Page 17 of Tempest Blazing
"To wield it." Mason's hands clenched into fists on the table. "They're not just after the Library. They're afteryou."
The possessiveness in his tone sent a different kind of shiver down my spine. The temperature in the room seemed to drop ten degrees. I could feel Mason's magic stirring, responding to his emotional state. His gargoyle heritage was protective by nature, and right now, every instinct he had was screaming that I was in danger.
"We don't know that for sure," I said, but the words sounded hollow even to me. Too many coincidences. Too many connections.
"Don't we?" Mason stood abruptly, beginning to pace like a caged animal. "Think about it, Tess. You show up at the Library, and suddenly it's more active than it's been in centuries. You bond with a dragon that no one else could even approach. You develop magic that's both chaos and order combined. And now we find out that the weapon they're building requires exactly the kind of power you represent?"
Each word made his voice rougher, more strained. I could see the tension building in his shoulders, the way his movements were becoming more predatory. His gargoyle side was emerging, triggered by the threat to someone he was bonded to protect.
"Mason." I stood too, moving carefully toward him. "You need to breathe."
"I need to keep you safe." He stopped pacing and turned to face me, and I saw that his eyes had shifted—stone-gray, the colorthey got when his other nature was close to the surface. "They're going to come for you, Tess. Not just as a Dragon Rider, not just as the Librarian. As the key to their weapon."
I reached out and caught his hands, feeling the way his magic cycled just beneath his skin—protective, defensive, ready to shift into something that could stand between me and any threat.
"Hey," I said softly. "Look at me."
I had my own fears about what we'd discovered, but through our bond I could feel his protectiveness washing over me in waves—fierce, primal, and barely contained.
It took a moment, but his gaze finally focused on mine. The gray was still there, but I could see Mason underneath it.
"We're going to figure this out," I told him. "Together."
Chapter 7
Tess
His hand came up to stroke my hair, fingers threading through the strands with surprising gentleness for someone who could crush stone with his bare hands. "I've got you," he said simply.
Something in his tone made me look up. The expression on his face had shifted—his eyes darker, more intense. Through our mate bond, I felt a low thrumming energy, like the vibration before an avalanche. It wasn't just comfort radiating from him anymore. It was something primal, something possessive.
Mason bent, pressing his lips to the top of my head. A comfort kiss. Nothing unusual for us. But then his mouth moved lower, brushing my temple, lingering there as his breathing deepened.
"Mason?" I whispered, feeling the shift in his energy through our bond—a warm, amber glow turning molten.
"Need to make sure you're safe," he growled, voice rougher than before. His lips found my ear, hot breath sending shivers down my spine. "My gargoyle... he needs to know you're protected."
Understanding dawned. This wasn't just comfort anymore. This was something tied to our newly formed mate bond. Something awakened by the threat we had just revealed.
His mouth trailed down to my neck, and I gasped as he pressed a hot, open-mouthed kiss to my pulse point. My hands, whichhad been resting lightly on his chest, curled into his shirt, pulling him closer without conscious thought.
"Tell me to stop," he rumbled against my skin, even as his hands tightened on my waist. "If you don't want this—"
"Don't stop," I breathed, tilting my head to give him better access. My body was already several steps ahead of my brain, heat pooling low in my belly. "Please don't stop."
A growl vibrated through him, and suddenly I was pressed against the nearest bookshelf, Mason's powerful body caging me in. Around us, the library's lanterns dimmed slightly, as if the sentient building was giving us privacy. The scent of old parchment and leather bindings mingled with Mason's stone-and-cedar aroma, creating an intoxicating blend.
"Need you," Mason said, his voice barely human. His eyes had taken on the silvery sheen that indicated his gargoyle nature was close to the surface. "Need to feel you. Need to know you're mine."
My heart hammered against my ribs. This wasn't the gentle, careful Mason who had been my friend for years. This was something wilder, something unleashed by our bond and the threat of danger. Through our connection, I could feel his protective instinct surging like a tidal wave—ancient, powerful, unstoppable.
And god help me, I wanted it.
"I'm yours," I assured him, reaching up to touch his face. The skin beneath my fingers felt warmer than usual, his gargoyle magic surfacing. "All yours."
His hands found my hips, lifting me slightly so we were perfectly aligned, my back pressed against ancient tomes that had probably witnessed centuries of secrets. But none quite likethis, I thought wildly as Mason's mouth claimed mine in a kiss that was all hunger and need.
His tongue swept inside, tasting me, claiming me. I moaned into his mouth, my arms winding around his neck to pull him closer. Through our bond, I felt his satisfaction at my surrender, his primal need to mark me, claim me, remind both of us who I belonged to.
