Page 22 of I Married A Catman

“I… I… err… Thank you, Ophelia. Those are very kind words. Males like me with those white streaks are called Stelligs. It is a rare trait among my people. It appears later in life, towards the end of our teenage years. We tend to be bigger, stronger, and faster than the average male,” he declared shyly.

“That’s awesome!” I said enthusiastically. “And it looks really nice.”

He cleared his throat and averted his eyes in the cutest fashion while his mind was still racing. Gaelec opened and closed his mouth a couple of times before glancing back at me.

“You are also attractive,” he said sheepishly.

I burst out laughing and gave him an indulgent look. “It’s okay, Gaelec. You don’t have to lie to make me feel better.”

Despite the gentle way in which I spoke those words, he frowned, looking slightly offended.

“I do not lie, Ophelia. To be honest, until Kayog contacted me about you a few days ago, I never thought of humans in that way. But now, I can say that your features are quite harmonious. The green shade of your eyes is stunning. Your hair looks very soft, and I like the way the sun catches in it. It almost looks like it’s ablaze. I cannot wait to see it directly outside and not filtered through the windshield. And then you have all those face spots that are truly charming.”

The warm fuzzy feeling that had been swelling through me at each of his words came to a screeching halt upon hearing that last sentence.

“Face spots?!” I repeated, disbelievingly.

I burst out laughing. My freckles had been called many things, but face spots were a first. He peered at me in confusion, uncertain as to whether he inadvertently said something wrong.

“These things are called freckles,” I said, still chuckling. “And they’re annoying as hell. The worst part is that they’re not just on my face. I have those damn things everywhere, even on my lips, chest, and arms,” I grumbled waving at them on my exposed forearm.

“On your lips?” he repeated with curiosity while glancing at my mouth.

I nodded. “You can’t see them because my lip gloss does wonders at hiding those wretched things. But if I stay under the sun too long, and without proper sunscreen, aside from the fact that I will burn, even more freckles will come out. It’s like I’m pockmarked,” I concluded in an overly dramatic fashion.

Instead of the amused response I expected from him, Gaelec frowned at me with a disapproving expression.

“Do not say that. Your…freckles…are not wretched things. To me, they look like our Luen Constellation. It is only visible in the winter or in early summer mornings.”

My eyes widened. “Luen? Isn’t it the sea of red stars?!” I exclaimed.

He nodded with an approving smile that I should know of it. “Yes. Luen is a sign of good luck and is considered a blessing of the Gods. The more stars are visible, and the greater the blessing. You are touched by a higher power. Embrace your stars. They are beautiful.”

My chest constricted as my hand found its way to my face with a will of its own.

“Wow! That’s the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me,” I whispered as I gazed at him.

He smiled, visibly pleased, the soft glimmer in his eyes melting me from the inside out. In that instant, I realized that I made the right choice listening to Kayog. I didn’t know this male, but we were going to make it work.

He was my soulmate.

Chapter 6

Gaelec

Ididn’t know how to feel about my human. As all the women of her species, Ophelia was rather tiny. She was clearly fragile and seemed easily frazzled. She was the exact opposite of our Queens and huntresses. But that difference also applied to her personality and behavior.

My mate seemed really nice.

I perceived no deception in the awe she expressed towards me. My chest still warmed at the deluge of compliments she showered me with. Without boasting, I could say with confidence that I was an attractive male by my people’s standards. More than once, our females complimented my appearance. However, with Ophelia, it felt different… not objectifying.

And that made me feel quite guilty for not sharing a similar awe where she was concerned. The kind words I shared with her about her hair, face, and freckles had been honest. But that was the extent of it. The rest of her appearance would take quite a bit of getting used to. Obviously, I had seen humans before. Afterall, a few humans served their sentences with me on Molvi. But they had all been men, and I never thought of them in romantic terms.

I always found the humans’ straight legs strange not to mention limiting. The three segments of our digitigrade legs allowed us to run faster, jump higher, and better absorb the impact of high falls. Ophelia didn’t possess a tail, fur, or whiskers. Her small, rounded ears couldn’t rotate like ours to better identify the location where sounds emanated from. Her pointy nose looked like it wanted to run away from her face. When we kissed at the end of our wedding, it bumped against mine, making that experience even weirder.

The thought of that kiss had another wave of unease surging deep within. I couldn’t label it as unpleasant, but it didn’t feature high on my list of most delightful experiences. It felt odd to press one’s mouth to someone else’s. Just remembering how it tickled my nose and whiskers made me want to sneeze. Sure, with time, I believed I could grow used to it. I couldn’t tell whether I would ever develop a taste for it, but if it was something my mate enjoyed—and I strongly suspected she did—I would find a way to adapt.

But kissing was the least of my concerns where physical contact with my mate was concerned.

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