Page 43 of I Married A Catman

I cast a worried look at him. “Does that mean we should expect trouble?”

He snorted and shook his head. “No. They’re not coming here to cause trouble but are hoping to be invited to join us.” He gestured with his chin at the males in the park still working on the preparations. “They’re worried about their position here. If enough fine candidates show up tonight, a few of these males will be asked to leave to make room.”

“Does that include you?” I asked.

He shrugged. “It could. But you and I still have two weeks of my grace period remaining. Regardless of the outcome of tonight’s feast, we will have to make a decision about our future.

Even as he spoke those words, three young huntresses arrived with a huge animal on a hover cart in tow. They headed towards one of the large barbecue spits the men were setting up.

I gave Gaelec a sideways glance. “They granted you a couple of days off to welcome me. But does it play against you that you’re not helping them right now?”

He shook his head. “I made sure to perform more than my fair share in preparation for tonight ahead of time. It wasn’trequired, but it felt wiser to not give them any grounds to find me lacking.”

“Smart male,” I said with an approving smile.

“Let’s go further down near the western edge of the village,” Gaelec said, pointing in that general direction. “We have small farms there that are mostly operated by the males, but also by some of the females who can no longer hunt.”

“You said that females are always looked after once they grow older and can no longer contribute. But do any of them ever get cast out?”

“Only for an extremely serious crime,” he replied.

“Like what?” I insisted.

“Anything that threatens the safety or prosperity of the Pride is guaranteed expulsion,” he explained.

“The safety of the Pride only? They’ve never come to blows over a male?” I couldn’t resist asking in a slightly teasing tone.

He snorted. “For Nazhral females, no male is worth that much trouble. Don’t forget that our Queens and Matriarchs are all close blood relatives. They will always choose each other over a male.”

We spent the following couple of hours completing the tour of the city before taking a stroll in the nearby forest where Gaelec showed me the places that were safe to visit on my own, and what limits to stay within. Although I made sure to mark the safe perimeter within my GPS, I had no intention of venturing outside the village on my own anytime soon.

Chapter 10

Gaelec

We made sure not to arrive too early or too late to the festivities. The Matriarchs and Oluina—as the head huntress—were sitting on the temporary dais put together for the occasion. The other females sat directly on the ground or on soft cushions in a half circle on each side of the platform. A large bonfire in the center of the area in front of the dais illuminated the space, as well as electric torches around the edges of the perimeter.

I led my mate to a spot at the end of the left half circle. The closer one sat to the dais, the higher their rank in the Pride’s pecking order. As the Alpha, Moriak was the only male to settle right at its edge, next to Oluina.

I barely repressed the urge to snort as I took in his appearance. He donned his finest hunting armor. Even from where I sat, I could tell he oiled his fur to make it look shinier. I would bet a hefty amount of credits that he also applied some dye to make himself look younger. It was laughable. In a way, Ifelt pity for him and the desperation with which he clung to his position. His time was running out.

A smarter male would spend his remaining time endearing himself to the young Queens who would soon leave us to form their own Pride. Granted, he could never hope to become the Alpha over there. But at least, it would spare him the uncertainty of becoming a nomad.

A loud squeal startled me out of my less-than-charitable musings about Moriak. I jerked my head towards the direction it emanated from, the sound having drawn the attention of most of the other people already present. My jaw dropped upon seeing Ylis running towards a male and throwing herself into his arms. That embrace screamed of a level of familiarity—not to say intimacy—that had everyone looking as stunned as I did.

“Whoa! Ylis has a boyfriend?!” Ophelia asked in a whisper, her eyes wide as she ogled the couple.

“I don’t know,” I replied in all sincerity while stretching my neck to get a better look at the newcomer.

From this angle, I could only see part of his side and his tail. But he looked tall and strong, the flickering and glare of the bonfire making it hard to see any proper details about him. Ylis released the male at last and took a couple of steps back to exchange a couple of words with him.

My back stiffened, and I did a double take, wondering if my eyes weren’t playing tricks on me.

“Kazaer?!” I called out, my voice filled with disbelief.

The male jerked his head towards me. His initial curiosity upon hearing his name gave way to an affectionate smile once he recognized me.

He knew I would be here!

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