"Leta!"

The lioness groaned and blinked awake before she shot up when she realized she wasn't at Pride Rock. Her eyes slide over to her worried brothers and she smiled sheepishly as she shook out her fur before stretching.

"Mheto, Bakura, what's wrong?"

"You didn't come home last night after Rafiki came!" Bakura breathed out as he caught his breath.

Mheto nodded. "Papa was getting worried about you."

Leta laughed. "Of course is he. He's always worried about us." she bent down and nuzzled her baby brother who pouted with a laugh of his own.

"Leta." Bakura frowned. "Why the hell didn't you come home?"

"Rafiki lead me to Gallus. He explained why he left."

The two males perked up as Leta explained everything Gallus had said about needing to leave to protect them all. Though she didn't tell them why, Bakura nodded, his anger seemingly disappearing a tad bit while Mheto smiled happily in relief that his friend didn't hate them.

"I don't understand. You forgave him?" asked Bakura.

Leta nodded and smiled when she thought of her mate. The two brothers shared a look before Bakura nudged Mheto in the direction of Pride Rock and whispered how he wanted to speak with their sister alone, and despite the pout, Mheto nodded and rushed back.

The lioness watched as her brother paced around in a circle before narrowing his eyes and then they widened as a scent caught his nose. A small flush appeared on Leta's face as she cleared her throat awkwardly.

"I can explain the scent."

Bakura frowned. "No need. You mated with Gallus, didn't you?"

Leta sighed. "I asked him to stay the night, he was well ready to say no."

Bakura sighed heavily as he shook his head with somewhat disappointment. "Leta, he left us and you mate with him? How could you still love him for leaving you? The Pride?"

Leta snarled as her twin's words. While she knew he was looking out for her, she didn't need him to tell her who to love. "I love him, Bakura. He loves me. Isn't that enough for you? At least I'm happy and understands what he needs to do to protect us!"

"What if you get pregnant?" Bakura mumbled quietly. "What if last night results in you carrying Gallus' cubs? What will you do then?"

"Keep them." Leta answered like it was the only answer.

"Do you know what dad will say?" asked Bakura. "He'll demand you to have some other couple raise them! You can't raise cubs on your own, and he'll lose his mind to know you mated without being married first."

Leta sighed. "I'll deal with father on my own."

"Mom will lose her head."

Leta smiled weakly as she thought about Paka's possible reaction. She laughed. Her brother was right, their mother would lose her head if she found her daughter was pregnant, no doubt ready to claw off Gallus' head.

"I'll deal with her too." Leta promised.

"I'm just worried for you, Leta. That's why I'm so hard on you right now." sighed Bakura. "You're my twin, and I hate the thought of anything happening to you."

Leta sat and nuzzled her brother. "I know."

"If you do happen to get pregnant, I'll tell Gallus." Bakura told her with a smile. "I promise."

"You'll claw him out for that."

Bakura snickered. "You know me so well."

"I should. We're littermates. The troublemakers. It'd be weird if I didn't know my own twin inside and out. Which by the way... what's going between you and a certain lioness?"

Bakura flushed. "N - Nothing is happening between me and Asali."

Leta smirked as she rolled her eyes. Asali had been the eye of Bakura since their cubhood. Asali had beautiful goldish - brown fur and green eyes with a black nose. Leta just couldn't help but tease Bakura for it, and her brother huffed and rolled his eyes.

DOTNO: TBC

Gallus was laying down near the den as he groaned heavily with annoyance as he watched the small cub take her first steps to Kovu. In all honesty, he didn't much care for Kamaria but he didn't want to see the small cub killed that was for sure, but Mheetu didn't even know about his half sister.

"Kovu? Kiara?"

The two adults looked up and were surprised to see Gallus coming towards them. "Yes, Gallus?" Kovu asked, arching an eyebrow.

Gallus sighed as he looked down at Kamaria. "If you continued to live here, father will kill her and he won't feel bad."

"We know, and we're terrified we're going to wake up one day and she's dead."

Gallus looked down at the small cub, who was gazing up at him with amber eyes. "Then leave this place before it happens."

Kiara shared a look with her mate. "Where will we go? No place while allow us."

Gallus stared at her. "The Pridelands."

Kiara shook her head in sadness. "Mheetu exiled us the moment he took the throne from me, Kion, and Kopa. He allowed his father to stay because Kion confessed to the murders. He killed Kopa because he attacked him. He was kind enough to grant me and Hatari our lives, but within these lands."

"Then maybe Kion can convince his son to allow you back." Gallus explained. "No doubt Kamaria will convince him."

Kovu sighed. "Hatari will notice us leaving."

"Leave at night. When he sleeps. I'll help you escape, but then you run as far as you can get before the sun rises. I'll tell father something he'll believe."

"But what if he doesn't and comes looking for us?" Kiara asked.

Gallus sighed heavily as he thought about another way before shaking his head. "Just don't worry about it, alright?"

Kovu eyed him. "How do we know we can trust you? You hate us."

"Because I'm mates with the Prideland's Princess and your her family she doesn't know. Any family of hers, I want to protect."

DOTNO: TBC

When the night came for both lands, Gallus opened his eyes as he slowly moved out of the den carefully as he saw Kovu carrying a sleeping Kamaria with Kiara beside him. The young adult sighed heavily before moving up to them and nodded as he narrowed his eyes.

"Let's go."