Page 68 of I Married A Catman

“Convince you how?” I asked, throwing my hands up in exasperated disbelief. “Do I not contribute every day? Did I not pass a test that very few could boast about being even able to survive? Did I not go out of my way to warn you of all the potential dangers to this Pride? Have I not offered time and time again to upgrade the village’s infrastructure and optimize our systems—all of whichyoudeclined? What more do you want from me?”

“Commitment!” she yelled.

I huffed, making no effort to hide the contempt I felt. “No, Matriarch. It’s not a commitment you want. You just want me to grovel. This entire time, you’ve made it a point to remind me how my mate and I were only here by your grace, that we could easily be dismissed on your whim. You wanted us to feel insecure and helpless. Desperate people accept anything.”

“I never asked you to grovel!” Rozel exclaimed in outrage.

“You never ask for it in so many words, but your actions demanded no less. This tactic may work with others—and it used to work with me as well when I was young and naïve—but no more,” I continued, my voice harsh and unyielding. “Now, I make sure to never place myself in a situation where I’ll be so desperate as to find myself at someone else’s mercy. So yes, we’ve been planning our departure. I will not beg for acceptance. We have laid before you all that we could offer, but nothing ever seems to be enough. If you do not see my worth, then that’s your loss.”

She made another dismissive gesture, her eyes burning with anger—although I suspected that it was more aimed at my defiance and lack of submission than at my words themselves.

“Whatever talents you may possess mean nothing without loyalty,” she argued.

“Loyalty?” I echoed with disbelief before waving a hand at Moriak. “Isthatyour glowing example of what a loyal male should be? Because by my definition, this is what I call self-serving ambition. You used to have the best Pride in the entire county. Why do you think I came here as soon as I reached maturity instead of the many other Prides closer to my birthplace? But over the years, this aging fool you call your Alpha keeps culling all the prime males who tried to join you to save his position.”

Moriak started sputtering in outrage at the offense, but I ignored him to point an accusing finger at Oluina.

“Your own daughter, your Head Huntress, only half-trains your younger females for fear they will surpass her in time. I consented to train Ylis when she approached me about it, once I noticed how lacking the current program was. There’s a reason she’s the best one you have today.”

“That’s a lie!” Oluina shouted, abruptly standing up, her hands fisted on each side of her body.

“Itistrue!” Ylis interjected. “We have lost too many hunts that we shouldn’t have due to poor training. Ask our younglings how many times you’ve told them that some techniques are pointless.”

“Because they are!” Oluina snapped defensively.

I made a disgusted sound while a troubled expression descended over Rozel’s features.

“See? Even your females can see the problems. You are letting your village become antiquated because you’re afraid to adapt and to evolve. So yes, Iamlooking to leave. Life istoo short to waste it being used by ungrateful and calculating people,” I said, throwing all caution to the wind.

I realized how I had allowed myself to get carried away when Ophelia slipped her hand in mine. My head jerked towards her. The guilt wanting to surge within me instantly faded when I found her staring defiantly at the Matriarch. She wasn’t distressed by how I had handled it but clearly supported it. My heart once again filled with affection for my little human. She was truly my soulmate.

“Then leave now!” Rozel yelled, jumping to her paws.

“As you wish,” I replied, sounding almost pleased in my anger.

“Gaelec!” Ylis exclaimed, standing up as well with a disbelieving expression.

I gave her an apologetic look. “It’s okay, Ylis. It was inevitable and obvious from day one. Be safe, and I’m sure we’ll talk again at some point.”

Holding my woman’s hand, I turned around to leave the Hall under the flabbergasted murmurs of the crowd.

“Do not use our shuttles or speeders!” Rozel shouted behind us, her voice bitter and filled with venom. “You have two hours to be gone or face our wrath!”

I didn’t turn to acknowledge her and merely kept walking. Ophelia cast a slightly worried glance my way. I squeezed her hand and gave her a reassuring smile. Despite her fury, the Matriarch would not do us harm without seriously jeopardizing her own standing within the Pride—not that I believed she would stoop so low. That excessive reaction was due to a bruised ego. She’d never been thus publicly rejected. This was her humiliation speaking.

Two hours would be extremely tight to pack everything and be gone, especially without a shuttle. I whipped out my com from my belt and tapped a few instructions to call a city shuttle.The earliest one would be here in twenty-five minutes. Not wanting to waste more credits than necessary as it idled outside, I booked it to be here in an hour. If we hurried, we could have our most important things packed and ready to load by the time it arrived.

Wasting no time, we went straight for the essentials, which mainly revolved around clothes for my mate, our computers, my tools, and everything necessary to cook and hunt. Barely ten minutes in, a loud banging on the door resonated, startling us. Ophelia ran out of the bedroom, where she had been packing her stuff to cast a panicked look towards the front door and then towards me. I raised my hand in an appeasing gesture before heading for the door.

“Gaelec! It’s me, Ylis!”

A wave of relief flooded through me upon hearing the muffled sound of the huntress’ voice. She barged inside the house as soon as I opened the door. She was carrying a few large, empty travel bags.

“What can I help with?” she demanded, her eyes flicking left and right to assess the amount of things to be packed.

My heart filled with affection for the young female. We didn’t share blood, but she truly was the sister of my heart.

“The bedroom,” I said, gesturing towards it.

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