Blessed

By R. Cooper

Royal librarian Mattin is one of the so-called fae-blessed, which means a few times a year he experiences a heat. A sticky, uncomfortable business Mattin does his best to forget, which is easy to do with how busy he is. Unfortunately, ignoring his heats is starting to affect his health. Even more unfortunately, the king and his husband have both noticed and resolved to help. Now, Mattin has to deal with his heats and the friendly--or is it only friendly--concern from the two heroes he's been crushing on forever, and hope he doesn't embarrass himself by admitting to everything he wants.

• Language: English
• Publisher: R. Cooper
• Release date: Dec 11, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215499009

R. Cooper

I'm a somewhat absentminded, often distracted, writer of queer romance. I'm probably most known for the Being(s) in Love series and the occasional story about witches or firefighters in love. Also known as, "Ah, yes, the one with the dragons."You can find me on in the usual places, or subscribe to my newsletter (link through website).www.riscooper.comI can also be found at...Tumblr @sweetfirebirdFacebook @thealmightyrisInstagram @riscoopsPillowfort @RCooperPatreon @ patreon.com/rcoopsBluesky @ rcooper.bsky.social

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Blessed

R. Cooper

Copyright © 2023

A Suitable Consort (For the King and His Husband) Copyright © 2021 R. Cooper

A Suitable Bodyguard Copyright © 2023 R. Cooper

All Rights Reserved

Content tags: a/b/o-universe tropes, including heats, canon polyamory and polygamy, self-image issues, character who often forgets to eat

Author’s note: This is an alternate universe version of an existing story, but can be (and has been) read on its own by people who have no idea about the original. I basically wrote it because some people were speculating on the original and the alpha or omeganess of the mains. So I thought about it too, lol. If you have read the original, know this mostly is the same, but the timeline is more drawn out. (And obviously there is the change of the canon-compliant omega heats etc.)

Mattin didn’t like to think that he stumbled into the king’s rooms, but the guards at the outer door moved toward him as if to catch him if he fell, so he certainly wasn’t graceful. He ignored his blush and the heat beneath his skin that was fading too slowly for his liking. His cool bath this morning had not soothed any of his aches and pains, but had at least left him clean and smelling of icy mint, which he hoped would keep his mind clear enough for him to get some work done today.

He’d fallen behind, caught unawares once again by his lust-fever despite how it occurred regularly every four months in everyone fae-blessed. Anyone with fae blood was afflicted—gifted—in some way, although some fortunate souls were granted little more than occasional discomfort and others experienced no discomfort or fevers of any kind but had drive enough to match the needs of the third kind. Blessed, the third kind were called, though Mattin had never felt so.

The fevers, or heats, as he’d heard some refer to them recently, were a messy, sticky, uncomfortable, humiliating business, and that didn’t even bring in the care required to not end up with child or how the heats interrupted his work.

Mattin loved his work. He liked digging until he found information that was needed. He liked reading and studying. It helped that books and scrolls didn’t care if he was a bit on the plain side for a Blessed, and too insignificant, even for a beat-of-four, for anyone to take a real interest in. Not seriously anyway, not beyond conversation at parties.

Not that Mattin went to many parties these days. The palace was finally starting to feel settled and calm again after years of warring, coups, and chaos, but there was much work to be done to keep it that way, and Mattin was happier to be useful to the new king than he was to fuss over his appearance just to attend a party where he’d end up tipsy on wine in a corner, ignored by all and always far away from the king and his husband on the other side of the room if they happened to be there.

Mattin enjoyed a chance to show off pretty clothes and any new jewelry purchases, but he’d made a special effort to look nice for those parties. Because it was expected, even though the king and his husband were not the sort to wear much jewelry—or care for parties, to be honest. But his extra effort had not resulted in much. He’d taken to bringing his work with him to the last few such gatherings he’d attended, and no one except for the king and his husband had interrupted him, which said it all.

Mattin did care. He was honest enough with himself to admit that. But it was only on his mind now because he was fresh, or not-so-fresh, from a fever, and stingingly aware that his lust-fevers wouldn’t be so difficult or exhausting if he had help in getting through them. A friend would have done, if he found one he trusted enough to let them see him… like that.

He shuddered a little at the thought, nearly bumping into a chair as he made his way to the king’s study—unoccupied by the king, as usual. Arden of the Canamorra was a noble with a noble’s education, and had a sharp mind as well, but he had also spent decades living the active life of an outguard with his guard husband, and sitting at a desk for any length of time was something he avoided when he could.

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