Page 56 of I Married A Catman

I rolled out of the way as the calf lunged at me again. The damn thing was too fast. I slammed my knee under its jaw half a blink before its teeth could take a bite out of me and thrust the bladed right half of the spear towards its neck. With the beast recoiling, the blade buried itself under the jaw instead and through the mouth, only to be stopped by a bone. The calf reared back, screeching. As I held on to my half spear still embedded in its maw, the beast’s movement yanked me forward with it.

Using that momentum, I savagely swiped my claws at its underbelly, spilling its guts while kicking it backward. It toppledover, thrashing. With one swift movement, I yanked my spear free then stabbed it into its skull, putting an end to its misery.

Breathing heavily, my lungs and muscles burning, I stared at the dead calf before glancing towards the other pit where the adult male lay still. Behind me, the discreet crunching sound of rock and dirt announced the approach of the other three males. Teeth clenched, I wiped some of the blood and gore from my kills matting my fur and turned to face the newcomers.

I leveled a hard stare on Moriak as he and his goons stopped in front of me.

“Next time, just tell me to go on the hunt on my own…Alpha,” I hissed, putting as much contempt as I could on his title.

He lifted his chin defiantly, failing to hide his anger and disappointment that I survived this ordeal.

“You’ve been gone twelve years, Gaelec. We needed to assess if you were still fit,” he said in an unrepentant tone.

“I’m sure that’s all it was,” I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm. “Then I would suggest that you mark hidden traps when you run these littletests.Otherwise, one might interpret it as deliberate sabotage or even a murder attempt.

Moriak bared his teeth and took a menacing step forward. “Careful, Gaelec. I will not tolerate such slanderous insinuations.”

“Did that hit a nerve, Alpha? And what are you going to do about that insinuation? Are you going to lure more beasts in the hope they will kill me, or will you request the assistance of your companions to finish the job?” I taunted.

It was a cocky move on my part to provoke him with these two males by his side. However, with his back turned to them, Moriak couldn’t see their expressions as I could. Taken aback by that comment, he suddenly seemed to remember their presence.The moment he glanced back at Latsa and Olmar, he visibly blanched.

He had made a serious miscalculation.

In their eyes, any trace of respect had vanished. Although he still had the title, they were looking atmeas the Alpha. I didn’t have to ask why. He never would have survived what I just did. And he knew the word would spread.

“I performed both the kills on my own. You can clean all of this up and bring the meat back to the Pride,” I said in a tone that brooked no argument.

Ignoring Moriak’s outraged expression, I stomped back into the forest towards my speeder and returned home.

Chapter 13

Ophelia

Over the past two days since the feast, I’d been hard at work reaching out to potential headhunters and browsing through various off-worlder listings for seasonal and hired hands work. Some were hit and miss but many were turning out to be quite promising.

Gaelec and I wanted to have a foolproof plan that even Oluina and Moriak would have no leg to stand on should they want to challenge it. While my mate was getting increasingly aggravated that no new meeting had been called to discuss the matter, I seriously welcomed the reprieve. On top of giving us a bit more time to strengthen our case, it also gave me an opportunity to better understand the dynamics, politics, and culture within the Prides. The goal wasn’t to change their ways, but only for them to pursue the lifestyle they wanted in a safe way for all.

A sudden beep startled me. It took me a moment to realize it came from my com. It had been quiet since my arrival here. It wasn’t exactly like I had a whole bunch of buddies to message,day in and day out. To my surprise, it was a summons from the Matriarchs, requesting my presence in the Great Hall.

Why the fuck do they want to see me now?

They undoubtedly knew that Gaelec was off fishing. Was it an ambush? Were they hoping I would stumble and somehow stick my foot in my mouth in a way that would justify them casting me out? Or were they planning on using some sort of pressure tactics to get me to force Gaelec into behaving the way they wanted?

Too many questions swirled in my head. As I obviously would never find the answer by making myself sick by speculating, I ran to the hygiene room to make sure I was presentable, then headed for the door. I hastened down the side road onto the main one leading to the Great Hall. As expected at this hour of the day, the streets were empty with everyone working.

My stomach fluttered with nerves as I opened the door to the antechamber of the Great Hall, only for my heart to sink when it opened on Oluina. A single look on her face indicated she’d been waiting for me.

Putain de merde! Just what I do not need!

Even knowing that it was pointless, I started marching towards the heavy doors leading into the Hall only to have Oluina park herself in front of me, blocking my way. Obviously, I could try to circle around her and keep going, but that would be pointless and juvenile.

Annoyed, I stopped and locked eyes with her, making no effort to hide how much her presence displeased me.

“Little human,” Oluina said in a haughty tone in lieu of greeting.

“Big Nazhral,” I replied in a similar fashion.

“It’s Oluina,” she said, in a clipped tone.

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