Page 9 of I Married A Catman

The pointed look I gave him made it clear I wasn’t after his position as Alpha of the Pride either.

“Well, here I am,” I added, gesturing at the humble abode they assigned to me as we walked up to its entrance. “I will go settle in now and will see you later.”

He clenched his teeth, annoyed to be thus dismissed. This conversation didn’t go the way he hoped. The fool apparently expected me to be the same young and easily influenced cub of old.

“All right. Welcome back. I will let you know about the next culling or…”

His voice trailed off as if he caught himself at the last minute. My stomach instantly knotted. I didn’t need him to finish the sentence to know he almost mentioned the next mission. There would never be another such thing for me.

He gave me a stiff nod, turned around, and walked away.

Chapter 3

Ophelia

My heart skipped a beat when the chime of the monitor went off. Although knowing what it would display, I stared at it before glancing back down on the ticket firmly held in my hand to confirm the numbers matched.

Yep, it was finally my turn.

I jumped to my feet under the envious stares of the other candidates waiting for their turn and hastened to the temporary office the Prime Mating Agency was using on the Persea Space Station. With it being a very popular entertainment hub for multiple minor planets and moons in the area, it was quite accessible for a great number of people. The agency came here twice a year and stayed for a couple of days during which the most famous empathic matchmaker in the universe tried to help people in the region to find their soulmate.

Despite my usual adventurous nature, I couldn’t believe I was truly going for this. Granted, signing up for the PMA did not guarantee a match would be found. In truth, countless candidates waited for years before their match was found, and insome cases they never were. Still, the prospect of being among the lucky ones sent a thrill down my spine.

Before I could rasp my knuckles even once on the door, a masculine muffled voice bid me enter. I complied, my pulse picking up another notch. The small room that greeted me offered no distraction other than the large window that looked down into the plaza below. The other walls were completely bare, the only furniture consisting of a table which served as a desk, and a guest chair across from it.

The Temern, sitting on the other side on what I presumed to be a bench so that it wouldn’t interfere with his massive wings, rose to his feet to greet me. He was taller than I had imagined, likely around 6’2. Naturally, I immediately recognized the famous face of Kayog Voln. Knowing that he was in his mid-to-late sixties, it blew my mind how young and fit he looked. Although on the more slender side, he had broad shoulders and chiseled abs beneath the maroon down feathers that covered his body. His chest and face boasted golden feathers, and a long, white, fluffy tail with a spot of gold at the base trailed behind him. He peered at me with gentle silver eyes.

Although I’d never been particularly drawn to bird folks, I couldn’t deny finding this one very attractive. It was all the more embarrassing that he was old enough to be my father, on top of being well known for his very happy marriage to a stunning female of his own species.

But hey, there is no crime in appreciating the view.

“Hello, my dear,” Kayog said in a warm and friendly tone. “Please do come in and have a seat.”

I instantly liked him and felt at ease. A broad smile stretched my lips as I closed the door then headed for the seat offered.

“My name is Kayog Voln, founder and primary agent of the Prime Mating Agency,” he said, resuming his seat after I settled in my own.

“Hello, Master Voln. My name is Ophelia Moreau,” I said with a nervous giggle.

“Please, call me Kayog. I’m quite informal,” he said with as huge a smile as the stiffness of his beak allowed.

“So long as you call me Ophelia,” I replied.

“Done! So, Ophelia, how may I help you today?”

“By finding me a mate, of course!” I replied enthusiastically.

“Am I to presume that things have not gone well on the dating scene?” he asked in a sympathetic voice.

I shook my head. “Although things have been very quiet on the romantic front for me for a while now, I cannot complain of the type of horror stories I’m sure you’ve heard plenty of. I’m single more out of circumstances than actual unfortunate incidents.”

“Circumstances?” he echoed with genuine curiosity. “Do tell.”

“I’m a bit of an adventurer and free spirit,” I said sheepishly. “I grew up an orphan in a refugee colony. The workers there were fantastic and did so much to help the desperate people flocking there to get their lives back on track that I wanted to do something similar for others. As soon as I turned eighteen, I signed up for missionary and volunteer work at similar colonies or with primitive cultures. I mostly work as a teacher, but I also helped in a variety of different fields.”

“It sounds like it has indeed been quite the adventure,” Kayog said with a smile.

“It has been. I love discovering new cultures and helping people. It’s one thing visiting a foreign place for a week or two as a tourist, and a completely different affair when you actually live among them for a few months or a few years. It opened my eyes to so many wonders and various ways of thinking that I don’t think I ever could have acquired otherwise,” I said wistfully. “Since I also don’t mind roughing it out in the wild, and enjoyhiking and hanging outdoors, I’ve never had a problem living even among the most primitive species.”

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