NUKA

"How are you feeling?" Shanti was less worse for wear now. the swelling in her face had done down, and as of yesterday, she woke up. "You look so much better." I sat next to her, she turned her head to look at me. The blood-stains in her eye still hadn't gone away. It probably would never. I wonder if she can still see. I know her hearing has been damage. Her left side had that blown our eardrum.

"...I'm okay, thanks for asking."

"Should I have my hyenas bring you something?" It was still early in the day, I could send one of them out to get her something to eat. Though my numbers are limited. With bones and his friend watching Vitani, I only have three others watching the pride. As a whole, I know they could take the hyenas out no problem. But I know they won't risk me killing Vitani. No matter how they feel about her. Lionesses are so sympatheic...it's sickening. But I know could I can use this to my advantage.

"No, that won't be necessary Nuka."

" Don't sound so sad, we did it." laying down next to her, I could easily tell she was a broken lioness. Hell beside my sister, she was more devasted about me killing Kijivu then anyone else. "And I could not have done it without you. I know Kijivu would be proud we righted my sisters wrong."

"How can I be happy, when I failed? They got away." she tried to sit up, but I stopped her. I didn't need her overworking herself. I'd need her back on her paws soon. I still have more plans I need to come to fruition. "I'm sorry Nuka, you gave me a chance and I failed."

"Don't be so hard on yourself Shanti, you did the best you could. I know they couldn't have gotten far. Word was, they jumped into a riven. Odds are they are already dead. But I'll be sending a scout at a time to look for them."

"...I can't believe she did that to him." hmm, she's only been conscious for a few hours and there she goes yacking about Kijivu. Kings that old lion must have had her whipped. "I wish you could have stopped him..."

"I wish I could have too, I tried my best. Really. It was just too much for him to deal with. Especially after losing his father."

"...He was so close to his father. He was the perfect son. He'd do anything to make him happy."

"He sounds like a great lion."

"He was..." I could see her eyes starting to water. she had pain in her voice. I could tell his death was still hard on her. Shanti is a lioness who is easy to read.

"You sound like you greatly admire him...almost as if you loved him."

"I..."

"Don't worry I understand. You love someone who doesn't love you back the same. Hell, sometimes they act like you don't even exist. You try to be perfect for them and everything." Shanti looked away, trying to figure out what she was going to say. Hell, she probably wondering how I could figure out her story so easily. It does look bad, loving your queen's mate. When you're her second in command. It looks shitty.

" I didn't love him like that... I just, I wanted him to be happy. he's always been there for me, I felt like we were so close. Once his father announced we would be joining our pride with yours, I will say I wasn't happy...and then when I met her. I was pissed."

"Pissed?"

"We mountain pride lions are very close and private pride, we aren't the biggest. which is way other prides liked to take advantage of us. It doesn't help that we are also trusting...to trusting in my opinion at times. Why do you think we had to move our pride here? Everyone was always taking advantage of us. Now, It's hard for enemys to get in or out. We've had to stayed a small pride in order to do this. truthfully I didn't think King Kijivu would ever take a mate. but he did, he had to in order to have an heir...and that heir nothing but a bastard from another lion." hearing the anger and disdain in her voice ...kings I've never been turned on this much. Her energy was dangerous...

"...Does the mountain pride have enemies?"

"We use to. We've had a few battles with the Valley pride, back when I was a subadult. We've killed the members of their pride and they killed ours. They're the ones that killed my father and after that..." hmm a lioness with a hard backstory, now things are getting more interesting. Who was Shanti of the Mountain pride really?

"What? you can tell me." I heard her suck her teeth, I wasn't expecting the look of malice on her face when she turned around to face me. She looked hateful, she looked like me.

"I was lost for a long while after that. All I know is I've wanted to kill the lions that destroyed my world. There's still not a day that goes by that I don't wish death on every single member of that pride! they ruined everything for me!" Now I can see what drew me to her, she's not crying because she's weak. She's crying because she's angry. And I can understand always being angry. " but a treaty was made to stop the warring. it felt like an insult. The valley pride was the ones that started this war, they got the last move. and we were the ones that had to come up with a fucking peace treaty to save our asses!" This was interesting news.

" You must be so angry inside?"

"I'm always angry! Kijivu was the only one that made living without my father bearable. I guess you can say I fell in love with him because he reminded me so much of my father. And now he's gone...but that doesn't matter...he never saw me in that light either. He loved your sister, and it killed him." and now I love her...

"You want to avenge him. Don't you?" there was an uncomfortable pause between us. More with Shanti than myself. I knew what she wanted to say, she just didn't know if she could tell me her true feelings.

"I want to avenge everyone I've lost. But Vitani is your sister-"

"A sister who betrayed me."

"Betrayed you?"

"You want to know something about me Shanti? I 'm a big believer in family always being there for family. I didn't have the best upbringing growing up. But growing up the way I did, made me learn that. Anything in life you have to take and even your own family can be out to get you. I just want to live up to my potential of being the greatest king that ever lived. When you've been told you'd never be anything but worthless your whole life. You start to have an insatiable appetite of wanting everything...it's hard to explain and control. it's like...never being satisfied."

"I get it, believe me. I know what it's like to have something consume you. you never fill satisfied, until you really get what you want." An idea came to my head. I'll be honest, I was just going to use Shanti, use her for what she was worth and leave. maybe throw her back to the pride she betrayed and let them deal with her. but now I see, we are more alike than I first thought. we can. both use eachother.

"Despite how you must feel, in your state, and with Kijivu. I can say we still have good news."

"What is that?" I saw her cock her head to the side.

"You're looking at the new King of the Mountian pride." her mouth opened, and she fully sat up.

"...what...but how."

"Vitani surrendered her thrown. And rightly so, she didn't respect it, or it's king. So now, I'm in control."

"I...I... don't know what to say."

"Say you'll be my partner."

"...Your partner...you want me? But I'm not anything special"

" That's what everyone said about me, I wasn't special. I wouldn't be anything. and look, you're now looking at a king, forming a mega pride. Shanti you don't need to be special you just need to be hungry. And I can tell you're a lioness who never had her fill."

" What are you saying?" I saw her ears and eyes perk up, as her grey orbs never left mine.

"You want revenge for your father, and I want to fulfill my destiny as the greatest king. In order to do that, I need to be the ONLY king in the African savannah. If you support me, I promise you'll get all the revenge you need and then more. You'll never have to worry about another pride hurting you again, you and this pride and move out of these mountains and take over the world. Shanti, I'd be honored to have a lioness like you by my side."

"...I'd love to."

Perfect.

Not going to lie I was getting a little lost, with Nuka and Shanti. Especially since he now is the ruler of the mountain pride. but NOW I just got too excited. someone stop me, Nuka has a partner in crime now who is down for the mayhem. Ya'll be prepared, please!

+KawaiiCutie12 , lol right, maybe in the future we can work on the romance.

+RyanSquad, you're right he always has to be the morally right one in every situation. Don't worry im going to change that... in the near future. i have more fanfic boiling in my head.