I Married a Naga (Prime Mating Agency, #2)

by Regine Abel

I saved two of theirs. Surely, that will justify my trespass.

Hehe

Pride and something akin to anger had seeped into her voice, replacing her fear. That rekindled the fascination she had awakened in me. Our females didn’t battle. They’d laugh at us for even suggesting they could try to hunt. I’d observed this delicate human on a few occasions throughout the day. She’d impressed me with her efficiency, working around her limitations to make reasonably clean kills, nothing like the butchery she’d made of these two Flayers.

Although I’d derived a malicious glee at watching her unknowingly ‘steal’ the Zamorian’s would-be kills, that hadn’t been the main reason I’d dragged that dead Flayer out of the restricted area so that she could claim it. If I were honest with myself, I’d wanted an excuse to see her up-close and talk to her—not that I’d done much of the latter. I’d been too busy taking in her appearance and tasting her scent.

She dismounted at the same time I did, her worried gaze weighing heavily on me. For some irrational reason, I wanted to go to her, take her hand, and tell her all would be well.

I didn’t know whether to be impressed or cringe at her ‘correcting’ the Elder by giving her name. And yet, that boldness held the same inexplicable appeal I’d felt when she’d congratulated us earlier. However, the polite tone of her voice, and her correctly remembering Elder Krathi’s name and pronouncing it flawlessly, earned her some favor with our leader.

“Okay, but… hmm… any chance I could get a chair and a bed?” I asked. “Oh yes! Humans require seating furniture,” Szaro nodded, looking a little embarrassed.

Shy boy hehehe

“Hello, Ms. Bello. I am Kayog Voln, the negotiator sent by the UPO to handle your situation.” “Hello, Master Voln. But please, call me Serena,” I said with a smile. “Only if you call me Kayog,” he replied in the gentle, musical tone that was common to his people.

The man the myth the legend!!!!

“I believe that we are far more compatible than you think, Serena,” Szaro said with that sexy underlying rattling sound in his voice. “There will be plenty of time for us to discover it. As odd as I may look to you, I know that you do not find me repulsive. I find you pleasing to the eye, and your unusual hunter nature for a female intrigues me. I expect nothing from you that you are unwilling to give. I only ask that you keep an open mind, be loyal to your new people, and adapt to our ways. And if you do not find happiness here, I will not hold you against your will.” “That’s… that’s more than fair. And yes, I can do that,” I said, my cheeks burning to learn that he’d realized I had enjoyed the view.

to. And in her presence, my tongue constantly itched to come out. Her scent tasted exquisite. Delicate and fresh, like the clean air of the early hours of a sunny day, before the morning dew evaporated from the leaves and before the wind mixed the scent of the waking world into a big melting pot. And underneath it all, that tiny drop of heat, the same one that had emanated from Serena the first time we spoke by the border, after I brought the dead Flayer to her.

“You don’t need to have anything fancy made for me. I’m a simple girl. I’m used to roughing it out in the woods. Functional is good enough for—” “No,” I interrupted sternly, making her recoil in surprise. “You are my mate. You will get nothing less than the best. That is not negotiable,” I added when she opened her mouth to argue.

My mate was nowhere near ready to even consider laying with me—assuming we were compatible. And even if we did and managed to conceive, there was a real possibility our offspring would come out looking human with legs. And I would still love it and happily welcome it.

That realization pleased me as much as it stunned me. I had six months to convince my mate to make our bonding work, and I fully intended to succeed, as I normally did with all of my endeavors.

“Szaro has waited a long time to find the one he would call his mate,” Irco said in a strange tone. “He has fought many battles and won many challenges to earn one of the most sought-after dwellings in Krada where he could build the most perfect nest for his Ashina… his goddess. He has high expectations, and I’ve been counting the days until the moment came when I would work on that masterpiece. Nothing is too much. If you can imagine it, I will find a way to build it. Challenge me, mate of the Great Hunter.”

“But he didn’t choose me!” I exclaimed, guilt coming back at me with a vengeance. “He sacrificed himself out of duty because he feels indebted to me for saving you and your son.” Salha gave me an enigmatic smile as she shook her head. “No, sister of mine. Szaro never does anything he deems wrong out of obligation. If he didn’t want you as a mate, he would have left the tribe and taken you to safety before he allowed any harm to come to you. He would have dealt with the diplomatic fallout afterwards.”

The first time he saw you, his heart claimed you, even though his mind may not have known it.”

While her diplomatic answer to Irco pleased me, I knew the real reason behind her refusal. Serena was trying to keep the changes to our dwelling to a minimum so it wouldn’t be too hard to undo once she left. Even that outdoor kitchen would be easily dismantled without leaving a single trace of its existence should that day come. I will see that it never does.

“It’s called yoga,” Serena explained. “It’s a great way to meditate, exercise, and to work on your strength and flexibility.” “It is quite amazing. I didn’t think humans could move that way,” I said, genuinely impressed. “You have no idea all the ways I can move,” Serena said smugly, further piquing my curiosity. “I’ll have to show you sometime.”

;)

I’d never touched her before, or any other human for that matter. I had not expected this. When she gently pulled out of my grasp, I almost reached for her again. I swallowed hard and flicked my tongue to get another taste of her for lack of her touch. My fingers burned with the need to further explore the delicate wonder that was my mate, but she wasn’t ready to do any such things with me… yet.

“The hunt has its upsides and downsides,” I said with a shrug. “But you are my mate. It is my duty to see to your present and future welfare. Whatever fate and the Goddess may have planned for us, I want all of your needs well-taken care of. These extra credits will help ensure your comfort, whether to resume your travels or to purchase foreign goods and have them delivered here.”

“Don’t do what?” Szaro asked with the most fake innocent look on his face. “Taste the scent of your arousal?” “Yes,” I hissed. “Why wouldn’t I? It is divine, and it is my reward to reap,” he said, smugly.

And with that, he moved to his heated plate, wrapped his long tail into a round cushion before resting on top of it. I stared at him a few seconds longer, feeling cheated. Fighting back a frustrated groan, I lay down on my bed, turned off the light, and had many wet dreams about us.

He left her hot and bothered lol

But I reined in the urge. I was the greatest Hunter of my tribe, and I loved a good chase. None was more worthy than this one.

In that instant, my concerns that Serena would leave me at the end of our six-month trial evaporated. I would conquer her heart.

Keep dreaming of us, my mate. Soon, I will make your fantasies a reality.

“Ordosians deliberately sleep on a flat and hard surface,” Szaro said in a ‘don’t be silly’ tone. “I do not need the cushion. You do. Now, stop arguing, female. Hunt Leader’s orders.” “Ah!” I said with playful defiance, similar to his falsely commanding tone. “We’re not hunting right now. You can’t dictate what I do.” “Fine,” he grumbled. “Then comply to save your mate from an entire night of being tormented by guilt for making you sleep in inadequate conditions due to his lack of foresight.” “Wow, you really play dirty!” I said, shaking my head at him with a chuckle. “I do what I must to protect you from yourself,” he deadpanned.

A voice at the back of my head said I should probably pull my hand away, not indulge in these kinds of tender interactions that would deepen our bond. But I silenced it. Something had happened last night. Or rather, something had been happening since our Ordosian wedding ceremony. Yesterday’s hunt and last night only reinforced it. I didn’t know if this marriage could work, or if I even wanted it to. I just no longer wanted to fight whatever was happening between us. Let the chips fall where they may.

I didn’t know why I was having such juvenile fun teasing him like this. I was just relieved that, although he didn’t get why this was so comical to me, he was becoming amused by the situation. But as I began to massage the balls and opened my mouth under the unfolding stem, the look on his face changed. Despite reminding me the rugals were fruits, he could no longer see them simply as such. I’d ruined them for him… and I had no shame about it.

No shame!!!!

“You are naked, Serena,” he said, his voice deeper than I could recall, and the slight rattling sound that accompanied it even more pronounced than usual. “I am,” I acknowledged. “You are forfeiting your privacy?” he insisted. “I am,” I repeated.

With much reluctance, I watched my mate dress, her hair still damp from her morning bath. After joining with her the first time on the shore, I’d claimed her four more times during the night, and once more this morning. Yet still I hungered for her.

…stamina

I can never let her go. And I would make sure she didn’t.

When I’d left the village to seek both a mate and a purpose, many had wondered what kind of female would find grace in my eyes. No one, not even me, could have ever imagined it would be someone like my Serena—my beautiful Ashina.

My mate gaped at me, then her gaze slowly roamed over me. By the look on her face, I suspected she was trying to imagine me the size of my father. Her gaze reached my pelvis, paused there for a split second, then she abruptly lifted her head. Serena’s overly expressive features failed to hide her sudden embarrassment. I knew then beyond the shadow of a doubt that she’d wondered if my penis scaled up with the rest of me. Of course, it does.

“You’re really awesome,” I said with affection. “I know,” he said smugly. I huffed and scrunched my face at him. “I take it back.” “You can’t. You’ve already said it, and you absolutely meant it,” he retorted with an obnoxious grin that made me want to throw something at him.

I turned towards Serena, bracing for the horror I might find in her gaze. But I found no condemnation in her eyes, only the satisfied glimmer of one who had been vindicated. My Ashina… My Goddess…

My free hand flew to my stomach as I gaped at the doctor. From the start, I’d known in my gut that Szaro and I were too different to have children, but this changed everything. I turned to look at Szaro, who was staring at my stomach with an air of wonder and longing. My throat constricted. He looked up and our gazes locked. Words weren’t necessary. His eyes told me everything about his hopes and dreams for us.

“I love you, Serena Bello,” Szaro said forcefully. “I want to spend the rest of my life with you, with a swarm of offspring filling our dwelling. I want to carve every centimeter of our home’s entrance with the decades of memories we will forge together. I want to fill the walls of our younglings’ rest rooms with their history as they grow and thrive. I want to travel every corner of Trangor with you by my side, show you the beauty of this world and rediscover it through your eyes. And I want us to have all of this because you choose me, because you choose us and that future. Not because you are trapped by a biological and hormonal reaction.”

“What if I said it was because I’ve fallen madly in love with you, and I can’t picture myself with anyone else, since you’ve ruined me for any other male?” I asked, wrapping my arms around his neck and pressing my forehead against his. “I’d say I told you so,” he replied before capturing my lips in a passionate kiss.

YES HE DID

Within 48 hours of removing the implant, all the negative symptoms my mate had displayed vanished. Two weeks later, beautiful golden scales, even more gorgeous than I had imagined, graced my female’s arms and the line of her spine. A few scattered ones adorned her pelvic area. They glimmered under the sun, making her look even more like the Ashina she was to me.

But our son was beyond perfect. I stood transfixed as I gazed upon him. I had never seen an Ordosian with black scales. His shone like obsidian. Silver scales covered the rim of his hood while a smattering of them adorned his shoulders. By its size and thickness, his long tail marked him as a hunter and hinted that he would grow as massive, if not more, as my father. Sethe looked at his mother with silver eyes, the slit-shaped pupils a little wider than usual for an Ordosian. He smiled, his tiny fangs poking out.

“Thank you for giving us a chance and for giving me the family I always dreamt of but didn’t think possible,” I replied, caressing her cheek with my knuckles. “I love you, Serena.” “I love you, too, Szaro.”