Bonjour! I'm now on Christmas holidays so I've decided to start my holiday with a gift from me to you.
Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you Chapter 10...
Chapter Ten: Heartbroken
NALA'S P.O.V
"Excuse me?!" I gasp, completely and utterly offended. My mouth gapes at the lion before me who has a wide smirk that I'm just itching to wipe off.
"Did I st-st-stutter Nala?" He's testing my patience and I want to claw his tongue out. He even had the nerve to chuckle and lean closer to my ear, "Who's the father? The baby daddy. The padre. Where is he?"
With rage I raise my paw to swipe him, but a blur of cream flies past me and tackle the tawny lion to the ground. It's my mother.
"What the hell?!" Omari fumes when he finally makes sense of what just happened to him.
"Don't you DARE talk to my daughter that way if you know what's good for you! Have you no shame?! You impregnated my daughter and now you have the audacity to stand here and deny your cub?! What kind of a heartless pathetic excuse of a lion are you?!" My mother flashes her white fangs and is vibrating with anger. I feel almost scared for Omari.
Almost.
He looks stunned for a few seconds, but his arrogant facade is back once again.
"You don't scare me, Sarafina." He scoffs and pushes her off of him, "You and your little daughter here are nothing but pains in my ass! I've had to put up with your hatred and still look for prides for you two and she repays me by going off and gets busy with another lion!"
It took all of my strength to not go all Tama on him.
"Omari, you know the only lion I've been intimate with is you!"
"Oh yeah? What about your precious Simba?" He tilts his head to one side and stalks closer to me.
"What?!"
"You thought I wouldn't catch on right?" He continues and if looks could kill, my glare would have him pushing up daisies, "You thought you could lure me into your trap?"
"What the hell are you talking about?!"I demand angrily. Honestly I think he hit his head on something. Probably on a rock when he got tackled down by my mom.
"Oh drop the act, Nala. I know what goes on in your twisted little mind. You got freaky with that bug-eating loser, had an argument, and then he left. You then realized you were pregnant and because baby daddy isn't here now you thought you could just plant that thing on me. Am I right or am I right?"
I cannot believe this I just... I cannot believe this!
"Okay, Omari I know you aren't the brightest lion around or the sharpest blade of grass, but what you just said just shows you've gone way past stupid! How could you even think that?!" To say I was insulted would be an understatement. I'm absolutely livid and all I can do is glare at the lion in front of me with so much disgust and regret.
How did I fall for him? What the hell was I thinking?!
"You're not denying it though so it's true. Nala, you've been cheating on me!"
"WHAT?! Omari you know as well as I do that I would NEVER do that! I thought you loved me!" I'm so confused, hurt, and angry right now! I'm a dangerous mixture of emotions and I'm trying so hard to contain all of them, but Omari knows me well. He knows the right buttons to push. He wants me to explode and I'm trying my best to not give him that satisfaction.
"And I thought you did too! But I guess I was dealing with a fake! If you think I'm going to stay and raise a cub that is not mine, think again!"
"THE BABY IS YOURS, OMARI! WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" At this point I'm screaming at him! I'm usually a calm lioness, but Omari brings out the worst in everyone! I still can't believe I fell for this clown!
"I thought you've changed! I actually thought you were willing to become a better lion!"
How could I have been so stupid?
The tawny numbskull laughed, "Oh naïve, Little Nala. You should know that I can never change who I am. I guess I'm not the only one falling into traps am I?"
All I saw was red after that. Before I could stop myself, I pounced on Omari and unleash my claws. His face became a scratching post and my rage drowned out his screams. But before I could do any more damage, my mother pulls me off him. But my claws are still sinking into him and as she drags me away from him, I leave long gashes on his chest and belly- barely missing his neck. He scrambled to his feet in pain.
"I HATE YOU!" I scream as I try to wriggle out of my mother's strong grip. Omari's face and fur is bloody and he looks completely shocked as well as little frightened. No one knew I had the ability to go on a rampage like that and unfortunately for him, he was just a victim of my extreme and rare temper attack. "I HATE YOU SO MUCH AND I NEVER WANT TO SEE YOU EVER AGAIN!" Tears are streaming down my face and they blur my vision. My whole world stops moving. My heart is aching, my nose is flaring, and my blood pressure is rising dangerously high. I've blocked out most sounds except of the voice of my mother screaming a string of colorful profanity at Omari's retreating figure. It feels like I'm drowning underwater and no matter how hard I try to get to the surface to breathe, I can't.
So this is what heartbroken feels like. Damn.
I told you not to trust him.
I don't want to even hear my thoughts. I'm angry at everyone! I'm angry at my mom for leaving me with that dumbass I thought was my boyfriend, but most of all I'm angry at myself for being so stupid and for actually believing that I could put my trust in a lion as disgusting as Omari.
"It's alright, Nala." My mother tries to comfort me, but I'm too flustered.
"No, it's not! I've been betrayed by the only one I ever loved, I'm an inexperienced teenage mom who's lost the father of her child and I have no idea how I'm going to cope!"
My face is soaked from all the tears and I can't even breathe properly. My mother pulls me in for a hug and I break down. I'm literally crying my eyes out and if I don't stop, I'll run out of tears soon. Mom rubs my back soothingly and in the midst of my loud bawling, I hear her sniffing, indicating that she too is crying. She rests her chin on my head and waits for my wailing to die down into soft heartbreaking sobs.
This is by far the worst day of my life.
OMARI'S P.O.V
"Well, that went well." I mutter sarcastically to myself as I walk to King Mosi's pride. My face is stinging and I'm pretty sure it doesn't look good. I approach a small puddle and stare at it. My confirmation is right. I look a mess! Nala managed to give me 3 long gashes across my cheek and they were trickling with blood. She also gave me nasty scratches on my nose as well as the long red sratches on my chest and belly that oozes blood, giving me an excruciating pain. She's ruined my handsome features. She's practically ruined me!
But not as much as I've ruined her life. I've broken her heart into tiny pieces and I'm sure she won't be able to trust any other lion when it comes to love. I've shattered her pink and fluffy idea of love with a hammer of reality.
But do I give a damn? Hell no!
Nala should've known by now that I'm not the kind of lion to just "change" for anyone. I am what I am and if I'm seen as an egotistical jerk then so be it. If anyone has a problem with it, screw them.
Honestly, she should have seen this coming. This is all a game to me. I got what I came for and now I'm moving on. She can deal with that thing in her womb by herself. Many animals may call me heartless, but let's be honest; do you really think I have the time to care about things like this? That's not my business anymore. Don't hate the player, hate the game.
"Dude! What happened to you?" I turn around to see three male lions walking towards me with grins and smirks on their faces. Enzi, Zuberi, and Jaali. They come from King Mosi's pride and let's just say they're just like me. All they care about is getting the ladies and they have no problem doing that since their pride is full of them.
"I broke up with her, man." I wash my cuts with the puddle water. Enzi chuckles and his coffee colored mane sways as he shakes his head. He has bronze color fur and tail tuff along with forest green eyes which grins with trouble. Out of the four of us, he is the boldest. He has a strong build which complements with the meaning of his name: 'powerful'. He's very blunt and hates when people prove him wrong. Out of the four, Enzi and I are the closest because his personality is very similar to mine and we clicked instantly. He's the one that actually introduced me to the River Pride in the first place.
"She did all that?" He laughs and I roll my eyes, "You told me she was calm and collected, but those claw marks says something else!"
"She is calm and collected," I remind him, "but I've never seen her go all psycho before."
"She took psycho to a whole other level!" Zuberi chimes in with a grin. He has the same maroon colour fur as Jamilia because they're cousins, but instead of having forest green eyes like her, his orbs are a deep ocean blue which contrast to his jet black mane and hair tuff. He's the smartest out of the three and is usually the mastermind of all their pranks and crazy ideas which almost always gets them into trouble. But when they are in trouble, he's the one to talk their way out of it.
Caramel coloured Jaali sniggers along with them and his baby blue orbs sparkle with mischief. He has a rust coloured mane and tail tuff and is smaller than the four of us. But his size doesn't stop him and his habits. He's known as the "Little Tyrant" of the pride and his baby face and funny jokes is a real charm for the ladies. Some don't like him because of his mischievous ways, but others find it attractive and fall head over heels for him.
"What you gonna tell King Mosi when he sees you?" He asks a very good question. What am I going to tell the king? He won't welcome me into his pride looking like this and Jamelia will also have questions that she'll demand answers for.
"Tell him you were in a fight with some rouges." Enzi voices and it seems like a good excuse, but Zuberi shakes his head.
"Nah, that's not gonna work. He'll think you're a trouble maker and will send you right back to where you came from. Uncle Mosi may be soft, but he is a clever old lion." I heave a sigh and say,
"Then what am I supposed to say?" Zuberi thinks for a moment before speaking again.
"Just tell him you were attacked by rouges." A grin etches across his face and soon it spreads like wildfire. We nod our heads in agreement then make our way to my new home.
Just as expected, the King's face fell when he saw my condition and I know a million questions are whizzing around in his head. The Queen's eyes widen in surprise as well.
"Omari! What happened, my son?" He questions with eyes full of worry and his deep voice echoes in the cave the royal family call home. I prepared for that question and with the help of the boys; I was ready to put on a good show. Cue acting skills.
I squint my eyes and sway left to right in a dizzy fashion before losing my balance and dropping onto Enzi and let out a small groan.
"He was attacked, King Mosi!" Jaali cries out, "He was on his way here when a bunch of rouges jumped him." The king and queen gasp and I have to force myself not to smile. They're falling for it. Suckers.
"Why?" The queen asks.
"We don't know." Zuberi joins in, "Rouges are unpredictable and sometimes do things out of reason, you know this, but we managed to chase them away and found Omari lying there."
The queen turns to one of the guards of the cave.
"Call Muuguzi." The guard nods and speeds off. King Mosi walks over to me slowly and bows his head.
"Don't worry, my son. You will get the best medical care I have and a nice place to rest okay?" I strain to nod my head and croak.
"Thank you, Mosi." He smiles and waits for Muuguzi, the nurse to come. A few moments later a small baboon enters the cave and trots over to me with a leaf full of shells, berries, herbs and sticks. After a while of probing me with the small woods and spreading some berry juice on my deep cuts, she gives me the all clear, says her goodbyes and trots off again.
The king glances down at me.
"Well everything is well now, Omari. We will find a nice spot for you to sleep and Jamelia will be over there soon. I'm sure she'll be happy to see you." He smiles warmly and I return with a weak one. The boys help me to my feet. Enzi suggests I live with him and the king was happy to agree. So after exiting the cave and resting in a new one, I take a long needed nap.
But my nap is cut short by something giving me a tight hug. I smell her familiar scent and open my eyes. Her huge green orbs are staring at me with full concern.
"OMG, baby are you okay?" She asks anxiously and touches my face, causing me to wince in pain, "Sorry!"
"It's alright, Lia." I chuckle, but she is not amused.
"No, it's not! You could have been killed! Nala better start praying she don't catch these paws!" My olive eyes widen.
"Who told you?"
"The boys. Oh, by the way, I talked to my father and he said that you are officially part of the pride now." She beams, "Isn't that great!?"
"Yeah it is, but aren't I supposed to do some ritual or something to show that I'm worthy to be in the pride?" She nods her head.
"Well yeah, but my father managed to persuade the council and they agreed that it's not needed since you and I are 'really close'… If you know what I mean." She winks and I can't help, but smirk, shaking my head.
"Have I ever told you how much I love you?" This sends her blushing.
"Aww shucks, Omari, you're getting me all mushy inside." I laugh and plant a kiss on her cheek and she pins her ears and giggles.
"I can't wait to be your Queen." She snuggles closer to me and breathes out a happy sigh. I gaze down at her. She's so oblivious to what I'm plotting. She has no idea that she just became my next victim.
But unlike Nala, Jamelia isn't a fool when it comes to love. She knows how to get what she wants and I need to be extra careful with this one.
One wrong move can spoil everything.
NALA'S P.O.V
I've somehow managed to calm down and the tears have stopped, but I'm still an emotional wreck. My mom tried to cheer me up, but failed, so she decided to give me some space and hunt for a meal. I don't think I'll eat it though. I'm just not in the mood to do anything. Usually I hate sitting down and wallowing in my sorrows, but this is an exception. Eventually, my self-pity wears me out and I drift off to sleep.
My cat nap was cut short when I hear a soft thud near me. My eyes flutter open and a small vulture carcass lies before me.
"Oh I'm sorry honey, did I wake you?" Mom asks and I shake my head.
"It's fine, Mom." I assure her. She sits down and looks at me warily while I stretch.
"Are you okay now?" Her voice is concerned yet soft and comforting, but I shake my head and frown.
"I didn't know it would be this hard." I barely whisper as I gaze at the ground gloomily. My mother gives off a sympathetic 'tut' and pulls me in for a hug. Laying my head on her shoulder, I squeeze my eyes shut, but a tear escapes and trickles down my cheek. I thought I ran out of those.
"Aww I know it hurts honey, I've been through it too."
"I should have just listened to you, Mom. I'm so stupid!" I breathe out my guilt. I feel like the biggest fool on the face of the earth right now, but my mother disagrees, of course.
"No, Nala don't say that. Everyone makes mistakes from time to time. It's not your fault. You can't see the future."
"Yeah, but I can predict or prevent it. I knew Omari wasn't a lion to be trusted, but I was just too caught up in love and now look! I'm a teenager who's going to bring another life into this world without its father's support. I have to face being a mother all on my own because I'm attracted to egotistical jerks."
"Nala, Stop." Mom says sternly, "Even though it was wrong of you to put yourself in this situation, there's no point of playing the guilty card and blaming yourself over things that have already happened. I've experienced what you're going through, but I've moved on and that has led me to better things. It's led me to having you."
"But I've let you down in the worst way possible." I croak and I have to stop myself from crying again because I'm beginning to get tired of it.
"That doesn't stop me from loving you, Nala. Nothing can stop me from loving you. It hurts to see you like this. I want to turn back time just as much as you do, but we both know that can't happen. You're not on your own in this, sweetie. I am and will always be right there with you every step of the way. I promise you."
I look up at my mother with cub-like eyes. Even though it is expected of her to say those words to me, it still feels reassuring knowing that I do have someone who will be able to help me out and guide me in this rough journey I've chosen to take. These are words I wanted to hear come out from Omari's mouth, but obviously he wasn't male enough to step up to the fatherly plate. Having my mom's support makes it a hundred times better. I trust her with my life and I know that she will never walk out on me.
"Thanks, Mom. I love you." I give her a tight hug and she beams, planting a soft kiss on my forehead.
"I love you more, Nala. Now eat up and let Mama take care of this. I'm going to help you through the exciting journey of motherhood." The cheerful tone in my mother's voice makes my tail twitch in excitement causing me to flash a small yet grateful smile. Mom is a very determined lioness when it comes to me and no matter what I put her through, she always has my back. All of my resentment towards Omari disappears for now as I focus on what the cream lioness has in store for our future.
I hope I can be a great mother to my cub the same way my mother is to me.
A/N: Happy Holidays! Don't forget to comment. They make me smile :)