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For two weeks, Maalum trains with Reirei and the other jackals. Now they train only for pleasure, once they have finished their tricky plans. At the same time, Maalum also has fun with his brothers, especially with Kijana, Dogo and Tagi, a jackal from a neighboring pack that usually visits Reirei's pack.

Dogo wants to reward Maalum for the way he has treated him in the past and now he plays a lot with him and talks to him. Maalum and Dogo are now good friends.

Tagi isn't very fond of living with the other jackals in his pack. He says that Reirei's pack is much more fun. Many times, Tagi tries to approach Kijana, bragging and showing how strong he is, in an attempt to make her fall in love with him. Tagi has a crush on her.

Kijana tries to get closer to Maalum, trying to show him how she feels about him. During training, she likes to jump on him, almost kissing him. Maalum shows no reaction. When they play, she takes the opportunity to spend more time with him and even gets to lean against him in some games. But Maalum remains unresponsive.

Then, one night, Kijana decides talking to him to tell him how she feels. She walks towards him, sitting next to him on a high rock. Maalum realizes that she's there, but he says nothing. Both stand still for a while, just watching the blue sky, full of bright stars.

"Maalum ?!" Kijana decides to speak.

"Yes?!"

"Have you ever fallen in love?"

"What?!" Maalum is amazed at her question.

"Did you... ever fall in love with anyone?!"

"Well..." Maalum begins to think about the time he spent with Vitani and her family. Maalum really loved her. It was practically love at first sight. When Vitani said she loved him too, he was overjoyed. However, his happiness was short-lived, as Zira appeared and kicked him out of her pride. After that day, Maalum sometimes thought about returning, but if he did that, Zira would kill him without thinking twice. Besides, he was well received back by the jackals. So Maalum decided to forget about Zira's pride and focus on being happy with the jackals.

"So...?!" Kijana insists.

"I... I fell in love once, but... It didn't work." He responds sadly.

"W-What happened?!" Kijana asks, thinking he's talking about her and when he left.

"Her mom threw me out and... I'll never be able to see her again." Maalum sheds tears.

"Oh." Kijana realizes that he's talking about another girl. "Well... Don't worry, Maalum. I'm sure you will find another girl who will make you happy." She leans against him, smiling.

Maalum smiles and also leans against her. "Thank you, Kijana. You're a good friend." Kijana has always been on his side and he has always enjoyed her company.

Two more weeks follow. Tagi continues trying to win over Kijana, who continues trying to win over Maalum, despite getting along very well with Tagi. Kijana and Maalum are getting closer and closer. After that night, Maalum and Kijana met several times for private conversations, sharing opinions and feelings. Maalum hardly ever thinks about Vitani anymore, starting to feel for Kijana something as or stronger than what he felt for the lioness.

Maalum decides to go and speak to his adoptive mother: "Mom. May I talk to you?"

"Sure, honey. I am always here for you." She nuzzles him.

"I... I need your opinion on one thing. But... you have to promise me that you won't tell anyone."

"Of course, Maalum. What's up?"

"I... I think I'm in love with Kijana." He shows a passionate smile.

"Really?!" Reirei is surprised.

"She's very cute and fun and supports me whenever I need to. I really love her, mom." He continues smiling, until he remembers something and his smile becomes fear and some sadness. "But... I don't know if we can be mates."

"And why not?!"

"Kijana is my sister. This is wrong."

"Maalum." Reirei nuzzles Maalum to cheer him up. "You're like siblings, but you are not siblings. Remember that I'm not your real mother."

"But... You're like my real mother. And Kijana is like my sister."

"Maalum. Right now, what matters the most is what you feel. If you love Kijana that much, go ahead. If you're happy, I'm happy too."

Maalum thinks for a few seconds. He knows that Reirei is right. He now belongs to the pack, but he still doesn't belong to the family, despite living as such. He and Kijana are not real siblings. "Thank you mom." Maalum nuzzles her in thanks.

That night, Maalum goes to Kijana for their usual evening conversation. They talk about what they did during the day, until Maalum decides changing the topic of the conversation: "Kijana. Do you... consider me your brother?"

Kijana is surprised by the question. "Well... You're part of our family and it's my parents who take care of you, so I think we are like siblings. But... I don't see you only as a brother."

"You don't?!" Maalum is amazed.

"Maalum. You're more than a brother to me. You are my best friend and... well... I... I would like... I wish you were more than that." She starts blushing.

"I... I think I know what you mean." Maalum also blushes.

"You know?!"

"Kijana. You... You are very important to me. You've been an incredible friend and... I also see you more than as a sister and friend."

"Maalum. Are you saying...?!"

"Kijana. Would you like to be my girlfriend?" He asks fearfully.

"Yes." She responds, moved. "Yes, Maalum. Of course yes."

Kijana approaches Maalum and begins licking his face, making him start purring and wagging his tail with joy. Then it's Maalum's turn to lick Kijana, making her laugh lightly, while wagging her tail with joy.

"Kijana. I love you." He smiles passionately.

"I love you, too, Maalum. I love you since we were cubs." She leans against him, making him blush more. "I always loved you."

The two lie down, leaning against each other, completely in love, until they fall asleep.

The next day, Maalum and Kijana tell the other jackals that they are together and everyone is happy for them. Everyone except Tagi, who's upset.

In the coming weeks, Maalum and Kijana spend more time together, starting to ignore Tagi. However, Tagi doesn't give up and continues trying to win over Kijana, inviting her to spend time with him in training and hunting. Sometimes Tagi offers Kijana meat. Maalum begins to be jealous when Kijana continues accepting the male jackal's invitations and gifts.

About a month after the night they declared their love, Kijana refuses the usual meeting with Maalum, saying that she already has things planned. At first, Maalum is suspicious, but he trusts Kijana and he doesn't ask her any questions.

That night, Maalum is alone, watching the stars, while thinking about his life, now happy. After his complicated childhood, things finally seem to be going well.

"It looks like I finally found my place."_He thinks with a happy and satisfied smile. _"I will never have to run again."

Not long after, Maalum decides to go sleeping. On his way to his den, Maalum hears a familiar male voice: "I love you, Kijana."

But it's the female voice he hears next that makes him most surprised: "I love you, too, Tagi."

Maalum approaches the source of the voices, behind a high rock and finds Kijana and Tagi nuzzling each other, him licking her face, while she shows a passionate smile.

"Kijana?!" Maalum speaks in a sad and disappointed tone.

"Maalum!" Kijana's surprised. She didn't expect him to show up at this point. Kijana moves away from Tagi to approach Maalum. "Maalum. I can explain."

"I thought you loved me." Maalum sheds tears.

"Maalum. Please listen..." She moved closer to him.

"No!" Now he speaks upset, moving away from her. "I don't want to hear you. You betrayed me!"

"Maalum. You are very important to me."

"Enough, Kijana." He's disgusted. "You said you loved me. You said we were going to be together forever. You promised that you would always be by my side. But you were just lying!"

"No, Maalum. I..." She tries to defend herself, but he don't let her.

"You know what I went through. You know how I felt."

At this moment, Kijana just looks at him with some sadness, while Tagi tries to hide that he's happy.

"You and I could've been happy together." Maalum continues.

"We still can." Kijana adds.

"No, we can't. You betrayed me and I can't trust you anymore." Maalum turns to go.

"Maaly. Wait." Kijana runs after him, but he stops her.

"Don't follow me! And don't call me Maaly. I never want to see you again."

Maalum leaves upset, leaving Kijana sad. Tagi takes the opportunity to comfort her, nuzzling her: "It's ok, Kijana. I am here."

After what happened, Maalum cannot sleep. His mind is filled with sad memories: he was rejected by several jackals in the past and he decided to leave, fleeing their struggles; he found a family focused on revenge and fell in love with a lioness, but was immediately expelled by her mother; he found the jackals again and fell in love with his best friend Kijana, who betrayed him.

With his head full of bad memories and unable to sleep, Maalum decides to go for a little night stroll. Maalum approaches the border of the Outlands, observing the Pride Lands. "I wish I were different." Suddenly, his head is hit by a staff. "Ouch!" He looks back and sees Rafiki laughing. "Who are you? Why did you hit me?"

"The question is, who are you and what are you doing here?"

"I wish I knew." Maalum responds with sadness. "I... I thought my place was with jackals, but... now I don't know."

"You are looking for peace and peace is a place."

"What?!" Maalum is confused.

"There is a place for rare, sick or homeless animals, a place now ruled by King Kion and Queen Rani."

Maalum thinks the name Kion is familiar, but he ignores that.

"And what is that place?" Maalum is interested.

"You are looking for the Tree Of Life."