"Jared, I’ll take Tommy to the cafeteria so you two can talk," I mutter quickly, grabbing Tommy and slipping out, leaving Jared tense and somewhat overwhelmed with Storm.
Trying to steady myself, I spend maybe twenty minutes in the cafeteria while Tommy eats yogurt with fruit, and then I see Storm and Jared heading our way, clearly finished with their conversation. Damien isn’t with them, which I welcome with relief.
Jared doesn’t look great, and Storm doesn’t seem thrilled either.
"We’ll stay in touch," Storm says. "I’ll call you as soon as I know anything."
Jared nods and takes Tommy into his arms. Then I gather my courage.
"Can I talk to you for literally one minute?" I ask Storm, who raises an eyebrow but nods. Jared looks surprised too.
We move aside and sit at a small table, which makes Storm look ridiculously big in comparison. His unnaturally turquoise eyes, glowing faintly as if lit from within, study me closely.
How strange to be a purple alpha, all that beast hidden inside, all that raw power…
"What is it, Alex?"
"Is it true, Storm? Can you really recognize someone’s True Mate?" I start not beating around the bush. "I mean, I know you work at a matchmaking agency and probably need to sell your talents a bit to the clients, but tell me honestly. Does it actually work?"
Storm smiles with a touch of superiority. "See, all my brothers think my talent is nonsense, but I know what I can do. So yes, the answer is positive. Although it works best when I can see both people and compare the color of their energy. Jared’scase is harder, because I have to look for someone in the dark without knowing what I’m searching for. So I’m careful with promises."
I hesitate, wondering if I should push further.
"My question isn’t about Jared," I finally say, my fists clenched so tightly my knuckles turn white. That’s it, I’m gonna clear it out for good. The whole uncertainty about our status. My throat feels dry as I ask, "It’s about me and Bay. Have you ever seen anything between us? That similar energy you mentioned?"
A peculiar smile spreads across Storm’s face. He tilts his head slightly.
"It might be hard to believe, but you were actually the first person I ever looked at and immediately knew who your True Mate was. Even as a teenager I saw it between you two, that color harmony in your energy, in your auras."
I blink in shock. "But we turned out incompatible. How did you make sense of that?"
Storm exhales heavily. "That is exactly the reason, Alex, why I doubted my gift for years. Your case."
"Seriously?"
He nods. "Later on even when I sometimes saw compatibility or matching auras, I kept telling myself it was nonsense, because I’d made such a huge mistake before. I decided it had to be random. And that’s one of the reasons my brothers never believed my ability, because right after Bay broke up with you I said at home that I still believed you were True Mates. They shouted me down and mocked me. They thought I was arrogant and couldn’t let things go."
"I’m sorry you were laughed at because of me, but you know… you’re not alone in this. Blue Lowen believes we are True Mates ‘on hold’. On some level, I choose to believe it too. I’m currently in therapy to eliminate the allergic reaction we have to each other," I briefly explain what Blue discovered.
Storm listens, nods, and says, "I still see it between you two, you know. Your auras share the same color, perfectly aligned, like two halves of one soul. There’s no doubt you’re meant for each other. So I’m rooting for that therapy."
I bow my head and breathe out, feeling something inside me soften and finally loosen. Yes, I needed this. I needed confirmation that what Blue said is not just wishful thinking. I needed someone else to see it, to affirm it, to convince me that my instincts aren’t completely off.
For the first time in a long while, since the day I said goodbye to Bay in high school, just before he went on that last tour—the belief returns. Back then, I waited to sense the grapefruit scent of my True Mate, and it never came, breaking my heart. Now I have faith again. The certainty rushes back with force, igniting everything inside me.
Bay and I share a path. There is only one final stretch left to overcome before we can finally be together again.
???
When we’re back in Jared’s car, he suddenly says, "You know… this may take a while, Alex. Storm promised he’ll try to figure out how to find him, but he has never done it this way, without seeing the other mate either in person or in a photograph. My True Mate is somewhere out there, and he has no idea what method he should use."
I glance at him. His fingers are tight around the steering wheel and his face is full of stress.
I know what this means for me. Taking in a single dad with a small child is a huge responsibility, but I can’t send him away. Where would he even go?
"Jared, relax. I’m not kicking you out. The room downstairs is free, it’ll be more comfortable for you two, and as far as I’m concerned you can stay as long as you need."
Jared swallows. "Thank you, Alex." I can see him struggling with himself until he finally manages to force the words out. "I treated you really badly, and you always wanted good things for me. You have no idea how much I appreciate your kindness and care. You’re an exceptional person."
