Kuhlanu

We entered the dining room, and everyone was already seated around the elongated oval table. The full attention of the room turned to fall on us as we stepped further into the room.

I pinched Sam's wrist slightly to get his attention. He turned to me with irritation an a mumbled "ouch". I shook my head firmly to vanquish any thought he might have to defend his honour against a room of lion shifters and sangomas. I knew from experience that no ghost would leave that kind of conflict alive.

The Chief motioned us towards the open seats beside him.

Two on his left beside Lucinda.

Riley's smirk let me know that the lone seat beside her had my name on it.

Bitch.

I clenched my jaw and silently took my seat. Once seated, I looked towards the Nøkkenson siblings. Their postures were rigid. Lissa met my eyes and I sighed in relief as she took her seat as well. Sam reluctantly followed his sister's lead.

The Chief rose from his seat at the head of the table and the room held their breath. We looked at in expectation.

"Thank you for gathering tonight," he started.

"Tonight is a special night. My strong and beautiful daughter has returned to us after her sacred year with our ancestors. No doubt she has acquired great knowledge and blessings from them that she will share with us tonight and every day to come," he beamed as he looked at the adoring faces of his Pride.

"And to our guests…," he eyes down anyone who dared to whisper or release a threatening puff of air in our direction.

"I would like us all to take a moment of gratitude for our guests who put their lives down to protect my daughter, your princess. Lastly, let us raise our glasses to our returning pride mate," he said with a powerful voice. The room raised the glass slowly and kept their eyes away from us. I shifted uncomfortably in my seat.

"Welcome home, my girl," he said directly to me. I felt my throat tighten and my stomach starts to bubble as I met his softened eyes and fiercely proud expression as he smiled down at me. I fought to hold his eye contact, but I felt like every millisecond of his attention was adding another kilo of weight onto my chest.

A slightly clammy hand rested onto my bouncing knee. My entire body turned to ice. I saw Riley out of the corner of my eye. She was giving a small smile. I tensed my jaw and brushed her hand off of my knee. She released an almost inaudible whine at the loss of contact. I was unendingly grateful when we were invited to eat. I don't know which one set me more at ease: the loss of the Chief's attention or the absence of Riley's touch.

I looked across the table towards Melissa. She was talking to Sam about something in his plate. She looked quite interested in the exchange. She played with the cyan pendant resting on her exposed upper chest. I was a gift I had given her after our second/ first official date we had on near the Kommetjie coast. She tended to play with it when she was lost in thought. I didn't want to ask what they were talking about. I took in the faint smile relaxing on her supple lips.

I was thankful that Sam and she had each other to distract each other in times like these. They had a habit of shutting out the world when it made them feel other.

"He really is happy you're back," Riley said from beside me. I looked at her and saw her hazel eyes radiate warmth.

"I know. I am too… to be back," I said to her. She sat further up in her chair as soon as I replied.

"Also, about the other night…" she started.

I cut her off: "We don't need to do this, okay. It's my job to protect you so no need for niceties. Besides, something tells me I'm going to have to save your arse a hell of a lot more times before this is done."

"Fine. So, you and Melissa?" she probed.

"Ja, she and I are solid," I said firmly.

"Good to know," she said slowly with a fake smile. I could see the hints of amber flicker in behind her intense hazel gaze.

"What are you love birds whispering about?" the Chief said in an almost school-girl voice.

"We were just catching up, papa," Riley tried to play it off. The endless tapping of her shoe against the marble was a dead giver away of her deceit that her father was opting to ignore.

He leaned back in his chair with a satisfied expression.

"Today is a good day. Both of my daughters are under my roof again," he said with a teasing smile. I forced a smile for his benefit.

I turned my head because I could feel Lissa's eyes on me. I felt my leg begin to tap again. I couldn't help it. Once again, the unwelcomed lioness hand found its way to my anxious leg. I couldn't I shook her hand off and glared at it as it fell to her lap. I could feel my chest tighten.

"This is delicious," Sam blurted out of nowhere. That boy was a blessing unlike any other. That boy has the appetite of Aggayu. Although, the blonde might even have the ability to out-eat the sacred desert Orisha.

"Its bobotie," Lucinda answered. Sam looked up at her with sparkling eyes and a stomach in love.

"That is biryani," she pointed towards the larger bowl on the table.

"I make that too," he said smiling at me proudly. I returned his smile. It was always funny to watch the dopy smile produced by his muscular frame.

"Really?" the older women asked, slightly impressed.

"Yes," he started, inflating his chest slight, then added, "I make it for Nikky when she gets homesick. I use wild salmon though."

Lissa and I said a look of adoration for the square-jawed gem of a man her brother was. He always came to the rescue; usually without knowing.

"What kind of Biryani is that?" a child's voice threw the question from the opposite side of the table.

"Norse Biryani," Sam smirked.

A scoff split the play air right through its middle. It was Desaley; the boy that had been under my foot a while ago. He was the embodiment of African male beauty with none of the grace. He was chiselled and polished out of umber clay with strong charcoal dreads decorating his thick skull.

"Haven't you ghosts taken enough from our people? Now you want to claim our food as well!" the disgust he felt could be felt like the words grated against your ear. His voice was still young and on a few cracks were still needed before it truly broke. I looked at the young man I knew as a boy and my heart ached. So much hate coursed through his veins for an enemy he only knew of from second-hand scars. He was too young to remember their names or faces so what is a child of war to do but remember their skin as an enemy flag.

"Desaley! You will not disrespect our guests under this roof!" the Chief bellowed from his seat.

"They saved my life, Esa," Riley piped up. I felt a sense of pride well up in me, but it was instantly quashed once I met her eyes.

"That all fine and all but we can't forget what their people did to us!" he urged the room to his side. That's it. I wasn't going to let him marry the people I loved most in this world with the monsters who butchered my family.

"Shut up," I warned in a grave voice. I raised myself out of the chair slowly, careful not to lose control of myself. I stared the boy down as he tensed his muscles. I knew he was itching to attack.

"What do you know about our people's suffering?" I quipped back at him.

"You have lived in a time of peace. You have never seen this kingdom in a time when a lion was not the king!" I said purposefully signalling back towards Junaid. A light bulb finally went off in the Nøkkensons' head. Sam's eyes went wide, and his posture instantly straightened.

I looked back towards the seething boy, who was too lost in his self-righteous anger, to notice that I had left my chair and was now standing directly in front of him. I stood over him and stared down at him. It made me feel lightheaded in an empowering way to lord over him as he tried to hold his own against my glare. His posture was slightly shrivelled as he crouched into his seat. I smirked at his shrunk state.

"Nikola," came Melissa's soothing voice. I looked into her vibrant lilac eyes. I sighed before turning back towards Desaley.

"I am here to keep the princess safe. Melissa and Sam go where I go. It's quite a simple arrangement if you allow it to be. This Pride, and the people around this table," I said looking up and scanning the eyes of my former pride mates, "I was a part of you once. I will do everything in my power to keep Riley and all of you safe… but should any of you," I glared through the trembling boy, "make a move against my fiancé or brother I will have no problem reuniting you with those ancestors we all love so much." The room didn't utter a word as I returned to my seat and finally tasted my food. Delicious.

Junaid released a full belly laugh that danced sounded like a herd of wildebeests stampeding through fynbos as it caused the whole table to vibrate on his legs.

"The daughter of Shango is finally back!" he boasted as he reached over his daughter to ruffle my hair. I stared at my plate, but I allowed myself a small smile at the warm feeling I felt from Junaid's affection.

I was happy to be home.