Chapter 34
Thirty-Four
Letting out a slow breath, Wash forced himself to lower his mental shields. He’d come here for a reason. He needed to know the truth. If Peri was sincere, he wanted to know. He wasn’t sure how much longer he could stay away, and he didn’t want to always have to wonder if Peri meant it or not.
His thumb trailed over the sigil automatically, soothing some of the ache in his chest. It helped him stay calm as he felt the brush of Elijah’s magic, wrapping around him like a warm hug.
Not as warm as he felt when Peri smiled at him, but warm enough that he no longer felt like he was going to shatter.
The image of Peri swam into his mind, but it wasn’t his memory. It was Elijah’s. He could see them both, see how Wash pathetically pined over the little fairy, following him around like a grumpy shadow.
Something like a flick on his mind made him flinch, and his eyes whipped open to glare at Elijah. “What the hell?”
“You’re not pathetic. And you’re not paying attention. Stop looking at your response to him. Look at him.”
After one last suspicious look at his brother, he closed his eyes again, focusing on the memory Elijah offered. He took in Peri and his unwavering smile, the way he wrinkled his nose when he was being cheeky and his eyes danced when he laughed.
“He keeps looking back at you. Tracking you.”
“Because he wants to make sure I’m not working like he and Taron want,” Wash interjected. He could practically feel Elijah resisting the urge to flick him again, and his mouth twitched against a smile. It’d been a long time since he’d even thought of playing with his brother.
“No, Wash. He’s tracking you because he likes you near him. Look at his eyes. There’s no calculation, no hint of him being critical of your behavior. He looks at you like he loves you. Like he wants to make sure you’re happy because you make him happy in return.”
The smallest flicker of hope, weak and wavering, lit in his chest, but he tamped it down. It wasn’t enough. Elijah was only seeing what he wanted to see. He–
Image after image of Peri flashed through his head, all from Elijah’s perspective.
When he’d jumped onto Wash’s back, clinging to him while he argued with whoever had pissed Wash off.
He’d missed Peri breathing him in, closing his eyes with a small smile before Wash told him he could get down again.
When he brought out his pastries for everyone to try during the retreat.
He’d missed the way Peri watched him, waiting for his hum of approval before he breathed a sigh of relief and smiled that sunshine smile.
And during the relay, when Wash was busy racing, he’d missed how worried Peri had been and how proud he looked when Wash got so far ahead.
“He loves you, Wash. You just didn’t see it for what it was.
” The images faded, and when Wash opened his eyes, Elijah gave him an empathetic smile.
“Sometimes it's hard to see the truth when we’re that close to it. But I promise, whatever reason Peri had for agreeing to help Taron, it only came from a place of love.”
As he walked out of Elijah’s office not long later, he compared the memories Elijah had shown him against his own.
Not once before that conversation he’d overheard between Peri and Taron had Wash ever thought Peri wasn’t sincere.
He was an open book, and he wore his emotions on his sleeve.
Now that he was clearheaded enough to truly think about it, something didn’t add up.
The Peri he knew wouldn’t do something cruel.
He was still considering it all when he stepped into the elevator and pressed the button for the research floor by habit.
His feet wanted to lead him to his office, even though he didn’t really need to be there.
He’d taken a few personal days because he wanted to be sure he wouldn’t snap at anyone before seeing Peri again.
Even when he was sure Peri had hurt him, he still didn't want to hurt the fairy back.
“You’re back,” someone muttered crossly, drawing Wash’s attention.
He hadn’t even noticed that he wasn’t alone in the elevator.
Kian had a box in his hands, his glare locked on Wash like he’d done something to offend the fae.
Maybe he had. Kian and Peri were close. He probably wasn’t too pleased that Wash yelled at him like he had. Wash regretted it too.
Not willing to get into an argument, he grunted in response, his hand moving to brush over the sigil on his wrist again to block out the memory of Peri’s fear when Wash yelled at him.
“What is that?” Kian demanded.
Wash looked down at the mark, then up at the numbers marking what floor they were on. Was it him, or were they moving extra slowly today?
“Nothing. I don’t know.”
He could hear the irritation in his voice when Kian snapped, “Well, which is it? Nothing or you don’t know?”
Exhaustion weighed on him, and the cold that had dissipated a little while Elijah had used his magic on him sank back into his skin.
He dropped his gaze to the mark, rubbing his thumb over it again.
“I don’t know. It showed up a few nights ago.
I assumed it was a sigil my magic created to ease the pain. ”
Kian was quiet for a long moment, and when he spoke again, his voice was a little softer. “Can I see it?”
The urge to refuse was on the tip of Wash’s tongue, but he remembered Elijah’s words. Shutting people out only made things worse. With a sigh, he tipped his wrist, showing Kian the sigil on his wrist.
Kian huffed, the anger on his face disappearing under a wealth of surprise. “That’s not a sigil.”
Wash frowned at him. “You know what it is?”
“Yes. It’s a soul bloom.”
The term wasn’t something Wash was familiar with, and he didn’t appreciate the way Kian rolled his eyes when Wash raised his eyebrows in a silent demand for him to explain. The fae was lucky he was too cold to fight with him. The attitude was annoying.
“A soul bloom is like a mating mark for fairies. It shows up when a fairy finds their person.”
Wash’s stomach dropped like he’d just stepped off a cliff, and his gaze whipped up to Kian’s so fast, his head spun. “It’s… what?”
Kian tipped his head, looking between Wash and the mark.
“I’m guessing neither of you discussed the mate thing.
I thought you would have figured it out by now.
I noticed that bond between you two within the first week when Peri came upstairs to check in with me gushing about the sexy demon he wanted to keep forever.
Remind me, did Peri say that before or after meeting Taron? ”
All the breath left Wash in a rush. Peri hadn’t met Taron until his second week when he’d come to invite Wash to lunch and Taron had shown up to kidnap him.
He’d wanted Wash before? He looked at the mark again, that tiny flicker of hope swelling into a bonfire and sending warmth all the way to his toes.
Mate. Peri thought Wash was his mate. And Wash had been so angry, he hadn’t taken the time to talk to him about it first.
Maybe he wasn’t as smart as people liked to think.
“Where is he?” he breathed, eyes still locked on the soul bloom. Before his eyes, another one blossomed, like it was responding to his thoughts about Peri.
“I don’t know.”
A snarl ripped from his throat, and he snapped his head up, glaring at the fae. “Now isn’t the time for pranks, Kian! Where is he?”
“I don’t know,” Kian repeated. It was his expression that held Wash back from yelling at him again. He looked… concerned. “I took him home the day you left because he was too inconsolable to work. He hasn’t come back since. And he won’t answer his door when I go to visit. I don’t know where he is.”
Instead of calling or texting, Wash teleported to Peri’s home, knocking on the door the second the spell was over.
He heard no response inside, so he knocked harder.
Nothing. Fishing his phone out of his pocket, he pulled up Peri’s contact information and called him, hearing the ringtone playing inside the apartment without anyone picking up.
He pounded on the door again, phone still pressed to his ear.
“Peri? Baby, open up!”
A clatter caught his attention, and he stopped knocking to listen.
He heard movement, almost like Peri was rushing to the door like he had that first night, hoping it was him.
He hung up the phone just as Peri ripped the door open, taking only a second to take Wash in before he burst into heart wrenching sobs. “I-I’m so sorry!”
He moved without thinking, grabbing Peri in a hug while pushing forward, kicking the door shut behind him. Peri didn’t fight him, wrapping his legs around Wash’s hips when he lifted him off his feet.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” he murmured into Peri’s hair, hugging him and petting him like he couldn’t get enough. Because he couldn’t. This little fairy had stolen his heart and even the thought of losing him had ripped him apart.
It took Peri a while to calm down enough to have any kind of conversation.
Wash didn’t rush him, moving them to the couch with Peri straddling his lap so they could be as close together as possible.
Peri kept his face buried in Wash’s neck, his tears dripping onto Wash’s skin, while Wash petted his hair and held him, soaking in the presence of the man he never thought he’d get to have.
“I’m sorry, baby. Truly.”
“F-For what?” Peri hiccuped. “I’m the one who–” His voice cut, and he curled tighter into Wash’s chest. “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to hurt you! I just wanted an excuse to be close to you!”
“Shh… It’s okay,” he murmured, hugging Peri a little tighter to settle him again. Something clicked with Peri’s comment, though. So that was why Peri agreed to the plan. He hadn’t approached Wash because Taron told him to. Taron just gave him the excuse he needed to go after what he wanted.
That sounded more like Peri.
Since he didn't want Peri to take all the blame, he waited until the sobs settled again before explaining himself. “I’m sorry for walking away. I thought you were only spending time with me because Taron asked you to distract me and–”
“I wasn’t! I swear!” Peri cried, and Wash had to shush him again to finish his explanation.
“No, I know that now. I was hurt, and I reacted without talking to you. I’m sorry about that. I should have heard your side of the story first. I’m… going to have to work on that. I’m a little sensitive when it comes to the people I love.”
Finally, Peri lifted his head, his eyes red rimmed and still swimming with unshed tears as he asked, “Love?”
Wash cupped Peri’s chin, hoping beyond all hope that Elijah was right when he said Peri felt the same way. “Yeah, baby. I think I fell for you the day you showed up at my office door with a cupcake and a smile, determined to make sure I wasn’t left out.”