Page 56 of Demon's Mate
“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 beancient, 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 theHuman 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 dateme? 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.”
