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Aja was almost an adult and old enough to hunt, if only she had a pride to hunt with. She was living with a bunch of other cubs in a sunny area, but she didn't really like it. She found herself to be too old to be with these cubs. Having clearly been neglected by her previous pride, not taught anything and then abandoned, she didn't trust anyone and made no friends among the cubs. She relied on small prey to keep her fed and she was smart enough to survive on her own. But sometimes food was scarce, and she had to go days without it.
She was resting in the shade of a tree when a wonderful smell caught her senses and she immedietly perked up. Food? She looked over to the nearby cubs and young adults. They hadn't smelled it yet, so she walked toward the scent with a carefree expression as to not alert anyone. The scent led her in between the trees and around a brush. There it is! But.. what, is that it? A skull laid on the jungle floor. Disappointed, she approached it and figured she could bring it to the cubs, they may like it as a toy. She sniffed the skull and realized, it wasn't what had the alluring scent. Well, it had some scent, but she could feel it from somewhere else too. She heard a rustle not far away and her eyes darted there as she heard a low rumbling voice.
"You're not a cub," he sounded surprised, but not disappointed. Aja took a step back, not wanting get into a fight.
"No, what does it matter?" She lowered her head and could see him coming out into the light. It was a big male with a thick, luscious icy mane to match his icy looking eyes. She saw his eyes examine her, as if he was deciding something. He laid down and Aja immedietly viewed him as more friendly.
"It doesn't," the male nudged the skull toward her, "go ahead, it's yours if you want it."
She walked carefully toward the skull, getting closer to the male than she had been before. She sniffed the air, yes, there was that smell again. Aja hadn't been allured by the skull, she had never as an adult felt the scent of an adult male this strong before. He also had another smell on him, and her stomach grumbled as she saw the bloodstain on his paw. She caught herself and looked respectfully into his eyes.
"Oh," he suddenly sounded embarrassed, "excuse me, I forgot to clean up, I wasn't expecting a lady to be here."
A.. a lady? The scent of food got stronger as she moved closer and she couldn't help herself, she licked her lips.
"Hm?" The male observed her as she was about to pick up the skull, "You didn't come here looking for a toy, did you?"
The male stood up, Aja nodded her head in agreement and lowered it as he walked closer.
"You were looking for food," the male stopped at a respectful distance, bowed his head and introduced himself, "I am King Kristall. If you wish, you are welcome to follow me to my territory, where you will be well fed."
Ajas head perked up, too distracted to remember courtesy. Food? Real food? She's going with him! Wait, what if he's tricking her and there's no food? She pondered for a second. Maybe she could just run away, that big mane of his might weigh him down so she gets a head start, she's not strong but muscles weigh a lot, don't them- her thoughts faded as she absent mindedly let her eyes travel up his muscly legs, to his thick, gorgeous mane, to his well defined chin, and a little scar on his nose bridge, and suddenly she was peering into his eyes, they weren't so icy after all, and she forgot all about food. Suddenly she wanted to follow him for a different reason. But she took a step back.
"You wouldn't want me, I- I'm.." she stumbled on the words, the insecurity of being abandoned and knowing full well of her incompetence made her feel unworthy of a pride, she couldn't find the words fast enough and settled for, "not strong."
The King looked at her with soft eyes.
"You don't need to be strong, that's my job"
-
Aja was introduced to the members of the pride, most of them came off as pretty unfriendly or nonchalant but Aja was okay with it.
"I don't know why I ended up with so many snarky females but here they are," Kristall joked, making one of the females huffed at him from a distance and Kristall smiled.
"Do you.." Aja felt shy, "breed with them?"
Kristall laughed a rumbling laugh, Aja liked his laugh
"If I didn't breed with them, they'd leave!" He laid his heavy body down with a thump, and offered her a big piece of meat. She ate it happily!
-
Aja was smitten with the king, as it should be, and after some time she learned that the females weren't all that bad. She actually made friends with them! Some were vain or mean but sometimes that's just how some lions act, and it didn't get to Aja the least. As it turned out, she fit in very well in a hunting team, too! This place became her home.
After some time she started noticing that the King was particularly fond of her, almost to the point of following her around. Not only did it feel good, as she too had feelings for him, but it also put her in a higher stature in the pride, making her important! Aja soon rose to the top, right where she should be.
-
"A pelt? For me?" Aja looked at the pelt as if it scared her, she had never owned somrthing before! Kristall nodded and put it around her neck.
"For my girl.." He rounded her pretending to see how she looked with it on, "So she won't feel cold even when I'm away."
Aja looked up at his beautiful starry eyes and smiled. Her heart beat sweetly in her chest.
Soon, she was pregnant.
-
Aja did not like the way Kristall flirted with the other lionesses, and this behavior only grew. Young females would join and he would care for them just like he did with Aja.
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