The months long 'space' had done wonders to the both of us - at least to me. I thought that maybe I was still holding grudges, but then I realized that there was nothing to hold against him.

We had nothing in between us to stop us from pursuing each other - well, except my father and his insistence on a PureBlood courtship.

He was looking out for me and it made me feel all good on the inside when Papa was protective over me.

Tomorrow, Adrian was coming home, to put a start to our courtship. I didn't even know what we were going to do - just sitting at the house with a chaperone making sure that we behaved.

Can you guess who our chaperone was for today?

Yes, yes, yes - my dearest Papa.

He didn't trust mom enough to be there at all times and keep the both of us strictly in place, so he decided to be our chaperone himself. He actually had said that he had nothing much to do and was looking for entertainment when we talked.

Well, thank the Moon Goddess for the existence of mind-link.

We would have to keep talking in front of my father, but we could just mind-link anytime - and that led me to think why he wasn't talking to me now, through mind-link.

"Because I respect his wishes and his reasons to keep you at a distance from me."

Adrian.

"Yes?"

You are reading into my thoughts.That's invasive and intruding. My tone was accusing.

"You should have closed your mind-link."

How long have you been doing this for?

"Ever since you've been back here."

I blushed a little. So he knew everything.

"Yes, I know everything."

I stayed silent for a while.

"How have you been?"

There was silence for a while and I thought he was perhaps occupied for the time being. I turned away from the window where I was standing and trudged towards my bed with a small smile on my face, eager for the next day.

"If we do all the talking today, what will we do tomorrow?"

I smiled and snuggled into the bed, wishing he was here with me.

We can always find something to talk about - we have a lot to catch up on, after all.

"It had been difficult in the beginning for me. It got better as time passed. I have never been so...rested."

Liana did tell me that you take better care of yourself these days.

"You talk about me?"

I blushed, not saying anything for the moment.

Of course, we do. I went with honesty. I have to keep tabs on my mate now, don't I?

"I hope she also reassured you that there was no woman for me other than you?"

Yes.

For me too, there was no way I could even be attracted to another man. I could really understand what Liana had been telling me all that while ago. Once you find your mate, there's no way that you would have even an inkling of attraction to anyone else. You can force yourself into intimacy and relations, but it would always be lacking in many ways. I realised that quite easily a few weeks into my stay in the human world.

"How have you been?"

It wasn't easy, but I had my parents, Liana and Mercy. They helped me get through everything and taught me the ropes. Grandpa and Grandmom were there, too. I was surrounded by everyone who loved me, things were bound to get better.

"I missed you."

My heart skipped a beat, and I knew he could feel it, too.

I missed you, too. More than you know.

"I know you missed me." There was a hint of cockiness in his voice.

I narrowed my eyes.

"You looked beautiful, today."

Thank you very much. You cleaned up well, too.

"I'll see you tomorrow, love."

Yeah, Good night.

Good night.

I slept with a wide smile on my face and my night was full of good dreams.

*****************************

"Don't you think you are overreacting. Just a little bit?" I narrowed my eyes at my father.

"It's alright, Moon. I know I'll be the same when we have a daughter of our own."

I was silent for a while, not knowing how to respond to that.

"Well, she should have a choice in how much time she wants to spend in the courtship." I defended, "Daughter or not we will respect her wishes."

"Now when she is making naive and rash decisions." He pointed out, his posture relaxed as he sat across me.

I leaned up on the couch and gave him an incredulous look, "Are you insinuating in any way that I am naive and am taking rash decisions?"

His eyes widened, "No, no! I'm just saying that I know where he is coming from."

"Well, you fail to make me understand how he is not being overprotective." I raised my chin slightly.

"We had agreed to the courtship just yesterday. Why do you suddenly have a problem, today?" Papa interrupted.

"He agreed to it yesterday, I didn't." I argued.

"It's not my fault that you were busy ogling him rather than using your brain and your mouth." he pointed out.

I resisted the flush that crept up my face, "Well, we have already mated and marked each other. I don't understand the point of this long courtship."

"I decreased it by half for you." My father argued back.

"Is there any problem with six months. I'm doing this because you deserve to be courted properly."

I groaned, "I just don't see the point behind the courtship."

Being too desperate, aren't I?

"Well, I see and that's final." My father said. "If you two want to talk, then talk, or Adrian can leave."

I gritted my teeth.

"Calm down, baby. He's just checking if we can be patient and wait for each other."

We have been patient for a long while, I think. I don't really want to do the waiting game anymore.

"We are going to be around for a long time. A few months are not going to do us any harm."

"After a long time there's finally been peace in my life." I said out aloud, not using the mind-link because I wanted Papa to hear it, too, "I don't know what the Goddess will throw at me next. You're here, I'm here, we can finally be together and enjoy this limited time of peace we have."

Adrian stared at me for a while and so did Papa, not knowing how to reply to what I just said. But looking at Papa, I knew he was still not budging about the courtship. I sighed.

I blinked and almost shrieked when I found Adrian was right next to me, on the couch I was sitting on. I calmed down instantly the moment he took my hand in his and all of my anger simmered down.

I relished the feelings of the sparks and tingles running across my veins, knowing that I would never take it for granted again. His gaze held mine, while he brought my hands up to his lips and pressed a soft kiss to it.

Oh, Adrian.

"Don't be so hard on him, Moon. He just wants to keep his daughter by his side for a little while longer. That is why he is so adamant on the courtship - he wants his little girl in his house for some more time; he's not ready to let you go so soon."

I immediately felt bad and now I wanted to cry.

If only I had thought about it this way.

"It's not like we will be apart from each other, love." Adrian murmured out loud, "I will always be all yours just as you will always be mine. We get to share moments with each other and that's enough for now."

I nodded while still holding his gaze.

We talked a little bit after which Adrian left. My mother had been in the room by then and was looking at me in confusion while I tried my best not to cry.

I was only thinking about myself.

And I knew when the time came, I would have regretted not staying with my parents for long.

"I'm sorry, kiddo, but the courtship is an important ritual."

Yeah, right - I wanted to say. But I went for a warm hug and cuddled my Papa while thanking all the heavens for giving me my parents back.

***********************

I was standing in front of the huge window in my room, looking out at the forests behind the mansion and remembering about the happening of the entire days. After Adrian left, our day comprised of group activities that just served to increase the bonding amongst all the PureBloods.

The lonely ones had enjoyed the day too and watching the smiles on their faces had brought Papa much relief.

I also remembered how Adrian and I kept sending each other images - of what we were doing - throughout the day.

The last image I sent was when I was taking a bath and he must have caught a glimpse of my legs.

All I heard through the mind-link was a low growl that had brought a grin to my face.

Good night, Adrian.

"The smile on your face tells me that you had a good day today."

I gasped and turned around to find Adrian standing behind me. I smiled widely at him and was about to hug the life out of him but then I saw the look on his face.

And the scent of his arousal.

His eyes were dark, and so were mine now. I licked my lips, slowly all the while looking him in the eye and sending him the mental image that made my intent very clear.

"Vashisht will have my balls if he knew I so much as touched you with sex on my mind."

What Papa doesn't know won't hurt him. I resorted to mind-linked him, not being really able to open my mouth with him looking at me that way.

"Oh, but he will know," he took a step forward and traced my lips, "when he will see your lips swollen, your skin glowing and you smelling of me and our arousals combined. And he will be very angry, Moon."

Ok.

I smiled at him. If he was not going to touch me, then he could remain as unsated as he wanted to.

You can come to bed with me though, right? I'm tired and I want to sleep. I told him and slipped under the covers.

He gazed at me for a while and I could see the thousand thoughts running in his mind. He was thinking about the first time we slept together, cuddled and he thought about all the time he would get to sleep next to me, with me in his arms.

It warmed me to know that he was as excited about waking up next to me as I was about him.

I did notice though, how he avoided thinking about the times we were together during my heat. It would have been difficult for both of us to not think about sex.

Once he was done imagining, he started taking off half of his clothes and I grinned when he finally slipped inside the covers next to me.

Pressing a firm kiss to my lips, he wrapped an arm around me and we both fell into blissful sleep, quite surely having the same dream.

It had been quite some time since I had slept so soundly, my entire body melting into his.

And that day onwards, he sneaked into my room everyday, and I had been the happiest girl in the world.

Well, until my heat.

*********************

I never felt it when my heat was appearing, I just knew about the specific date around which it occurred and I tried my best to remain prepared with the herbs and all.

This time, I went to Mom, who was sitting in the garden, soaking up some sun. Even though I realised that I was more of a Papa's girl, my bond with my mother was extremely tight because she had been my therapist too.

"No, Moon. You have to take the herbs this time, too. It doesn't matter that your mate is around. Your father will kill me." She said, the moment I entered the garden nervously to ask her about it.

Adrian had been a real gentleman and had wiped away all thoughts of sex even when I tried my best. He just came up with something disgusting enough to make me want to gag and that was it. I always wondered if Papa knew that he sneaked into my room every night, but he hadn't shown me any indication yet and I wasn't going to ask him at all.

So my heat was the only opportunity for me to finally seduce Adrian into my bed and have my way with him, but if I was going to be forced to take those herbs, there was no way I could carry my plan forward.

"But Mom!"

"It beats the entire purpose of the courtship sweetheart. The Pureblood women take those herbs, too, during their courtship."

My shoulders slumped in defeat and I could just hope that my heat had enough power to reduce the effect of the herbs.

And it did. I was right.

I could feel it approaching, the waves of arousal that started to overtake me at the most random time during the day and it would only remind me of Adrian and our sexy times.

Adrian resisted the pull and Celeste's calls for mating but that was not for long. I was lounging in my bedroom one day, knowing that this would be the moment when he would lose his control. I didn't know how he was suddenly present in my room, breathing harshly, his eyes completely dark.

His eyes were full of lust and fury, while I was smirking at him. Sprawled on my bed right in front of him, I was just covered by a sheer nightie and I knew I was a sight to die for. I wanted to jump at him instantly, but I knew I had to be careful in my seduction.

But he had forgotten to be careful while handling me. He just pulled me over his shoulder as if I was a sack of potatoes, and then he smacked my butt - something he would not do to a sack of potatoes.

And then he ran.

I didn't have any idea what was happening back at the mansion. Maybe, they were peacefully unaware that the Alpha King of the neighbouring kingdom had just abducted their King's daughter for some hot sex. Or maybe they knew and they were smart enough not to interfere in the mates' business.

The thought of my parents, or anyone else didn't even cross my mind, because I just wanted to think about Adrian and how his naked body felt against mine. And how it felt to have him inside me, while I writhed and screamed his name.

We both didn't even last till his Kingdom. Midway, in the Magic woods, we finally gave in to our primal urges and indulged in hot lovemaking, my screams absorbed by the trees around me.

I never knew I would love having sex in a forest so much.

**************************

"You should be disappointed in yourself!" My father's face was red when I returned a week letter, full of panic. Apparently, running away with my mate sounded like a good plan during my heat, but I never thought of what I would have to face when I returned.

Papa's wrath.

"Let her be, Vashisht. He's her mate, she was in her heat and the herbs didn't work." My mom tried to calm him down, just like she always did.

"How come did the herbs not work! Where did you get those herbs from? Who made it?! I want the name!" I thought my father would burst out with how angry he was.

I risked a peek at Adrian who was standing next to me, also in a slightly subdued position. I was actually standing with my hands in front of me and my head hung low, hiding all the redness that had crept up on my face ever since I came back.

I knew he had this anger bubbling inside him ever since I left and he was waiting for today to burst. My mother didn't know what to do - I knew she wanted to laugh, and it struck me just how different both my parents were and how they fit perfectly with each other.

Well, at least Adrian didn't leave me alone to face my father's wrath on my own.

"Vashisht!" Mom was stern, "Stop with this behaviour. She is not a child!"

"Yes, she is!" my father fought back, "She's twenty three not five-hundred! She is still a damn child!"

"Papa," I cried out softly, not wanting my parents to fight because of me, "I'm sorry. I love you, Papa. I'm sorry I couldn't stop myself."

Judging by his reaction, I realised that I should have done this a lot before.

My Papa nearly melted.

And my mother, again, wanted to laugh.

I just then realised that we never fought before, Papa and I - it was just banters, and this was the first time he was so mad at me. So I didn't know that a simple 'I love you' would have done the job.

"It's okay," he said softly and we all gaped at him, "He's your mate, it happens to all of us. Just don't run away without informing us, please."

There was pin-drop silence in the room for a while and we all were looking at my father incredulously.

"You should have done this before." Adrian's voice echoed in my mind.

I know.

**********************

"Hi Grandma," I started, lying next to her grave, "I have never been this happy. Whatever I am now, wherever I am now it's all because of you. You gave me the strength, the heart to brave everything. I just wished you were here to see me, to be a part of this happiness." A tear slipped down my cheeks, "Papa is still the overbearing man he is, Mom is still my best friend, and Adrian is now allowed to take me out of the house and our Kingdom for dates. He said he would take me somewhere tomorrow. I don't know where yet." I told her.

"I never thought that we would someday get along so well - and that I would love him so much. I had thought that I would forever drown in doubts and grudges, and would keep reminding myself that once the situations had been so different between us. But after so many months of being apart and now coming back, I have realised that nothing is more important than what I feel for him - especially not what happened in our pasts. I love him so much, grandma, I never knew I had so much love to give."

I felt a familiar presence behind me and sat up to look at Adrian staring at the headstone of my Grandma's grave.

"Hey." I whispered.

"Hi," he looked at me, "I had come to see you today but you were not at home. I asked Vashisht and he told me you were here. I hope you don't mind; I didn't mean to intrude at all."

"You're not intruding," I smiled up at him, "You were bound to meet her someday."

Adrian sat down on the grass near the headstone and I crawled into his lap, all the while talking about my grandma and how she had devoted her entire time to me. Even though I had told him the same story many times before, he sat patiently and listened through it all again, kissing my forehead whenever he felt like I was getting emotional.

And that was how we spent almost the entire day - in each other's ams, near my grandma.

****************************

"So where are you taking me today?" I asked him. Did I mention before that we had changed our courtship period back to one year. When I had realised that I only had four months to spend with my parents with the six month courtship, I immediately asked Adrian if we could do the entire year as our courtship.

It really didn't matter much - Adrian slept next to me everyday and I woke up in his arms. We got to spend the time during my heat together which was basically a week every month. So I had nothing much to complain about in the one year courtship.

And I was happy.

We had completed our four month mark in the courtship and now we were heading to our very first courtship date - and technically our second date.

"That should remain a surprise, but I don't think I'll be able to keep it in my mind for much long."

Oh.

"So..." I prompted.

"These next few days, I am going to show you everything we own - your Kingdom and whatever we have in the human world. Now tell me one thing, do you like animals?" he asked.