Page 24

24

ASH

Ash’s chest tightened with longing. His flower wanted and trusted him enough to give him his body in new ways. Ash glowed, his internal fire radiating happiness.

He pulled Harper’s thong down around his thighs, exposing him completely and freeing his cock. Ash ran his finger around his tail, where it penetrated his mate, adding more lube. “You still like this position, sweet?”

“Yes.” Harper pressed back into his touch, and Ash slipped his finger in alongside the tip of his tail. Harper moaned and clenched, rocking his hips and trying to fuck himself.

The sight made Ash dizzy. “How does that feel?”

Harper groaned. “Good. More.”

“Patience. I’m going to take my time with you.” Ash withdrew his tail. Harper whimpered in protest but quieted when Ash’s tail moved to tease his balls. Ash replaced it with another finger, filling Harper’s hole with two.

“Yes, touch me, Ash.” Harper tightened around his fingers, and Ash’s demon fire flared in his chest.

His mate was so passionate. He might hold back in other areas, but not here. Harper’s openness deserved to be rewarded, and that Ash could do. He’d make this the best it could be.

He pumped his fingers, scissoring them and stretching Harper bit by bit. “Do you want me to use a condom?”

Harper glanced over his shoulder. His cheeks and neck flushed deep red. “We don’t have to, right?” His eyes fluttered closed, and he groaned as Ash added more lube.

“No, we don’t have to.” Ash fucked the lube into his mate. Harper needed to be dripping with it by the time Ash’s cock got anywhere near his hole. “I’m immortal and can’t carry or catch human ailments, but it’s about what you’re comfortable with. Not everyone likes the mess of taking a load.”

“No condom,” Harper said in a rush. His hole fluttered around Ash’s fingers. “I want you in me.”

“Fuck.” Ash could come just seeing Harper like this. He squeezed his dick to keep his pleasure at bay. “You want me to fill you with my cum, flower?”

“Yes.” Harper thrust back.

Ash purred so deeply that it sounded more like a growl. Their desires aligned. His mate wanted his seed.

Harper wanted to be mated.

Ash squeezed Harper’s ass and drove his fingers in deeper. “Good. I want nothing more than to claim you.”

Harper’s mouth fell open on a whimper, his wide-eyed gaze locked on Ash.

He clamped his mouth shut and focused on touching Harper. It was too soon to speak of claiming and mating, even if he longed to call Harper his mate aloud.

One day. Today, he’d mark Harper with his cum. Fuck Harper’s virgin hole and show Harper what an eternity of pleasure would be like. They’d get to mating eventually.

Ash pressed a third finger into Harper, going slow and adding more lube. Harper hissed a stuttered breath, and Ash stopped. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, just give me a second.”

Ash waited, stroking Harper’s leaking cock with his hand as his tail teased his inner thighs.

A few moments later, Harper pushed back. “I’m ready.”

Ash sank his fingers in slowly, fucking in and out, going deeper each time until he was buried as far as he could go. He found Harper’s prostate, and Harper let out a shout of pleasure. Ash fucked Harper with his fingers until he moved easily.

He slicked his cock. “I can’t wait to bury my dick inside you, Harper.” His voice came out in a growl. “Are you ready for it?”

“Yes, fuck me, Ash. I want your cock, please. I need to feel you.”

Ash withdrew his fingers and lined himself up, pressing against Harper’s hole. “I’ve got what you need, Harper.” He pressed forward, rumbling as Harper opened for him, enveloping his cockhead beautifully, so tight and perfect. “There you go, sweet. Take my cock.”

“Oh fuck, Ash,” Harper moaned. “You’re splitting me open.”

Ash paused with just his tip inside his mate. “Is it too much?”

“No.” Harper shot a look over his shoulder. “Not too much. I like feeling you taking over my body. I like you so much, Ash.”

“I adore you, Harper.” Ash caressed his hips with his hands and tail. “This cock is yours now. Whenever you want it, I’ll give it to you.”

Harper whimpered, his eyes glassy. “Ash…”

He hummed, squeezing Harper’s ass. “You’re mine, Harper. And I’m yours.”

Harper closed his eyes. “ Please .”

Ash pushed forward, filling Harper another inch. He paused and pulled back before filling him again, his movements slow and reverent. “Do you feel it? This is what it’s like to be cherished, sweet. To have someone who belongs to you, giving you everything you need. I want to be that for you. Give you my cock, my soul, whatever you want.”

“Ash,” Harper sobbed. “No, you can’t. Don’t. It feels too good.”

Ash stilled his rocking hips, his heart skipping a beat. “Sweetheart, are you crying?”

Harper rubbed his eyes, pulling off his glasses and blinking wet lashes as a choked sound passed his lips. “Don’t say stuff like that if you don’t mean it.”

Ash pulled out of Harper and blanketed him with his body, folding his wings around them in a cocoon. He nuzzled Harper’s ear. “I’d never say something I don’t mean. I adore you, and making love to you is shaking all my mushy thoughts loose. If it’s too much, we don’t have to do this.”

Ash could have cursed himself for overwhelming Harper. But he didn’t know how to be this intimate with his mate and not spew his feelings. Ash wanted this moment to be everything to Harper, but it was everything to him too.

“I want this,” Harper whispered. “I just need to know it’s real. That you like me and aren’t just saying sex things that you’ll take back later.”

Ash kissed his cheek. “I like you more than anything, Harper. You’re a sweet, brave man, and you’ve captured my heart. I want to get to know everything about you. Your body and pleasure, your history and dreams. I want to be yours. If it isn’t too much to ask?”

“It isn’t. Not at all.” Harper rubbed his cheek against Ash. “I want all that too. So much it scares me.”

“Then I’ll protect your heart.” Ash tipped Harper’s head back until their lips met. “I promise. You’re safe with me. ”

Harper’s lips trembled as they pressed against Ash’s, the tremor flowing down his body. “Then fuck me like I’m yours.”

Ash purred, his heart swelling. “I’d be honored, flower.”

He pulled back enough to align his cock with Harper’s slick hole and push in. Harper let out a sweet, breathy moan as he pulled Ash back inside him. Ash kept his chest flush against Harper’s back and wrapped his tail around Harper’s waist. He rocked his hips, kissing the back of Harper’s neck and nibbling his ear. With one hand bracing himself, Ash used his other to toy with Harper’s nipples. Harper trembled, beautiful groans falling from his sweet lips.

Harper’s fresh bluebell scent filled the room, and Ash swore he could feel mountain air caressing his feathers. Pure bliss washed over him. He was meant for this moment more than anything in his long life.

Ash pressed his hips forward until he slid all the way into Harper, filling him completely.

“Ash,” Harper gasped.

“I’ve got you.” Ash tilted Harper’s chin and captured his mouth in a kiss. “My sweet flower, I’ve got you.”

He worked Harper’s lips with small, sweet movements, immersing himself in his mate. Harper thrust back, and Ash took the hint. He rolled his hips, savoring Harper’s tight heat. He was home, connecting with his flower, and nothing had ever felt so right.

“Ash, you feel so good. I’m so full. I’ve never…” Harper’s words broke off with a moan. “I never thought it could be like this.”

“Me either, sweet. You’re tight and perfect, and you let me stretch you so wonderfully, but it’s more than that. I feel so close to you. You feel so right in my arms.”

“Yes!” Harper cried, squirming beneath him. “Fuck me, Ash. It feels so right. Please don’t stop. ”

Ash snapped his hips and Harper lurched forward, letting out a cry of pleasure. He met Ash’s next thrust with one of his own. Ash growled and pushed to his knees, gripping Harper’s hips. He pulled out and thrust back in.

“More,” Harper begged, and Ash did it again. He adjusted his angle, and on his next stroke, he hit Harper’s prostate, setting him screaming and burying his head in the sheets.

Ash’s fangs descended. He flexed his wings and thrust, watching his cock disappear into Harper’s sweet hole.

Harper met every hard stroke and their moans bled together. Pleasure tightened inside Ash. He needed to fill his mate, claim him with his cum, and give him everything. He reached for Harper’s hard cock and stroked him in time with his fucking.

Harper pressed back, bucking against Ash. “Fill me, Ash. Make me yours.”

“ Mine ,” Ash growled, tail tightening around Harper’s waist. “You’re mine, Harper. Mine to love and cherish and please.”

Harper came crying Ash’s name, his hole squeezing and pulsing around Ash’s aching cock. Ash thrust deep, pressing his groin hard into Harper’s ass, and pumped Harper full, wings beating like he was trying to take off as his orgasm rattled his soul.

Harper whimpered, his movements stuttering to a stop, and Ash stroked his back. He seemed to melt, going boneless under Ash’s touch.

Ash slowly pulled out and massaged Harper’s ass cheeks. Harper’s hole was pink and looked thoroughly used. A rumble rolled through Ash as his cum leaked out, dripping down Harper’s inner thighs and balls.

Ash traced Harper’s rim delicately. “So pretty.”

Harper’s breathing picked up. He squirmed.

“Never seen anything lovelier.” Ash gripped Harper’s hips and rolled him onto his back, removing the thong from around his thighs and tossing it away before pulling Harper into a tight hug. “Thank you, sweetheart. That was wonderful, best sex of my life.”

Harper’s eyes widened. After a long moment, he said softly, “Same. Well, I mean, not that I can compare, exactly.” His cheeks flushed a deep crimson. “I used to be so nervous, but I wasn’t. With you. It was even better than I dreamed, and I thought my fantasies were pretty good. You know?”

Ash grinned, and Harper’s smile broke free.

“That makes me very happy,” Ash murmured before covering Harper’s mouth with his.

Ash cleaned them in the adjoining bathroom and brought Harper back to bed, where they curled up under the covers, Harper’s head resting on Ash’s chest. He’d returned his wings to tattoo form to make it more comfortable to lie on his back, but he’d left his horns, fangs, and tail in their natural state.

Ash was boneless. He could lie like this for a week and not get bored.

Harper’s fingers trailed over Ash’s left pec and down his side. Ash’s tail twitched. He brought it over his lap and laid it across Harper’s hips.

“Will you really help me with my coven?” Harper whispered.

Ash peered down but couldn’t see Harper’s face in this position. “Yes, I’ll help any way I can. If you tell me what’s going on, we can choose the best approach together. We can handle them however you want.”

Harper’s arm tightened around Ash. “They worship Lucifer. Does that change anything? ”

“It won’t change me helping you if that’s what you mean. But I can’t say more than that without knowing the details. It may change how we tackle this.”

Harper peeked up at him, uncertainty in his eyes.

Ash waited. What was Harper thinking? He didn’t want to push and risk Harper shutting down again.

Harper’s gaze strayed to his glasses on the side table.

Ash reached for them. “Do you need these back?”

Harper shook his head. “They’re fake. I only started wearing them to change my appearance. My hair used to be brown too.”

Ash smiled. “I noticed the hair at your groin was lighter.”

Harper blushed. “I actually like how I look in the disguise. I never got to dress or style my hair how I wanted. My coven was controlling…” His words petered out, sounding defeated.

Ash ran a hand through Harper’s hair, hating that anyone had squashed his flower’s spirit. “I’m sorry you couldn’t express yourself around your coven, but I’m glad you’ve taken the chance to do it now and that you like how you look.”

“Me too.” Harper’s lips twitched in a tiny smile that lit Ash’s world. “My coven is awful. My dad’s the leader, and I couldn’t use magic against him or anyone. He kept me at the lowest rank.”

Ash frowned. “Your coven uses blood loyalty?”

“Yes.” Harper seemed confused. “Isn’t blood loyalty automatic within families? I know not all covens make members swear blood oaths to join, but families already share blood, so isn’t rank inherent?”

“No. Sharing blood isn’t enough to enforce blood loyalty. Not all families use blood to control their relatives. The practice is very old and has become less and less popular over the centuries.”

“Makes sense we’d still be doing it. It fits with everything else.” Harper let out a long sigh, drawing circles on Ash’s chest. “I’m powerful. My father would drain my blood to access my magic. I could never fight back enough to get away. When I got older and stopped cooperating, he would tie me down.”

Pain seared through Ash. “I’m so sorry, Harper. No father should abuse their child like that. You did so well, escaping him even with everything set against you. You made it through something most people couldn’t even imagine.”

Harper squeezed Ash tight, whispering, “I can’t let him find me. I’ll never escape if he gets his hands on me again. He used to lock me away, leave me weak and helpless. No one in the coven helped me.”

“Fuck, sweetheart, that’s awful. But don’t worry.” Ash tilted Harper’s head so their eyes met. “I promise I’ll protect you. Your father will never hurt you again. You won’t have to live in fear of him or anyone ever again.”

Ash meant it with every cell in his being. He’d use all his considerable power to ensure Harper was never hurt again.

“Even a demon like you couldn’t take on a whole coven,” Harper whispered, showing how deep his fear ran. Not even Ash’s presence could banish it. But that was understandable. Harper had been alone and abused and had never had another person to lean on.

No wonder he was so afraid and guarded. Ash would have to show him what love and family were supposed to be like.

“You’re right. Going against a whole coven doesn’t leave me with great odds.” Ash wouldn’t treat Harper with kid gloves or sugarcoat things. Harper could handle anything, especially if he had support. “I’m not invincible. But I have my brothers. We don’t have to take on everyone at once. We can target your father or the coven members searching for you in the city. If you want to go after them rather than wait to see what they do next, just say the word. You can take control of the situation, Harper. I’m here to help you do that.”

Harper gave him a startled look. “You really think we can take control?”

“Yes.” Control over what happened would be important to Harper after everything. “You’re in charge of your own life. No one, especially not your father, can take that from you again.”

“But how can we be sure?” Harper’s face filled with conflicted emotion. “I can’t ask you to kill him, but I don’t know if he’ll stop otherwise.”

“Of course you wouldn’t ask for your father’s death, sweet. You’re a kind person, and that isn’t something I’d expect you to want, even if the man deserves it. But I don’t think I need to kill him to ensure he leaves you alone.”

“No?”

Ash smiled. Putting Harper’s father in his place would calm the anger building inside him. “He’ll be surprised to find one demon at your side, let alone three. Surely, threatening him would be enough to make him run and hide.”

Harper bit his lip. “He might not be that surprised.”

“Why not? Even if he’s well-educated in magical history, we’re more legend than real to most witches.”

“True.” Harper shifted so he was facing Ash, bracing against his chest. “But not to my coven.” He averted his eyes. “Supposedly, the Nightingales are descended from Lucifer, and my father is pretty serious about serving him. He made it his mission to find you and your brothers. He suspected you lived in Shearwater Landing a long time ago and sent me to search the city’s stone memory.”

Ash’s whole body tensed.

Harper’s gaze darted to Ash’s and caught his rigid posture. “I was never going to tell him if I found you. I was failing at my search anyway, and being sent here was the only reason I was finally able to escape.”

“Your coven is the one hunting us?” Ash was having trouble processing. What were the odds of that?

“Yes. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.” Harper’s hands flexed on Ash’s chest. “My plan was to warn you and the other demons if I found you and ensure my coven never found out anything about you. I wasn’t letting them get any more power. I promise.”

Ash relaxed, his shock dissolving. Harper’s fear kept him guarded, and Ash would never hold that against him.

“I can see why you didn’t tell me right away. I’m only beginning to understand what you were running from, and I wouldn’t expect someone in your position to trust blindly. But what do you mean by letting your coven get more power? How would finding us help them achieve that?”

If Harper’s coven had been planning to slay Ash and his brothers for the magic in their demon blood, Ash didn’t think he could stop Onyx and Dante from killing the Nightingales.

“My father planned to hand you over to Lucifer and hoped to gain favor and power for being such a good servant.” Harper wrinkled his nose. “I’d never have let that happen. I was only ever looking for you to warn you. I swear.”

Ash ran a hand through Harper’s hair. “Of course you wanted to warn us. You’re kind, Harper. You’d do nothing less. You’ve been fighting against your father your whole life. You’d never choose to serve him.”

“Thank you for believing me,” Harper murmured. “I wish I’d trusted you sooner.”

“Don’t worry about it. You were being smart.” Ash cupped Harper’s cheek. “I’m just happy I’ve finally won you over. It feels like quite an accomplishment.”

Harper tried to bite back a smile but didn’t quite manage .

Ash rubbed his hands up and down Harper’s back. “How’d you escape? You said your coven isn’t in Shearwater Landing?”

Harper rested his chin on his hands and told Ash how he grew up on a remote compound in the Colorado mountains. His upbringing made Ash’s demon fire burn with rage, but it also showed him how strong and resilient his flower was. Harper told Ash how he planned his escape for months. He’d been more careful and patient than Ash ever could have been.

Ash couldn’t imagine facing his future with anyone else. Harper would be a rock by Ash’s side.

“You’ve accomplished so much on your own, Harper, but you aren’t alone anymore. When you need to face something, I’ll be right there with you. You only have to ask.”

“Thank you.” Harper’s hands clenched, then relaxed. The rest of his muscles seemed to follow, a small shiver coursing through him.

“How did your coven plan on handing us over?” It was almost harder to capture a demon alive than to kill one. Not much on Earth could hold them.

Harper frowned. “I don’t know. It’s one of the holes in my father’s plan. He liked to imply he had a connection to Lucifer, but I think he was lying. I don’t know how he planned to relay your location. I doubt Lucifer responds to séances.”

A sharp laugh escaped Ash. “No, he definitely doesn’t.” At least that was good news. The Nightingales didn’t seem like a strong threat, except to Harper.

“What happened?” Harper hesitated, curiosity shaping his face. “I mean, I know demons fell to Earth in a rebellion, but how did Lucifer become someone you needed to escape? Weren’t you all on the same side? Why are all the demons in Hell and not on Earth like they used to be?”

Ash hated what had happened to his relationship with Luc. What if it had all turned out differently? Could it have, or was betrayal always part of his and Luc’s story? “That’s a long story, sweet.”

“I don’t have anywhere else I want or need to be,” Harper said softly. “But if you don’t want to tell me, that’s okay.”

Ash hauled Harper closer and kissed him. “There’s nothing I don’t want to tell you. I want you to know me.”

Harper’s eyes shone. “I want that too.”

Ash cradled Harper against him, Harper’s head tucked into Ash’s neck, and Ash told him about Luc. How they’d known each other from childhood and were the closest friends. Ash ached for the love he once had for his first chosen brother and resented the pain that had replaced it, but he shared it all with Harper.

He explained how the Eternal Realm had damned them for creating witches and how Luc had twisted over the years, seeking power until he betrayed them all and imprisoned them.

Ash didn’t mention mates. He wanted to. They were so close to the topic. Would Harper want to hear it now? They’d become so much closer today. Maybe it wasn’t too soon.

“How could he betray you like that?” Harper asked.

“I’m not sure,” Ash admitted. “I’ve always wondered what I missed. When did he go from my brother to someone as controlling as your father? No one has ever hurt me like Luc did. I trusted him with everything, and he used that for his own benefit, making the most of the bad situation he created but not trying to improve it for anyone but himself.”

There was never supposed to be a new ruler after the fall. They were escaping the council and finding their mates, not founding a new controlling society, but when that failed, Ash still hadn’t seen Luc’s quest for power over others coming.

“Can I admit something?” Harper asked.

Ash dragged his mind out of the deep past. “Of course.”

Harper gave him a sheepish smile. “I never really understood why it was such a big deal that witches were damned. Hell isn’t what humans make it out to be. It isn’t eternal torture or a place for morally corrupt people to be punished, so why does it matter which afterlife we go to?”

“It’s not a place of torture, but it’s not peaceful. There’s something not right about the Realm of the Damned. It feels wrong and unsettling. You know in your gut you aren’t supposed to be there. It’s not how things are supposed to be. Even beings who never knew the Eternal Realm feel it, almost as if witches know in their souls they were meant for mortality and reincarnation. It’s subtle, but eternity is a long time.”

Harper ran a hand through Ash’s hair and along one of his horns. “I’m glad you got out.”

“Me too, sweet.” If he hadn’t escaped, would he have found Harper in their damned afterlife? He preferred being here, but at least he might not have been alone forever.

“Was the rebellion worth it?” Harper asked, clearly still curious.

Ash paused. This was it. He either had to lie or tell Harper the rebellion wasn’t what he’d been led to believe.

Harper waited patiently, his soft brown eyes eager. He’d given Ash so much today. How could Ash hold back after that?

Ash kissed Harper on the forehead, and his stomach swooped. “It wasn’t a rebellion as such. We left the Eternal Realm to find our mates.”

Harper’s brows rose. “Mates?”

“Yes, our fated loves. Our other halves. The souls we were destined to be with for eternity. Mates must be granted in the Eternal Realm, but Luc and many others like me believed that was false. Fated connections existed regardless of approval, so we came to Earth to find our mates and live freely, only they weren’t here, and after centuries of searching, I gave up.”

“You gave up?” Harper breathed, eyes wide .

“I did. I was sure we’d never find our mates. The Eternal Realm punished us for falling by keeping our mates in the afterlife. We’d never be able to earn forgiveness and get them back.” Ash’s throat clogged. “I lost hope a millennia and a half ago, and everything that’s happened since only aggravated me. The world became such a mess, and with no hope left, I just glared at it all, telling myself being alone was what I deserved.”

Ash cleared his throat. He sat up and pulled Harper onto his lap, cradling his face. “But I was wrong, sweet flower. All hope wasn’t lost. I finally found you.”