[PRIVATE] Taming the Lioness's Heart

[oXButterflyKissesXo]

@VitanisMate: She let her muzzle fly up so he didn't catch it and she turned foot back to the den, "she'll make a fine mate for you one day, my boy" she smiled, walking on for him to follow. Inside her head, she wasn't so happy to see that Nemu's plan was going to plan like she had wanted, but she was happy that her grandson was going to be happy with a new friend and potential mate.

[Care for the time machine to take us forward? lol]

[VitanisMate]

"Ewww Grandma!"

(1 year later)

Ekwu was a young male now with a full mane grown already. "Hey Grandma I am going away okay?" In the past year he had learned much of his family's life through Adeola, his mother's whispers and some old family members. He saw Marjani going with the hunting party. He looked longingly though he did not want her to know of his true feelings.

[oXButterflyKissesXo]

@VitanisMate: Adeola looked back at the adult Ekwu that seemed to come too easily. "...go? G-go where?" She asked, a tint of nervous laughter getting to her feet and looked up in her grandson's eyes.

[VitanisMate]

Ekwu sighed and said, "Do you need to worry about it grandma? I can take care of myself! Sheesh!" He walked off before she could say anything to him. He walked toward Marjani and told her, "Good luck on catching something." Marjani nodded and just ran away. He felt they had grown apart from eachother the past year and that she had been avoiding him for some reason. He sighed and went back to Adeola. "Well grandma not only do I not have a mom or dad I have no leadership like you promised me. In fact I am nothing." He sighed waiting for her to answer. He noticed that Adeola herself looked like she was getting up there in the years.

[oXButterflyKissesXo]

@VitanisMate: Adeola, upon seeing him walk away from her, felt like her age was getting to her. Her body was wearing slow and she was still dealing with the death of her own parents as they had passed away from old age. Her siblings, being the same age as Ekwu and a little younger, were practice for her dealing with attitudes for a little while. She felt like she was pushed aside, but if it weren't for her mate, Naki, she would be feeling completely useless.

When he returned and started acting the way he was, she gave him a look and turned away. "I don't see you getting the leadership anytime soon" she mumbled to herself, going to the den where she was greeted by her younger brother, Neobi. Afolabi had found himself a mate and already had three cubs but they were barely around anymore, while Malaika was off with her mate in another pride. Neobi was just about the only comfort she had left in these times when Naki wasn't around.

[VitanisMate]

Ekwu sighed feeling pretty hurt from Adeola's comment. Yeah I know I am a lazy, good for notthing nobody but do you have to rub it in? he thought. He turned away and looked at Adeola turn away and go to the den. He wanted to say he was sorry for his lack of respect but he thought against it knowing she would probably want to be left alone. He sighed and for the first time in his life thought about running away like his mother but thought against it knowing it would break Adeola's heart.

===

Marjani took off after Ekwu started to talk to her. Her mother was gone, booted after making too many comments of Ekwu and her "getting together". She sighed. She knew her mother was wrong in doing that but she did not know why she was exiled from the pride for it. She felt a sort of anger toward Ekwu. He was the closest to Adeola and he could have said something. She sighed knowing there was nothing to be said. She had gotten over her childhood crush on Ekwu.

[oXButterflyKissesXo]

@VitanisMate: "You okay, sis?" Neobi asked his legs cracking as he rose up to greet her. He let out a sigh of pain but Adeola looked over to him and put her paw on his back to tell him to lay back down.

"Rest, you old man" she joked.

"You're older than me" he replied with a smile. Once he was done with his smile, the lion rolled her over and started wrestling with his older sister. He knew better than to play with his bones, but he knew that Adeola still had some spunk in her even though she was getting on with her age. Of course, like always, Adeola sat ontop of her brother with a smirk and it made them both laugh.

A roar was heard over the hills as the two turned their heads to look over to the roar, seeing it was one of Adeola's friends whom she had taken in for a while as she was too young to live on her own. She was never really a daughter to Adeola, but more of a friend. She had a light coat and beautiful blue hues. Lesedi; light. Even though she had the name of light, she resembled her Adeola in attitude for the most part but she was never far away from a good flirt or play. The lioness walked off her brother and went to greet the light lioness.

Lesedi walked up to Adeola and nuzzled her with a light purr, exchanging looks with her blue orbs to Adeola's forest greens. "Good to see you again, my old friend" Lesedi growled happily.

"Same to you as well, Lesedi". Neobi walked over to them and nuzzled the light lioness as well with a purr which Lesedi accepted and looked over to Ekwu.

Her blue eyes glanced him over, as she had not seen him a number of months and he had grown up. "Hello over there, little cub" she said with a seductive smile.

[VitanisMate]

Ekwu came over and did not notice any seductive meaning. "Oh hello little cub yourself." He laughed and went over to Adeola. He nuzzled her and for some reason in front of everyone got off the load he had for a year now. "Adeola I am so sorry!"

"I am sorry for being such a jerk."

"If you want the truth I was the biggest jerk here. No wonder I am useless. No wonder my mother and father do not smile down upon me!" He shed a tear and said to her, "I love you, grandma. I just lost track of that." He remembered what Mzuri told Adeola and decided to tell the opposite. "I do not want to grow up. I want to be a cub with no worries."

He stopped sobbing and decided to get Adeola's input on something. "Adeola I must talk to you alone." He looked at the others. "If that is okay with you guys of course." He did not even look at them and went into the den with Adeola. "Grandma I do not understand what is wrong with Marjani. I think she hates me over what happened to her mother. She will not talk to me and will not even see me. Did we do the right thing? I mean did she deserve it?! Maybe you can explain her behavior because I do not understand lionesses half of the time."

===

Marjani sighed and looked down at the pool in froont of her. She remembered her days with Ekwu and laughed. She gave a longing smile."Yes Ekwu you have a silly name."

She for some reason could feel no hatred for this lion and she wanted to return to when they were cubs. "Things were so different back then I bet for you and I Ekwu."

She sighed and even thought about apologizing for her behavior the past year but knew that would only mean Ekwu would want to be with her. Typical lions only wanting your body and not yourself as just a friend.

[oXButterflyKissesXo]

@VitanisMate: "I can see that because Lesedi was making eyes for you and was being completely obvious and you didn't even catch anything" she told the cub, looking up at him.

She started walking away, "I did what was best for you. And if she isn't going to let you in because of a decision made my the elder and leader of the pride, then I'm not going to walk around eggshells anymore". Even the subject of Marjini's mother got her riled up and it wasn't good for her old body so she walked off and out to the others once more.

Lesedi looked over at Adeola, "having fun being a parent?"

"You mean grandparent? Sometimes it's not fun and sometimes it is, but you don't have a choice because it's a responsibility" she told the female next to her. Lesedi looked back at Ekwu and then over at Adeola.

"Good to know", she got up and walked over to Ekwu looking up at him with her oh-so seductive eyes, "give your mother figure some slack. She's old" she said, running her tail under the male's nose before she almost invited him with her body language to follow her.

[VitanisMate]

Ekwu got annoyed with her. "Grandma will you stop mentioning that! I mean am I supposed to fall for every lioness who winks their eye at me?" He sighed and looked back at her.

Ekwu got mad again. "Now where have I heard this story before? Oh yeah you said the same thing to my mother about my father! Well guess what grandma they got together and had me and now I have neither of them!" He sighed wondering if he should talk to Marjani or try to get her to open up. He missed their childhood days. He even said her name with a longing smile.

The young female came over and started talking to Adeola.

He sighed and rolled his eyes while they talked about him like he was just a piece of dirt not worth mentioning. However when she invited him over he had his eyes wide and his feet in a ready position.

Whoah down boy! "Well you know that sounds good and all Lesedi but uh...I gotta go talk to Marjani real quick so I will uh...catch you later. Hopefully." He gave a nervous laughter and ran off before he could think about agreeing with following her for he wanted to very badly.