“Do you think the human who started the rumor that demons steal your soul was mated to a demon?”
Because seriously, at one point, he felt like his soul left his body, and he wasn’t entirely sure it fully came back. With the warmth in his chest that felt a lot like Wash, he felt like maybethey’d each taken a little of each other’s souls with them when they came back down from that last release.
Wash huffed, hugging him a little tighter. “And what? You think they were bragging, and the truth got twisted the more it got shared?”
Lifting his shoulder, Peri closed his eyes. “Maybe. Isn’t that how most myths start? The truth twisted over time?”
He couldn’t stay awake long enough to hear Wash’s answer, but he got the feeling that he was right. And even if he wasn’t, it didn’t matter. Finally, after two months of planning, he was fully mated to his demon. Life couldn’t get any better than this.
The final daywas supposed to be about demon clans combining magic. Something about strengthening clans. Since Ozen had never been immediate family during one of the mating ceremonies he’d been to, he’d never seen it himself, and it wouldn’t have worked anyway since not everyone in their group could give magic like the ritual required.
Wash had been willing to skip it, but Taron had come up with a fun solution instead. The couples who could give magic offered it in a blessing for the newly weds, while those who had participants who couldn’t bought a gift and the blessing was tied to the item instead and given to the couple. Avery bought Wash a fancy gold pen that Ozen put enough magic into so that it’d never be lost and wouldn’t run out of ink. Wash had needed to immediately hide it because Maverick had a thing for office supplies and couldn’t stop staring. Tony had bought Peri a whisk with designs etched into the handle, and his mates added magic to imbue Peri’s feelings into whatever he was making, so he could continue spreading joy and happiness with every treat hemade. It was fun and thoughtful and a beautiful mix of tradition and adapting to the family they had.
When it was Elijah and Alistair’s turn to step up, Peri was glad to see Wash smile at his brother instead of tensing and shuttering his expression like he used to.
Elijah looked a little nervous, his hands fluttering a little as he explained, “I know we’re supposed to give a blessing, but I had an idea for a gift I thought you might prefer. If you’re interested. I’d need to use my magic, though, I understand if that makes you uncomfortable and?—”
“Elijah,” Wash stopped him, his expression that of a brother patiently waiting for his twin to relax. “I’ve never been afraid of your magic. You don’t have to worry about making me uncomfortable.”
“You haven’t?” Elijah asked, his brows drawn together in confusion. “But… You worked so hard on your shields. You were the first person to block me out. I thought…”
Wash shook his head, his face twisted in a grimace. “That wasn’t because I was afraid of you. I started working on my shields because you said you were exhausted picking up everything around you, and I wanted you to have a safe place where you wouldn’t be drained just by being close to me. I wasn’t blocking you out. I was protecting you.”
Tears filled Elijah’s eyes, and Peri felt a lump form in his throat as he watched the brothers realize they’d been so busy trying to protect each other, they’d made too many assumptions along the way.
Wash was the first to break, shaking his head with a laugh. “We apparently need to sit down and talk sometime soon. I feel like our communication issues are to blame for us not being close anymore.” He lifted his gaze to lock with Elijah’s, his voice solemn, but hopeful. “I’d like to change that, if you’re up for it. I miss my brother, too.”
Elijah nodded rapidly, blinking away tears. With a light push from his mate, he stepped forward, and Wash dragged him into a tight hug. Peri’s ability to hold back his tears disappeared entirely, and he accepted a tissue from Alistair who watched on with an affectionate smile on his face.
“It was the outcome I was hoping for,” he admitted. “They just needed to talk to one another.”
Peri agreed wholeheartedly, dabbing at his eyes. “Well, they won’t need to worry about that anymore. We’ll make sure they communicate properly.” He shot a mock glare at Alistair, pointing a finger at him. “I’m still determined to find your favorite sweet. I’ll figure it out eventually.”
Alistair ruffled his hair with a grin. “Sure, short stuff. Whatever you say.” He put a hand on Elijah’s back when his mate finally pulled away, giving him a look so full of love and pride, it took Peri’s breath away. “Come on, Eli. Let’s make their gift.”
With a shaky nod, Elijah offered a hand to each of them. “I want you to think about your mate; the first moment you met them, when you realized you loved them, your favorite parts of them. Focus on them in your mind.”
Peri closed his eyes, focusing on Wash and the moments he cherished the most. The day they met, the first time Wash complimented his baking, their flight through the starlight realm. He felt a brush of magic against his mind, but he didn’t let it bother him, playing memory after memory until Elijah released his hand and stepped back, turning to Alistair who was forming a crystal ball with his magic right in front of their eyes. Peri watched in fascination as he passed it to his mate, and Elijah’s eyes slid shut, his hands and the ball glowing for a moment before returning to normal. When he offered it to Peri, Wash’s face swam to the surface, little snippets of his favorite memories playing like videos right in front of his eyes. Washtaking it had the same result, except with his memories of Peri instead.
“This is amazing!” Peri beamed. “Thank you!”
“Little memories get lost over the passage of time,” Elijah pointed out with a smile. “Whenever you want to add something new, you can bring it to me, and I’ll help you preserve it so you never forget the memories important to you.”
Epilogue
They took a week off from work for a post-mating vacation, which was common for supes. Peri had planned a beach vacation, picking a lagoon run by a kraken couple so the deepest water would still be manageable and not make Wash uncomfortable. He got the feeling his gorgeous mate had ulterior motives for his choice, since their bathing suits showed off both their mating marks proudly and the location was too warm to cover them up. Wash wasn’t going to complain. He got an entire week with Peri in a swimsuit, the mating mark on his inner thigh on display and the ring on his finger glinting in the sun. They’d gone shopping for that together, and he’d gotten a band studded in diamonds because he thought it matched the sparkle in Peri’s eyes.
During the day, they were at the beach, playing or relaxing, with a waiter named Mickey popping up once an hour to refill their drinks and bring their snacks. He and Peri would sometimes chat while Wash dozed, giving his social butterfly a chance to chat while he got to be lazy. It was nice, and he could see the appeal of taking vacations now that he wasn’t expected to take them alone.
At night, though, that was his favorite. They had a bungalow all to themselves, no neighbors close enough to bother them, and there was a hammock on the veranda that Wash gravitated toward every night. Something about rocking with Peri on his chest and the warm sea breeze made him so relaxed, he melted.
“We need one of these at home,” Peri commented drowsily, tracing the soul blooms on Wash’s chest. “Mine is too small.”
“Mm. Where would we put it?”
“We’ll get rid of the bed.”
He snorted softly, running a palm lazily up and down Peri’s back. “That would limit certain positions you enjoy. We’d fall off in the middle of all that rough movements.”