It had been a year since Yareha Afaer and Latitare had settled in the Aka'mleli. It wasn't the same as life in the Mwezi'Johari had been of course, but neither had life as a rogue. And given the very little he'd heard of events in his birth pride...well...the white lion had been strongly tempted to send Latitare to find out what had happened.
The eagle, currently engaged elsewhere in a manner Yareha was trying not to think about, had argued against it. Firstly, because Yareha was exiled and whatever the news was, having it might tempt him to return. Secondly, that Latitare might also be subject to the rules of exile and it was possible that he'd be attacked as well if he returned. Reluctantly, the lion had agreed. That didn't, however, stop him from questioning any rogues who had come from that direction. Not that they had much, if anything, to add.
The third reason to not find out about the Mwezi was that Yareha had spent the past few years trying to turn his life around from who he had been in those days. Like Facio had told him to, he'd been focused on the amazingly beautiful Kilua. Whom he hadn't even touched with a single paw in all the time he'd known her. Instead of simply seducing her the way he had all his other loves and affairs, Yareha had spent time with her, with and without Latitare and Laenaera. They'd talked of everything and nothing, gone hunting, and generally built up the kind of relationship he had once had with Laelia.
Minus the sex.
That wasn't to say he didn't want to have children with Kilua - far from it. But he didn't want to go into anything lightly. He didn't want cubs to divide them, he wanted them to raise such cubs together.
He'd never raised the subject with her in the past moons. He had no idea how she'd react.
All those thoughts tumbled through his mind as Yareha approached Kilua under her favorite shady tree.
"Good afternoon," he offered her with a smile.
