Evaline:
The word still echoed in my head long after Elion had said it.
Mates.
The moment it left his lips, he straightened as if the conversation had reached its natural end. There was no hesitation, no lingering curiosity, just that same composed finality he carried like a second skin.
He rose from the couch.
My body followed on instinct, pushing up from the couch even though my mind lagged several heartbeats behind. The room seemed unreal for a moment... too quiet, too still... while my thoughts spiraled, looping over that single word again and again.
Mates. Mates. Mates.
Maybe it had been a mistake.
A slip of the tongue.
An assumption phrased poorly.
That fragile hope clung to me as Elion crossed the room, his long strides unhurried, as if he hadn't just upended my entire sense of reality. He reached the door, his fingers brushing the handle.
If he walked out now, I wasn't sure I would be able to breathe.
