Zili swallowed, his mouth intensely dry, as he watched the lion begin to move off in the direction the lioness had come from. Everything in him screamed for him to turn the other way. To give up on life and love and go back to hiding instead of seeking a life that might never be his.

And yet, there he stood, watching the pale figure make his way back through trampled, bloody grass. Destati hadn't even looked back to check to see if he was there. The lion expected him to follow. Expected him to be at his side when they uncovered what was going on here.

Zili suspected that Destati knew more than what he was letting on, and yet despite his instinct to flee, he slowly put out a paw and followed after. Strangely, though they had only just met, he didn't want to let down the other male now that he had embarked on this journey.

/fin

Epine de Rose