Carla

I was so shocked that I felt like I might pass out; although I was aware that I had feelings for him, I had never been absolutely certain that we were in fact mates. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I'd walk into his room and find a portrait of myself he'd painted hanging on the wall. I was taken aback by the unexpectedness of it.

When I opened my eyes, I was sitting on Matthew's bed looking at myself in the mirror. I approached the question with caution and asked him, "What happened?"

I had not yet recovered from my vertigo.

He gave me a wry...