It was the fourth day since Shere Rani had been injured. The remains of the boar were inedible now and she languished in her territory with her back to the large rock pile. Her shoulder had begun healing but anytime Rani put weight on it, her foreleg shook and a dull pain arched across her side.

Gil had visited her everyday since the incident and would soon arrive with a cheek full of nuts to offer the carnivorous tigress. Despite Gilahar's goodwill, Rani could not partake in her gift, nor in the fruits Baloo had left at the edge of her territory.

Bagheera had attempted to catch something to feed her but, surprisingly, he was unable to locate anything large enough to be worth consuming and close enough to bring her.

Shere Rani was a patient creature; she would not have survived her pact with the other animals of the jungle if she weren't. She knew that to travel while injured would only worsen her condition but she did not know if she could take this inactivity much longer.

It was the seventh day and Rani was having difficulty controlling her hunger. The daily visits from her squirrel friend were growing marred by a red haze. Every snap of a twig or chirp of a bird caused her ears to prick up and her mouth to water. Yesterday, she could almost smell the blood racing under Gil's thin fur.

"It would be better if the rodent did not come today," she thought to herself.

She needed to eat. There was only one option, really, and Rani slowly climbed to her feet. Keeping her injured paw and shoulder free of weight, she clumsily stood in a balanced stance with her face turned to the tops of the trees.

A huge, angry roar echoed through the jungle. Deep and sonorous and ferocious snarls reverberated off trees and into startled prey animals' ears. It was quite apparent to any who heard it that the roar warned of one thing: hunger.

To the hunting Bagheera, it warned that his companion was getting hungry enough to lose control of her iron will.

Akela sat dozing in the sun on top of their pack rock when he jerked to full attention. With one look from lamp-like yellow eyes, cubs were ushered into the cave.

The flying squirrel Gilahar heard it and froze as she raced through the treetops. It was rare for Rani to be anything less than civilized and this was not her smooth and cultured growl. This roar warned that a starving tigress would soon be on the hunt.

And, across streams and through trees, another tiger heard the wild threat of a predator. Shere Kahn grinned and lazily stretched. It had taken longer than he expected, but Shere Rani had given in to her instincts and was preparing to truly hunt.

"Such a shame she's injured," thought the tiger smugly. "Her labors will be unrewarded…while mine will only be the start of my success with the stubborn creature."

With one toothy grin, Shere Kahn began bounding through the jungle towards Rani's unrefined roar.

Rani was nearing the edge of her territory and moving quickly, ruthlessly ignoring the twinges in her shoulder and side. The first unlucky creature to come in her sights would become her meal but none had crossed her path. She stalked closer to the edge of the wolf pack's territory and smelled nothing. Where were the prey animals? True, they would have heard her roar but only so much could be done to hide from her senses. It almost seemed like the jungle was empty.

She slunk through the trees more urgently, further from her territory and closer to the stream a few leagues from her territory. She was focused on the hunt, completely consumed with hunger as she prowled toward the edge of the gurgling stream. She could hear grunts and splashes on the edge of the water and the smell of wet tapir filled her twitching nose.

Shere Rani sank low and approached the end of the tall grass surrounding the bank. A fat tapir was nosing the sand in front of her in search of some morsels…delicious. Her hindquarters tensed as she lowered her head to the ground. Her shoulder ached but she continued to twitch and adjust her paws to jump directly onto her prey. Her mouth opened and her coiled muscles sprang toward the tapir as she let out a triumphant roar-

Which quickly turned into a snarl of fury as a heavy mass of orange and black fur collided with her in midair.

Her back hit the ground and she slid with the weight of another massive beast on top of her. She heard the tapir running away, attempting to race past her. She twisted underneath the behemoth that was Shere Kahn and reached her uninjured front leg out to try catch her prey's back legs with extended claws. It was no use, she had not been fast enough.

"You're looking a little worse for war, my dear Rani. Unable to catch even a tapir? Are you sure you don't need assistance?" Shere Kahn looked so pleased with himself as he gazed down at her furious form.

So sunk into her starvation was Rani that she did not reply to the older tiger with words. She had never before physically attacked Shere Kahn because she recognized that he would always be stronger than she was. Instead, Rani always chose to hide behind dignity and words to best her rival, but not this time. He had stolen her meal and she was mindless with hunger.

She lunged at the tiger's neck but he swiftly batted her attack to the side. She swiped again and again with her claws but she was slow and weak from her days of respite. His mocking growls and playful bats were only infuriating her more.

"So savage, young one! Surely you can do better than this?"

Rani snarled again and leapt at his back but her nails only raked the tips of his fur while Kahn evaded her again with laughter.

"I must say, I've never seen you like this! So wild and free; it is most appealing.

"You ignorant pig!" roared Rani as she stumbled back from him for a moment to catch her breath. "That was to be my first meal in days!" Her injured foreleg trembled but she didn't notice. Her whole body trembled with rage and her golden eyes were so slitted that it looked like she had no pupil. All her fur was standing on end.

"Oh yes my dear, I know. I just wanted to…help you practice your hunting," chuckled Kahn as he took a few steps toward her. "After all, how proficient can you be after getting caught by Man?"

Rani hissed and rose to her back legs, intending to slam her front paws onto Shere Kahn's back, but the elder tiger had been waiting for this. He rammed his head into her chest and pinned her back to the ground again.

"Come now Rani, all foolishness aside I fully intend to see you fed," he purred. "No matter how much I enjoy seeing you like this, it is detrimental to your health."

Shere Rani snapped her jaws in an attempt to reach Kahn's jugular but it was just out of reach. "I would have been fine IF YOU HAD NOT LET MY PREY ESCAPE!"

"Young one, you deserve better than that little tapir. Why, we could be eating goat and cattle right now if you were not so stubborn." Shere Kahn's patronizing purr was driving Rani to her limit. Why was he so cruel?!

"You repel me," Rani growled and jerked on the ground. "Has your age finally rattled your brain? Why would I hunt with you?"

If it was even possible, Kahn looked even smugger as his tail curled contently. "Why my dear, haven't you noticed that prey is scarce in this part of the jungle at the moment? Or have your senses dulled that much?"

Rani let out another warning growl as she wriggled out from under the older tiger. He let her and adopted a more business-like tone.

"I have come across the grounds of a herd of water buffalo, a bit of a journey, but far more than the territory here offers at present. Come, we shall go."

So here is the newest chapter! A long-awaited Shere Kahn bit, did you like it? How was his characterization? Any suggestions for the next chapter? Wishes, comments, concerns, questions? Let me know in a review or a PM!

I've gotten this question a few times: MY story is based on a combination of the animated movie and of the new live-action film. It's weighed a little heavier on the animated movie because I like that one more,

R&R please, it really inspires me to keep writing.