They fought, backwards and forwards, circling around as they weighed each other up. Kane was sure he was getting the upper hand and his confidence grew. He began to take more risks, sure he was wearing Tallis down, until Tallis feinted a bite to Kane’s neck, which Kane knew would be brushed off by his thick mane. As Kane turned, ready to make the most of his opponent’s weakness, Tallis bit his leg, not hard enough to draw blood, but enough for Kane to go down on his knees.
Tallis took full advantage and used his body weight to drive Kane to the ground, where he lay panting, feeling stupid and angry. And defeated.
As he lay in the sand, his lungs heaving under the weight of Tallis’s lion, his mind reached out and touched Amara. He felt her concern, he felt her dismay, but he was happy when he couldn’t sense her disappointment. His leg hurt, his pride hurt, but he would live to fight another day.
24
“Next time,” she said as they tended the vegetable plot out in the back garden of her mom and dad’s house.
“You think? Sometimes I wonder if I’m cut out for this fighting lark,” he said.
His words worried her. Since Tallis had beaten him last night, he had lost his confidence, his will, to fight.
“Listen,” she said, sitting back on her haunches, wiping the sweat off her forehead. “They have been fighting for years. When we were younger, they fought all the time.”
“And Serrif will have been fighting for years too. I can’t see how I will ever get good enough to take him on.” He plunged the fork into the moist earth and turned it over. “I should find something else to do.”
“And let him get away with it?” she said.
“What if one of my brothers was supposed to be the alpha of the pride. You know I wouldn’t stand in their way,” he said wearily. “I wouldn’t mind a quiet life here.”
“You don’t mean that,” she said, “I know you, I know what’s in your heart.”
“But what is in my heart is not in my head, not in my paws and my claws. I’m useless,” he said.
She put her fork down. “Come on, the weeds can wait,” She took his hand and led him out through the garden gate, calling to her mom, “We’ll be gone for a couple of hours.”
“Everything all right?” her mom said coming to the door and looking out.
“Everything is fine, we just need some time alone,” Amara said, casting her mom a look that let her know things weren’t fine, but they would be when they returned.
Her mom read the look. After all, she had raised four boys and lived with her mate for long enough to know that sometimes they had to be given something to boost their confidence, and that a mate, or a mother, was the one who knew just what they needed. “Lunch will be around twelve.”
“Thanks, Mom,” Amara said.
“We should finish our chores,” Kane said.
“They will still be there when we get back.” she replied. They walked together, Amara guiding them; she turned down the street and strolled along, enjoying the sun on her face. “You know, ever since we got here, you have been told what you should be doing, who you should be fighting. Maybe it’s time you just chilled.”
“I didn’t know lions knew how to chill,” he said.
“We do,” she said, cutting across the village and heading towards the path which would take them around The Rise, where her brothers were working, along with Frasier, who was glad to be doing some hard physical work. She wanted to avoid everyone if she could.
“Good, because you know when I see lions in books, they seem to lie around a lot. You know, resting after a hard day’s hunting,” he said, capturing her in his arms. “Maybe we can find somewhere private to lie down.”
She laughed. “No, I have something else in mind.”
And with that she pulled away from him and shifted in mid-air, a lioness streaking up the path into the woods. She heard him stop, knew he was watching, and hoped he liked the view of her big, sleek hide as it disappeared round the corner. She also hoped he would follow.
Sure enough, as she slowed, she heard the small rocks trickling down the stony path, as his big lion paws scattered them before him. Amara ran away in front and then stopped, eying up a fallen tree. That would do. She jumped up and hid in the branches that were still alive, giving her cover.
Kane ran around the corner, never slowing as he raced to catch up with his mate, who had now disappeared from view. Amara ran swiftly along the tree trunk and then pounced, landing on his back, making him roll over.
He snapped at her crossly, but she boosted herself up off the ground and raced ahead again. Behind her, he got up, shook himself off, and then followed, although she could tell from his pace, he was far from happy. Oh well, this was a lesson he had to learn.