Page 75 of Demon's Mate
Ash hated what had happened to his relationship with Luc. What if it had all turned out differently? Could ithave, 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 reallyunderstood 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.”
25
HARPER
“Found me?”The question fell from Harper’s lips in a barely audible puff.
“Yes, Harper.” Ash’s eyes burned with golden flame, heat and his smoky scent swelling around them. “You’re my mate. Can’t you feel it?”
Harper’s head spun, stomach dropping like he was falling even though he hadn’t moved. Something tight pinched his chest. “Feel it how? What do you mean?”
