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Large paw prints originally made by the lion in front of her, now held a paw print within a paw print. The large print of a lion, mixed with one that while similar to the lion's, was also different. The impatient cheeton behind the pawprint sighed in irritation. This hadn't been part of her plan, and yet here she was, abandoned by her Mother with this guy. It was obvious he was her Father, simply by looks alone, but she didn't know him. She wanted to of course - and she had all the time in the world now! It was just her and him! But, they didn't seem to be getting anywhere fast ... Frowning slightly, the young nameless cub spoke up. "You aren't very good at this are you?"

---

The words caught the older male off guard, he had been so lost within his own thoughts that answering her was at the bottom of his list. He cringed at her name, and ran quickly over the events in his head. He had awoken at first light, a rumble in his stomach. Looking over at his mate, he had smiled slightly, expecting to surprise her with a small breakfast but instead, something else had changed all of that. The scent of a familiar female had caught his nose early in the hunt, but he had ignored it. Though, ignorance wasn't going to stop her, she seemed to be following him. And with good reason. Just as he had prepared to go in for the kill, she had intersected him. And now what seemed like an eternity later he was stuck with this cub.

A low growl rumbled in Ulimi's chest as he stopped in his tracks, forcing the young cub to bump into his hind side. "Does it really matter what i'm good at?" His voice rose in agitation as he turned on the cub once more. Anger in his eyes, mixed with more than it's fair share of confusion did not make for a pretty picture on Ulimi's face. "It doesn't matter, we're almost there anyway...." His voice filled with dread as he turned once more and look towards the makeshift den he had created for the two. He could see a figure, hovering outside the den.

It was time.

"Stay close." He muttered to the cub, wrapping his tail closely around her body and slowing his pace. "Otherwise neither of us may make it out alive." Ulimi took one final gulp of fresh and stepped forward to face his mate, a sheepish grin plastered wide across his panic stricken face.

Nefertari's words sent a stiff chill down Ulimi's spine as he stood nearly frozen in fear at her exact responses. Slowly he curled his tail even tighter around the cub and sighed heavily as the scenario played out.

She was pissed. Confused and pissed. He knew it too, although how he knew it he really didn't know. It's not like he'd ever had reason for her to hate him before, well up until now at least. Inhaling a large breath the male focused his attention of Nefertari's tail, trying to regain the sense of calm it's metronome like movements bestowed upon him.

"It's ... a cub?" He grinned cautiously and sheepishly and continued on. "It's not a thing, Nefertari, it's .... mine...." He trailed off a moment allowing his words to sink in. He needed a good reality check right about now. Perhaps she'd swipe him across the face and give him a good one. "I told you I wasn't as innocent as you. Though, I honestly never expected it to come to this." He turned, his attention back to the cub and ushered her forward. "This is a part of me, and she'll be staying with us." He smiled once more and shrugged slightly hoping she would just allow it to brush off her back.

She likely wouldn't, and he knew it in the bottom of his heart. Although he'd never seen her this way, he could read her like a book. He had studied her from the moment he knew her, it was simply a test of reading her emotions. "I know, you're angry but I need you to be yourself right now. I promise you will have your time and place to hate me. I need the non hateful you right now, the one who was willing to accept me for the lion I was when we met. Because ... i'm still that lion."

Try as he might to be accurate in his emotional readings, he was having a bit of trouble now. Her face, like his, read so many different things that he just couldn't pick a place to begin. She was hurt, angry, PISSED, and he couldn't blame her. he'd broken their trust. Though this cub was created long before he had met her, he had no true way of proving it to her. He remembered the cubs Mother, the hapless cheetah just looking for a good time like he was. It was nothing more, except it was more. It had turned into a major turning point in his life.

Ulimi could hear the distaste in Nefertari's voice, though he truthfully had no clue where it came from. He'd never known her to have a rude bone in her body, yet here she was downmouthing his cub. The rumble within her throat, caused rumble to begin in Ulimi's it was low at firs,t but gradually it grew louder. He wasn't necessarily frustrated with her, so much as with himself. HE had allowed this to happen, and now he expected HER to deal with it? Surely it was understandable for her to upset, but not to this extent.

"YES! she will." His growling slowed a bit, but his voice rose higher. The level of disgust he felt with himself made him cringe. "You act as though this cub is newly born. As though she was created after our meeting? That's silly Nefertari, look at her!" Nearly roaring his final words he ground his paws into the dirt. "HYBRIDS! What is with this sudden obsession with hybrids? You don't have a hateful bone in your body - yet here you stand - BEING HATEFUL." Eyes now unfocused from her tail, he narrowed them to her eye level trying to force her to see it from his view. "You will be around her, and if the gods call for it, our cubs will be as well." A pang of guilt nearly knocked the big male off of his feet. Her eyes were telling a story of pain and betrayal and he couldn't take it away from her.

"Her Mother is gone. She was a fleeting female that I thought to never see again. But she came back, to bring her to me. She says she wants nothing to do with her. I suppose it's the coat color..." He was proud of her coloring, quite proud that his genes had been so dominate; but he was also distraught. He couldn't admit that to her. "She's been abandoned, I think we both know what it feels like to be in that situation." He nudged his mate's shoulder with his chin gently. "And despite this recent grudge of yours, you have to agree it isn't a desirable fate."

"I understand that, but it's time to set aside your differences. For our future. You can hate anything else you want, and I will stand by you side and defend it. But you aren't allowed to hate this one." He cautioned, his head turning to face the cub once more. "She is young, and lost. I will not abandon that which has done nothing wrong." Every urge in his body wanted to comfort his mate, tell her this wasn't what he had wanted for her. He wanted her to feel comfortable with their lives, but he knew she was upset right now. Likely she would give him the cold shoulder as long as she could stand it. He would just have to hope she couldn't stand it for very long.

A sigh of relief rushed over Ulimi, as Nefertari gave into his demand. He hated being dominant over her, and forcing her into this decision. But he really had no choice, he pleaded with her through his eyes. Hoping somehow she would be able to read the anguish in his eyes. "I would never ask something like that of you, unless you chose it. But you should respect her, none of this ridiculous name calling of yours." Another demand, this was driving him crazy.

Lowering his head, and taking a step closer to his mate, he whispered lightly to her. "This is hard enough as it is, please cooperate. He then returned to his position of protection over the cub and shot her a reassuring smile.

----

All of this commotion over her arrival, had caused the cub to cower behind her Father's leg. The shouting was hurting her ears, and this female was hurting her feelings. Why couldn't she like her, was it something she'd said?! No, impossible, she hadn't said a word. Well! If this female was going to be this rude to her, then she would just return the favor. But not now, she had to make a good impression on her Father, otherwise she might never get the chance to get to know him.

As she cowered behind her Father's leg, she took little notice of the fact that the female was no speaking directly to her. In fact, it took a nudge from her Father before she even came to her senses. "N-No, she didn't give me one. But she always saying 'Siri'. Maybe that's my name?" She commented innocently, perking her ears to attention at the thought. She had no way of knowing her Mother was actually cursing her Father, because so far, she didn't even know his name.

Nodding with sincerity, Ulimi eyed his mate as she chastised him for his error. A long talk, he liked having long talks with his mate. Though something told him, this wasn't going to be a talk he enjoyed very much. But, he would endure her talk, because he loved her. He had no plans to let her leave him over something like this, and as such would do whatever it took to get back in her good graces. Whatever it took - short of leaving his cub in the dust.

Shaking himself free of his own thoughts, he looked over at his mate, just in time to hear her mutter the name and the look her eyes held. Though he had no way of knowing she was upset over the cub's name, he mistook it for more distrust on his part. His heart continued to sink deeply into his chest, and he could almost feel it breaking. How could he have been so selfless as to do the things he had done before he'd met her? He was no better than the male's he had calmly warned her against on their first encounter. He was disgusted with himself, but more than that he was alone. Nefertari didn't understand how he felt, nor did he understand how felt. With hos often the two shared, such a common thought process this was a scary thought to him.

Ulimi took notice rather late on, that Nefertari was still in contact with the cub. He had been so lost in his own worries, he needed to stop that. Wasting time on ridiculous worries, it was pathetic. His eyes widened when he was introduced as the cub's father. It had been a good reality check for him, and for once he actually thought, 'this is actually happening.'

"Nia." He commented blankly, smiling at his mate though the corner of his lips. He knew she was trying to hide her intentions, and so he would allow her too. "Nia'Siri." He nodded absolutely and looked with a crooked smile from his mate to his cub. "Any objections?" If so, we should hear them now!" He somewhat purred the comment as he rubbed his cheek lightly against his cubs. Though he wasn't aiming his question at her, she would be happy with what she was given. He more worried about his mate's perspective.

Ulimi gave a solid nod as his shoulders released some of the pent up tension. At least, for the moment she was willing to cooperate, and when the time came for him to return the favor - he would have to. Regardless of how hard it might be to do. Looking from his mate to his cub, he heard the loud growl coming from Nefertari and turned his head to her attention. Completely ignoring her comment and stepping stiffly in front on her path.

"No, you can stay here. I'll go find us something." He paused his conversation and patted his mate's paw lightly with his own. "I was already on the hunt when all of this happened. Why not go back into the den and get some rest, I doubt you could look me in the eye right now and tell me you aren't drained." To further prove his point, he lowered his taller stature to be on level with Nefertari's. "I'll take Nia'Siri with me, so that you can have some alone time." Although his statement held some truth, it was only a partial truth. He also wanted to take his cub with him so that Nefertari wouldn't chase her away, though that would be a bit extreme.

He was sincere in his offer, and truthfully wanted her to have some time to think things over. Some time to reflect on whether she wanted to take on this life, or set off on her own. A pang of sadness washed over the male as the thought washed over him. By no means would he ever allow himself to be separate from her, but he knew that if that was what she truly wanted he would have to let her go.

With a heavy sigh, Ulimi nudged his cub forward and took a step back. "I'll be back soon, get some rest." He tossed a gentle smile towards his mate, dipped his head in respect and turned to walk away.