Page 61 of I Married A Catman

“Will he try again?” Ophelia asked, putting the shower head back on its hook and then reaching for the soap.

I shook my head. “Although not impossible, I highly doubt it. Moriak seriously hurt his cause today.”

“How so?” she asked with genuine curiosity while working up a lather and then rubbing her soapy hands all over me.

An approving moan rumbled in my throat at the delicious sensation of her hands on me, the soap making each motion feel like an even silkier caress. Ophelia chuckled smugly which had me playfully glare at her before becoming serious again.

“Moriak elevated me today. However they feel about him, Latsa and Olmar won’t lie about what they witnessed. In truth, I wouldn’t be surprised if they start pushing for him to step down,” I mused aloud.

“Seriously?!” she exclaimed, stunned and slightly confused. “Why? Because he tried to get you killed?”

I shook my head. “The fact that they stood back and observed without interfering proves that they didn’t truly have a problem with him testing me. I can’t say to what extent they were distraught by how bad it got, or if they even considered intervening with him stopping them. I was far too busy trying to stay alive to pay attention to their interactions with each other. But they saw my performance, and the fact that there were hidden traps he had not warned me of. That went a little too far into slimy territory.”

“Trying to get you killed is okay, but hiding the existence of the traps that would help him achieve that is not?” Ophelia challenged with disbelief.

I snorted and turned around so that she could wash my back. “Correct, because there is no honor in such underhanded practices. He wouldn’t have won by being stronger and smarter, but essentially by cheating. That he used such questionable tactics, even using some sort of pheromones, which I believed further enraged the creatures, screamed of desperation. And the fact that I prevailed under those conditions, with two beasts against me and nothing but a spear, earned their respect and admiration. Now, they’re comparing the two of us and finding him lacking in comparison.”

“Of course, he is,” Ophelia said, her voice dripping with pride. “Anyone with eyes can see that you’re the better male. But if they do push for you to become the new Alpha, are you going to reconsider now?”

“No,” I said.

She turned me around and studied my features in an inquisitive manner, taken aback by the finality in my tone.

“Why?” she asked softly. “Do you find ruling too much?”

I shook my head. “I’m extremely confident that I could do it and even better than he ever could or would. But this entire Pride is broken. In his twisted sense of self-preservation, Moriak has been crippling our defenses for years by culling and sacrificing any male who might have threatened his position.”

I took the soap from her and began washing her in turn. She smiled and willingly yielded to my touch. I tried to ignore the way her nipples pebbled as soon as I ran my soapy hands over them.

“We have weak males,” I continued. “Our infrastructures are dated, and they won’t let me upgrade anything. And all that is due to Rozel’s bone-deep fear of change.”

Ophelia pursed her lips and slowly nodded. “I noticed that during my meeting with them right before you arrived. She understands everything that we’re saying, but she stubbornly refuses to budge. The only explanation I can come up with for such an irrational behavior is that she wants to cling to what is comfortable and familiar to her.”

“Yes and no,” I replied, turning her around to start washing her back. “It is power that Rozel is clinging to. Based on what Ylis told me, her sisters—the other two Matriarchs—have increasingly been questioning some of the decisions she’s been making over the past few years.”

“How does doubling down on things that are unpopular help her retain power?” Ophelia argued, confused.

“Because the Head Matriarch must master everything within the Pride. Any job the males perform, she must be able to perform as well or at least have a very strong functional understanding of it,” I explained. “She knows all the systems we have implemented. She would have to learn the ones Iwant to introduce. Unfortunately, instead of seeing this as an opportunity, she got stuck on the idea that she would technically be at my mercy during implementation, and likely for a while afterwards. How does she know I wouldn’t keep some information secret from her? What if I tried to leverage it to somewhat blackmail her into giving me more power?”

“You would never do that!” Ophelia immediately exclaimed, outrage audible in her voice and visible on her face as she turned to look at me over her shoulder.

My heart instantly melted with affection for my woman. I leaned forward and kissed her lips.

“You are correct, I wouldn’t. But she has become too paranoid. In many ways, she’s like her daughter and Moriak. They’re all past their prime, but cling to what they have to the detriment of the Pride. Oluina’s and Moriak’s behavior is not surprising. It’s merely a symptom of the trickle-down effect from Rozel’s own actions.”

Ophelia turned around to face me, her eyes brightening as if in sudden understanding.

“You’ve officially decided to leave, right?” she asked softly.

I nodded, my eyes flicking between hers to get a sense of how she felt about it. “Like I said after the feast, I was increasingly thinking that it was likely the way to go. But today sealed it. Are you okay with that?”

She snorted and made a dismissive gesture. “I told you already, wherever you go, I go. I’m always up for an adventure. And starting one with my mate sounds thrilling.”

Although delighted by her response, I continued to study her, my tone serious. “An adventure, yes. But it’s not going to be a joy ride,” I warned. “Things will be harsh at first. We won’t have all the comforts and conveniences that we have here.”

“So?” Ophelia asked, raising her eyebrow as if to dare me to continue implying she wasn’t tough enough for the challenge that awaited us.

I couldn’t help a smile, my chest warming some more for my woman. “You know, I’m really starting to like you.”

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