Anya was a little afraid of her new mate. He seemed slightly unbalanced, angry one moment and then somewhat melancholy the next. And did she truly love him? She thought she was, and she loved making herself useful, fussing around him, hunting for him, making him comfortable. She wanted to be a good wife to her husband so she did all she could do ensure his comfort.
But...despite the fact that he did indeed offer her his thanks, she couldn't help but think that he didn't really mean it. That...maybe he didn't return her feelings.
And that made her sad.
But this morning, her sadness would be lost.
She woke early to make her way to the pool to freshen up. She was, indeed, a little vain and always liked to look her best. Her white fur was both a blessing and a curse. It was beautiful but it took a lot of work to keep it that way! She washed her paws in the shallows then set about with a little swimming, rising again when she was clean and moving back towards the bank. She emerged from the water and paused, casting a glance about. It was then, as the water stirred around her legs that she caught a glance at her reflection.
She'd been feeling a little under the weather lately, though she wasn't quite sure. Light-headedness, a little nausea, even. But she had thought it probable that it was the hard work she'd been doing recently to ensure Hala's health improved.
But now, she realised, that there was something else going on here. Something that put a terrible fear into her heart. She was widening at the middle! Only a little but...enough for her to realise that...that...
The image of that con-artist, Kirin, flashed through her mind, his smiling face, his shining eyes, his smooth words. Them...joined as one, that night where she had agreed to be with him and he had...he had...no, she couldn't think about that. It had taken her so long to get over it and now...now.
"Oh...gods." She backed up out of the water, terrified and sick to the pit of her stomach. She was pregnant. But not with her husband's children. Not Hala's. No...him, the con-artist, the one who called himself Kirin. She cried out, distressed, and, afraid of what to do, dashed off to think.
She did not reappear until evening, her heart thudding, wondering what she could say. She could lie to Hala, and had almost convinced herself of doing it. But he would know it was a lie. A female didn't start showing so soon. He would know that she had been with another before. He would be so angry. Maybe he would not forgive her. Maybe...maybe...
"There you are." Hala replied gruffly, lifting his head from his paws and casting her annoyed glare. "And where is the food?"
She tried to calm herself, moving forward to lick him tenderly on the nose. He grunted in response and she sat, slowly. "Sorry, love, I was gone all day, tracking a herd, but they evaded me."
"You can try again tomorrow." He replied, lifting an ear. "What's wrong with you? You sound...odd."
"I...we need to talk, love."
"Fine. Talk."
"Hala, darling, you have to believe me when I tell you that I love you."
He narrowed his eyes, instantly suspicious.
"There's something that you...that you don't know about me."
He could smell her fear and it disturbed him more than he ever thought it would. He raised himself up, growling, and stepped towards her. Then she was on her paws and backing away from him, whimpering, head down.
"Please, Hala, listen to me."
"I'm listening. Start speaking."
"There was this male...I thought...I thought I loved him. We spent a lot of time together...as friends, that's all. Then, one day he asked me whether I would go back with him. He fed me lies, Hala, so many. The lion I thought I knew did not exist. He...we...we..." She choked up, beginning to cry as she continued to back away, shaking her head in dismay. The shame of that moment came flooding back and she was aware of Hala's growling.
"You mated with him!" Hala roared.
"Y-yes. But, please, love, the morning came nad he left me all alone. He did not love me and he did not want to be with me. The shame...oh the shame..."
Hala advanced on her further. "Why tell me this now, wife of mine? Do you still love him, is that it? This one who...who used you for pleasure alone."
She cowered, whimpering. "No, love, no. I have no feelings for him at all. He betrayed me. Our friendship and love was a lie. I never, ever want to see him again." She lifted her tear-filled eyes to look at him.
"Then WHY?!" He dug his claws into the ground and shoved her roughly aside, moving after her as she shifted away in terror of his strength and anger.
"I...I...I think..." She was shaking now, terrified. "I think I carry his cubs."
The roar that broke free from Hala was filled with power and anger. His eyes flashed with sudden hatred and he looked at her as if she had meant this to happen.
"Wench! You think I will find this acceptable? You think I want to raise some other lion's cubs!! Do I look like that kind of lion to you?!" He was angry. Very angry. This female who was going to be his adoring follower was pregnant with another male's cubs. No. He could not allow that. It had been fun whilst it had lasted but here was the turning point. She had betrayed him like all others. Time to teach her a lesson.
He shoved her aside again, forcing her to back away, back up to where the ground gave way to a steep slope. A fall down that and...well...
He shoved her again and she wept and cried at his paws. "Please, Hala my love, it's only you. Only you. Please don't do this. I love you."
"You sicken me. I never loved you. I used you the same as he did. Used you to feed me, to help heal me and to bear me offspring. But your usefulness has run out. This is the end of the line."
And she threw herself at him, pleading, desperate. She could not believe what she was hearing.
"Get off me!!" He shoved her back and a huge paw swung around, hooked claws unsheathed. He carved his claws into her face and enjoyed the sound of her ear-splitting scream. Blood sprayed and she backed further, losing her footing as she reached the edge.
And then he pushed her and she tumbled over and over down the rocky incline, landing in a heap at the base.
Then, feeling weary and angry and betrayed yet again, the male turned and moved away. Time to move on again.
/fin.
