to accept yet another gift. I already owed them so much .

But he looked so determined and scared. This seemed to be important to him, and I wanted to make him happy.

I couldn’t deny him, even as my mind warned me it was too much.

“What is it?” Knowing Titus, he might have purchased something from the newest Tarepanda collection. I’d seen the recent release on their website, and it was a fact that owning floppy panda paraphernalia was a lifelong dream of mine…

That wasn’t so scary.

Instead of answering, he touched my hair, and before I could say a word, his lips quirked. He appeared to have made up his mind about something. “Did I tell you that I like your hair? It’s silky and bouncy. And it’s so soft to touch.”

I stared at him. How was it surprising that I’d thought he was a stalker? It was only because I no longer feared for my life that my heart didn’t lurch in terror. Besides, what did this have to do with my present? Surely, he wasn’t looking for haircare tips.

“Thank you,” I said slowly, watching his face. However, his expression was unreadable. What was I supposed to say? “I like your hair too. You can touch it again if you want.”

Titus’s grin grew, and he leaned over me. I thought he was going to give me a hug, or perhaps smother me, but instead, he touched a place near my left ear. Something had been in his hand, and when he pulled back, the item was gone.

I sat, stunned, and touched the clip that was now nestled in my hair. “What is this?”

He swallowed and squared his jaw as he reached across me and pulled down the passenger-side visor, exposing the mirror. “It might be too much for class,” he said. “But I hope you’ll accept it anyway.”

Now that I could see it, the gift was obviously not a clip at all. Rather, he’d placed some sort of gold hairpin into the thick of my braid. It was small and delicate, about half the width of my hand. The design was of a small bouquet and was decorated with pearls and other gems.

My fingers moved lightly over the stones—I was almost afraid to touch them. This piece had to have personal significance; otherwise, why would he have been nervous? Despite its pristine appearance, it looked antique.

“It was my mother’s.” Titus watched me, a soft look on his face. “And my grandmother’s before her. It’s a family heirloom. It was packed away after I was born, but I had Maria take it out.”

He looked away, touching the back of his head, as he added, “I want you to have it. You’re the only person in the world I’d want to have it.”

What could I say…?

“Are you sure?” This was one of the only types of gifts that I could accept without guilt. The intense look he gave me made it hard to breathe. “I mean…” I backed up, putting distance between us.

I couldn’t think when he was this close to me, nor were his eyes that… sparkly. “It’s an heirloom,” I reminded him. “You said it was put away.”

“I don’t have any brothers or sisters. There’s no one other than me who would inherit it.” Titus turned from me, bracing his arms over the steering wheel. “Did anyone mention to you that we can’t be in relationships—that we’re not supposed to reproduce?”

“Miles did,” I answered, although he’d only mentioned the former. However, the topic of reproduction brought up some interesting thoughts that I’d rather not explore right now.

“But that doesn’t matter.” Titus sighed. “I would still give it to you.”

“What do you…” I was stunned into silence before I finished my question .

Titus had interrupted me by nuzzling against my neck. His breath was warm against my skin. His hands, though shaking, were hot as they spread over my back while he held me to him.

“Titus?” I squeaked. What was this hug? I couldn’t think at his proximity. “What are you…”

Again, my words trailed off as my heart danced as Titus brushed something soft against the skin of my neck.

My face flushed as my chest grew tight. “What was that?”

Titus’s lips quirked against my skin, and then he lifted his face. His expression, which had been so torn before, now seemed lighter. “That, princess…” His dimples were displayed in full force. “…was a butterfly kiss.”

Was he serious?

Titus, the largest and scariest looking of the guys, was now giving out butterfly kisses. Besides that, who in the world had come up with such a ridiculous term?

At the same time, it was fitting. My heart was still fluttering.

But what possessed him to do that? The neck sniffing, the kiss thing. It had to be a strange, shifter routine.

This felt like something significant. From the expectant look on his face, I knew he wanted me to say something. Yet, my mind had gone numb.

I was flattered and excited.

But on the other hand, a sense of fear was threatening to break my carefully constructed reality.

They were all doing it now—this weird, flirtatious behavior. Miles and Julian moved more subtly, and Titus was awkward but cute. Then there was Damen… and however you’d describe his actions.

It had been happening since the beginning, I suspected. But I couldn’t avoid it anymore. What did they want? These were not the actions or words of people who wanted to be only friends .

They weren’t supposed to do this to me. I couldn’t deny that I was attracted to them, but…

While I was panicking, the moment passed. Titus’s expression changed, masking over disappointment with indifference. “What class do you have now?” he asked, tracing a line over my shoulder.

I ignored the stab in my chest as my mind grasped on to this new topic.

This. School was always safe to talk about.

“I’m going to literature,” I told him, forcing myself to smile. “I’m excited. I’m working on a special project.”

That seemed to intrigue him, if his raised eyebrows were any indication. “What kind of project?”

“I’m doing some research,” I told him. Yet, I couldn’t give away the fact that I knew he was a dragon. He, himself, had not come to me about it yet. “But I can’t say. It’s a surprise for you.”

Something flashed in his expression. Hope—that had dimmed after the butterfly kissing incident—flared to life. “You’re doing something for me?”

Hesitation still laced my thoughts, but I managed to respond. “Y-yes.”

Titus smiled, the excitement back in his eyes. “Then get to it,” he said. “I’ll wait and see what it’s all about.”