Her Forever

Willa’s POV

After the initial shock that a boy named Cricket was Elaine’s son, I grabbed my Father as he turned quickly around to look at me. Elaine’s eyes had tears threatening to spill as the thought of her real daughter wasn’t her own. I couldn’t imagine what Elaine was thinking, her heart was broken that Sibille was beyond redemption, and now she has another chance to even raise her own son, her b***d.

Quickly explaining how I knew the named Cricket at the orphanage with my wild hand gestures, Elaine’s features brightened, she wiggled to get down from my Father’s hold, but he quickly gathered her up. “You are too weak, my love. Let Willa go fetch him while you rest.” Elaine continued to look at both of us back and forth until she realized she wouldn’t win this fight. She really was weak, but her heart was so full that she didn’t know a proper solution that would bring both of her men into her life.

Without a second thought, I grabbed Luke to come with me when Orion stopped me. The glare on his face let me know he would not let me go alone with Luke. With only days away from the coronation and binding ceremony, Sibille’s plan was still rolling until we told her that her supposed mother was in the palace. Orion gripped my hand tightly as I gave Luke a small eye roll, to which he snickered. Luke held his index finger and thumb together to form a circle and took his other hand, and stuck a finger through the hole. I gasped as he started laughing while Father nudged him to cut it out.

Orion led me up the stairs as we walked down the grand hallway while motioning for Fionn to grab the others. Do we really need that much of an entourage? Then again, we had witches working for Sibille, and who knows what they could do. I internally shivered, thinking how powerful some could be. If they get ahold of shifter dragon b***d, we would all be in some trouble, especially in the wrong hands. My mood instantly soured, and my shoulder slumped.

Why couldn’t things go slower? I remembered when I told Orion how I wanted things to continue with us to be slow, to date and court like an average human would do, but then again, I wasn’t human anymore. I was a fae/siren hybrid that couldn’t control her voice and just looked pretty when my wings were hanging out. I didn’t have much going for me right now, and I just wanted to spend time with Orion and get to know him more. I barely knew anything about his childhood, his hopes and dreams for his kingdom once all of this was settled. What if he wasn’t King? What would he have wanted to do with his life?

“Since Cricket knows you, I’ll allow you to go, but I’m coming too.” Orion continued to hold me close to his side as we walked down the hallway. As his skin touched mine, he immediately stopped in the hallway and looked down at me. His gaze burned my cheeks as I continued to look forward. I was supposed to be strong, heck, I was strong before him, but this was all becoming too much. Being strong so long can only last until you start to crumble.

“Darling,” he cooed as his hands cupped my face, tilting it so I could look up at his tall form. “What is wrong?” A little sniff came from my nose as I tried to itch away from the tears.

“Nothing, everything is fine,” a lie that he instantly saw through didn’t shake the concern he held in his eyes. My heart felt immediately warm as he buried my face to his chest, his head resting on my head.

“It’s a lot, isn’t it?” I sighed heavily while nodding and wrapping my arms around him.

“We have to keep going though,” I tightened my grip on his tunic as he ran his fingers through my white hair.

“Darling, it will be over soon. I know this isn’t the best situation, but it will not always be like this. I promise.” I wanted to believe the promise he gave, but so far, everything had been nothing but a whirlwind, from the first k**s down to the mating. Don’t get me wrong, I wanted it, and I want him still, but could I really handle being Queen? Would I even see him at all once I was given specific duties?

Could I just be his princess and sit and look pretty? I was tired of taking care of myself and others; I just wanted a bit of me-time. However, people looked up to him, and I had to be his support and work through it all alongside him. I had to get Cricket to Elaine, stop Sibille from taking my King away from me, and stop the witches all at once. A small sob wrecked through me as Orion picked me up. I clutched to him like a small panda.

“Let’s take some time together before we go and pick up Cricket. How about a nap?” I nodded my head as I felt a cramp come to my stomach. It was not a welcoming cramp as I realized that I was due for something very monthly. I rolled my head back and g*****d. Great, just great.

Orion’s nose flared a bit. Please, goddess, tell me he can’t smell that. Orion kissing me on the forehead and nuzzling his nose into my neck let me know he did and led me to our room. If I was lucky, and I mean, really lucky, it would pass before our celebration. On the plus side, I wasn’t pregnant because I think I might cry if that was put on me right now.

“I didn’t expect you to be pregnant yet, Darling. Our mating marks wouldn’t allow it since your body went through such a change being half-human. It was a blank canvas that had to redirect certain parts of your body.” I gripped him tighter as I felt more cramps coming on. Maybe Fionn, Eamon, and Brenden could fetch Cricket because I don’t think I wanted to leave the bed today.

Orion took me to our room while he called for several women servants to help while he left me, letting me have my privacy. Thankfully, things weren’t much different from Earth, except everything was made of biodegradable cotton and some funky-looking pad things. Thank the goddess because it was all I could do to contain the mess as I finally dragged myself to the bed in my now comfortable clothes.

Orion had ordered the most delicate silk that brushed over my skin. It was cool as my body became hot and flustered at the situation.

It hit me hard and fast; the emotion that was all swirling around me was, in fact, a bad case of PMS and pain. I’ve never had my monthly light, and I knew the next couple of days were going to be a roller coaster not only for me but all the other events happening.

Being unlike myself since I arrived in this strange world, I cried to myself silently. These girls weren’t Molly and Eudora, but they were indeed lovely, trying to comfort me while getting me physically comfortable. They tucked me into bed as a few tears left me. I continued to think of all the things that could possibly go wrong this week. My body cursing me not getting pregnant was not helping the overwhelming feeling of doom lurking over my head.

Before I could curse myself more, I felt the bed dip behind me as I stayed curled up in the fetal position. Orion was bare-chested as I felt the heat from his body immediately as he spooned me. His hand went immediately to my stomach, and the touch of tingles and warmth of his hand calmed me. The tears stopped, but my face was wet and sticky from the mascara I had attempted to put on this morning.

“It will be alright,” Orion whispered in my ear as he kissed the shell of my ear. “We have a whole kingdom that will help us; we aren’t alone.” The words were soothing as he began to rub my terrible cramps away.

“I’m sorry, I whispered. “It could be just my hormones, but I’m just tired of pushing, fighting, being scared of the unknown. Everything has been so… rushed.” Orion hummed in my ear as my eyes began to flutter to closed.

“I know it hasn’t been the best,” his finger pulled my hair behind my ear. “I wanted to court you the way you would have liked, take you on your dates, pamper, love you. It is a lot, and it won’t always be like this. We have forever.” I hummed, listening to the calming of his voice. The pain was starting to drift away as he hummed a strange song while I fell asleep.

Orion’s POV

I hummed a lullaby that was often sung to me as a child. It was something so common among The Light Kingdom, but I knew that Willa would have never heard it. It could put the most challenging child to sleep, and once we had our own children, her own singing would lull them to sleep. May it be the song or her commanding singing abilities.

I couldn’t help myself but be a little disappointed that Willa wasn’t carrying our child. It was selfish of me to think that way, but she was right; this all was too much for her. The thought of having little sirens or fae’s running around thrilled me. Usually, if two different species are combined in a mating, a child will hold true to either one species or the other, causing the mixture of the species to remain pure. However, if Willa does give birth to a siren child, I worry she would have to spend time in the sea. Mating siren to fae hasn’t been recorded, but I have left it up to the fates and the gods. Once that bridge breaches our horizon, then we will deal with it.

Within a month, everything she had known to be the truth of our existence was granted real, and she was caught in the middle of it. Her heart still holds onto the human she was raised as, and I couldn’t fault her for it. In honesty, I would have liked to have taken things slower, but the war, battles, and now a whole national take over were in our midst with the B***d Coven. Vamparia was still oblivious, and sending messengers at this point seemed too dangerous.

As Willa’s breath evened out, I laid back on the pillow, keeping my hand on her stomach. Our bond was the best medicine to control her pain. I would have to make it up to her, take things slow after the coronation and make sure she gets to experience all of Bergarian. A long ‘honeymoon’ is what Luna Sadie said is when a pair freshly bonded go off and spend time together on a vacation. I would do that for her. We could take a trip to the northern Winter Palace and spend a month there just being with each other away from duties. With my Father now back in the picture, I’m sure he would have no problems taking over for that stent of time.

A light knock at the door stirred me from my thoughts as I saw it crack open. It was Fionn. He had taken it upon himself to become second in command as Annan took care of his new mate. I’ve been happy for him, he deserved it, but at the same time, it could have been the absolute worst timing for everyone to be getting their mates.

Gods, please wait until this mess is over before anyone else finds one.

The gods were trying to make me fret. Reluctantly leaving Willa, I sat up from bed and made my way to the door. Not one damn moment of peace.

“Fionn, what seems to be the problem?” Fionn backed away from the door as he had one hand on his sword.

“Your highness, His Majesty Girard has asked about the boy, Cricket, and when he will be brought to the palace. Both he and Her Majesty Elaine saw that Willa was taken immediately to her room instead of leaving. They also want to know about her welfare.” I g*****d while scratching the stubble on my chin. At this rate, I will grow a full-grown beard by the time this is over.

“She’s resting; she isn’t feeling well. I believe all the commotion has her body tired and forcing her to rest. I need you and your brothers to retrieve the boy. Willa mentioned at one time you were with her while you met the child?” Fionn nodded.

“Yes, a bright lad, very caring. I’ll gather the others and let Willa’s Father know of the situation. I’ve been briefed why the boy is to be here and make sure he is treated like the prince he is,” Fionn nodded his head in a curt bow and almost skipped out of the room.

“Fionn?” I called, and he stopped to turn around. “What has you in such a joyful mood?”

“Nothing, your highness. Just the view is most pleasant by the orphanage.” Fionn left the room before I could utter another sentence.