Imani nodded, "It was. We caught a few of the young, and I don't think the herd went far. Maybe we can find them again."

"So now what do you want to do?" She asked, looking up at him.

"I dont know." Zeus responded, looking around. "Maybe we can play with the cubs?" He said with a smile, before rising to his paws. He saw two cubs playing nearby, maybe they'd let us join in. He was about to go over when the patrol finally returned, running at a fast pace. He noticed Zion was among them. "Where is the King, where is the Queen!" Zion yelled, as he and the patrol raced into camp. Zeus went up to Zion. "Whats the matter?" He asked, concern wedged on his face. "Rogues!" Zion yelled, turning to everyone in camp. "A band of rogues, and they're coming to attack!" He screamed, racing off towards the Queen's den. Zeus looked towards Imani, "We better hurry and quick!" He said, and took off, at a limping pace, in the direction where the patrol had returned.

Imani's eyes grew wide at the news. They hadn't been attacked by rouges in multiple seasons. "Zeus, wait!" Imani said, catching up to him quickly. "You are in no condition to fight. Let them find the King and Queen and they will tell us what to do. But you aren't fighting." Her ears laid back in defiance. She wasn't going to let him win this one.

He stopped hearing what Imani said, "I'm fine." He said, swishing his tail ober her nose. "Its only a few bumps and bruises. I'll be fine." He knew what she would say, he was hurt badly, and he still felt it, butbhe wasnt going to let go alone, she could get seriously hurt, or even worse, he couldnt bring himself to think if it. He then thought some more, then he realized, she had said the same things to him, when he had left. How hard it must have been for her. He looked back towards camp, seeing almost every lion racing behind Imani and Zeus. He looked back to Imani, and he could see the look of fear in her eyes, and that in anger. "Fine," he said, responding to himself. "I'll stay behind, but obly this time. For you." He finished and nuzzled her neck. "Stay safe." He said, then gave her cheek a quick lick before turnigmng back and heading towards camp.

....

When he arrived, Zeus headed straight towards the cubs. Only him and one other lioness remained to get the cubs to safety. He nudged a small male cub. "Come on," he said, his tone kind and soft, "We need to get you to the Lions den." The cubs eagerly listened, and after a nod of thanks from the lioness, he lead the cubs to the rocky den.

Imani smiled at Zeus, relief flowing through her when he agreed. She licked his nose and bounded off, seeing the King and Queen emerge from their den.

The King's voice boomed around the clearing, "All nursing lionesses and cubs into the den, I'll have a few males guarding the entrance. The rest of you will fight with us." All of the lions roared in unison, the call echoing for miles.

Imani smelled the rouges before she saw them. Most of them were males, a few females among them. she had never seen a rouge group this big. The pride launched themselves at the rouges, all chaos ensuing around them. Imani launched herself at a smaller lioness, clawing at her stomach and clamping her teeth down on her neck. The lioness fought back, her claws marring Imani's pelt, warm blood running down her side.

Imani growled, baring her teeth at the lioness as she clawed at her eyes, narrowly avoiding blinding her.

The lioness staggered, unable to see from the blood in her eyes. Imani killed her swiftly, ignoring the horrible feeling in her gut. She hated this. hated it so much she just wanted to run away.

She could see a male trying to get into the dens, to the cubs and nursing lionesses. Imani didn't have time to think until she was charging at him, leaping onto his back as he was distracted by the others.

The male roared, rolling onto his back, crushing Imani beneath him. The breath whooshed out of her lungs, and she barely managed to scramble away from the lion's jaws.

She was barely on her paws again when a huge lion lunged at her, pinning her beneath him. Imani's head hit the ground with a thud, and darkness creeped at the edges of her vison as the lion smiled down at her. That was the last thing she saw before the world went black.

(wow super long post lol)

Zeus had placed himself where the cubs were behind him and he at the mouth of the den. Abither lioness crouched in there with him, Zeus clawing at the occasional rogue trying to claw its way in. He hadnt seen the male before it lunged at him, Zeus clawing it in the face, as Imani flew in like an eagle and tackled him outside the den. He wasnt paying attention to her, as abother female attempted to enter the den, Zeus leaping out and clawing her, he yeleld at the lioness to protect the cubs as he wrestled the lioness, sending blow after blow, with her landing some to, before he let her up and she ran off. He engaged in a fight with abither rogue, protected Zion as he was pushed to the ground, the rogue never saw it coming, and after landing a blow to the head, he qyickly killed the male. A nod of thanks from Zion, and he went to fight with the King. He turned to look for Imani, when he saw her being dragged away, unconcious, by two rogue males. "Imani!" Zeus roared, and took off into her direction, but before he knew it, and rigue male hit him right in the ribs, and sent him flying into the walls if the Lions den, knocking Zeus unconscious, as the battle raged around him.

Imani's eyes fluttered open, her head singing with pain, along with the many other cuts and brusies along her ribs and neck.

She was in an unknown cave, a den of some sort. It was small, with barely enough space for her. The entrance, the only way out, was blocked by a massive lion, smiling down at her, the same one from the battle.

"Good morning." He krooned, Imani glanced outside, noticing the setting sun. "Welcome to our home." The unerving smile grew. "You will be staying with us until you die, or you escape, which will never happen, no I wouldn't get your hopes up. My guards have my consent to kill anyone that tries to escape."

Anyone. That means they have more of them. More of her pride. Not that she cared, as she didn't care about any of them, except Zeus. Imani pushed herself up to lay on her stomach, almost passing out again from the pain in her skull.

"Why?" Was all Imani said, blinking a few times to regain her vison.

"Why? Because I can. That's why." The lion said, stalking out of the den. He was replaced by a slightly smaller lion, her back towards her as he guarded the entrance. Imani didn't have enough ambition to sit up, or do anything but worry about Zeus. The sharp pain in her head was the only thing keeping her awake.

Zeus woke up, still laying outside of the Lions den. He sat up, pain filling his ribs and his head. But he still managed to get on his paws, ignoring the pain. He looked around, the damage had been done. His Prude lay around, licking their wounds, ranging from small cuts and scratches to large cuts and broken bones. Dead rogues and a few Pride members lay sprawled in the dirt and grass, making Zeus shutter. The cubs and nursing lionesses were okay, but he didn't worry about that, at least, not as much. The Queen had left the battle without a scratch, which made Zeus wonder where she had been. The King, on the ither hand, was battle stricken, claw marks and blood flowing from his wounds. Yet Imani was no where to be seen. Yet he knew what happened, she had been taken. Trying to hide his panic he went to the Queen and King. "They took Imani." He said, trying to keep calm, yet in the inside he was in panic mode. "We have to find her." He said, his eyes scanning from the King to the Queen. "We'll send out a party." The King replied, though his mind seemed elsewhere. Then the Queen added, a smile on her face, "But you wont be going anywhere Zeus."

Imani's head pounded as she tried to entertain her thoughts of something less...terrifying. She tried to think about her life back at the pride with Zeus, how everything was just getting better. Before she was kidnapped.

She hoped at least someone noticed she was gone and was looking for her. She knew Zeus was if he hadn't been captured as well. She tried to listen to what was going on outside, but to no avail. So finally she laid her head down on her paws and tried to to think about her headache.

Zeus vit back a snarl. She couldn't make him not go, escpeccially ig it was Imani. He had to go, whether she said he could or not. "And why cant I go?" He asked, suprising himself with the calmness of hus voice, better to not make her mad. "You must have caused this matter." She said, walking around Zeus. "You were a former rogue." She finished, stretching out the word rogue. Zeus's eyes gleamed. "I would never," he said, "I woyld never hurt this Pride, none the less Imani." He said, locking eyes with the Queen. Deep down he knew one thing. The Queen had told the rogues to come. And thats why they took Imani.

Zeus looled to the King, who merely shrugged. "I'll send a party, but you stay here and help with the cleanup, and burial services." The king finished, tail pointing to the only body Zeus knew, Zion's. His heart leaned fir the male who had compassion in him, but hs still had to go to Imani. "King, you must let me go." He asked again. Vut once again the Queen vutted in. "Do as the King said," giving a smirk. "We have more matters to take care of." Then the two mates walked off, leaving Zeus in a stunned silence.