The lion deceives the Doe-17

+THIS CHAPTER MAY CONTAIN SCENES THAT COULD UPSET SOME READERS YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED+

I looked around feeling the sense of abandonment, surly Will and Roy hadn't just left me here for good? Right?

I looked at my bracelet, it gave me a sense of slight comfort but still.

The air was chilly from the rain of last nights so I took one of my dried pelts and wrapped them around my figure.

I was at total lost of what to do.

Suddenly I heard the underbrush shaking rapidly, I quickly looked towards the sound my heart thumping wildly in my chest.

What if it was some sort of beast? How would I even be able to escape it.

When I saw golden hair I flinched back wards and covered my face.

"EEP!" I heard a squeak which I recognized as my own voice.

"Maria it's me!" I heard Roy's panicked voice and looked up.

My eyes widened in shock at the scene, Roy had cuts and thin scratches all over him. A deep cut was placed into his forearm. His face was battered and bleeding, four long slashed ran down over his eye.

"Oh- Dear Lord! What happened!?! Are you okay where is Will!?!" I jogged up to him my feet squishing every which way in the mud but I eventually got to him.

"Will! He attacked me!" Roy said grabbing my shoulders, shaking quite a bit.

"W-what?"

•Two hours earlier•

•Wills POV•

I got up in the early morning, looking over Maria fondly before sitting up carefully to not stir her sleep.

I looked up to see Roy sitting in his lion form looking over at us from the other side of the now long gone camp fire. Not even the coals were still hot, I slight glared at all the water around hoping Maria had managed to stay fairly dry.

Roy shifted into his human form and was sitting with his arms folded as he looked at me.

"You need to get some fire wood." He called his voice voided of any warmth, I knew he liked Maria. But treating me coldly definitely wasn't going to get him anywhere with her.

I wanted to tell him this but, I bit my lip and sighed.

"What ever, are we staying here or something?" I stood and cracked my back, keeping my voice low.

"At least until the mud dries up, we don't need her feet getting muck foot."

I nodded, muck foot sucked. If females or males in their human form had their feet in water for to long it could cause muck foot.

It was itchy at first then they say your feet go into a numb pain, next thing you know your skin is peeling off. A terrible thing truly, I looked over at Maria sleeping soundly.

"Watch over her, I'll be back."

"…"

•Roy's POV•

I watched over Maria as Wills foot steps faded, quietly I got up and followed his traces as carefully and soundlessly as I could.

When I got to the edge of the small clearing I looked back at the sleeping Maria, I

Inhaled a deep breath before changing into a lion and padding off into the woods after Will.

My paws hit the ground gently as I followed the tracks that Will had made in the mud.

Covering ground seemed to be Wills specialty, but I caught up quickly.

When I came across him he was bent over picking up the driest wood he could find.

I flicked my tail observing the unexpecting male, what did Maria even see in the male?

He wasn't necessarily attractive, he was more of a submissive guy for sure…

What was so intriguing? A male who rather lower his head than to step up to someone bigger or even smaller than he.

Pathetic, I lowered my belly to the ground and crept along the floor of the forest keeping my eyes on Will.

One paw after another i inched closer and closer, I prepared my haunches and launched myself into the air.

Will must have heard something because he quickly whipped around dropping the sticks that he had gathered.

Quickly shifting forms as I landed on top of him with claws slashing about.

We tussled for a while, he was growling dangerously low, to which I returned. Slight stings of his claws raked my skin as I tried to get a bite onto his neck.

His claws gorged my forearm I let out a painful hiss in retort and clawed his chest causing him to falter.

I used my opportunity and barreled my body into his knocking him down and pinning him to the ground, getting my jaws around his throat…

Suddenly a loud roar was heard and the next thing I saw was claws heading for my eyes, I turned my head and backed up off of Will but not before the sharp blades ran down my right eye.

I howled in pain and leapt back wards avoiding another set of claws heading towards my face.

When I got distance back, I looked over carefully with my left eye.

I saw Will trying to stand himself back up and in-front of Will was a large what looked to be a tiger that's black was switched with his orange.

The tiger hissed and stood protectively in front of Will as he tried to get up, I hissed back in reluctance.

The tiger took that as a challenge and lunged at me again, he was more confrontational than Will had been.

I dodged the best I could only getting grazed here and there.

I tried to retaliate with some blows as-well but the tiger was to quick on his feet.

•Will's POV•

I shifted forms and breathed a heavy breath my chest stung as air rushed into the deep cuts.

Roy had turned tail and ran, I stood up and tried to get back to Maria.

The tiger from before shifted and stood in my way. I glared at him challenging him to try and stop me from getting to Maria.

"Is that how you repay someone who saved your life?" He snorted returning the glare, I looked behind him my eyes widening.

Roy had went in the direction the camp was.

Will's heart raced in anxiety, as he looked back to the feisty male.

"I'm sorry but I have to get back to my mate before that lion gets to her first!" I said running past him, I felt the blood from my wounds start tricking down as I was running but I couldn't possibly care about that at the moment I needed to be focused on keeping that lion away from Maria!

I heard foot steps running after mine as we made our way to the clearing.