Page 32 of Tempest Awakening

Her words cut off as she lifted her face to mine. Golden-brown eyes met mine from behind glasses, and suddenly, I couldn't breathe.

A scent hit me like a physical force—warm vanilla with a hint of something spicier. Familiar. So achingly familiar.

Memories crashed over me in a dizzying wave. A little girl with pigtails and a gap-toothed grin, fearlessly climbing trees in my backyard. Hushed giggles during late-night sleepovers. The ache in my chest when we had to move away, leaving behind the only real friend I'd ever had.

"Tess?" Her name left my lips in a hoarse whisper.

Her brow furrowed, confusion flickering across her features. She studied my face intently, her eyes searching. "I'm sorry, do I know you?" she asked, her voice hesitant.

I felt a pang in my chest. Of course, she wouldn't recognize me right away. It had been almost two decades, and I had changed significantly. "It's me," I said softly. "Mason. Mason Sharpe."

Her eyes widened, shock replacing the confusion. She leaned in slightly, peering at me more closely. Slowly, recognition dawned in her eyes.

"Mason?" she breathed, her voice barely audible. "Is that really you?"

As I stared at her, drinking in every detail of her face, something shifted deep inside me. A primal, instinctive part of my brain roared to life, screaming a single word:

Mate.

The realization hit me like a thunderbolt, shaking me to my very core. Tess—my childhood best friend, the girl I'd left behind all those years ago—was my mate. The one person in all the world meant just for me.

My mind reeled, struggling to process this earth-shattering revelation. After everything I'd been through—the years of struggle, the constant fight for survival, the desperate attempts to protect Kali—this seemed almost too good to be true. If ithadn't been for Kane rescuing us, giving us a chance at a real life, I might never have had this moment.

The odds of finding a fated mate were slim to begin with. Most Supes went their entire lives without ever experiencing this connection. And for that mate to be human? It was almost unheard of. The statistical improbability of this moment was staggering.

Yet here she was, standing before me. Tess. My mate. A miracle I never dared to hope for.

And I had no idea what to do about it.

Chapter 12

Tess

I stared up at the towering figure before me, my mind reeling as I tried to reconcile the man I saw with the boy I once knew. Those dark brown eyes... I'd recognize them anywhere, even after all these years. This was Mason Sharpe, my childhood best friend who had moved away so suddenly when we were both nine years old.

But how could this be the same goofy, lanky kid I remembered? My Mason had been all elbows and knees, with a gap-toothed grin that could light up a room. This man...

My eyes traveled up his muscular frame, taking in every inch. His shoulders were broad enough to block out the library's ornate chandeliers, their soft light casting intriguing shadows across his features. His arms were corded with muscle beneath dark brown skin that looked impossibly smooth, almost stone-like. A scar ran from his forehead through his eyebrow to his cheekbone, lending a rugged edge to his handsome features.

Handsome? When had Mason become so... attractive?

"Tess?" His deep, gruff voice sent a shiver down my spine. "Is that really you?"

I swallowed hard, trying to find my voice. The scent of old books and polished wood mingled with something distinctly Mason - a hint of earth and stone that I'd never noticed before. "Mason? I... how are you here?"

The moment the words left my mouth, realization struck me like a bolt of lightning. Mason was here, in the Dragonne Library. A place reserved for supernatural beings and those connected to their world. Which meant...

"You're a Supe," I breathed, the words barely audible. "I had no idea. All this time, you were... what are you exactly?"

"A gargoyle-shifter," he said, his voice low and cautious, as if afraid of my reaction.

A thousand questions raced through my mind, memories of our childhood replaying with this new knowledge. His incredible strength when we'd climb trees and the way scrapes and bruises seemed to vanish overnight... Suddenly, I felt acutely aware of my own humanity, fragile and ordinary in comparison to the powerful being before me.

"I have to get to class," Mason said, interrupting my thoughts. "But I'll come find you after, okay? We have a lot to catch up on."

I nodded mutely, watching as he turned to leave. Just before he rounded the corner, he paused, looking back at me with an expression I couldn't quite read.

"It's good to see you, Tess," he said softly. "I've missed you."

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