Chapter 16

Gaelec

M y blood boiled with rage as we were all but dragged to the Great Hall by Moriak and his usual minions—Latsa and Olmar—like a pair of vulgar criminals. I didn’t care so much about their treatment of me, but the disrespect to my female was unacceptable. Had I not already decided to leave the Pride, this would have been the final strike.

We entered the Hall and already found it packed, the few stragglers hurrying in behind us. How did the word spread so far and wide in the short time it took them to lay that accusation at our feet and fetch us? As the communal meal ended more than an hour ago, people should have been at home minding their own business.

The usual suspects were sitting on the dais. Rozel looked furious. Oluina grinned with an air of triumphant malice. But it was the worried look on Ylis’s face that unsettled me. Although the accusation was serious, her reaction hinted that things might be worse than I feared.

“You lied to us about your visit to the city and around the land,” Rozel hissed in lieu of greeting as soon as we stopped in front of her.

Although we weren’t handcuffed or otherwise restrained, Moriak and the two guards continued flanking us, ready to intervene at the first sign of trouble. For all that, Latsa and Olmar didn’t seem particularly happy to be performing that duty.

“How did I lie?” I challenged, my voice frosty. “You can check the tracker on the shuttle and on the speeders which will confirm that I have indeed been to the city and the surrounding lands. How does that get my mate and me slandered with the label of traitors?”

“Because they weren’t purely for touristic reasons, like you pretended. You did so because you’re planning on leaving!” she snarled.

I lifted a defiant chin, and stared at her in a way that made it clear I didn’t see how that was a problem.

“I did take my mate on a touristic exploration of her new home world, but I also seized the opportunity to assess our options.”

“That’s treason!” Rozel shouted over the shocked murmurs of the crowd around us.

“How is that treason?” I demanded, undaunted. “From the day I returned, and even more so since my mate’s arrival, you’ve done nothing but constantly threaten us with eviction. What did you expect us to do? Sit by idly with hopes and prayers while waiting for you to reach a verdict? What would happen if you decided to kick us out, and we didn’t plan for an alternative place for us to go? You may be dismissive of our fate, but I have a mate to care for. It is my duty to plan for her comfort and welfare, whatever the ultimate outcome.”

Rozel huffed and waved her hand with disdain. “That’s irrelevant. Granted, we can’t begrudge you looking for a backup plan, but your top priority should have been to make every reasonable effort to convince us to keep you. You have shown no devotion, no commitment.”

“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 which you declined? 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 na?ve—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. “Is that your 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.

“It is true!” 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, I am looking to leave. Life is too 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.

Her palm pressed to her chest, Ophelia was staring at Ylis with a trembling smile filled with gratitude. The same affection shone in her eyes as we headed towards her.

Thankfully, as I returned to the Pride barely a month ago, I hadn’t had a chance to acquire too many new things beyond the personal belongings I brought back from the prison planet. Ophelia had the largest number of items, many of which we worked swiftly to organize in the original crates she brought them in. While the two females worked on that, I threw my own stuff into a separate bag.

“Why did you have to be so harsh?” Ylis asked, her voice filled with disapproval and confusion. “Why not keep the peace? She wouldn’t have cast you out. Too many of us had already voted in both your favor.”

“I won’t be a servant, Ylis,” I said firmly. “And I certainly will not tolerate my mate being constantly disrespected and facing intimidation attempts. And we both want younglings that we refuse to see treated the way they currently are in this Pride.”

“I get that, but you barely got here!” Ylis exclaimed as if she found me irrational. “You haven’t had a chance to get your bearings, and Ophelia still barely knows our world. Where will you go? You know they will try to exploit you in the city.”

I nodded and gave her a gentle smile while picking my weapons from the bottom drawer.

“Like I told Rozel, we’ve been planning for the eventuality that we would be kicked out. We already found a place. And it’s definitely not the city.”

Ylis perked up. “Oh? Where are you going? Are you planning to join the Osuan Pride?”

I snorted and shook my head. “Although I did consider it, and as much as I like the more modern approach that they’re taking with how they run their village, we have decided to start our own Pride, or rather camp, as that would be a more accurate term. We will settle in the Gyota Plateau.”

“The abandoned nomad camp?!”

I nodded. Her eyes flicked from side to side as she heavily reflected on the matter. She was likely cycling through what memories she had of the place and assessing its viability.

“It is a beautiful place with good hunting,” Ylis conceded carefully, “but it is pretty bare there. The infrastructure is super basic.”

I nodded again. “It is, but it also has a pretty good foundation for us to build on, and we already have quite a few things in motion that should have us in a great position fairly quickly.”

“I’m glad to hear it,” she said, her tone somewhat relieved despite the lingering uncertainty. “You will need help. A lot of the older males here have a great deal of respect for you. They would certainly be relieved to hear that there was a place that might welcome them when Rozel begins the evictions in the upcoming weeks.”

I snorted and smiled in a non-committal fashion. “The respect for them is mutual. So long as they were willing to abide by the rules we will set, I would be happy to have them.”

She smiled, looking further relieved. A part of me wanted to tell her that I already broached the topic with a few of those males who expressed their enthusiasm at tagging along. But now that this whole thing was becoming a reality, I had to account for the possibility that they might get nervous at the last minute and bow out. Outing them before they were fully committed didn’t feel right.

“Take Kazaer with you,” Ylis said in a tone that brooked no argument.

Ophelia’s face reflected the shock I felt upon hearing those words.

“Really?” my mate asked hesitantly. “You don’t want him to stay here? I doubt he’ll want to go anywhere that you’re not.”

Ylis’s face heated in the most adorable fashion, that instantly had some of my tension lessen. She gave her a timid but strained smile.

“Of course, I want him here. But this place is a complete mess right now. No one in their right mind should join us until all the internal conflicts are sorted out,” she said, looking dejected.

“Then maybe you should join us,” Ophelia said with a shameless grin.

“Ophelia!” I exclaimed in a disapproving tone.

“What?!” she asked with an exaggerated innocent expression. “You’re thinking it, too!”

“Be that as it may, we cannot put this kind of pressure on her,” I said in a chastising tone.

“It’s okay, Gaelec. Honestly, I would have been offended had neither of you offered,” Ylis said with a stiff smile. “But things are complicated. If I leave, many of the young females will want to follow. They do not want to be under Oluina’s lead.”

“That’s perfect!” Ophelia exclaimed, her excitement palpable.

I hated dampening her joy, but a few facts needed to be stated, and expectations properly managed to avoid future disappointments and conflicts.

“Ylis, do not doubt that I would love nothing more than to have you and some of the other females with us. But you must understand that we’re not building another Nevian Pride. We are done being used and abused,” I explained gently but firmly. “Females who join us will not have dominion over us. Everyone will be treated as equals, and no one will live on borrowed time based on the whims of one group. That is the main reason we’re currently not looking at inviting females. Their expectations would be unrealistic, based on traditions.”

“Maybe some of them would agree to these new rules,” Ophelia offered gently. “It’s unfair to assume that none of them might be open to this. I think we should give them a chance to refuse, while hoping some would agree.”

“I wouldn’t have a problem with it,” Ylis said without hesitation.

I chuckled affectionately while closing the bag I’d put most of my weapons within.

“ You wouldn’t, but how many others?” I challenged.

She pursed her lips, reflecting on my words as she finished stuffing one last pile of clothes in the biggest crate.

“That’s food for thought,” she conceded. “But like Ophelia said, I think you should give us a chance. I cannot speak for other Prides, but I can tell you that many of the younger females are not happy with how things are going. We’re especially disgruntled with Moriak’s behavior towards the candidates. Things are changing. You’ve given us much to reflect on since your return. And that’s why I wished you had stayed with us longer. Do not sell us short. You’ve had a greater impact than you realize.”

“Your words flatter me, Ylis,” I said, genuinely touched. “But staying here truly was no longer viable.”

She frowned and nodded. “It is indeed not viable for any male that Moriak perceives as a threat. He’s grown more paranoid than ever since he put you through that ‘test’ the other day. And that’s specifically why you need to take Kazaer with you to your camp. I really like him, and I cannot risk him getting harmed by Moriak.”

“Then claim him!” I said in a self-evident tone.

She shook her head even as she started filling a second crate. “Moriak demands that anyone who wishes to join us participates in the upcoming Levendoc mission. The crew is set to depart in two days from now.”

I bared my teeth, and a series of foul expletives tumbled out of my mouth.

“Kazaer can’t go,” Ophelia said, her voice tense.

“I know,” Ylis said. “If he remains in the nomad camp outside instead of joining the mission, he will automatically be banned from joining our Pride under the pretext that he’s a coward, not devoted enough to the pride, and too rebellious to follow the Alpha’s lead.”

“That’s such nonsense! That’s just bullying and intimidation to try and coerce them into doing his bidding!” Ophelia exclaimed. “Is he seriously expecting every single one of these young males to go on a mission that is a trap from all indications?! Is Rozel truly okay with condemning these innocent candidates just because her sorry excuse of an Alpha is getting nervous?!”

“Like I said, it’s complicated. Things were already slowly coming to a head. You two just precipitated the inevitable. Something will have to give, one way or the other,” Ylis said with determination. “Just keep Kazaer safe for me while we sort things out here.”

“I will,” I promised.

She smiled gratefully. Having finished gathering my things in the bedroom, I left the two females to finish packing Ophelia’s belongings and swiftly went through the other rooms where they joined me shortly afterwards.

The shuttle arrived ten minutes later than scheduled, which served us just fine in the end as it gave us the little extra time necessary to finish packing. As we loaded everything into our transport, a small crowd gathered outside our dwelling. They didn’t speak. Some faces looked sad, others troubled, and the last group glared with unrepressed anger. It boggled my mind that they could truly be angry at me and deem me a traitor.

Then again, Ylis’s words replayed in my mind. If my actions had indeed triggered a fundamental questioning of how things were run here, I could understand their resentment. Some people only wanted the comfort and safety of their routine. Anything that threatened it would be deemed as an assault. Change was a scary thing for many, even though it might be desperately needed.

We exchanged hugs with Ylis.

“You are welcome to visit us anytime,” I said before releasing her from my embrace.

“Count on it,” she replied, her voice thick with emotion.

I caressed her cheek, then turned to my mate to help her inside the shuttle, and then climbed on board. As the shuttle took off, I looked back down at the village that had so radically changed my life twice, first by sending me to prison, and now by setting me onto a new uncharted path.

Fear should have me nearly paralyzed, but as I glanced back at my mate’s beautiful face, it was hope and excitement that filled my heart.