Page 48 of I Married A Catman

He struck me as someone trying to buy time and to find out how much Gaelec knew before he tipped his own hand.

“I have. And I can tell you that this highly lucrative mission is in fact the biggest trap ever set among a series of countlessothers,” Gaelec snarled, eliciting shocked gasps from everyone in attendance.

“What are you talking about?” Ranor asked, in a tone that implied my man was mentally unwell.

But the sliver of nervousness in his voice—subtle though it was—had every single one of my senses on high alert. The fact—or at least the possibility—that this mission could indeed be a trap was not news to him.

“What I’m talking about is the fact that the members of the galactic alliance are beyond fed up with the epidemic of pirate raids against their ships and merchandise. The Enforcers are launching a massive crackdown against all criminal activities linked in any way to smuggling, hijacking, piracy, and slave trading among others. All those attacks are costing corporations and individuals way too much, making traveling and their businesses unsustainable, not to mention the innocent lives lost on all sides.”

Moriak huffed and cast a contemptuous look at Gaelec as if he was some weak and sniveling little boy.

“Why do you care so much about the woes of some random off-worlders?” he asked in a haughty tone. “Their inability to protect their goods is on them. Ever heard of survival of the fittest? Have they brainwashed you into looking after their best interests instead of those of your Pride? That would explain why you returned looking so pretty from Molvi… assuming you even actually served your time there.”

It took every ounce of my willpower not to give that son of a bitch an epic tongue lashing for such spiteful and snide remarks. It infuriated me when quite a few people narrowed their eyes at my husband, the seed of suspicion having been planted.

“I cannot decide if you truly are this stupid and narrow-minded to actually believe the nonsense you just spewed, or if you’re so desperate to paint me in a bad light for fear I mightsupplant you that you would stoop to such ridiculous conspiracy theories,” Gaelec replied with an air of pity rather than the righteous anger he would be entitled to.

“See how he avoided answering the challenge?” Moriak said triumphantly, glancing at everyone in attendance to take them as witnesses.

“I indeed give a shit about the off-worlders’ woes to the extent that their logical responses to the constant losses they sustain will directly ruin or destroy the lives of our people. But you’re too dense to realize that. Although I think it is specifically what you’re counting on,” Gaelec said, his tone hardening.

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” Moriak hissed.

“Simply the fact that most of the missions offered by the recruiters are guaranteed jail time for the males foolish enough to sign up for them, especially this one,” Gaelec snarled.

“You don’t know that!” Ranor interjected, sounding defensive. “I have excellent sources.”

Gaelec snorted with disdain. “I most certainly do know it is a trap. Your sources are so excellent that my own sources warned me more than three weeks ago that this fake mission would soon be making the rounds. How do you explainthat,RecruiterRanor?”

“Ranor never failed us,” Moriak argued.

“He and others like him certainly failed me!” Gaelec snapped. “He failed Argin, Lomar, and countless others. But if you’re so confident about his reliability, does that mean you will join in on that mission, Moriak?”

I bit my lip to keep myself from blurting out the ‘Take that,Enfoiré!’ comment that burned my tongue. But I couldn’t stop myself from grinning maliciously at his shocked expression.

“I’m the Alpha!” Moriak immediately countered. “My place is here, watching over the Pride.”

Gaelec shook his head with an air of pure disgust. “How did I know you were going to hide behind such a weak argument? You always let us take the risks while you hide behind our females.”

“I do not hide behind anyone!” Moriak shouted angrily. “Your past traumatic experience made you skittish, and now you’re seeing danger everywhere. Do not unload your burden on the rest of us.”

“I’m not being skittish, merely no longer being stupid. You boast about your friend Ranor being so reliable, but has he informed you of how the new anti-piracy laws directly impact every Pride now?”

“What laws?” Rozel intervened with a hint of concern.

Gaelec turned to look at her. “Convicted pirates now automatically go to a Gray or Dark Quadrant, with a minimum sentence of fifteen years. Where before, the sector in which you were captured influenced which prison you would land in, it is now a guaranteed trip to Molvi. I was in a Light Quadrant for the past twelve years, and it was a nightmare. Gray Quadrants are nearly impossible to survive, but a Dark one is a guaranteed death sentence.”

He turned to look at the young males visiting the village for the feast, making eye contact with as many of them as possible.

“If you cubs want to die, then by all means join this doomed mission.”

“Stop being dramatic!” Rozel exclaimed in a harsh tone.

“I WAS THERE!!” Gaelec shouted.

The Matriarch took a deep breath and forced herself to take on a sympathetic expression as if addressing a child being difficult.

“We know, Gaelec. And although you may not believe it, we do empathize with the hardships you endured. But whatever the outcome, every Pride needs for our people to go on those missions. Obviously, we want each one of them to succeed sothat our males can come home with their full wages. However, even in the case of a failure, the Pride still benefits from their contribution.”

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