Walking with the claimed boar over my shoulders with Gugulethu following in my wake I walked with a straight back and thrust chest. My heart overflowed with lust and desire. It was all that was in me not to stop once more and claim the elder next to me once more. I knew I brought her great pleasure with my touch and skill. It was almost too easy to pleasure these lionkin with their tight pussies and poor performing males.
Something stirred in my chest, a feeling of foreboding and unease. I sniffed the air but the thick scent of blood from the boar clouded the air too much for me to get a hold of what was bothering me. A growing familiar ache in my chest reminded me of my loss. My mind was filled with a need to hold my male and let him soothe my feelings.
If I was honest with myself I was surrounded by strangers. Strangers that desired me, but still. A life surrounded by my own kin did not prepare me for this. Deep breaths filled my lungs as that unease filled me still. I fought down the nervous laughter that wanted to erupt from my lips. It was like a bubbling need in my chest as I finally spotted the group of females.
I quelled the need to scan everyone instantly for Bongani and instead took deep breaths. He had survived without me for a lifetime and it wouldn’t have been much for him to be fine while I was gone. The women crowded me and looked at the food I had brought back. The herd was brought to a stop and I scanned the crowd for my male.
My ears flicked back and forth as I looked for him. I wanted to see his eyes when he saw me return victorious and strong. However there was no sign of him. My ears twitched as frustration grew inside my chest. Growling I spoke, “Where is my male?”
Several of the women looked around while the smallest scent of fear filled the air. I tossed the boar to the ground, my appetite for pleasure and food evaporated like water spilled on the ground. My lips pressed tightly together as my muscles rippled with tension. I pushed through them and put my nose in the air.
“Why worry Aphelele? You have us to sate your needs,” Purred one of the many females as she looked at me with naked desire.
I whipped my head towards her and growled deep in my throat. I could feel it rumble in my chest. “Shut your mouth.” I stalked towards her and glared down from above as she looked away and avoided my eyes.
My nose flared open and I could catch the scent of Bongani on her. Tinged with blood and fear. As I stood there I could smell fear building up inside her. Grabbing her wrist I pulled it up and sniffed her knuckles where the smell of blood was. Familiar blood. I took deep sniffs in as my eyes narrowed. The female began to squirm and pull from me but it was useless.
“Where is he?” I asked with a dangerously quiet voice. My hand gripping so tightly I could hear bones rubbing against each other. She hissed and pulled harder.
“Who cares! You don’t need a weak male like him! He is nothing but a drain on our food and water!” She began to kick and claw at my skin. Thin razor sharp nails raked at my forearms and opened up cuts that flowed with blood. I channeled healing into them sealing it off.
“WHERE IS HE!” Letting go of her hand I grabbed her by the back of her head and yanked it back and down exposing her throat to me. “TELL ME BEFORE I RIP OUT YOUR THROAT!” The woman yowled and hissed mightily as she fought.
Bandile rushed to me and grabbed onto my arm gently, “Wait. About a mile back I saw the two of them speaking. I’ll lead you to the area.”
I shrugged her off, “Whatever you have done to him I’ll return in twofold. For your sake, you better pray he is ok.”
Thrusting I threw the woman to the ground and snatched up Bandile by the upper arm tightening my grip until she winced. I sniffed and tried to get any details she might be hiding from my off her scent. She still smelled of sex and overpowering desire as she quivered in my hands. There was no scent of Bongani or blood on her.
“Follow me, come on.” She did not try to fight herself free. Merely she pulled and we walked away from the circle of lionkin women.
Turning I couldn’t help the laughter in my throat from nerves. Anger, and worry bubbled in my chest, “Do not eat everything. You will save the heart for me.”
Bandile kept pulling as we headed southward once more. Following the thick trail of the herd along the ground back towards where she had seen Bongani. Deep down some part of me wanted to whimper with worry but instead there was just that quiet laughter as I scanned constantly for any signs of my male.
Eventually I let go of Bandile so we could move more swiftly. The thick darkening skin would bruise heavily from where I had grabbed her. We began to jog back as the minutes dragged on like a wounded beast. Painfully slowly time crawled.
I caught the scent of blood on the wind. I stopped and closed my eyes as I turned into the direction of the air and began to sprint that way. Bandile paused and watched me as I moved with as much swiftness as I could. Pausing I spotted a heap on the ground and my heart froze. I rushed with haste to the lump and threw myself on the ground.
His face was swollen over, deep gashes ran across his chest. His hands and feet were bound by leather thongs and I could see the scraping of earth where he had been dragging himself after the herd. I pulled the thongs free and thrust my ear to his chest listening. I could hear the rattle of a breath and thud of a heart. Tears welled in my eyes as I scooped him off the ground and channeled what healing I had into him.
Cradling him I wrapped myself around him as much as possible protectively. I could see where he had been dragging himself after us. I rained his swollen face with kisses as I hoped he would rouse to my touch. Bandile walked up to us, my tearful, hate filled eyes looked at her. “Water, do you have water!”
She pulled free a skin and I pressed it to his lips getting him to drink just a little as my mana hit empty. I buried my face into his neck as my body shuddered. Every point of mana that returned I put into healing him as time seemed to freeze.
“Aphelele, we should return to the pride. It isn’t safe to be alone out here.” Bandile put us in her shadow to keep the harsh sun from scorching our skin.
Standing I held Bongani against me. My heart ached almost as hard as when I was pulled from Melokuhle and I bit back the desire to leave the pride and wander alone once more. It would most likely doom us though. The access to easy food and drink was too much to give up on because one woman took it upon herself to interfere.
Even at a slow pace to keep a careful hold of my male who seemed to not wake no matter how much healing I put into him we would catch up to the pride and its herd. Rage, worry, and sorrow built in my chest as Bandile guided us back towards everyone else. Bongani stirred when I could see the barest hint of the women on the horizon. I stopped and knelt holding him closer to my chest as one of his eyes fluttered open. The swelling had dropped from all the magic I had been using on him.
Holding his face in one hand I brought his eyes to mine and I could see shame inside his. Before he could talk I kissed him fiercely and could taste the blood from his split lip tarnishing the moment. Tears flowed down my face as thoughts of losing him and Melokuhle ripped at my warrior’s heart. It was more painful than being stabbed by Ade and left to crawl across the grounds.
Rough dirty hands pressed against my chest and wrapped slowly around my shoulder as Bongani embraced me. Sliding his cheek against mine he buried his face in the crook of my neck. “Sorry,” He whispered.
I could feel him shake in my arms. I pulled him to his feet and he swayed and stumbled as his weight fell back onto his body. “What happened?” I whispered harshly.
“One of the w-women, she c-came to m-me and demanded I lay w-with her while y-y-you were gone. She shoved m-me to the g-ground and tried to take me. When I wouldn’t she b-b-began to b-beat me.” He wept in my arms as I held onto him and felt my anger reach a new peak. No matter how high that anger rose though I couldn’t get my arms to unclench from around him.
Bandile stepped back from us both as I held onto the slight frame of Bongani and took deep full sniffs of his scent to soothe my heart that he was alive. That he had been faithful to me despite a beating. His surrender to me had been complete. My hands softly brushed across his back and I felt for any more injuries. There was no whimper or whine of pain as we embraced.
Reluctantly I pulled away from him. My hands held his face under their broad rough palms as his softness responded to my touch. I could see thick streams of wetness down his face from his eyes and could almost feel his pain radiate from him. I stroked his head, hair, and ears gently. Desperate to show my feelings to him.
“I t-tried to d-drag myself after the herd. I-I’m sorry I w-wasn’t strong enough.” Bongani shook in my arms as I tried to soothe him.
Shaking my head, “It’s my job to be strong. Not yours. Come. You need to eat and regain your strength. I can’t carry you forever.”
Instead of grabbing him by the arm, neck, hair, I instead reached for his hand and intertwined my fingers with his. I held onto him, running my thumb over his knuckles as we walked back towards the pride, and the women I would reap vengeance upon.
