Page 18 of Bride of the Sea King

“Sure you do.” The woman measuring me tapped a spot on my lower back. Though I did feel her touch me, it felt slightly different than usual. “Your first one already showed up right here. It’s the same color as your mate’s.”

I bit my tongue on a response that Triton wasn’t my mate. Repeating that hadn’t done me any good yet. It just made my situation seem less controllable and more certain than I wanted it to be.

“Blue-scaled merrae are considered a blessing from the sky goddess,” the woman measuring me added. “They’re a sign of power. A king and queen with blue scales is the best omen we could possibly ask for.”

“Isn’t it Triton’s fault they’re blue?” I checked.

“Probably,” Rayna agreed. “But because you’re sitting on the throne with him, you’ll be just as strong as he is.”

I wasn’t against the idea of being powerful, if just so my lovely new husband couldn’t control me.

But I still wasn’t in favor of being a mermonster.

“Done.” The woman whose name I didn’t know stepped back and flashed me a smile. “Welcome to the sea kingdom, Aria.Ovah ven raren.”

I had no idea what that last sentence meant, but managed a small smile anyway. “Thanks.”

She and Rayna left the room. I closed the door behind them—and locked it, too.

I didn’t know if there was anyone who might try to break into our room or something, but at the moment, I felt slightly safer with Triton than I did with any strangers outside.

“What doesovah ven rarenmean?” I asked the king, who was still relaxing on the bed like he had no worries at all.

“It doesn’t have a direct translation in your language. It’s an ancient vow of respect. The basic idea is along the lines of promising to stand with you, fight at your side, and shield you with their body.”

My eyebrows shot upward. “She doesn’t even know me.”

“Your soul is compatible with mine, and you have become my mate. That’s all she needs to know.”

“What do you mean, our souls were compatible?”

“A mate bond can’t be created by just anyone. The sky goddess, the being that all of Alterrae answers to, must approve the pairing. It’s not something that can be forced. That’s why I spent so long looking for you—my soul and magic weren’t compatible with any of the other women I saw on Earth.”

“What if you hadn’t found anyone?”

“The demons would find another batch of humans for me. Yours was the tenth.”

“Thetenth?”

“Yes. I went through more than one hundred thousand women to find you.”

“Holy shit.” I shoved a hand through my hair. My very blue, very weird-feeling hair. “Why are we compatible?”

“I don’t know. I’m not the goddess.”

I scoffed. “Clearly.”

The king’s lips twitched, almost like he was fighting a smile. “Come here. I want to see your scale.”

“Fuck off.”

He laughed. The sound was low, rich, and melodic. I liked it far more than I should’ve.

Triton crossed the room in a few steps and kneeled down at my back. He captured the green silk from my hand before placing his own on my hip again. His touch was so hot, I nearly shivered.

“You seem to have a thing for touching me, Your Highness,” I drawled.

“It’s more like an all-consuming obsession.” He didn’t bother denying it. His thumb dragged over the same place the other woman had pressed, and a shiver rolled down my spine.

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