Requested by Levi4Sam9 (I hope you like it!)

m. tengu x f. reader

Fear ran rampant in the valley, especially with the increase in tengu attacks. They came in the night, and stole food, valuable materials, and even people, though most were women. No one knew where they came from, but they always returned, and when they did people were most likely to be hurt.

(Y/N) didn't mean to get caught out in the night, but she lost track of time. She was just washing her clothes in the river, not even worried about the setting sun until the sky turned a vibrant orange. Everyone knew that when the sun set, the tengus attacked, so the female was right to be panicked.

Above her, a winged being peered down below, his eyes catching on her running form. These days it was so hard to find females at night, especially ones as pretty as (Y/N), since everyone was either hiding or holing themselves up in their homes.

People were afraid of the tengus, rightfully so, and it made the beings very upset. They couldn't get the goods they needed anymore with how cautious people were being, so whenever they saw anything remotely valuable, they took it.

Swooping down from the sky, the male tengu extended his long talons, which tightly grabbed (Y/N)'s shoulders. Knowing full well what was happening, she freaked out, flailing and screaming in order to get someone's attention.

The tengu, clearly surprised, froze, dropping the startled female. His eyes widened as she fell, and he tucked his red wings against his back, diving in order to reach what he deemed very important cargo. He needed to bring this female back to the tengu chief, he couldn't return empty handed this time.

His speed, greatly increased due to the efficiency of his dive, allowed him to reach the female before she reached the ground. He caught her before she hit the ground, this time sure to have her in his arms, not in his talons. It was simply an added bonus that (Y/N) had passed out due to the sheer terror she felt from being abducted by a tengu and from almost dying.

The male flying just frowned. The chief would be pleased that he found him a new servant, a very beautiful one at that, but he knew his leader would be displeased with the fact that she was unconscious. The chief of the tengus was a very temperamental man, and he viewed everything brought to him as an object he owned, his servants no different.

Flying to the mountain peak where the rest of his tribe lived, the tengu couldn't help but feel worried. The female in his arms didn't seem too different from the others, but he just had a feeling that she would be different, something special.

Arriving at what the locals called the Mountain of Despair, the tengu carrying (Y/N) immediately brought her to the chief's hut, ignoring the jealous gazes the other males sent his way. There were only male tengus, and they all wanted the chief's approval because it gave them power, and power fueled their need of pride.

Knocking on the wooden door of the chief, the door lazily opened, revealing the most powerful being in the village. Before the still unconscious (Y/N) and the tengu carrying her, the chief stood, his light gray eyes scanning over the situation.

The female was one of the prettiest he'd ever seen, and he couldn't wait to play with her, to have her under his thumb. Hopefully this one would last longer than his last servant, who was clumsy and unfamiliar with even the most basic tasks.

Needless to say, her death was necessary. She was making the chief look bad, and he couldn't have that. He needed to be the most powerful at all times, and in order to do so, everything he owned had to be perfect.

The other tengu shifted on his feet as the more powerful being stared him down. "Chief Dego, I've found you a new servant."

The addressed male hummed, tilting his head as he did so, raven locks of hair falling over his steel eyes. Without even addressing the lesser tengu before him, he took (Y/N) from his arms, his chin titled up in a display of arrogance as he closed the door.

The male left standing outside the chief's door just sighed out of relief. It appeared that Dego liked the female he got, but the temperamental male was unpredictable, so anything could happen at this point.

Dego placed (Y/N) on his bed. He'd never placed anyone on his bed, finding it insulting for someone beneath him to touch his things, but the female before him felt different. The male couldn't tell what it was, but she was something new, and he couldn't wait to find out who she really was.

After a few hours of impatient pacing, he finally heard the girl shift. (Y/N)'s eyes forced themselves open, immediately widening upon seeing the tengu looming above her. His spiked black hair was held back by a bird mask that covered his eyes and nose. His black wings extended behind him, the darker color signifying his immense power.

The female considered screaming, but refrained, knowing that the tengu before her wouldn't like it and would do something to hurt her. Dego greatly appreciated her not freaking out since the other servant did, almost trashing his hut, something that made him beyond angry.

Clearing his throat and straightening himself, the chief stood tall, "My name is Chief Dego, and from now on you will heed my every word and command for you are to be my servant."

(Y/N) sat up, knowing that she couldn't do anything, and nodded. Dego smiled at her subservience, not expecting it in the slightest, "You know your place, don't you?" Frowning at the degrading tone he used, the female hesitantly nodded.

The tengu's smiled widened further, "Good, well now that you're here, go ahead and make me breakfast: rice with a side of dragon fruit, without the skin or seeds." Gulping, the female sighed, "Am I to hope that the other tengus don't go after me or are you going to protect me?"

Dego froze. All his past servants had been abused whenever they left his hut because they were a rare commodity, easy to use. They often came back beaten or not at all, which greatly impacted the view other people had of him.

Nodding in understanding, the male removed the heavy, tribal necklace he wore, placing it instead around (Y/N)'s neck. Taking a moment to admire her, Dego grinned. She was marked as his, so now no one would dare touch her.

(Y/N) shifted uncertainly, but turned away from the tengu and opened the door to the hut, stepping out into the village.

As the months passed, (Y/N) proved to follow Dego's order to the tee, though the male often tried to interfere and find some sort of entertainment in the female. He would use his powers to make the wind knock her off her feet or to disrupt her current task.

The chief would also shapeshift into other tengus or wild animals, greatly scaring the female. Despite all the turmoil Dego threw at her, she was unshakeable, and that both intrigued and infuriated the tengu. He was unsure of his true feelings towards her but knew that his pride was somewhat wounded when she wouldn't really respond to his actions.

The other tengus of the village had begun to notice their chief's fondness for his servant, and one, the very male who abducted (Y/N), decided to ask about it. Dego was currently cleaning his raven feathers, so he decided to sit next to him, cleaning his own fiery red ones.

"God morning, Chief. How's that servant you have doing?" Dego's eyes twitched as the male beside him asked about what was his. "She's just fine, Sonrai. How come you ask, are you perhaps worried about her?"

Sonrai flinched, his fiery feathers ruffling, "of course not, there's just been some... concerns about her from the others." In the presence of his chief, the lesser male was inclined to speak in a respectful manner, but he actually found the rumors terrible to think about, even more so if they were true.

Dego stood, now towering over the other tengu, slightly irritated that others were focusing on (Y/N) so much. She was his, so why was everyone imposing themselves on her? "What rumors are you referring to?"

His gray eyes peered through his mask down at Sonrai. The tengu flinched, his chief's gaze sharp and dangerous. "Well, some have been whispering that you plan on taking your human servant as your... mate."

Sonrai hurried to continue, not wanting to upset Dego, "You just are displaying typical behaviors for courting." The more powerful tengu froze, his wing stiffening as the words registered in his brain. Was he really "courting" (Y/N)? It didn't seem that way, but his behaviors were starting to seem more and more like mating behaviors.

Male tengu, when encountering a potential mate, would display their powers and try and would express their possessiveness by marking said mate as theirs. It was well known that tengus had begun to take human counterparts, but it was rare, especially for a tengu as powerful as Dego.

Taking a human lover was greatly frowned upon regardless though. Pride was a very important thing to these creatures, and they refused to diminish their bloodlines by partnering with a human. However, more and more tengus were beginning to choose humans since the two species had begun to interact more.

Dego, upon realizing that he'd begun to see (Y/N) as a potential mate, furrowed his eyebrows, turning away from Sonrai. Without even another word, the chief stalked away back to his hut, new feelings, and an even newer desire coursing through his veins.

He couldn't help but start to imagine (Y/N) and him, tied together for life. Did he really want her, a weak human, as a mate though? Quickly shaking his head, Dego knew the answer immediately. Perhaps he'd been in denial, or perhaps he didn't even recognize his festering feelings, but now that he knew they were there, he felt overwhelmed, but rather pleased.

The village had clearly been observing his interactions with (Y/N) and knew that she was his, his potential mate. Everyone knew to stay away now! That was so wonderful for the possessive tengu, so he couldn't help it if his smile only widened.

Thinking further on the possibility of (Y/N) being his mate, Dego found himself lost in thought. Yes, she was just a human whose powers couldn't even hold a candle to his, but she was so much more than just a lesser being.

She was sweet, submissive, caring, and in the time he'd known her, she'd always look after him. Despite being abducted, (Y/N) always smiled at him and relaxed his ever so tense muscles. Dego never had a person he could unwind around.

Everyone was always either a threat to his power or competing with him. (Y/N) was beautiful, exotic, and much more tolerable than anyone else. Dego knew she had to be his mate; she was just too perfect.

How had he not realized any of this before though? How could he be so blind? Dego supposed that part of it was due to his nature as a tengu. His most primal characteristics refused to allow his pride to yield to a human, refused to let himself be vulnerable and not combative.

Now all the tengu had to do was find (Y/N), his newfound purpose and love of his life. She was washing their clothes down in one of the mountain streams last time he was with her, so she might still be there. However, when the chief arrived, all he saw were scattered red feathers and long since abandoned laundry.

Dego's fists closed, and he felt himself begin to shake in anger. She was either taken, killed, or ran away. Out of all the options the first seemed most likely, so now all he had to do was find the culprit. He'd find them, and once he did, he'd punish (Y/N)'s kidnapper in the worst way possible, then he'd take his precious little servant into his arms and never let her leave them again.