Chapter 1: War

Zehra Point of View

"Princess Jasmine, how do you fare this fine morning?"

The six-year-old Lisa giggled, the sound light and musical.

"I'm doing amazing!" she exclaimed, bouncing on the balls of her feet as her brown hair swayed wildly as she walked into my house with my brothers in tow.

“Prince Zack and Prince Zenki at your service, Princess." 

I saluted the twins, both of them smiling with their cerulean blue eyes.

"How would you like to treat you, my Princess?!" Zack snickered.

Zenki’s eyes widened as he hit his brother's shoulder. 

"Man, stop! Don't treat my wife like that!"

"Wife? In your dreams." He scoffed, sending me a friendly wink before plopping down beside Lisa on the couch.

I shut the door behind them, walking over to the kitchen as Zack made his way over to Lisa’s other side while turning on the TV.

"So how have you boys been?" I called out from the kitchen, lifting up the box of pizza I had gotten Mikhail to buy before he left for some urgent pride business.

"Good-"

"Ooh! Pizza!" Zenki cried out, lunging for the box once I settled it on the counter.

I scowled when I saw my favourite movie was playing.

"Zack, how many times do I have to tell you!" I snatched the remote from his hand, changing the channel to something child-friendly. "Age appropriate TV shows!"

He groaned, thumping his head back on the couch as I turned to Lisa.

"Princess Jasmine, would you like some tea and biscuits?"

"Yes, please!" she sang as Zenki  lifted her onto his lap and began eating his cheese pizza.

"Then if you will excuse me, I shall see to your midnight snack." I gave a quick bow, smiling when she gave me a full blown grin.

Zehra, Mikhail's voice filtered through my mind. 

We have a problem. Too many wolf rogues for our pride to handle.”

“We'll be fine.” I insisted, beginning to make Lisa a honey tea.

“We can't...Katya, there's too many. We're a small pack! Endangering our pride is the last thing we should be doing.”

I let out a frustrated sigh. 

“Then what shall we do? Give up the land? Move to our neighbouring land? Dad is still sick. We can’t tell him about this. Mom and aunts were busy hunting.”

“No.” He said fiercely, then paused. “Maybe we can-”

“Absolutely not!”

I hissed, gripping the edge of the counter tightly. 

“I can accept a lot of things- but asking for help from Dylan is the last thing I want to do! Mikhaili, They'll endanger the pride more than the rogues- even I can't calm the pride’s nerves when it comes to them. They are savage. I don’t want to be with him either.”

“And they're the only ones who can protect us from the wolf rogues. We need a temporary king.”

“At what cost? We don't want to invite any more trouble, Mikhaili.”

“I don't know, sister. I don't know.”

“Our link cut off, silence filling my mind as I dwelled on the fact that I would now have to deal with Nomad Lions.”

There would always be trouble brewing in our lands. Not only those growing numbers of wolf rogues running around the jungle surrounding us, there are also these nomads lions who were looking for Queens. The news about my dad, the king's illness spread out, more Nomads wanted to kill him and take charge of our pride. But the fierce lioness, the Queens, defended our pride. They do this to protect their cubs. If a nomads took the pride and killed the king, they would kill the previous king’s male cubs. The Queens must protect the pride no matter what. 

"Zehra? Are you feeling okay?" Lisa touched my leg. I didn’t notice her standing on the sofa because of my thoughts. 

I smiled down at her small form as she tugged on the edge of my shirt. I crouched down, holding her pale shoulders. 

"I'm fine. Really."

The sound of the kettle beeping made me stand straight.

"Can I have some biscuits?"

I turned to see Lisa reaching for the ginger biscuits that she loved to dip in her tea from the pantry.

"Hold on, I'll get it, Lisa. No need to stress yourself."

She stepped back, allowing me to grab the plastic packet of biscuits before opening it and handing it over to her small chubby hands.

"Where's my Coke, maid?" Zack roared. I thought I was a soldier? As Captain I should be serviced as well!"

"Don't listen to him, my love!" Zenki shouted. "My authority overrules his own!"

The twins were both laughing in the living area as Lisa and I were in the kitchen.

I laughed at the twelve year olds as I reached down in the cooler, tossing it to the two boys. They were entertaining by nature; a good distraction to get my mind off our desperate issue. They are the male cubs that would have been killed if it weren’t for our moms and Dad.

"My tea! My tea! Don't forget about my tea, Lisa!" 

Lisa's pouts had me melting.

"Of course," I reached forward to pour the kettle that I had set to tea into her Princess Cup that she always brought with her when I babysat them.

Unfortunately, both her parents died. They  defended us, cubs when we were attacked by nomads male lions that ganged up on us when Dad and Mom were away due to a pride meeting. It was a bloody scene, I remembered. Aunt Hazel and Uncle Hercules fought hard to prevent those hungry lions from coming and getting us. I was thirteen back then and I couldn’t do anything. I was still under my training and still weak. 

I pushed back the past, focusing on the present.

"Here, sweetie. Drink slowly, okay? Don't chug like last time just because the twins said so."

She nodded rapidly, taking the saucer in which I placed her cup in. Lisa returned to the living room and screamed.

"Zack? Zenki? What's wrong? Why are you red!”

And then, I smelled a metallic scent in the air and dropped the kettle.

"Lisa, go into the pantry and lock yourself in, now." I commanded, ushering her in

Damn it! Damn it!

I scanned the area before dashing forward to Zenki who laid still, blood painting his left hand like a second skin.

How did I not hear them enter? Was I so immersed in my thoughts that I couldn't sense an intruder?

I sniffed the air, catching a familiar scent heading upstairs.

Damn it! Nomad! He’s going to dad’s room

No! No! No!

I checked again on Zack whose breathing was just barely heard. Alive. That was good. For now. And Zenki?

I looked around again to see him in the corner, blood caking his fur. Good boy, shifting when the enemy was near. 

"Zenki?”

He was unconscious as well. His mouth twitching was a welcome signal.

Judging from the teeth marks on Zenki’s arm I was assuming it was in lion’s form, so I shifted into my own bolting-up stairs The queens were not here and it was up to me to protect Dad. 

The fact that my lioness was small was something that I could use to my advantage, whereas most people saw it as a disability but for me.

Clattering from the second floor made me race upstairs. I connected my mind to Mikhail, securing the tether between our links. 

There’s a Nomad in the house. He’s targeting Dad! Zack and Zenki were hurt badly. Lisa is hiding in the pantry!”

I'm sending help!

I made it up the stairs, coming face to face with a lone wolf, its grey matted fur stained red. It must've been the twins doing.

“No need. He's injured. I can take him down fast. Don't waste fighters.”

“Are you stupid? That is a male Lion! Full grown! Don’t do anything, Zehra! Back down! We’re coming! The Queens were on their way too!”

The lion roared which sent chills to my bones. His eyes were menacing and stared at me like I was a piece of meat. I know he’s a full-grown male by his mane. It was a dark brown coloured mane which tells me he’s in his late twenties. Dad’s were darker to almost black which indicates Dad is older than him. 

He circled me, his eyes trained on my neck. He knew a bite would kill me. I knew very well that he was aiming for Dad. He probably knew too that the Queens were gone hunting. If I could buy him some time, the help would arrive and prevent him from killing Dad. 

He suddenly pounced on me, all weight landing on me. I felt like I was hit by a heavy rock and a bite on my back made me whine. The lion positioned me under him with my back to him. It was an agonising pain. The Lion pinned me down by his body and transferred his bite on my neck. 

My eyes widened when I felt that something was rubbing behind me and a suddenly strong scent hit my nose. Only our position hit me! This nomad did come here but not for Dad. He's in heat! He came here to mate a Queen! And since there’s he didn’t found any Queen, he..he will rape me!

Oh no! No!

I struggled so hard. He can’t mate with me! Help me! Help! 

The more I struggled, the tighter the Lion bit my neck and it was too painful for me.  I felt something was poking me behind. 

Please no! No! Somebody! Somebody help me! Zander! Zenki! 

And when I felt his tip was in my entrance, I let out a loud roar of distress. I hope someone will come and help me. 

I closed my eyes and waited for my doom when I heard a loud thud. I lifted my head and saw two hairy feet. Before I could do anything, the nomad lion roared, letting go of my neck. His roar was cut short and then followed by a sound of distress. 

I closed my eyes and heard a loud crash behind me. A loud growl was emitted before the darkness consumed me.