Page 22
22
ASH
Ash left Seaside Coffee carrying two drinks and a berry Danish and headed toward Harper’s apartment. Hopefully, his flower had a good night. Ash hadn’t come to watch over him after everything with Dante and Onyx, who he hadn’t seen since he stormed out.
He tried not to dwell on Onyx’s reaction as he walked through Harper’s neighborhood. He’d just have to smooth things over. Show Onyx there was no risk in opening their small circle to Harper.
Ash arrived at the apartment building and texted his mate.
Ash:
Fancy another coffee?
Harper:
I’d love one.
Ash:
Perfect. I’m downstairs.
Harper buzzed Ash into the building, and he headed to the top floor and knocked on Harper’ s door.
“You really didn’t have to,” Harper said as he opened the door, grinning wide.
Ash handed him the hazelnut almond latte. “When it makes you this happy, I couldn’t possibly do anything else.”
Harper let out a short laugh, eyes widening a fraction. “Thanks.”
Ash followed Harper to the living room and handed him the pastry before sitting on the couch. Harper sat beside him, and Ash dragged him onto his lap, humming at Harper’s nearness.
Harper leaned into Ash and sipped his coffee. “How was your evening?”
“Fine.” Ash didn’t want to broach the subject of meeting the other demons yet. “And yours?”
“Ollie and I cooked dinner and watched a movie. It was fun.” Harper opened the bag and pulled out the pastry. “He had lots of questions about you.”
“Did he?” Ash smiled and buried his nose in Harper’s hair.
“He wants to know if we’re dating, like a couple.”
Ash chuckled, pulling back. “ Ollie wants to know if we’re a couple?”
Harper’s cheeks flushed. “Okay, I want to know too. Is this casual dating, or what? I don’t know how demons date, and I like having this stuff clear so I don’t get the wrong idea.” He averted his eyes, inspecting the pastry.
“Being clear is a good place to start. There’s no reason to keep you guessing, sweet.” Ash wrapped an arm around his mate. Harper should know how much he cared. It was vital after the way others had treated him. “I’d like for us to be a couple, making this more than casual dating, and if it’s not too soon to be exclusive, I’d like that too.”
“It’s not too soon,” Harper murmured, his soft voice carrying a hint of surprise. “Exclusive sounds good. I don’t think casual is for me. ”
“Me either,” Ash agreed.
Harper’s brows pinched in momentary confusion. “Cool, we’ve got that in common then.”
Ash purred softly as they drank their coffees, his hand slipping under Harper’s T-shirt to rest on his belly. Harper let out a soft little sigh and squirmed in Ash’s lap.
Connecting with his mate wasn’t all about physical touch, but it heightened their interactions. Was it too much to always be touching Harper? Probably.
“Is there anywhere you’d like to go today?” Ash asked as Harper set his empty cup on the coffee table.
“Anywhere I’d like to go? What do you mean?”
Ash wasn’t admitting to how much time he’d spent watching Harper—not until he revealed what being mates meant—but he couldn’t ignore Harper’s fear of leaving home.
“I’d understand if what happened at the port has been bothering you, Harper. You’re hiding from your coven, and such a close call would make anyone think twice about walking around the city. So, if there’s anywhere you need to go or things you need to do, I’m happy to accompany you.”
Harper turned to stare at him, chewing his lower lip, studying Ash like he was trying to read his mind. Eventually, he muttered, “I haven’t left the house since I was attacked.”
Ash tightened his arm around Harper, his other hand resting on Harper’s knee. “Would it help if I was with you? We could go out together.”
Harper looked away. “I shouldn’t be scared. I’m not helpless, so I don’t know why I’m acting like this.”
“Of course you’re not helpless.” Ash rubbed his hand up and down Harper’s thigh. “You’re brewing a powerful potion and dealing with something incredibly difficult. You can have whatever feelings you want, and none of them make you any less capable. ”
Harper shot Ash a contemplative look. “Maybe not, but I can’t let them find me again. I can’t risk it.”
“I won’t let them get to you, Harper.” Ash fixed a flame-flecked stare on his mate, letting his fire burn, showing how much he meant it. “You know what I am and what position demons hold in the magic world. No one will get through me.”
A shiver ran through Harper. He squirmed. “Is getting all protective of your brand-new boyfriend a demon-dating thing?”
Ash chuckled and Harper’s lips twitched. “It is. We aren’t the most casual creatures.”
Harper barked a laugh. “I’m starting to get that.”
“So, would you like to go out, or is it too soon?”
Harper sagged, his shoulders drooping. “I need to go out. I…um…I sell potions to make money and need to deliver my latest batch.”
“Perfect.” Ash shifted Harper off his lap and stood.
Harper hesitated.
“Is there something else?”
Harper collected the empty coffee cups and paper bag and took them to the kitchen. “I think the shop owner can tell I’m lying to him. I’ve told him I’m selling the potions for my boss and that I’m human. He can’t detect my magic, but the last time I was there, he kept hinting like he didn’t think my boss was real.”
Ash paused as Harper tidied away the remnants of their coffee date. “You’re worried about him?”
“Yeah.” Harper fiddled with a dishtowel, eyes glued to it.
“Does the shop owner have any connections to the coven you’re hiding from?”
Harper shook his head, hand tight on the towel. “No, but it would still be smarter to get another job. I can’t have anything giving me away to people in the magic world. ”
Ash frowned, hating to see his mate agonize over everything he did. “Do you think this witch will sell you out?”
Harper’s head snapped up, eyes wide. “No, I don’t think so. It’s not like that, but he could give me away by accident. He could mention something to the wrong person, and they could tell someone else. It could get back to my coven that way. Not that he really knows who I am. I’ve tried to change my appearance so descriptions don’t give me away. But it’s not foolproof.”
“I see.” Harper was being extremely cautious, maybe even too cautious in this particular case. “If you don’t think this man is dangerous or about to sell you out, then it’s probably safe to keep selling potions to him. But if it makes you uncomfortable, you don’t have to. You’re not under any obligation to him, are you?”
Harper stepped closer to Ash. “No, there’s no obligation. But I don’t exactly have any other way to make money.”
Ash longed to pull Harper against him and tell Harper he didn’t have to worry. Ash would take care of him—pay his rent, give him a place to live, anything. But he couldn’t. Offering would be too much, and he didn’t want to attract Harper’s suspicion about why he was so committed or hurt Harper’s pride by implying he couldn’t take care of himself.
“If this guy turns out to be untrustworthy, I’ll protect you, Harper. On the other hand, if he isn’t a problem, maybe this job will be good, and you’ll get to know the shop owner better. I assume you don’t plan to be isolated forever, hiding from your coven and all other witches?”
“No, I don’t want to hide forever.” Harper ran a hand through his hair. “I was going to leave the city when I could afford it, but I’d rather stay. Though now that they’ve found me, I’m not sure.”
“I can make them go away,” Ash said softly like he was whispering sweet nothings, not offering to release his demon wrath on a group of witches. “If you tell me what’s going on, I can do more than keep you safe day-to-day.”
Harper stepped back, giving Ash an awkward smile. “Let’s start with Nico and The Herb Emporium.” He turned and walked out of the kitchen.
“Sounds good.” Ash tried to mean it, even though his stomach sank. Harper still didn’t trust him. He must be dealing with so much fear. Ash wanted nothing more than to take it all away.
Patience. He had to be patient. In time, Harper would learn that he could always turn to him. Ash just had to be here waiting when Harper was ready.
Harper retrieved a shoulder bag from his room and headed for the front door, Ash following in his wake. Harper hesitated at the door.
“All good?” Ash asked.
“Yeah.” Harper opened the door and stepped into the hall.
“We can walk or fly.” Ash closed the door behind him. “No one will see us if we do the latter.”
“Fly?” Harper whirled around. “Really? That would be so cool.”
Ash grinned. “Then I’ll definitely take you flying. Shall we go up to the roof?”
Some of the joy in Harper’s eyes dimmed. “No. Let’s save that for something strictly fun. I need to get used to walking around again.”
See, he was strong, facing what made him uncomfortable.
“I like the idea of flying being fun,” Ash said. “I’m so used to it. I haven’t thought about it that way in years.”
Harper laughed. “Well, I can’t imagine it ever being anything else.”
With Harper, flying could be something special. Everything had the potential to change when they were together .
They left the building and walked through the Banks along the familiar route Ash had seen Harper take to the apothecary. Harper checked over his shoulder constantly, no less vigilant because Ash was with him.
“I don’t see anyone or sense any witches,” Ash murmured, hoping to provide reassurance.
“Me either,” Harper agreed, glancing over his shoulder again.
Harper’s fear ran deep. What had his coven done to him? Whatever it was, Ash would make them pay. No one should be this afraid to walk down the street.
Once they reached the apothecary, Harper turned to Ash. “Is it okay if you wait out here for me?”
“Of course.”
Harper reached out and squeezed Ash’s hand. “Thanks.” He disappeared inside the shop.
Ash kept watch over the street while he waited, periodically glancing through The Herb Emporium window. When Harper exited the shop, his eyes immediately darted around the street, but his posture seemed less tense than before.
“How did it go?” Ash asked.
“It was good.” Harper made an exasperated sound. “Nico didn’t say anything weird or hint at anything. It made me feel like I was stressing over nothing.”
Ash had suspected that might be the case but didn’t say so. “I’m glad he put you at ease. Are you going to continue selling potions to him?”
“I think so.” Harper glanced back at the shop. “There’s a position open for an in-house brewer, but I can’t take it while pretending I’m human.”
Ash tried to get a look at Nico through the window, but there was too much clutter in the shop. “Do you think Nico would understand and still be interested in offering you the position if you explained why you’re hiding your identity?”
Harper grimaced. “I don’t know. Maybe. He seems like a good guy. But I can’t trust him enough to tell him I’m hiding. It won’t work.”
“All right.” Ash clasped Harper on the shoulder. He wasn’t here to be pushy. He might not be able to solve all of Harper’s problems, but he could still bring his flower joy and care for him in other ways. “Want to do something fun?”