Being the intended mate of a royal is the duty of a lifetime.
To Princess Peregrine duty is everything. From the day she was born she was groomed to save her realm from extinction. With a lineage like hers, she was destined for one thing and that is...
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Four months old, that is how old Grey and Aplomado now are. They have grown fast, due to their hybrid genetics. Both of them have just started walking, like the two of them are doing right now. Raven is currently playing with the both of them in the courtyard.
He is midshifted, wings on full display. They were filled full with onyx-colored feathers, absolutely beautiful to behold, although they make him deadly. Right now though, he just looks like a silly, happy parent as he picks them up and soars slightly off the ground with them. They make the happiest of noises and I can tell he is reveling in each one of them.
"You are going to make my heart stop!" I call up to him when he drops down quickly, the two of their little bodies in tow.
"They are more than fine!" He boasts as he sets the two giggling children down on the ground. "They are children of the Sky Realm! They long to be in up in the air amongst the clouds." I smile at him but also feel a piece of me worrying just a bit because they are not entirely creatures of the sky. I will not ruin his joyous mood with that reminder though.
"You are right as always, my king." I open my arms to a running, albeit wobbly, Grey. "Come here my beautiful boy." He is all smiles as I wrap my arms around him and place a loving kiss atop his head. "You have already grown so big." I sit him in my lap from my seat on the grass and watch Raven continue to play with Aplomado.
He has got him on his shoulders, holding his arms as he jumps up with a flap of his wings. Aplomado loves it. You could tell that he was no doubt a creature of the sky but Grey, Grey tolerated it. He was not like his brother. No, Grey was very much like Timber. All tawny hair and rambunctious personality. Even though the two of them were still too young to know, I knew what creatures they would be.
My mind goes to Timber, wondering what he is doing in his kingdom. It has been so long since he has paid us a visit. He has only been able to visit one time since his first initial stint. We did not want to make it obvious to the other realms what was going on between us.
I had no word from him, nothing at all, and although I was saddened by it I could tell Raven did not mind. Raven was happy father to both of our sons regardless of their complete genetic makeup. He loved and cared for them fiercely and it made me often wonder why the realms would ever bestow such a mate upon me.
We had even spoken after Timber had left about what we would do if I ever experienced heat. He said we will deal with it when the day comes and had left it at that. He did not seem too thrilled but he tolerated it and I loved him for that. I loved him for loving me exactly the way I am, for not throwing me in a prison or disowning our young; all things that were more than in his power and in his rights to do.
He drops down directly in front of Grey and I, pulling Aplomado into his lap after. His wings are still out beating softly around us. "You know I do not think I will ever get used to you flying around like that."
"You seem more than fine." He extends his wings and wraps them around us like we are in a dark-winged cocoon. Once the boys start squealing and squirming he pulls them away, letting the daylight back in. "Ah, you two may be small but you are not scared. My powerful little princes."
Just as I am about to give him a happy smile, feeling fully content with my day, do I begin to feel a bit off. "Raven, take Grey." I am just able to make out as my throat begins to feel parched. "It is getting so warm out so early in the season. I think I need something to drink."
"It is not that warm out, Peregrine." His brow furrows as he looks me over, both boys in his lap now.
"I think I need to get inside. I am beginning not to feel that well." Worry is all over his face as he stands up automatically.
"Lady Wren!" His voice booms louder than I have ever heard it. No more than a moment later is she hurrying out of a side door, wiping her hands on her apron.
"Yes, King Raven?"
"Take the boys up to their room right away." She hurriedly makes her way over but I am not really paying attention, I cannot. There is a tingling sensation happening all over my skin. "Peregrine, come, we need to get you to our chamber quickly." I feel a piercing in my neck and have to immediately close my eyes. I reach up to grab ahold of my neck when Raven's hand finds mine before I can. "We must be quick."
I mindlessly let him lead me throughout the castle as I begin to feel an aching all over me. It is not just aching, it is turning into something different. Walking past everyone and having to feign normalcy is next to impossible. I clutch King Raven's hand harder in mine knowing I am not going to be able to take much more of this.
"We are almost to our chamber, my love. Almost. Just hold on a little longer. Just hold on until I can make sure you are safe." He is practically dragging me now because all I want to do is spontaneously combust in the hallway. I do not even care who sees me in the least. "Here we are." He busts open the door and then quickly slams it.
"What is happening to me?" He does not say anything as I watch his features fall. "Raven, what is it? Why do you look so?"
"You are in heat, Peregrine." He does not look at me. He just stares at the stone cold wall in front of him before punching it.
"My love, why are you—" I feel myself tremble from head to toe with the need to... the need to... mate.
Before I even know what is happening images of Timber and I play throughout my mind. The first time we had ever been intimate, his fingers deep inside of me. A moan lets itself out of my lungs involuntarily. It is like I can almost feel him, wait no, that is not quite it. I need to feel him.
"Timber..." I feel myself drop to my knees in a needy way because I feel like I am not really here. I am not really experiencing this.
Warmth floods all over my body, covering me in a glistening sweat. I see him in my vision. I feel him on my skin. I feel him on almost every part of everything. I feel it all before I realize it is a pure need to feel him.
Arms are around me, pulling me up and only until I make myself do I recognize that it is King Raven. He lays me on the bed and smothers my lips with his own but something feels wrong. These are not the lips I want but they are. Then all I see is Timber, Timber's mouth and hands all over me. All I crave are those sensations.
As another set work over me I begin to get agitated and shove the body on top of me away. It is not the body I crave, not the creature I crave. I begin panting in need, wanting nothing more than to feel him inside of me. As I picture him filling me to the brim I cannot help but moan.
This is not me. This is not really happening. This is heat.
"Raven..." I whimper out as I hold a hand toward him. He looks hesitant before taking it. "Please, this is too much, I cannot deal with—" Another bout of hormones course through me and this time the space between my legs begins to leak. "I do not know what to do."
A/N: That's one way to start a Monday. Also, for those of you who didn't see yesterday, book 2 in this series is now up on my profile. Queen of the Realms will be out in 2021!
