Page 6 of I Married A Catman

I smiled, pretending to be too dense to understand what she wanted. She pinched her lips, looking annoyed by my silence.

“I’m assuming you just returned from a hunt?” I asked to stir the conversation towards safer terrain.

“I did,” she replied, puffing out her chest, heart face brightening at this opportunity to brag. “And it was an excellent one at that, too. We shall feast for a few days.”

“Well done!” I said politely with the appropriate level of enthusiasm without going overboard.

“Food is not a problem anymore,” Rozel swiftly interjected as she gazed upon her daughter with maternal pride. “My Oluina has been our Head Huntress for the past nine years now.”

“Congratulations!” I said, although not in the least surprised. “You worked hard for this.”

She had always displayed great talent and ambition. For all her faults, I couldn’t take away the fact that she had trained extremely hard to be at the top of the chain.

“She most certainly did!”

Oluina ran her hand over the fluffy patch of white fur on her chest in a gesture that was far too sensuous to qualify as an absent-minded movement. She often praised my skill at stimulating her with that sensitive spot for her. This less-than-subtle reminder of our previous intimacy bothered me to no end. I pretended not to notice.

“You should come see me hunt one of these days. You will be impressed,” Oluina purred.

“If time permits, I will consider it,” I said in a non-committal fashion. “However, I expect to be fairly busy earning my place here again.”

Oluina’s face immediately hardened as she visibly bristled at this gentle rejection. “What better way to secure your place here than to form strong bonds with the Head Huntress?”

I gaped at such a forward statement, if not a semi-veiled threat. My mind raced to find an appropriate response. The large doors opening behind us gave me a slight reprieve.

“Gaelec?” a stunning young female called out.

Tall and slender, she appeared to be the same height of 5’10 as Oluina, or maybe an inch shorter. A discreet blood smear marred her otherwise stunning white fur with dark gray spots. My eyes widened as I took in the large tuft of silver-gray fur on her chest and mischievous blue eyes, allowing me to finally recognize the newcomer. I sniffed the air to pick up her scent and confirm my eyes weren’t fooling me.

“Ylis?!” I exclaimed.

She broadly grinned at me, her fangs peeking through her parted lips before she broke into a run. On instinct, I opened my arms and welcomed her as she all but crashed into me, makingme take a steadying step back from the force of the impact. She’d been but a very young cub when I was taken away—just a few days shy of her eleventh birthday.

After giving me a bone-crushing hug, Ylis rubbed her temple against mine, marking me with her scent before letting go. I took a step back to give her a proper once over, marveling at the beautiful young female she turned into. Although we were completely unrelated, I felt like a proud big brother, not to say father.

“My dear, you look stunning, and all grown up!” I exclaimed.

She struck a pose in a flaunting manner while waving her tail from side to side a couple of times.

“And she’s become one of our most promising young huntresses!” Priya added proudly.

I bit the insides of my cheeks to have her mother thus chime in, singing the praises of her own offspring just like her sister had done but moments prior about Oluina.

“I’m not surprised,” I replied, glancing at the Matriarch before returning my attention to Ylis. “You were always talented, even as a very young cub.”

“And it’s in large part thanks to you!” she said with a mix of gratitude and affection that warmed my heart. She then waved at me. “But you also look amazing! I can’t believe you’re finally back. And I’m so happy to see you returned to us safely.”

“Thank you. It is good to be back.”

“Well this is all nice, Ylis, but the meat needs to be cleaned and cut,” Oluina interrupted, clearly displeased that I should bestow so much attention to her young cousin. “You know how clumsy the juniors are without proper supervision. You can both babble and catch up later. For now, you have work to do.”

The way Ylis’s stare hardened as she gazed upon her older cousin hinted at some serious competition between them. I had mixed feelings about it. A part of me rejoiced to see thatthe female I always considered as the sister of my heart had the backbone to stand up to Oluina. Most people—males and females alike—allowed her to stomp all over them until she got things done her way. Seeing Oluina’s unfounded jealousy also amused me tremendously. However, I knew how petty and vindictive she could be. I didn’t want her to become abusive towards Ylis because of me.

To think there was a time I mistook her ruthlessness and sense of entitlement as strength and fearlessness.

Despite her obvious displeasure, Ylis gave her cousin a stiff nod followed by a friendly smile my way before she headed back out of the building. The smug smirk on Oluina’s face pissed me off to no end. As the Head Huntress, she could issue such commands and expect the other females to obey. The respect of hierarchy was no joking matter.

“They could use your help as well, Oluina,” Rozel suddenly added, wiping out the triumphant expression off her daughter’s face. “We need to wrap up our discussion with Gaelec.”

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