Monster March: Mihalis the Harpy

Female Reader x Male Monster

It’s a chilly morning, and the  weather reports say there is a high chance for snow later in the day.  You’ve decided to go into work early, afraid that the thermostat isn’t  turned up enough for your patients. Even though your coworker, Colin, is  on duty tonight, he sometimes complains of being too hot. You would  call to remind him, but your phone charger is never plugged in  overnight. As it charges on the way in, it turns back on, and a ton of  unanswered messages pop up. It looks like most of the night and morning  Colin has been trying to reach you.

When you pull up to the bird  rehab and sanctuary, there’s more than just Colin’s car pulled out  front. From the look of things, he called in the entire team. You race  inside to find Colin is standing at the front desk. His hands are  shaking, and there is blood all over his white lab coat.

“Where have you been?” he instantly snaps at you.

Freezing up, you shake your head. “I’m sorry. My phone died. I didn’t know.”

Colin  sighs and his shoulders sag. “It’s been a night and morning already. I  don’t mean to yell, but I really could have used you.” He waves a shaky  hand for you to follow. “You’re the only one who seems to have any luck  calming the birds down. Don’t know if you’ll be able to calm this one.”

“What  is it? What’s wrong?” You follow him into one of the operation rooms  and see the other employees of the sanctuary standing at the open  window, with looks of concern on their faces. As you approach you see an  extremely large bird cowering inside, and blood speckling the walls and  floor.

“A hunter dropped him off this morning then immediately  left. Probably afraid of getting in real trouble, given the  circumstances,” Colin grumbles under his breath. “The poor guy was  scared out of his mind.”

“The hunter?” you ask.

Colin shakes his head. “No, the harpy.”

Your  eyes widen. At first, you took the bird inside the operating room for a  giant owl. But the closer you look the more you see the shape of the  harpy crouched down, its large wings wrapped around itself protectively.

“The  poor guy is freaking out. He’s hurt really badly, but he won’t let any  of us near him. He keeps fighting and clawing, and he’s way stronger  than us. We managed to give him some food and get him in here. We need  your magic to help him.”

“I’ve never…” Your voice catches in your throat. “I’ve never worked with a harpy before.”

“You  can calm anything down,” Colin assures you. “I’ll go in with you.” He  hands you a fistful of fish jerky. “We’ve been giving him this. Use it  if you need to.”

“Okay.” You psych yourself up. If you can work on  vultures and hawks, creatures that would eat your eyeballs like candy,  you could work on a harpy.

You follow Colin slowly into the room.  He stands beside you, close enough to get you out of the way if need be.  You crouch down so you’re on the harpy’s level. He shifts and fluffs  his feathers, aware that you’re there. You can hear his labored  breathing and smell the copper tang of blood in the air.

“It’s going to be okay,” you say gently. “We’re here to help you. That’s all we want. It looks like you’re hurt pretty badly.”

The harpy turns, and you can see his sharp, golden eyes. The sclerae are pitch-black and surrounded by thick, dark lashes.

You  take a strip of the fish jerky from your pocket and offer it to him. “I  don’t know if you can understand me, but I want to help you.”

You’re  used to dealing with abandoned parrots, parakeets, injured mourning  doves. Bigger birds are a rare thing here at the sanctuary, and harpies  are something you never come across. Although you’ve seen them, they  tend to be wary of humans. They mainly keep near large bodies of water,  where they hunt best. This is the first time you’ve been this close to  one.

The harpy stretches out his long neck, and his brown and  black feathers rise as he tries to make himself look more intimidating.  You shakily hold out the fish jerky towards him.

“I know you’re hurt, and it’s scary.” Your voice trembles. “But I promise, I will take care of you. I’m not scary, am I?”

He  sniffs the air, his flat nostrils flaring. He glances back into your  eyes, and a gurgling rasp comes from his throat. “I know you…”

His eyes suddenly close, and he falls over onto the floor.

“Colin!”  You jump up instantly to tend to the harpy. He’s fallen unconscious,  probably due to blood loss. Right away, you and Colin get to work on the  wound.

The arrow has pierced straight through his shoulder,  narrowly avoiding his heart. You staunch the bleeding, remove the arrow  and patch up the hole. Then you call up a harpy specialist who tells you  how to further treat your new patient. You place him in one of the  recovery rooms, which luckily is empty, and build him a nest of towels  and blankets from around the sanctuary so he can feel comfortable.

You  sigh heavily, rubbing your face between your hands. The harpy is quite  large, the biggest creature you’ve operated on since coming to the  sanctuary. He must have been at least seven feet tall, but due to his  avian nature he’s relatively light. His feathers are a mix of black,  copper, and a few shimmering red ones around his face. He’s beautiful,  but Colin says he looks creepy.

After several hours the harpy  begins to stir. His wings shift and he pulls himself into a ball before  rising off the makeshift nest. He lets out a slow, hissing breath while  attempting to roll his shoulders and stretch his neck. He touches the  bandages on his arm, then cranes his neck to look at you. His golden  eyes widen as he stares at you.

You remain still in your seat and nod to him. “You need some time to heal.”

“I can tell that.” His deep voice rumbles all around the room. “What are you going to do to me?”

“Nothing.  We’re going to keep you safe and take care of you until you can fly  again. You’re welcome to stay here and rest as long as you would like.”

He turns and stretches his long neck out, feathers fluffing up again. “And what makes you think you can make me stay?”

You shake your head. “I can’t. Unlike the other birds here, we can’t hold you. But I’m asking you to stay and heal.”

He  retracts his neck, then sniffs his shoulder. He glares back at you with  those strange eyes. “I’ve seen you before,” he says. “You’ve released  birds on the cliffs where I nest.”

“It’s a safe place for them,” you reply. “It’s far from people, and somewhere they feel protected. At least, I hope so.”

He tilts his head to the side. “What makes you think it’s far from people?”

You furrow your brow. “It’s part of a reserve. Unauthorized people aren’t allowed to be there.”

He lifts his arm to show you his shoulder. “Then how did I get this?”

“A  hunter,” you grumble. “I’ll contact the ranger station at the reserve.  This is extremely illegal. If there are people hunting there, they need  to be caught.”

“It happens more often than you think. They come in  and hunt in parts that the rangers don’t patrol.” His voice is a low,  snarling rasp that makes the hair on the back of your neck stand on end.  “They don’t like me mocking them.”

“May I check your stitches?” you ask gently.

The  harpy settles in the makeshift nest, and you slowly approach him.. He  watches you closely as you pull back the wrappings to see the fine  stitches along his shoulder. He inches closer to you, sniffing your  hair, then getting so close to your face you can feel his breath on your  cheek.

“It looks well,” you say softly. “The painkillers will wear off, so if it starts to hurt or feel tender, please tell me.”

He doesn’t blink.

You swallow nervously. “What’s your name?”

“Why do you want to know?” His voice rumbles like distant thunder, but it’s so close you can feel it on your skin.

You smile reassuringly at him. “So I can call you by name.”

He sniffs, then settles back into the nest. “Mihalis.”

“That’s a beautiful name, Mihalis.”

His  feathers fluff up, making him almost look like a ball. You aren’t sure  what causes that reaction, but it does make him look cute.

You  prepare Mihalis a hearty dish of raw fish and liver for his recovery  meal. He happily eats away at it, using his claws to rip and mash the  liver before he downs it like a smoothie. He offers you some, but you  graciously turn it down.

“You’re the one who needs to build up their strength.” You pat your belly. “I’m fine.”

“You look plump for winter,” Mihalis says. “Are you getting ready to hibernate?”

You frown at the comment. “No, I’m just a little overweight,” you grumble.

Mihalis  spits bones onto the floor. “A larger female makes a better mate in  winter. A slender male like myself needs a nice fluffy mate to keep him  safe from the frost.”

Your cheeks burn, and you force an awkward  smile. “I get cold easily, though. I have so many blankets on my bed  right now it’s like a hill.”

Mihalis licks his chops with a long  black tongue. “So you already have a nest prepared?” A smile perks the  corners of his mouth. “Are you wanting to mate with someone?”

You  look down at your hands and press your lips into a tight line. “Nothing  like that. I’ve not… Do you need more food?” You hope this will change  the conversation.

“I’m getting full, but it’s been so long since I had a fine meal like this.” He spits more fish bones onto the floor.

“We have more than enough, even if you want a smaller plate.” You stand up and head to the door. “I’ll go get you some more.”

Mihalis’  appetite grows each day, and he has a little more with each meal. His  feathers get a wonderful shine after a few days, and he seems more  responsive than before. Anytime he has to deal with Colin he appears  agitated, but around you, he seems calm.

Once he starts to feel  better, you take him into the main recovery wing, a solarium filled with  trees and high perches for the recovering birds to play on. Mihalis  looks around, watching all the birds that flutter by. A parrot comes and  rests on your shoulder, happily singing lyrics from Dolly Parton’s ‘9  to 5’.

“There are so many here,” Mihalis murmurs.

“There are  a lot who were once pets and got abandoned. Some are elderly and just  need a calm place to spend their days. This is the long-term sanctuary,  and we do allow adoptions.” You walk along a row of small cages, taking a  small white dove from one of them. It coos peacefully and curls up into  the center of your palms. “This one just laid eggs. Once her babies are  ready to fly, we’ll be releasing them.” You smile up at Mihalis. “You  both should be able to go on the same day.”

He furrows his brow and tilts his head to the side. “If I want to go, that is.”

“Why  wouldn’t you?” You pet the top of the dove’s head. “Colin and I have  been talking to the rangers at the reserve. We’ve offered some help in  putting an end to the poaching there. They’re setting up some cameras,  and if they capture anyone, maybe we can positively ID who shot you.”

“It  isn’t the hunters,” Milhalis scoffs. He walks away towards the biggest  tree in the sanctuary. He looks up at it, then walks around so he’s  hidden behind the trunk.

You set the dove back into the cage, then follow to see Milhalis sitting at the foot of the tree. “Is something the matter?”

Mihalis  closes his eyes and bows his head so it merges with the fluffy feathers  of his neck and chest. “It doesn’t matter. You want me to go.”

You sit down beside him. “Because if you go, it means you’ve gotten better. That’s why I’m helping you.”

He cracks an eye open at you. “But what if I stayed?”

Your  heart is pounding. His deep voice mixed with his odd choice of words  has your mind spinning. “Why would you stay?” you chuckle nervously.  “What could there be here for you?”

Mihalis inches close to you, pressing his forehead to yours. “You’re here,” he whispers. “I’ve always wanted to get closer.”

“What?”

“I’ve  not just seen you on the cliffs,” he says. “I’ve seen you outside this  place. Your voice is like a beacon to me. I want to have it ringing in  my ears always.”

You look down. “Why didn’t you say so before?”

“Harpies  aren’t supposed to fraternize with humans. It’s against our ways. I  would be seen as a freak if I were to choose a human woman for my mate.”  He touches your cheek to lift your gaze to him again. “I never wanted  to get close, because I knew if I did I wouldn’t have a fighting chance  against you.”

“I’m not trying to fight,” you squeak nervously.

Milhalis  laughs and nuzzles his cheek to yours. “You’re soft and sweet. You may  not have realized it, but all this time you were only proving me right.”  He looks back into your eyes. “I don’t care how I am seen by anyone  except you, and I want you to see me as a man and mate.”

You gulp  down the growing lump in your throat, but it does no good. “Milhalis,  you’re my patient.” It’s the only argument you have.

“Then take care of me always.” He cups your face in both his hands. “Or am I not the mate you want?”

You  gently wrap your hands around his wrists. “I don’t know. This is… so  sudden,” you say breathlessly. You look into his eyes and your heart  sputters. “No one has ever said anything like this to me before.”

He presses his forehead against yours again. “Morons, the lot of them. I can say it to you every day.”

“Where would you stay? My apartment? That’s no place for a harpy.” You run your hands up his arms. “I can’t keep you like that.”

A  low rumble vibrates his chest. “You think you could keep me?” he  whispers into your ear. His tongue darts over your skin. “I could come  and go as pleased, but I would always return to you. I wouldn’t sleep  anywhere but the nest we would share. I would want nothing more than  your body to warm me.” He moans and breathes against your neck. “And as  mates, it’s my responsibility to see to your every desire.”

You gently push against him. “Mihalis…”

He chuckles. “Sorry, did I go too far?”

You frown. “Are you trying to get a rise out of me?”

Milhalis  dips his head back down and kisses your forehead softly. “Not at all. I  am only telling you the truth as I see it. I will wait until you  release the dove. Once she and the chicks are released, I will wait for  your answer.”

You nod in agreement. “I think that’s fair.” You stand up and tuck your hair behind your ear. “I’m still in a bit of shock.”

“What’s so shocking?” Milhalis asks.

“You’re so beautiful, and I’m so plain,” you murmur.

Mihalis  stands to his full height, towering above you.  His feathers fluff then  relax. “You do not see what I see,” he says. “My view is very different  from your own.”

You put your arms around him for a hug, and his hands slowly rub your back. “Thank you,” you whisper.

“I would do anything for you,” he whispers. “Remember that as you think of your answer.”

A  few days later, the rangers come in with footage from their cameras.  They’ve captured quite a few people sneaking into the reserve, not just  hunters. Apparently there’s a small group growing a pot farm in the  reserve. But Colin is able to identify one of the people caught on film  as the hunter who dropped off Mihalis.

“Oh, the garden, right,”  Milhalis scoffs. “They’ve been there for a long time now. A few weeks  ago one of them trampled some of my favorite mushrooms. I called him on  it every time I saw him. Not to mention all their awful traps. I suppose  he thought I was a threat and shot me.”

“Were you threatening him?” I ask.

“Possibly.  I say a lot of things,” Milhalis says. “Especially when they were  hurting things. Their garden is surrounded by traps. They’ve killed  quite a few supposed trespassers just looking for a meal.” He grimaces.  “They’re happy to disrupt others for their own purposes.”

Colin  sighs and stands up. “Well, the rangers have warrants out and have sent  photos to the police. So we’ll see what happens. Until then, they’ve  found the garden and have dealt with it appropriately. If these idiots  are caught, they’re in for a world of charges.”

Mihalis smirks. “I  always thought I would have to do something a little drastic before  they were caught. I just tried to scare them off before.”

“Wouldn’t you consider getting shot a drastic measure?” Colin asked, almost teasingly.

Mihalis sniffs, then lets a grin spread across his face. “I suppose you’re right. But I wasn’t planning on being hunted.”

On  a rainy afternoon you remove Mihalis’ bandages and attend to his  stitches. You remove them slowly and then clean the area. Mihalis is  very quiet and intense the entire time. He watches you with a serious  eye, and only his breath seems to give away any discomfort.

“Just a bruise now,” you say softly. “But it looks so much better.”

He wiggles his shoulder. “It still hurts.”

“I’m sure. Healing isn’t a comfortable process.” You smile sweetly at him. “But you’ll be good as new before you know it.”

Mihalis’  neck feathers ruffle up. “Sorry, rain always makes me a bit agitated.”  He goes back into his nest and hunkers down, wrapping his arms around  himself so his wings hide most of his body. You think he looks like a  stuffed animal when he sits this way, but you’d never say that out loud.

“It’s okay. Is it too cold for you? I can turn the heat up a little.”

“It  isn’t that,” he grumps. “I mean, I’m not one for the cold. But it’s  something about the wet, the sound - it makes me understand how alone I  am, and I start to ruminate on it.” He grimaces and closes his eyes. “It  isn’t something I like to think about.”

The day to release the dove is coming up soon, and you’ll have to answer his question. “Why haven’t you found a mate yet?”

He  narrows his eyes at you, knowing exactly what you’re aiming at. “No one  has been right. No one has felt quite like the match I’m longing for.”  He stretches his neck out. “Not until I saw you.”

The heat rises  from your neck to your face and prickles all the way up to the tips of  your ears. “You’re a very handsome fellow. Surely you must have your  pick of anyone.”

“My plumage isn’t as colorful as some of my brothers,” he answers. “I don’t stand out. I barely have a chance.”

During  his time with you, you’ve become more and more aware of the red  undertone in his black feathers. The ring of red ones around his face  has become a deeper crimson, less burgundy. He looks like he would stand  out regardless. “Really? I find your feathers very beautiful.”

His smile blooms on his face again. “Then maybe that’s a sign.”

You smile shyly, then return to cleaning up the remnants of his wound.

On  the day you’re supposed to return the dove and her chicks to the wild,  you load up the jeep to take them into the reserve. There are storm  clouds in the distance, but for the time being it’s sunny and warm.

Mihalis  watches from the tree in the main room as you take the dove’s cage off  its stand. He jumps down from his perch and comes up to you. “Today is  the day?” he asks.

You nod. “If you’d like to come with me.”

Mihalis searches your face for some sort of sign. “I suppose.”

You  load the dove into the jeep, and Mihalis sits in the front seat beside  you. After you reach the checkpoint at the reserve, you park and start  walking along the trail. Mihalis walks beside you, both of you quiet.  Once you get to your favorite spot, you open up the cage and step back.  You watch with anticipation for the mother and babies to come out.  Mihails puts his hands on your shoulders, and you feel a current run  through you.

The sun hits the white feathers of the dove as she  steps from the cage. She stands for a moment, still and complacent, then  takes off into the air with her children close behind. You watch  happily as they fly away, bidding them farewell as they return to the  wild.

You turn quietly, looking up at Mihails as he regards you  with a very serious look. You take his hand and hold it, then press your  face against his chest.

“I’m not sure if what I want is what will  be good for you,” you whisper. “If I want to hold you, to love you,  will that be hurting you in the long run?” You wrap your arms around  him. “As much as I want this, I don’t know if I can have it.”

Mihails  puts his hands on your shoulders again. “I do not doubt there will be  struggles, but I also do not think that I was meant to love any one else  on this earth.” He places his claws under your chin and lifts it so you  look at him. “I will be your mate as long as you want me.”

A few tears slip down your cheeks, and you nod. “I want you, Mihails.”

He  dips down, giving you a kiss that steals your breath. You stand on your  tiptoes to reach him, but he’s so tall you feel as though you cannot  get close enough to him.

He pulls away slowly. “Go back to work,”  he whispers. “I’ll find you tonight.” He gives you another small kiss.  “I need to fly a little today before the storm comes.”

“Be  careful.” You nearly trip as you walk away. When you get back in the  jeep and drive, you nearly pass by the sanctuary. You’re excited and  nervous, unable to keep your thoughts straight.

When you go home  that evening you find Mihails perched on your porch, waiting. His  feathers shimmer red in the moonlight, making your heart pound faster as  you approach him. You rush onto the porch to meet him and he sets his  feet on the wood slats, stooping under the roof of the porch.

“You’re here,” you gasp.

Mihails  smirks. “I couldn’t wait. Sorry if I’m too early.” He bends down to  kiss you again, and this time, there is a sharpness to the kiss that  feels very needy. His tongue traces your lips, and he moans softly as he  pulls back.

“I’m glad you’re here already.” You fumble with your  keys to unlock the door, nearly dropping them. As you let him in he  takes a deep, deep breath, drawing in your scent and ruffling his  feathers.

“I know now, more than ever, that I am where I’m meant  to be.” His golden eyes go wide as he looks at you. “My mate - show me  your nest.”

You silently go into your bedroom, and he stoops to  get through the door. You look at your bed, then hesitantly back at him.  You hold your breath as he moves closer, wrapping his arms around you  and holding you close to his body.

“I’m a little nervous,” you confess.

“I’m  excited,” he whispers. He dips down and presses his lips to your ear.  “I can barely contain it. I finally get to lie with you.”

“What should I do?” You peer up into his eyes, seeing his chest fluffed up.

“Undress,” he murmurs. “And lay in our nest for me.”

You  nod, slowly removing your clothing. You find it exciting as he watches  you. He crouches down and stretches his neck out as you stand naked  before him. You climb into bed and he follows close behind. He kisses  you, moving his lips down to your neck. His feathers brush against your  body, tickling and electrifying you. Your nipples grow hard, and you  feel wetness between your legs. Mihails nuzzles your neck, breathing  hard as his hands grab your hips. You fear his talons might hurt, but  his touch is so gentle you don’t even notice their points.

Mihails  lifts your hips off the bed, slipping one hand onto the small of your  back while the other holds the nape of your neck. He brings you close to  him, pressing his waist between your thighs. Something long and  slippery presses against your folds, and Mihails lets out a choked  breath. His eyes are nearly completely gold, and his long tongue hangs  from his lips.

“You’re so warm,” he finally breathes. “This heat… I  don’t know how I’ll survive it.” He prods for a moment, finding his  place between your legs.

You’re hovering off the bed by his hands,  trembling slightly from the nerves of it. You reach down, opening  yourself and helping him find the right place. “Here,” you moan. “If you  want it, it’s here.”

His eyes focus on yours, his mouth open  slightly. He breathes as he eases himself inside you. He lashes flutter  and you make the first sound. Your back arches and Mihails brings you  closer, pressing his body against yours. His hips buck sharply up,  burying him deep within you. The low, snarling rasp in his throat comes  to the surface and brushes against your ear.

He takes his time to  get used to you, moving slowly. He watches closely as his bright red  shaft slides between your lips, appearing then disappearing. He breathes  deeply, moaning in pleasure as he savors everything.

He lays you  back down onto the bed but keeps your hips lifted. He watches you,  studying your face and body as he moves. “Does this please you?” he  whispers.

You look at him, a few tears in your eyes. “Yes.” You reach up and touch his face. “You take my breath away.”

Mihails  nuzzles into your palm, kissing it as he gazes into your eyes. “I want  you to breathe deep, my mate,” he moans. “I am yours from now on.” After  a few moments he allows himself to go faster. You whimper as he hits  deeper, clinging to his arms as his hands dig into the bed. His hips  move sharply, grinding him within you before he pulls out.

He  takes his time, sometimes going harder, most of the time going at a  slow, luxurious pace. You feel almost pampered by his affections, the  tender motion of his hips. As the night wears on and the storm begins to  rage he gets closer and closer, until you feel wrapped up entirely by  him.

When you have that first climax, all Mihails does is kiss you  and touch you. He licks his semen from your insides, making you come  all over again. Then he lies beside you, watching you breathe with a  dreamy look in his eyes.

“It’s raining,” you whisper. “How do you feel?”

“For the first time, I’m not thinking about it.” He kisses your cheek. “What about you?”

You smile and nuzzle his chest. “I’m so happy you’re here.” Thunder rumbles in the distance, but it feels so very far away.

“I’ll always be here,” Mihails chuckles. “From now on, I’ll protect our nest.”

You look up into his eyes and smile. “You won’t regret this?”

“Never.”