Page 77 of I Married A Catman

“What are you doing here, Oluina? What do you want?” I demanded, my voice frosty.

She lifted her chin defiantly, instantly angered by my hostile stance. Where before I would have forced myself to be a bit more diplomatic and less confrontational, now I no longer cared if she got riled up. She had no here in our Pride.

“You have not responded to Rozel’s summons. We would know the reason for such rudeness,” she said in a haughty tone.

I snorted in disbelief, my reaction echoed by the members of my Pride.

“Why would I? I’m not her servant or employee. I’m no longer a member of your Pride that she should have any authority over me. She is nothing to me anymore… as are the rest of you.”

“Do not be disrespectful,” she snarled. “You’ve made your point. You were right about the mission, and we acknowledge that we need to update our village to be more modern and efficient. Now let us stop this nonsense. You can apologize to my mother and return to the Pride.”

I burst out laughing, while my mate and our companions emitted various incredulous sounds, some of them joining their laughter to mine.

“Fuck that!” Ophelia said, looking at her like she had lost her mind. “If anyone owes anyone else an apology it’s your mother, you, and that fool you call your Alpha!”

“Do not meddle in Nazhral affairs, human!” Oluina hissed.

“You watch how you address my mate!” I snarled. “This is her home, not yours. You will show her the proper respect or leave at once.”

Oluina clenched her teeth, fury burning in her green eyes.

“We will never return to Nevian. If you want to establish business trades with us, tell us what you have to offer, and we will assess if we want any of it. Otherwise, I will ask you to leave. You are not welcome here,” I said sternly.

“What we have to offer?!” she exclaimed angrily. “We took you in! Youoweus!”

“I owe younothing!” I ground between my teeth. “If anyone is indebted, it is your Pride towards me. My credits during my incarceration and the extra labor I performed upon my return are the last things you will have ever gotten from me. You wanted us gone, we are.”

“In light of the recent events, we’ve changed our minds on that front,” Oluina said, the words appearing to scorch her lips.

“That’s just too bad. As you can see, we’ve set a pretty good life for ourselves here, without you and your mother’s toxicity,” I said mockingly while waving at our village.

“It is a pretty decent village,” she conceded, the malicious glimmer in her eyes immediately setting all my senses on high alert. “Such a nice place will need a proper hand to manage it. Therefore, if you will not return home where you belong, then I will have to challenge your Queen to take over your Pride.”

The same incredulous sounds resonated from everyone.

“We don’t do that here, you stupid female!” I said, laughing disdainfully at her.

“It is the law!” she exclaimed.

“It isyourlaw!” I corrected. “This isourPride, and we followourown rules. Now fuck off!”

“You cannot do this!” she shouted.

“Oh, putain!Won’t you ever learn?!” Ophelia exclaimed, exasperated. “What did I tell you about showing some self-respect and not throwing yourself at someone who doesn’t want you? We all left because life in your Pride was toxic. We’ve moved on. How about you try and do the same? Nobody wants you here. None of us would follow your lead. So what are you trying to accomplish? Just fuck off already!”

“Fight me!” Oluina hissed, taking a menacing step forward.

I instinctively raised my arm protectively in front of my mate, pushing her back slightly to get in the way of Oluina’s line of sight.

“I already told you that we do not do that here!” I growled.

“You do not get to rewrite the law because you chose to lie with a weak female!” Oluina said, taking yet another step forward. “I demand—”

“You demand nothing!” Ylis shouted in the distance.

My heart soared upon seeing her coming out of the forest, our other females in tow.

“If you’re itching so badly for a fight, you fight me!” Ylis said as she stopped her speeder halfway between her cousin and us.

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