"Aren't you two..." He trailed off, and I nodded quickly. I wasn't sure why he'd assumed we were mates, but he wasn't wrong. I just didn't want him blurting it out before I had a chance to tell Diego.
"Thank you, for bringing Diego in," I said, and he waved me off, his blue eyes sparkling as he glanced between us. I had a feeling he wanted to say something but refrained since he'd clearly figured out I hadn't told Diego yet.
"I have to go. Diego, I hope you'll join us for lunch in the dining room and get to know the others."
"Uh..." Diego hedged, and I squeezed his hand. I knew for a fact he'd get along with the other residents, and I wanted all my friends to meet him. "Okay, I'll be there. But only for a bit because I'd like to eat with Shade."
I smiled and gave his hand another squeeze, which made him smile in my direction.
The headmaster left after that, and the moment he was gone, I pulled Diego into a tight hug, enveloping him in my shadows as I held on to him.
"I thought you weren't coming back," I mumbled against his temple as he squeezed me, and he huffed.
"I'm never letting you go, you got that? You're stuck with me now," he said, and I couldn't imagine a better fate.
"Now, what did Zephyr mean when he went 'Aren't you two—' and you cut him off?"
"You're far too observant," I complained mildly, and he chuckled.
With a sigh, I pulled back and took his hand in mine. "Come on, let's sit and talk."
"Uh-oh, this sounds serious," he said, and I glanced over at him, taking in his furrowed brows and pursed lips.
"It is, but it's nothing bad. I promise," I said, then amended. "Well, I don't think it's bad. I don't know how you will feel about it."
"Okay..." Diego murmured, clearly confused about the whole thing. If I'd had more time, I would've asked Haruto or Khush for advice. They'd both recently found their human mates, and they'd probably be able to tell me the best way to break the news. But I didn't have time, which meant I'd have to do this on my own.
We settled on the couch, and I turned so I was facing Diego. He did the same, making our knees knock together. I'd noticed that despite his blindness, Diego liked facing whoever he was speaking to. Was that a leftover habit from when he had his sight? Or did he do it in an attempt to make the other person feel like he was paying attention?
I took a deep breath, searching for the right words. Diego took my hand in both of his, then pressed a soft kiss to my knuckles. "Tell me, Shade."
Four
Diego
Whatever it was Shadeneeded to tell me, it was serious, and the longer he waited, the more anxious I got. He'd said it wasn't anything bad, but his nervousness said otherwise.
"Shade," I warned when he still hadn't said anything, and he blew out a breath.
"Sorry, sorry. Okay, so every sentient being in the world has something called a fated bond with one or more people. They're called fated mates, or soul mates. It's not always a romantic bond, but it's always the strongest in a person's life."
It took me a moment to catch up because I'd been expecting something along the lines of 'I'm glad to see you're doing well, but I don't think I want to see you again.' I shook my head, trying not to hope Shade was leading toward what I hoped he was.
"Go on," I urged, not willing to say anything else until he said the words.
His hand twitched in mine, as if he was worried I'd let go, and I tightened my hold, then shifted closer to him on the couch for good measure.
"Most supes can recognize their mates in some way, but humans can't. For my species, our shadows recognize our mates."
"Your shadows?" I asked in a soft voice, desperately hoping he meant what I thought he meant. This would be very cruel otherwise.
"Yes. My shadows will protect and look after the person who is mine. Protect him, keep him safe when I can't, and then lead him back to me." His voice softened as he said the last words, and I swallowed hard.
Squeezing his hand so tight that I was sure I'd have hurt him if he was human, I leaned closer. I could feel his breath against my face, telling me I was way in his personal space. I didn't pull back.
"Is it me?" I demanded, my voice hitching as I tried to keep a hold on my emotions.
"It's you," Shade murmured, and I dropped his hand, reaching up and cupping his neck before sliding my hands up to his cheeks. I climbed into his lap, my knees on either side of him, and pressed my lips to his. He gasped against my mouth, then kissed me back, his lips moving against mine in a soft, gentle dance.
