This chapter is for Milamber. Thanks for your support! :)

Chapter 7

Torn

Upendo shifted closer to Kuibiwa in the rock den they were sharing. How could Maisha even think for a second that he would cheat on her? They had said they loved each other. He would never go back on something like that.

Then he really started thinking. Is our relationship over now? They did get into a huge fight and he said that maybe they weren't meant for each other, so maybe. He thought back to yesterday, when the fight happened.

"Upendo!" It was Maisha calling him, and she didn't sound happy. "What do you think you're doing?!" He felt Kuibiwa flinch beside him, but he wasn't intimidated.

"What do you mean?" he said coolly. He didn't want to get into an unnecessary fight if it was just a misunderstanding. She stalked up to him, and she was shaking with rage.

"What do I mean? What do I mean?!" She spat in his face,"I think you know very well what I mean!" She broke her gaze with him and turned to look at Kuibiwa. He didn't want to get her involved, but before he could say anything, Maisha cut him off. "I mean you and her!" Now he knew what she thought was happening.

"Maisha, nothing's going on," he was hurt badly by the thought that Maisha would think he was distrustful. She opened her mouth, but he was the one to cut her off this time. "I thought you of all people would understand that." And he had thought that, but obviously he was wrong. For a second it seemed like she was reconsidering, and Upendo grew hopeful. But then her eyes grew dark once again and she turned back to him.

"You cheating bastard! I understand, all right! I understand perfectly well that you are an unfaithful, lying, sick bastard!" She roared this message so loud that Upendo thought that everyone in the Pridelands had heard her. Now he knew there was no changing her mind, and he couldn't hold in his growing anger any longer.

88

They had fought terribly, until he hit her with the secrets blow. That's when he finally got something in her head to make her realize she was doing wrong. As he had been walking away, he had heard her crying and yelling after him, although he couldn't really make out what she was saying. The drizzle had turned into a hard rain, and after their fight, no one had seen Maisha for the whole rest of the day and into the middle of the night, when she returned to her den. She had been soaking wet, and the first thing she did was sleep. She was still there now.

The other lions of the pride had heard about their fight, and Nzuri walked towards Upendo with Anaruka bouncing behind her. She swung her grey hips and tail, obviously trying to get his attention. He noticed, but didn't notice. Nzuri flicked her dark grey tail tuft over his nose. She smiled and said,"Hey Upendo. Sorry about the break-up with Maisha. So you wanna hang out?" She got right to the point, didn't she? Well, Upendo would have loved the attention of the beautiful Nzuri before he and Maisha got together, but now he was concerned that if Maisha saw him she would hate him even more.

"Oh, come on. You know you want to," she said with a wink, and she waved her tail side to side to let him get the scent of her heat. No wonder, Upendo thought, although she was right, he did want to have some fun. He had been serving Maisha for so long, he deserved some time to himself. And the fact that Nzuri's heat was totally seducing him.

"Okay." He got up. "Where are we going?"

Nzuri had already started walking when she spoke. "Oh, just somewhere special..."

88

(Nzuri's POV)

Nzuri had sent Anaruka off once they had gotten half way there, because if she had come along with them there was no doubt that she would have ruined the experience. Nzuri was deep in her heat and there was no better way to satisfy herself than to get a depressed young lion to do it for her. Or do me, Nzuri thought lustfully.

Finally they reached her destination and by now Nzuri was aching for Upendo. The whole journey she had been anticipating what would happen. She would pretend to get stuck in a bush, with her rump sticking out the back, high in the air, her heat scent everywhere. She would call for Upendo, and ask for his "help". He wouldn't be able to resist and they would hump the day away. She was absolutely positive that he couldn't resist her beauty and scent, and that this trip was going to be a success.

Nzuri walked through the dense jungle towards the cave that she had discovered. When they reached it, she said,"Upendo, why don't you rest for a bit? I'm going to get a drink of water." She turned and waved her hips as she walked towards the stream. As soon as he couldn't see her, but could still hear her, she rustled around in the bushes, pretending she was trying to catch a butterfly. She dove headfirst into a thick bush, and started to call out after a few seconds.

"Upendo? I'm stuck!" She heard his pawsteps rustling the plant growth and she pushed her rear even higher into the air by straightening her back legs as far as they could go.

He reached her and she heard him grunt in surprise and awkwardness.

"Um, Nzuri?" he asked tentatively. She had been waiting for this moment.

"Yes, Upendo?" She tried to sound innocent.

"What exactly were you doing to get into that position?"

"Well, I had been chasing a butterfly, because you know, it's just so hard not to, when it flew over this bush. I tried to get it, you see, and well... I missed." She tried to make herself sound embarrassed in case he wasn't over his old girlfriend and he didn't want to do it.

"Do you need any uh, help?" Nzuri's stomach flipped. It was happening!

"Why yes, I do. Thank you." She let out her seductive voice. "In fact, I think I need a special kind of help." Then she felt his weight on top of her, and she tried to grind against him. She felt his teeth on her neck and she yelped in surprise. He's the rough kind, she thought. I like it.

Then he was pulling her scruff. "Don't get too rough now," she said.

"Sorry," he said, with genuine worry. But he kept on pulling, and Nzuri was wondering what he was doing when she came right out of the bush.

"What's going on?" she asked as she faced Upendo.

"Well, you said you needed help, so I pulled you out. Sorry if I hurt you."

"But I thought-"

"I know what you thought, Nzuri." He looked at her sternly and nervously. "But it's not going to happen. I'm not over Maisha yet. Maybe we can be together in a few weeks, or a month, or maybe even just one week, but you need to give me time. Also, I'm not that type of guy. I'd have to get to know you and say that I love you before we do anything. I'm sorry, but I'm not going to do it." He finished with a breathy sigh that was barely audible.

Nzuri was stunned. She never knew someone could be so self-controlled that they resist her. She was impressed, and she was starting to like Upendo.

"I'll wait, then."

88

Note 2

I have changed the name of my story(The Reluctant Bride) to Secrets of Mine because I think it sounds better. That is all.