Page 19

19

ASH

Ash ran his fingers through Harper’s hair as he slept, head resting on Ash’s chest. Ash’s fire simmered low and content. At least he’d given his mate one of the things he needed.

After watching Harper’s apartment over the past several days, Ash was almost certain Harper hadn’t left the building since the attack. He’d hoped coffee would help him feel comfortable getting out. Perhaps they could work up to it if Harper accepted his help.

Would Harper ever open up?

It was hard to be patient with Harper in his arms. The mate connection tugged at Ash’s heart, growing stronger, urging him to soothe and protect.

Harper stirred, shifting and nuzzling into Ash. “Oh no,” he groaned. “I fell asleep.”

Ash stroked Harper’s hair. He was adorable. “Don’t worry, sweet. Nap all day if you want.”

Harper propped himself on Ash’s chest and pouted. “I don’t want to nap all day.”

Ash quirked a brow. “No?”

Harper shook his head. He adjusted his glasses .

Ash trailed his fingers down Harper’s spine. “What would you like to do?”

Harper flashed an evil grin and climbed on top of Ash, straddling his hips, their soft cocks brushing as he braced his hands on Ash’s chest. “I want to keep exploring.” He rolled his hips and his cock stiffened against Ash’s.

“Is that so?” Ash teased, gripping Harper’s hips. He sat up and toppled Harper backward, pressing him into the mattress.

Harper let out a surprised laugh, his legs flailing.

Ash grabbed his ankles and brought them over his shoulders, leaning down and bending Harper in half. The position had a delicious intimacy to it. Ash thrust his hips, caressing Harper’s ankles as he held them in place.

A leather band caught on Ash’s thumb. He paused, catching a hint of magic.

Harper went completely still beneath him, his playful expression blanking.

“Harper?” Ash let go of his ankles and lowered his legs.

Harper’s eyes widened, his breathing shallow. He seemed frozen and increasingly afraid.

Ash’s pulse spiked. “What’s wrong?” He shifted off Harper and knelt beside him. Harper didn’t move. “Harper, what is it? Did you not like the way I handled you?”

Harper averted his gaze and didn’t respond.

Ash’s fire went cold, his gut twisting. He’d hurt his mate.

But wait. Harper never shied away from telling Ash his limits. He was open about sex. He was only this avoidant regarding his situation with the witches.

Ash glanced at the leather bracelet tied around Harper’s ankle. He’d missed it when he’d undressed him. Now that it had his attention, the spell trapped in the leather was obvious.

Ash quickly analyzed the magic .

The bracelet would disguise a witch’s magic from casual inspection, but not from Ash. If Harper were a witch, he’d have to be doing a lot more than wearing this to fool him. But if Harper wasn’t a witch, why wear the bracelet? There was absolutely no reason for a human to wear something with this particular spell cast on it.

Was Harper a witch? How had he missed something like this?

“Harper.” Ash paused, hating the tension. “Are you suppressing your magic?”

Harper’s breathing shallowed, his chest rising and falling too fast. “I forgot… I forgot I was wearing that. It’s…it’s nothing.” He shook his head.

Why was he scared? “It’s okay, Harper. It’s fine if you’re a witch.” And it was fine. Ash might grumble about witches, but this was Harper. His flower. There wasn’t anything he could learn about Harper that he wouldn’t accept.

Harper made a small, strangled sound, and Ash’s heart clenched.

His mate needed him.

“It’ll be all right.” Ash grabbed Harper’s boxer briefs and passed them to him. Harper’s shirt was the one Ash had used to wipe him up, so he passed Harper his own as he pulled on his underwear.

Harper seemed grateful for the clothes, adjusting them with trembling hands.

As he dressed, Ash discreetly inspected him with his demon sense, searching carefully for any trace of magic, just as he’d done with Dante’s old house. Eventually, he detected something hidden. A powerful spell ran through Harper’s blood, suppressing any evidence of his magic. If Ash wasn’t a demon, he wouldn’t have seen through it.

Harper’s gaze darted around the room, looking anywhere but at Ash, like he didn’t know what to do. Why was he so worried about this?

Ash settled against the headboard, giving Harper space even though he longed to hold him close. “You can talk to me, Harper.”

He stood at the foot of the bed and shot Ash a suspicious glance. “Can I? You aren’t telling me everything. Why can’t I detect your magic? Are you suppressing it?”

Harper had him there. He must have been shocked to find out Ash was a vampire if he’d magically assessed Ash and determined him to be human.

Ash rubbed the spot where his horns were hidden. They weren’t going to get anywhere like this. He couldn’t expect Harper to trust him if he didn’t do the same. Harper was scared. He wasn’t going to make the first move. Ash needed to show Harper he was safe. He had to put himself out there.

And there was only one way to do that. He had to reveal his true self.

How would Harper react when he realized a demon was in his bedroom? Some witches hated demons, and others worshipped them to a sickening degree. Then there were the witches hunting them. But Harper was Ash’s mate, and whatever Harper’s initial reaction, they would figure this out.

They had to.

Dante and Onyx were going to be furious. Ash still hadn’t told them about Harper, but revealing himself wouldn’t put his brothers in danger. Not in this case. Harper was kindhearted, and Ash would do whatever he had to for Harper to accept him as a demon and agree to keep his secret.

“I am suppressing my magic,” Ash began. Harper went completely still, shock on his face like he hadn’t expected Ash to admit it. “I always suppress it. ”

“Are you hiding?” Harper asked so quietly Ash might have missed it if he had human hearing.

“Yes.” Ash’s tattooed wings and tail tingled. “I’m hiding, just like you.”

“Who makes your potion?” Harper’s eyes raked over him. “Vampires can’t brew.”

Ash’s heart pounded, swallowing a few times before he could get the words out. “I’m not a vampire, Harper. I never said I was, but I didn’t correct you when you made the assumption.”

Harper shrank back. “What? But your fangs?”

Ash stood from the bed, momentarily lightheaded, moving slowly so Harper wouldn’t take it as a threat. “I’m a demon.” An unexpected lightness filled Ash, urging him on. “I can suppress my magic without a potion. I’ve been doing it since I entered the Human Realm.”

Harper’s mouth dropped open, more shocked than afraid.

Ash’s heart beat rapidly as something like excitement stirred in him. He turned away, showing the tattoos on his back before facing Harper again. There was a kaleidoscope of butterflies in Ash’s chest. His hands shook and he clenched his fists to steady them.

With a smile, Ash brought his demon features forth. His tail unwrapped from around his hips, his horns sprang from his hair, and his wings rose from his back, folded tight in the small room.

All traces of fear fled Harper’s expression. Awe shone in his eyes, and Ash stood straighter, the last of his discomfort gone.

His mate was impressed with him.

The pull between them seemed to hum in satisfaction, like showing his true form had strengthened their connection. Ash’s blood heated with the desire to connect further.

“I don’t know how much you know about demons,” Ash continued before he got distracted, showing Harper just how impressive he could be. “But we keep our existence in this Realm a heavily guarded secret. I’ve never revealed myself to anyone.” Harper had to know what this moment meant, what he was risking to gain Harper’s trust. “I’m sorry I deceived you. I was never trying to trick you. But now you know. This is who I am, and I promise you can talk to me. I’ll listen. I’ll help you.”

Harper gave his head a tiny shake. “You’re one of the Hounds.”

Ash smiled despite hating the nickname. “You know your history then.”

Harper raised one shoulder in a half-shrug. “You and the other Hounds escaped the Realm of the Damned hundreds of years ago and have been hiding in our Realm. No one ever called the demons by their names. At least not that I ever heard. Ash…” He trailed off like he was trying the name out.

This was good. Harper knowing about the Hounds meant he would understand what a big deal it was for Ash to reveal himself.

Ash sat on the edge of the bed, his wings shifting and in the way. “Now that you know why I’m hiding my magic, will you share what’s happening with you?”

Harper trapped his bottom lip between his teeth, his eyes narrowing slightly. “I’m hiding from my coven,” he said at last.

Ash nodded, hoping Harper would go on, but he didn’t. “You’ve done a good job. Are you brewing the potion yourself?”

Harper’s cheeks pinkened. “Yes. I have a knack for potions.” He averted his eyes, fiddling with the hem of Ash’s shirt. “I’m not doing a good job if they found me,” he whispered.

Before Ash could disagree, Harper stiffened, fixing Ash with a calculating stare. “Wait. If you aren’t a vampire, why did you run away from me that night? You couldn’t have been overwhelmed with the urge to bite me. You’re not new to immortality and the need for blood. You’re ancient. ”

“Ouch.” A gruff laugh escaped Ash. “Ancient. Really, Harper, that stings.”

Harper’s lips twitched. “Sorry, but I mean, it’s technically true. The fall was thousands of years ago.”

“It was.” What did Harper know about the fall? The quest for mates had been lost in retellings over the centuries and the story was often told as a rebellion against general oppression in the Eternal Realm. “I may be ancient , but I wasn’t lying about being overcome with the urge to bite you. I almost revealed myself by accident, wings and all. I wasn’t expecting my reaction to you.”

Harper seemed to mull this over, skepticism remaining in his slightly narrowed eyes.

Ash wished Harper would open up rather than ask questions. He couldn’t reveal that they were mates. He wasn’t ready to be that vulnerable. But the more Harper asked, the harder it would be to avoid the topic without lying, and he didn’t want to lie to Harper.

“Is it the magic in my blood?” Harper fisted the end of the shirt, knuckles turning white as he spoke. “Is that why you had the urge to bite me? Is that what’s…what’s happening between us?”

There was fear in Harper’s words, which was surprising given witches were well aware that feeding on blood was normal for other magical beings. “No, Harper. I had no idea you had magic in your blood until I unmasked your suppression just now.”

“But subconsciously,” Harper argued. “It could explain your strong reaction to me and why you didn’t expect it and were caught off guard.”

“It’s not that. Demons need blood to survive, but feeding isn’t about magic. When we first arrived in the Human Realm, there were no witches. The blood we drank was purely human. We don’t crave magic. We’re the source of it.”

“Right.” Harper seemed to accept this, his tense posture relaxing. “You wouldn’t need more magic, would you?”

“No.” Ash longed to shift closer but didn’t want to push his luck. “I wasn’t overwhelmed by your blood but by my own feelings.” Ash’s stomach twisted. “I’ve spent a lot of time alone over the past century, especially the last few decades. I don’t do feelings and wasn’t ready for them to sneak up on me.”

Harper unsuccessfully bit back a grin, the corners of his mouth curving upward. “Feelings, huh?”

“Yes, Harper. I have lots of feelings for you.” He’d been so lonely before Harper and unable to acknowledge it until the mating connection tugged at his jaded heart, reminding him he’d always wanted more.

Harper slowly inched closer until he stood next to Ash. “Feelings make demons lose control?”

“Yes,” Ash hummed, a self-deprecating grin tugging on his lips. “Surprising, I know.”

Harper let out a shaky laugh and sat on the bed, leaning his head against Ash’s shoulder, almost like he couldn’t help it.

The contact sparked.

“Your wings are beautiful,” Harper murmured.

“Thank you, flower.” Ash’s tail twitched. “I’ll have to show you my full wingspan sometime. It’s hard to get a good look while we’re inside.”

“I’d like that.” Harper nuzzled Ash’s shoulder. “Did you really mean it when you said this was a date?”

“Yes.” Ash’s brow furrowed. Where had that come from?

“One of the legendary Hounds of Hell wants to date me ? I never thought demons would be interested in dating.”

Ash cocked his head. “What did you imagine we were interested in? ”

“I don’t know. I guess I never thought about it.”

Ash chuckled. “You’re taking me being a demon rather well.”

“Finding a demon is a shock, but not… I mean, I know enough about demons. Your identity is a huge secret. I can’t imagine hiding from Lucifer.” Harper shuddered. “I get why you let me think you were a vampire, and I know you wouldn’t reveal yourself to me for no reason.”

“No. I wouldn’t.” Ash took Harper’s hand and squeezed. “You’re important to me, Harper.”

Harper squirmed. “That’s hard to believe.”

Ash tilted Harper’s chin up so he couldn’t keep hiding his expression. “Why?”

Harper seemed tired, eyes creased with sadness. “We don’t know each other well, and even if we did, I’ve never been important. No one has ever cared about me as a person.”

Ash’s fingers tightened on Harper’s chin. “I’m so sorry, sweet.”

Harper pulled away. “It’s not your fault.”

“I know, but I’m still sorry anyone treated you that way. I promise you’re important to me. I’ll make sure you know it.”