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Amara had been under pressure to keep everyone well-fed and well-rested; with Kwea's cubs growing at a surprising rate, it was hard to keep up with all the action in the den and still find time to clear her mind and take respite of her own.

Since there was a lull in the early evening hours and everyone, cubs and mothers, had settled down for rest, Amara excused herself from Kifa and Thuraya, Koko and Nesrin and the others in order to step outside and take a breather. She had earned it; finding food for her family was no easy task, and while Amara loved providing for them, she needed some time to ponder over the most recent occurances in the den. With the arrival of Nesrin, barely more than a cub, Amara had been spending long hours hunting in order to bring back a sizable kill.

Exhaling softly, she turned her gaze to the stars that had just started to shine in the night sky. She was content, despite her exhaustion, and the softest of smiles decorated her maw.

Returning from his patrol on the borders, the large pale form of kwea appeared through the gloom and it didn't take him very long to spot Amara sitting outside of the den gazing at the stars. A smile graced his maw and he made a belying for his beybanu. He knew just how hard she was working to feed them all, he was very glad that at least one of the new mothers would be able to join Amara int he hunt soon. It was physically draining for his beautiful lady to be worked so hard.

Draping himself around her he licks her ears tenderly. "Hello my love." He whispers , one foreleg surrounding the smaller lioness, his blood red mane mingling with her soft chocolate fur. "How are you feeling? You have been working so hard of late my love."

Amara beamed at her love as he made his approach, purring gently at him as he licked her ears. "Hello, Kwea. How are you this evening, beloved?" Her voice was rich and warm, full of love and appreciation for her Pad. "I am feeling well, very well, content and happy." Her gaze turned curious and she watched him carefully, gauging his mood. She very much wanted to know about Nesrin, but she didn't want to sound disapproving of his decisions or the manner in which he acted. "And you, Kwea? How are you this evening?"

Kwea purrs, listening to her words, enjoying her voice and proud that she was so happy in her role at the moment. "Very well thank you." he whispers grooming her cheek for a moment, and even though he was behind her more or less, he didn't miss the look that passed over her face.

"You seem cautiously curious my Amara, what is wrong?" He whispers passing his tongue over her ears, a gesture he liked to perform on his banu, he liked to nuzzle and groom and lavish attention on their faces and ears.

Amara didn't stop the purr that rumbled up from her throat. She quite enjoyed his attentions, and returning the favor she began to rasp her tongue against his mane, lovingly grooming that bloody-hued hair. She thought for a long moment on how to pose the question to him; doing so the wrong way, being disagreeable, would upset Kwea, and that was something she would never purposefully do.

"Kwea, might I ask you to tell me more of Nesrin?" She stopped grooming his mane long enough to ask, once her question was spoken she went back to licking his cheeks, nose, forehead and ears.

Kwea took a deep breath to calm himself at the mention of Nesrin's name. Amara had a right to ask, she was his beybanu, she had every right to want to know more of the female he had brought to his den.

He purses his lips and sucks air in through his teeth. "Nesrins mother is a deserter, she escaped from her pad and abandoned her children. Including Nesrin." he growls quietly in his throat a far away look in his eyes. It upset him moor ethan he could truly articulate how much it irked him that a female, any female could just up and leave her mate and children without a backwards glance.

Amara was silent, very silent. She could recall with clarity their very first meeting; in fact, she held it near and dear to her heart. She ached for her beloved Kwea. "I see, my love." Amara nuzzled herself underneath his chin, wanting to be as close to her love as possible. She cherished these moments. "And Kwea.. might I ask what Nesrin has done to require such a strong paw?" Her tone was level. It was not her place to judge what Kwea deemed necessary in training his Banu. It was her duty to support him in the decisions he made. She only wanted to understand this particular decision.

"Nesrin is tainted. She will run, she will run I can see it I need to stop her from running before she does it." he growls a low, angry growl his ears vanishing in his mane. He would see to it that Nesrin never ran, never left, never turned her tail and escaped him. He would make sure she was held accountable for her mothers wrong doings.

"She needs to be taught a lesson, she needs to know she cannot run Amara." He lowers his head wrapping himself around Amara like a big fluffy blanket, he held her as he had never held her, almost fearfully. "I will not let her leave Amara. I wont."

Amara nodded, understanding his primal urge to make sure the little Nesrin never left. "I understand, Kwea, my love I really do." She nuzzled deeper into his lovely red mane, breathing deep and purring a most soothing purr. "It just frightens me, Kwea, and I know it does the others. She is so young, and small.. are we allowed to be nice to her?" Amara certainly hoped so; she could never be mean to another, certainly never to one so small and sad.

Kwea lashed his tail "I am not being cruel to her Amara, she needs to learn her place." He growls quietly, his tail twitching in an irritated manner, he felt questioned by Amara, questioned of something he most certainly should not be questioned for.

"You may treat her as you wish Amara, when I am not there she is your responsibility." He grumbles, this conversation was certainly not going over very well with the short tempered male. "I will not be questioned on my treatment of her though! " His ears flicker in his mane and h holds tightly to Amara, he didn't want to be angry at his beybanu, he wanted to sit and be happy with her but this line of questioning had ruffled his feathers.

"Of course, Kwea." She wished now to ease his temper; this wasn't going exactly as she planned. It was never Amara's intent to anger her love. "I would never question your actions, beloved." His motives were his own, but it relieved Amara that she would not be required to be harsh to the little one. "I am sorry, Kwea." Deciding a topic change was at hand, she smiled gently at him. "Kifa's cubs are growing nicely, are they not?"

Kwea sighs lightly, grooming Amaras ears for a few moments he let his temper simmer. He didn't want to hurt Amara and if she wanted t be nice to Nesrin, as she probably did, he wasn't going to stop her, but it would not stop him from treating the tainted female the way he wished.

The change of subject was much appreciated and he gave a nod of his silky maned head. "Yes, they seem to be strong even though they are small." He puffs his chest out a bi, feeling proud. "I am very proud of all of them, they are so beautiful."

"As you should be, Kwea. Eight beautiful, strong and healthy cubs." She smiled gently, leaning against his much larger frame. Amara very much enjoyed the time that they had alone together. At times it was far and few in between, but she realized he was spread thin enough as it was with all the new cubs, and now a pawful of Banu to mingle with as well.

"I cannot wait to grow heavy with your cubs," she trilled softly into his ear, gentle as usual. "It has consumed my thoughts as of late, I will admit." No jealous tinged her tone, only that of wistfulness.

Kwea smiles gently, his handsome bloody red eyes looking Amara over, he had loved her when she was pregnant, she had glowed and shown that she was not only fertile but willing to care for her cubs. He loved her because she love her babies and he loved her because she knew who he was.

"The thought has crossed my mind more than once. Soon Amara, soon you will be able to bear my cubs and I will bathe in the glow of your loveliness." He purrs quietly lowering his head and nuzzling her stomach with a sweet affection. He couldn't wait for the day when Amara was heavy with his cubs, not someone elses. He couldn't wait for the day. He licked her stomach fur and raised his head once again purring a long, rumbly purr. "I truly cannot wait Amara." He grins, wishing she could fall pregnant with his litter now though he knew she old not while her current cubs were still too young to bear their own children.

A thought came to his mind then and he cleared his throat. "I am slightly concerned about Koko and Chacha. I think Chacha must leave us soon but Koko, well I am convened about her on a different level."

Amara listened to him intently, nodding her head when he spoke of Chacha and Koko. "Chacha marches to the beat of her own drum. The life of Banu does not appeal to her, and that does make me a bit sad. Koko... I fear she has the opportunity to cause trouble in the den, Kwea. She .. I see Sarai in her eyes when I look at her. That frightens me." She fell silent. Koko would bring them nothing but heartache, and part of her wanted to beg him to send her away, to let another pad deal with her shortcomings. She decided to test the water with a small statement. "If you decide to send her away, I will not be upset." Her ear flicked slightly, "What has she done to concern you, love?"

Kwea flickers his tail a little, his brow creasing in deep thought. "i don't want chacha around the cubs Amara. I fear she will hurt them." He licks his lips he had to find another pad for the deep red female soon, he knew that, he was genuinely worried about his cubs.

When Amara spoke of Koko though he nodded quietly. "Perhaps you are right Amara. I am concerned that she is trying," He pauses and laughs "She is trying to seduce me, she is barely a juvenile and she wants me to look at her the way I do you and Thuraya and Kifa. I'm not sure it is right. Do you think, do you think I should find her a pad to go to?" He purses his lips, he was unsure if he wanted to give Koko up, she was beautiful and he knew at some point that he would want her, it was just concerning that she should be so devoted to him at such a young age. She should still be playing with her siblings not trying to seduce him.

Amara fell deeply silent, a worried crease furrowing her brow. She did not think having Koko around would make the den a pleasant place to call home, that was for certain. The fact that she could see Sarai in Koko's eyes made Amara feel uneasy and restless in her heart.

When she spoke, her voice was quiet. "I think you will do what you feel is best, Kwea. You always do what you feel is best, and as your Beybanu I trust you with every inch of my being." Her pale eyes searched for his, "It is hard for a mother to say that she wishes a child gone. I love my cubs, all of them. They are a part of my body. But Koko.." she paused, shaking her head, "I do not know what to do."

Kwea takes a deep breath. He was starting to feel a slight twinge of concern. It had been Chacha he was worried about but perhaps Koko was the one he should be keeping a closer eye on. "Would she hurt the cubs Amara?" The concern in his voice was evident. He cared for nothing more than the eight little bundles of fluff and stuff that was what concerned him.

"I need to know Amara, will kook hurt the cubs?" The frown on his brow deepened, he knew he would send Koko away tomorrow if she would hurt the cubs, away to a harem where there were no young ones. He had witnessed first hand the wrath of Sarai, Amaras alter-ego and if Amara saw that person in her child, he was certainly feeling even more concerned about her than he had a few moments before.

"She covets your attentions, Kwea. When you introduced Nesrin, remember how she carried herself? I would have raised my paw to her myself if you had not been there." She shook her head, turning her eyes to the ground, almost as if she was seeking answers that could be found in the dust.

"I can say with no certainty that she will or will not harm the cubs. Koko seems to desire one thing, and one thing only; your attention be it good or bad." She paused, knowing her next words could be the end of her relationship with her youngest daughter if Kwea should deem it necessary, "Do I think she would harm them outright? I cannot say for sure. Would she put them in a position where they would be left to their own devices under the premise of a game, or even lying to them as if under your instruction? Yes, I can see my daughter doing such a thing."

The big male sighs, he knew it would take some deep thought, a decision about Koko, he had already made the decision that Chacha would leave. She no longer needed her mother and the looks that he had seen in her worried him. Koko though, she was just a little too devoted, could he punish devotion? He knew the answer was no. He could punish her for her actions and teach her to be a good banu and he knew at some point that he would want her. It was simply a little early to be wanting her, she was still too young to gain all of his attentions.

"I will consider what you say Amara." He pauses and purses his lips thoughtfully. "I will wait until she is adolescent to decide, perhaps it is just a phase she is going through. She is very young and she clearly has a crush." He grunts, that was his final decision for the moment, as long as she did not hurt his cubs, he would abide by her overly devoted acts towards him.

The big male yawns then and lays his fluffy maned head across her shoulders. "Take a nap with me Amara, you deserve a rest." He whispers licking her ears gently. Much had passed between them in the past few minutes, much he knew that he still had to think about and consider, but at least now she knew about Nesrin and wouldn't cross him about her. He didn't want to punish Amara because Nesrin was... He shakes his head casting away that thought. It made him angry to think too deeply about Nesrin, it hurt his heart to think too much about the little tainted female. He smiles softly closing his eyes, he could forget her for the moment while he was curled up beside Amara, Amara his perfect Beybanu.