Page 46 of I Married A Catman

“No,Alpha,” I said, pouring as much disdain and mockery as I could in his title. “I’m merely catering to my mate’s specific human needs when it comes to cooked meat.”

Paying him no more mind, I extended the plate to Ophelia, who accepted it with a smile.

“I studied cooking temperatures this morning. This Padag meat compares to Earth’s lamb. I rubbed on it the closest mix of the herbs and spices your people deem preferable for it.”

Ophelia nodded with an air of gratitude before reaching for the piece of Padag and taking a bite from it. She closed her eyes and emitted a moan that resonated directly in my cock.

After chewing for a few moments, she opened her eyes to look at me with awe. “Wow! That cook is perfect!” she exclaimed before taking another voracious bite.

I puffed out my chest while smugly glancing at the crowd. Their stunned looks failed to please me half as much as Moriak’s livid expression.

This truly wasn’t his night.

To my surprise, a cub named Armiss came sniffing around, his little nostrils flaring even as he stared at the meat with an air of confusion.

“Do you want to try?” Ophelia offered in a gentle tone.

“It’s burnt?” the youngling asked hesitantly.

My mate smiled. “It’s not burnt. It’s just cooked in the perfect way for humans. Here, taste it.”

Despite his suspicions that it would likely taste foul, the young male leaned forward and took a tiny bite. The slit of his pupils dilated as his face took on a pleasantly surprised expression. The hesitant way he’d begun chewing gave way to enthusiasm as he quickly swallowed.

“Whoa! It’s not burnt, even if it looks like it. That’s not bad!” the little one exclaimed.

He then went for another bigger bite.

“Hey!” I exclaimed with false outrage. “That’s my mate’s food!”

The little brat stared at me with an unrepentant expression as he happily chewed the large piece he just bit off.

“I don’t mind,” Ophelia said with a chuckle while looking tenderly at Armiss.

“Yes, you do,” I grumbled, with playful displeasure. “Or at least, you will once you realize what a bottomless pit he is.”

The young cub made a face at me as he swallowed his mouthful. Then, to my utter shock, he snuggled against my mate’s side. The way her face melted from a powerful emotion at this unexpected gesture turned me upside down. She caressed the top of his head before scratching the back of his ears. A loud purr vibrated from his little throat as he snuggled deeper against her. She smiled at me with an air of pure joy. At that moment, I realized she was picturing our own offspring cuddling with her.

It awakened an intense longing in me.

We will have a family of our own.

“How come you never purr like that?” Ophelia suddenly asked.

I glanced at Armiss before looking back at her. “I’m not a cub.”

“That shouldn’t prevent you from purring. I’m sure it would sound amazing with your deep voice. Won’t you let me hear it?” she asked, shamelessly batting her eyelashes.

It struck me then that I truly never purred anymore. It hadn’t been a conscious choice, but one dictated by my survival instincts. Considering the therapeutic quality of that sound—since its frequency promoted healing—you’d think I’d use it more often. But our people also only purred when they felt in a safe enough environment to put their guard down and give themselves over to that self-healing. It broadcast to the world that you were in a vulnerable position but trusted that no harm would come to you here.

I had not felt safe enough for that in the past twelve years.

As much as I wanted to please my mate, the prospect of purring made my stomach queasy, especially in such a public setting, and surrounded by so many hostile people.

“Purr,” I said in a neutral voice.

Ophelia gaped at me. Although I managed to keep a stoic expression, I inwardly also gaped at myself. I couldn’t believe I’d just blurted that out instead of coming up with a clever way of worming my way out of doing it.

Recovering from the shock, my mate burst out laughing before giving me a playful tap. “That’s not a proper purr, you cheater!”

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