Page 51 of I Married A Catman

“The reality is that the last few missions have indeed been catastrophic, and not just for us,” Ylis continued in a somber tone. “Gaelec and Ophelia made very good points. Why wait for recruiters to come to us with missions we know nothing about and that cause us to lose our sires, mates, sons, and siblings? Why should we leave our fate in the hands of others instead of reclaiming that control? We could seek out potential hiring partners ourselves and get some variety.”

“That’s absurd!” Moriak exclaimed. “We know nothing about such things. There are complex contracts involved that we wouldn’t even begin to know how to negotiate.”

“Recruitment is a specialty profession for a reason,” Ranor concurred vehemently. “You try to handle it yourself and could end up selling these males into permanent indentured servitude!”

“Isn’t that what your own missions are already doing to us, except sending us to the worst prison in the galaxy?” Gaelec growled. “You both only oppose this because you get a cut for all the males you help recruit. We’re no longer your easy source of income. If you want to continue benefiting from us, find safe missions.”

“Enough!” Rozel snapped, visibly exasperated. “You have raised some valid questions and provided great insight. We shall investigate the matter later at a far more appropriate time. Fornow, we are here to celebrate and mingle. Let us eat, drink, and be merry.”

Although my mate looked like he itched to pursue the debate, he wisely bowed his head in concession. Careful not to squish the cubs who still surrounded me, he sat back down next to me. Reassured that the conflict was over, the little ones snuggled with each other again.

The festivities resumed, although some tension lingered. We spent most of the remainder of the evening with Kazaer and Ylis. He turned out to be an absolute delight. The chemistry between them was undeniable and filled both Gaelec and me with joy. If things worked out, I would love to have this couple with us.

However, I didn’t miss the speculative glances many of the visiting males cast our way, and in particular at my husband. His words had not fallen on deaf ears. They also realized Moriak was not necessarily the Alpha they should try to cozy up to. The next few days would be quite interesting.

To my shock, as we prepared to go home, Gaelec informed me that his brother could not come stay with us until a verdict was rendered as to whether he would receive a formal invitation to join us. All the visiting males were escorted back to their temporary camp at the edge of the Pride’s territory. They would remain there for approximately a week or two as they went through the vetting and admission process.

In retrospect, it made sense not to want to have potentially problematic people freely roaming around their village, putting their younglings at risk of harm.

We waved goodbye to him while promising to make time for visits. To my delight, Gaelec took my hand and held it as we walked back home. He’d seemed so grumpy and distant in that space port that I never would have pictured him as the type to be cool with public displays of affection. I loved how proudly he displayed our relationship, despite the obvious reservationsfrom his people. It touched me all the more that his gestures always struck me as spontaneous and not calculated. He wasn’t putting on a show to placate anyone, but simply allowing whatever was happening between us to flourish.

We made the short trip home in silence, each of us lost in our own thoughts. For all that, there was no tension or awkwardness. At the same time, I believed we both unconsciously realized the kind of conversations we might want to have would be best left to a more private setting.

As soon as we entered our house, and he closed the door, I turned to face him. He held my gaze unwaveringly, his face telling me to go right ahead and speak whatever was on my mind.

“You’ve decided to leave, haven’t you?” I asked in a soft voice devoid of condemnation.

He pursed his lips and gave it a moment of thought before responding. “I wouldn’t say that. Had you asked me that question before the feast, I might have said no. I can’t quite swear to it, but I was heavily leaning that way.”

“What changed? The recruiter?”

He shook his head. “His presence plays a part in it, but he’s only one of the symptoms, not the root cause of the disease eating us from within. Kazaer changed everything. I must protect him. You saw his enthusiastic reaction when Moriak introduced Ranor. Like every young male, he’s been brainwashed into believing that running a few successful missions is your ticket to earning the favors of the most desirable Queen or even a Head Huntress. I can do for him and other young nomads what no one did for me before it was too late. This cycle needs to end.”

Closing the distance between us, I smiled as I slipped my arms around his waist. He drew me into his embrace and gazed at me with affection.

“I love the ideas you proposed, and I want to help you make it happen. With my experience in charity and missionary work, I can reach out to my contacts to help us find legitimate recruiters once you go back to work. They could provide us with a list of solid, safe, and well-paying missions that could further help you make the case with the Matriarchs.”

“That would be wonderful, my mate,” Gaelec said gratefully. “I’ve been looking into some of the rehabilitation resources for ex-convicts and hoping to find assistance from their crime prevention services.”

My eyes widened. “That’s a great idea, too! There’s no question they would want to help, especially with programs targeting the Nazhral youth. I think you’re onto something big!”

The look in his eyes wrecked me. It was this mix of gratitude and another powerful emotion that I couldn’t put into words. I just knew that my response deeply touched him.

“You truly are my Luen,” he whispered while caressing my cheek. “A blessing and a guiding light in the darkness.”

“You are the guiding light, Gaelec,” I said in a gentle but firm voice. “These are your ideas. And I will do my best to help you make them come true because I believe in their merit. You could make a huge difference for your Pride and in the lives of countless young males. And tonight, a lot of people realized it as well. It amazed me how badass you were, standing up to those two idiots. You’re a true leader. Not only by your authority and charisma, but because you put the people before yourself. And everyone saw it. I’m so proud of you.”

“As I am of you, my mate,” Gaelec replied with a fervor that made me weak in the knees. “You handled this entire mess and Oluina’s rudeness with such grace. You speak of my charisma, but you do not realize the extent of your own. Our younglings are instinctively very cautious and suspicious of strangers. They didn’t just approach you unbidden, but they also piled aroundyou. A couple of them even fell asleep. It is the greatest sign of trust. You welcomed my brother like he was your own, and above all, you stood by me unwaveringly. You will never know what it meant to me that you should have my back like that.”

“Always, Gaelec. Always. For better or for worse, until death do us part, I will stand by you,” I pledged.

“My mate…” he whispered, before leaning down and rubbing his temple against mine.

Without another word, he picked me up like a bride and carried me to our room.

Chapter 12

Gaelec

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