Lioness

Chapter 3

I couldn't hear anything else, I dismissed her with a wave of my hand and turned back to the camps. I didn't want to think about it.

What would this mean for the Pride? A Regina whose mate was not only a woman, but also a woman in a relationship. What would they think of me? I had to be in my own bedroom, I had to lay down and digest this. I would do something I would soon regret if I paid attention to her calls. I thought back to the first moment I laid eyes on her, and I couldn't remember seeing anyone else.

"Regina, Jenna is ready." Leo bowed his head towards me as he reached me in the middle of our camp. The Pride grounds were large. Every one of our members lived in this area. Most houses were spread evenly on our left and right, creating a path in the middle. We walked down the dirt path to reach the area where Leo had left Jenna.

Jenna was tied to a large wooden pole we used for these sort of executions. The idea was that their screams would last a good while, to create fear in the Pride. My new status as Regina had included lots of these executions, unfortunately. I couldn't let them disrespect me and get away with it, but so much death really darkens a deep part of the soul that was always meant to be light. It feels like with every death, even if deserved, I lose a small part of myself. Watching the personality in their eyes slowly fade away until they are nothing but a corpse is never something I enjoy, even if I might have to give that impression to instill fear.

"What are you going to do?" he asked quietly. No one was supposed to question their Regina, not even indirectly, but Leo was a personal friend other than my second-in-command. He'd been able to keep me in check when I lost my head to rage. Which wasn't as often now that most of the traitors had been executed.

"Kill her," I said, a small smile playing on my lips. He didn't know it was fake, and it didn't feel fake at that time. Jenna had disrespected me, and my mate. I was a new Regina, and if I wasn't going to be respected then feared would do just as good. He looked at me and visibly shuddered, "Sometimes you scare me,"

"If love doesn't work, fear is a great substitute." I quoted. He wore a blank mask, but said nothing as we approached the crowd surrounding Jenna.

Everyone murmured amongst themselves as I walked up to the small hill where Jenna was tied to the wooden pole. The crowd was smaller than the one in the meeting room, most lions were at home by now. The ones who stayed were the ones who lived closest to the main house. Closest to the screams. Jenna looked at me with utter hatred, there was no other word for it.

"I will not accept anyone disrespecting me," I began with a slight smile as I saw the anticipation in the crowd beginning to rise, "I am the Regina of Oak Pride," I yelled. A slight round of applause then. I took special notice to those who didn't move a muscle.

"The elders have been around since the beginning of our Pride, we wouldn't have gotten here today if it weren't for them," I acknowledged with a small bow of my head towards Jenna. The applause this time was louder, meaning they probably wouldn't like what I was about to do. The other two elders were standing as far apart from the crowd as they possible could, watching me with silent fear.

"I am here to make changes, my dear leones," I said and started walking towards Jenna. The wet grass under my feet, the smell of sweat in the crowd, it all seemed so barbaric in a way. I took a deep breath.

"Jenna here has expressed an opinion, one that cannot be considered respectful in any way. And what do I do to someone who's disrespected me?" I asked, yelling louder and louder as I finished my question. The crowd suddenly understood what was going to happen, a sudden roar of the crowd erupted. They were incredulous, outraged. The other two elders smiled.