A RAVENS TALE

Takehiko lifted her into his arms and sat down on the bed "In my clan, my grandparents were the previous king and queen before my father was the king,"

"I was his illegitimate bastard son and the shame of the royal family"

"my mother was my father's mate but my grandparents would not accept her she wasn't worthy of him because she wasn't high-level celestial they hated her

they refused to let them be together so going against their fate my dad broke the mates bond with my mom

she and I were kicked out of the family and forced to become peasants

we lived in the village and we were very poor

if that wasn't bad enough I was disowned I could not be acknowledged as his son

my father remarried to another someone my grandparents wanted him to marry who they deemed more suitable for him

and they had two more sons together who were made to be crown princes of the clan

but everyone knew who my mom and I were, they looked at us as being rejected by the king we were worthless in everyone's eyes, looked down on,

I grew up roughly I was often picked on, I watched my mom suffer, she was also cursed several times by our own people for things my father did, they couldn't go to the palace and take out their grievances, so they took it out on us instead,

I got into a lot of fights with other kids and even adults people who tried to harm my mom I grew up very angry and rebellious, I hated my dad for what he did to my mom and me throwing us out like that,

having the throne and power was way more important to him than his mate who loved him and his only child so I fought and trained myself diligently, so I could be strong enough to protect her,

so no one could harm her anymore I planned to oppose him when I got old enough and strong enough to fight him, I wanted to get revenge on him, wanted to kick his ass into the ground

I think the reason why my clan doesn't exist anymore, is entirely their own fault, the gods knew how unjust they were and they punished them for it, I think they got entirely what they deserved with the exception of a few people, my mom, and my brothers, they are the only ones I feel sorry for

Bethany, I don't owe my clan anything! reuniting with my clan

right now is the last thing I want to do, I don't want to know what happened to them and I'm not going to look for them either, I'm going to create a new life for myself, together in this place and time with you my mate, and this second chance that the gods granted me

I feel very grateful and lucky to have you be the one who found me to be free again, I won't let this chance be wasted by being stuck in the past, I can only look forward now from here, I'm not going to be like my dad and throw my mate away having you is a blessing, not a burden"

Bethany felt so sorry to him

she was the one who woke him up to a world that was two thousand years into the future from the world he came from he had lost everyone he knew and cared about

he didn't have anyone to return to

he would need food, clothing he needed a safe home and someone who would guide him

stay by his side and help him with the things he didn't understand until he adapted

he did not even have an identity to be able to live a normal life this was all her own fault

her heart went to him

"Takehiko how old are you?" she asked him softly "the way you speak about wanting to grow up and protecting your mom makes me think you're quite young"

"I'm nineteen" he replied

she chocked in shock "you're only nineteen years old?" she gasped

he nodded "I was when I was sealed and I believe physical time stopped for me since then"

"did you ever have a girlfriend?" she asked

"It wasn't allowed" he explained "we aren't supposed to be with anyone other than our mate, any other females potentially belong to other males as their mates, we would be violating their ability to find and bond properly with their real mates if we took a female that wasn't ours" he explained

She was moved feeling tears gather behind her eyes "you were sealed before you could even get a chance to live" she breathed "your whole life was ahead of you"

"I can't even imagine what you've been through, how hard it must have been growing up like that and then being sealed alone in the dark so scared and not knowing whether you would ever go free or not its terrible what happened to you"

impulsively she caught his face with her hands and drew him to her for a kiss unable to stop her heart from going to him that was always her problem she was always too soft-hearted

she always fell easily for handsome guys she always longed to swept off of her feet by some dashing dark hero just like her favorite novels or drama shows

and Takehiko was proving to be no exception the fact that they were mates that this all some magical fantasy only added to the wistful dream of hers

maybe it was really safe to let herself fall for him when would she ever get another chance like this?

his arms encircled her body slowly and then warmly crushing her to his chest as his lips came down on hers

Bethany moaned at his taste it was like her favorite flavor some kind of rich fruit spicy and smoky aftertaste she would quickly become addicted to him

her arms wound their way around his neck her hands tangled in his silken hair as she hungrily sucked and licked on his lips

she gasped as they fell back on the bed and she wrapped her legs around his hips as he pushed her down into the sheets

she groaned rubbing herself against his hardness the warmth of his body on top of hers moaning at the friction as his lips broke off

from hers his gaze glowing blue and intense he was smoldering straight into her soul

"you kissed me first that means you accept me as your mate" he growled

She gazed up at him wide-eyed coming to the realization of what she had just done

"I don't care if it's too soon for you, I don't care if you argue, you can't go back on your word, I will not let you go or leave you alone, you're my mate, my woman, you belong to me now, understand? he insisted

She could only agree with him flushing and nodding in agreement she ran her hands through his hair

As his wings unfurled from his shoulders

in all their magnificence filled the bedroom behind him almost all the way up to the ceiling before they swept forward to wrap around her in a warm embrace

"They held each other tightly thank you for accepting me," he said

"even though I'm lacking now ill make up for it I won't disappoint you, I won't waste this chance you've given me" he breathed against her shoulder

Bethany felt tears silently slip down her face she buried her face against his shoulder

she didn't understand it, she had been an orphan all her life, no one had ever cared for her,

she always had to rely on herself why did it take some supernatural being to make her feel wanted and cherished?

why did this feel so right to be in the arms of a being other people would see as a monster?

Yet her heart no longer quaked in fear of him had it ever really? she wondered