Page 44 of I Married A Catman

On instinct, I shot to my paws and ran towards him. His smile broadened as he also ran towards me. We collided with enough force that most people would have fallen over. I gavehim a bone crushing hug, my heart filling to bursting as he reciprocated. I held him for a few moments, then slapped his back twice before releasing him. Both my hands still clutching his upper arms, I examined him from top to bottom.

“Look at you, little brother… all big and strong! And a Stellig, at that!” I exclaimed, an irrational sense of pride swelling within me as I took in his appearance.

Where I possessed grayish-brown fur and blue eyes, my younger brother was pure black with gray accents, and the same lightning-shaped stripes as I did, marking him as a Stellig. It had been nearly a year since I last communicated with him. It was normal as, having just turned eighteen, Kazaer would have freshly been evicted from the Pride. As a nomad searching for a new home, access to the type of com allowing him to send me messages all the way to Molvi would have been limited.

Now nineteen, if not for the difference in our fur shade, he could have been a copy of the young male I had been back then.

“Of course, I am. Just like my big brother,” he said affectionately before stealing a glance at Ylis.

Could it be?!

It took every ounce of my willpower to maintain a neutral expression on my face. Instead, I forced myself to turn towards my mate. She was still where I had left her, although she was now standing, looking both curious and uncertain as to what to do. I smiled and gestured for her to approach. Ophelia immediately relaxed and returned my smile as she complied. Guilt gnawed at me to have abandoned her so abruptly like this. But seeing my brother, this unexpectedly after over thirteen years of separation, had blown me away.

“Ophelia, this is my younger brother, Kazaer. We share our mother from the Sulwyn Pride,” I gently said to my mate, before glancing back at my brother. “Kazaer, meet Ophelia Moreau.She’s not just my mate, but my soulmate, found for me, halfway across the stars, by the Temern Kayog Voln.”

For the briefest instant, I feared my sibling might have a negative reaction to her. That thought had not crossed my mind when I first began the introductions. After so many years apart, I couldn’t say how Kazaer evolved or what influences might have affected his perspective on the world and other species.

To my relief, although his eyes burned with obvious curiosity with a hint of awe, he gave her a friendly smile. “It is an honor to meet you, Ophelia Moreau, even though Kayog is quite a few years late in finding you. But good things always come when they are meant to arrive.”

My mate’s cheeks heated as she gave him a shy but grateful smile.

Kazaer returned his attention to me, this time with a mischievous glimmer in his blue eyes so identical to mine.

“Your mate is a good omen, Brother. It appears you have brought us one of Luen’s daughters.”

I burst out laughing while my mate unconsciously touched the freckles on her cheeks with that same adorably timid smile.

“I most certainly have. But you haven’t told me how the two of you know each other,” I asked, glancing in turn at Ylis and him.

“After your arrest, I came to recover some of your personal items I believed you would want to keep when you returned, like your Obsidian knife. Ylis gave them to me,” Kazaer said, sounding like he was trying too hard to be nonchalant. “She and I kept in touch afterwards so that I could give her updates about your welfare.”

To give her ‘updates’? Yeah, right.

I bit my tongue not to say it, but I suspected my eyes spoke volumes judging by the way his nose twitched, a telltale sign for him of embarrassment.

“So are you only here to come see your big brother, or are you wishing to join our Pride?” I asked.

“Seeing how picky you are, I figured Nevian Pride might be a good place for me to settle… if they would have me.”

The subtle way he glanced at Ylis when he added that last part confirmed my suspicions. My heart swelled at the possibility that two of the people I cared about the most might end up together. I couldn’t have wished for a better female for Kazaer.

“That would be wonderful! See that you do our bloodline proud,” I said, slapping his shoulder. “But come, sit with us before we get chastised for hogging the floor.”

He smiled and fell in step with us. To my pleasant surprise—and to everyone’s general shock—instead of taking a seat at her official place on the right side of the Matriarchs on the dais, Ylis sat down with us, next to my brother.

Ophelia’s pleased smile confirmed she also perceived the chemistry between the two of them and approved of it. Feeling shameless and eager to help move things along in the right direction, I turned to my brother with a mischievous expression.

“I was supposed to run interference for Ylis tonight, in case some undesirables pestered her. But since I have a mate, that responsibility now falls onto you, Brother.”

“A duty I am more than happy to tackle,” he replied with a bit too much enthusiasm.

To my delight, the young huntress took on a demure expression I’d never seen on her before as she smiled timidly at my brother.

“You’re most kind,” she said softly.

“You can always count on me for anything you require,” Kazaer said. “Never hesitate to ask.”

I couldn’t wipe the stupid grin off my face. It made no sense that I should feel like such a proud father, and yet I couldn’t helpit. This was turning out to be a wonderful start to an evening I dreaded since my return.

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