I Married a Birdman (Prime Mating Agency, #3)

by Regine Abel

A single male among them held my attention. Unlike the others, he didn’t possess a beak, but a very sexy pair of human lips.

I nervously tucked a strand of hair behind my ear while gathering my thoughts. From what little we knew of the Zelconians, they were rumored to possess some psychic abilities. Therefore, the intensity with which they were looking at me was beyond unnerving. I only prayed they weren’t mind readers.

“Whatever you may think, Exarch Graith, you need us far more than you realize,” I said proudly. “You cannot be strong without someone weaker lifting you up.”

“She has stirred my mating glands,” I said matter-of-factly. “I failed to shield my emotions because I was fighting my soul’s attempts to bond with hers.”

“Like us, Temerns, the Zelconians are empaths. Unlike us, when they meet the one, they soul-bind. It is both a physical and spiritual reaction that can only occur with a single person in the entire universe. The moment you stepped into the room, Dakas felt the call of your soul and spent the meeting fighting the urge to bond with you.”

But remember … this is for life. The Prime Mating Agency usually grants a six-month trial period to the couples. It does not apply here. Once you soul-bind, it is permanent until one of you dies.”

My chest constricted as I realized that none of them seemed overly distraught over my being offered as a sacrificial lamb. No one commiserated or expressed concern for my feelings. They only cared about how my change in status would affect them.

Who would have thought the arrival of my soon-to-be-husband, whom I’d only met this morning and hardly talked to, would make me so happy? I was also beyond done with these questions. I pushed my way through the throng rushing outside to bear witness.

Although their constellation-filled eyes made it difficult to know specifically where a Zelconian was looking, I knew Dakas had locked his gaze on me. I didn’t know what I expected his reaction to be when we met again, but not for him to display this gentle, almost awed expression. I found myself instinctively smiling. His face softened further and a sweet, almost shy smile stretched his very sexy human lips.

“Our respective peoples and the UPO see our union as a beneficial transaction for all parties involved,” I continued. “You are entering into it out of duty to your people. But I am entering it because it will make me whole. You will make me whole.”

“The minute you walked into the Council chamber this morning, you called to me. You are the other half of my soul. The situation with the Yurus and the promises of the UPO play no part in my consenting to this union. With or without this situation, now that I’ve found you, I would have come here to court you,” I said fervently. “Vyrax’s ambitions only rushed the process. But for me, it would have always been you.”

statement. “You look so delicate, and sometimes appear quite timid,” he said pensively. “And yet, a bold, no-nonsense flame burns just beneath the surface. Your body is fragile, but your mind is not.”

“I like you, Luana Torres. If you weren’t Dakas’s soulmate, I might have courted you myself.”

“Dakas is my cousin, and I am already mated,” Phegea said in a soft, musical voice. “Our Exarch was just being his insufferable self, trying to gross you out or stir some sort of strong reaction out of you. He didn’t mean to make you jealous. But I’m glad it did.”

There was something wonderful about basking in the positive emotions of others. But nothing compared to those currently emanating from my mate. I felt like a god.

My heart leapt in my chest at the unexpected offer, and a powerful emotion coursed through me. Mates preening each other was a great sign of affection. Although Luana entertained no such feelings for me yet, I could sense the sincerity of her desire to help. And underneath it, her desire to take advantage of this to sate her curiosity about my body.

And yet, I was happy this happened. He looked so perfect, so strong, so above the kinds of fuck ups humans got into, I’d almost felt unworthy. This humanized him in the best way and made him feel more accessible and relatable.

“Your wings are really stunning,” I blurted out without thinking. His eyes widened, then the blue skin of his face took on a slightly darker shade as he smiled. It was beyond adorable.

His face softened and a mischievous smile stretched his lips. “I’m yours, Luana. We can play doctor-patient whenever you want.”

“Many say marriage is a cage. But in our case, you will find it is the key to your freedom.

“But for now, stop trying to tempt me, you seductress. I have distressed villagers to protect and evil to thwart before I can drag you to my lair and have my way with you!” Dakas said teasingly.

“There is one last room for you to see,” my husband said, his voice no longer playful. “We must purify ourselves before we enter, and there, we will bind our fates for eternity.”

But his tone had made it clear this was serious—maybe even sacred—to him.

There was nothing sensual in the way Dakas touched me, even when his hands ran over my breasts, my bum, and my sex. Clinical definitely didn’t apply either. Dakas was reverent and solemn in the way he washed me, making me feel worshipped.

I was drowning in the ocean of stars that sparkled in his eyes. We didn’t say a single word, and yet a million silent communications passed between us. At the back of my head, I felt a light tingling that I knew to be Dakas’s soul brushing against mine, eager for us to bind.

This room is attuned to me. You and I are here today to become one soul. And this temple will become attuned to us.”

“Luana Torres, under the eyes of the Ancestors, I pledge my life to you. You are the other half of my soul. As I bind my spirit to yours, and yours to mine, I promise to always strive to bring happiness to your heart, lift your spirits when darkness would engulf them, share the burdens that could weigh down your mind, and feed your soul with all that it needs and desires to grow and fulfill your deepest aspirations.”

Friendship encompassed it all. As my truest, bestest friend, he would love me simply for who I was, not who he thought I should be. He would be there in my good and bad times, support me in all ways, including financially, treat me as an equal, and wish the best for me. Being my lover was only the icing on the cake.

I was about to cry out—and probably lose consciousness—something shattered inside me. The agonizing pain vanished, the tingle faded, and a maelstrom of emotions flooded through me: guilt, protectiveness, and possessiveness, all wrapped in a heavy layer of tenderness. Then joy so profound it nearly brought tears to my eyes—Dakas’s joy.

Her breaking down in tears right this instant wasn’t a show of weakness, but the confirmation of just how strong she was to have withstood all of this with such strength when others needed her.

Zatruk snorted and gave Luana a slow once over that pissed me off. She lifted her chin defiantly, which only broadened Zatruk’s smile.

Then there was the cooing. I would never get over the sight of big, muscular, badass-looking males cooing like doves.

He wanted to feast his eyes on my body—which he adored, flaws and all—but he also wanted instant access. Seductive stripping did nothing for him. Clothes were just an annoyance to be ripped and discarded.

Flaunting a bald patch from making your woman see stars gave you major bragging rights—not that I wanted anyone to know our business.