Heart

Heart is part of Leona's first litter, she is a playful cub, but is a bit mean towards her siblings and other cubs her age. Her mum always puts her in her place though, especially if her playfights go too far.

Heart was tussling with her brother patch in the grass, she grabbed him and bit down on his neck, "Owwww, Heart, get off, get off, you're hurting me!" In response she she bit down harder, giggling slightly.
"Heart! stop!" He moaned in pain. He tried to break free of her grasp but he failed miserably, opting instead for the only other option he new, "Mummmmm! Heart won't let me go! She's hurting me!"

Heart let go, before her mother turned up, she scoffed at her brother, "You're meant to be a strong king in the future, how are you gonna be a good king if you can't escape me."

"That's mean." He replied, "I'll get stronger!" She rolled her eyes.

"Sureee." she teased. Heart turned around to walk away, but instead she ran into the paws of her angry mother. She looked up at her, "How much of that did you hear?" Leona frowned.

"All of it. Look what you've done to your brother!" She pointed at Patch, only then did Heart see the extent of the damage she had caused, Patch had huge bite marks across his neck that were bleeding, a lot. Heart winced at the sight.

"Sorry mother I didn't realise." She apologised, but she didn't really understand the feeling of 'sorry'. Her mother growled and laid down next to Patch licking his wounds. Heart looked upon the motherly care and love and sat down staring. She wanted that too, but she always seemed to mess up so she never got it. That's what really upset her.

~~~~

Heart had slowly grown distant from everyone as she aged, she no longer play fought with her brother and she no longer spoke to her mother. She much preferred to spend her days lying in the sun undisturbed.

It was the triplets birthday today and they were all turning one year old. This was when they started to have more independence and when they were allowed to do what they wanted.

Heart sat looking at her brother and sister hugging their mother and frowned, they never loved her. She never loved them. She hated them all. But she wouldn't mind a hug now and again.

The pride gathered round for the coming of age hunt, where the lionesses go out on their own for the first time and bring back some food. Heart was not ready for it.

"Well, you can go whenever you want now girls." Her mother said smiling from ear to ear, "I loved my first hunt and you are bound to love yours."

But Heart wasn't so sure.