Just a refresher, in both Kheri and Zahara's bio's, Kheri is a childhood friend of both Zahara and Kovu. Kheri always had a love interest in Zahara for years and was often jealous when her and Kovu were mates in the beginning.
Every since Kovu had left the Out Lands for Princess Kiara, Zahara has been extremely heart broken. It was now Kheri's chance to step in and make his move inside her heart. It took a while for Zahara to date again, but over growing more "close" to Kheri, she develop trust and love again.
Whenever she is around Kheri, he always make sure that Zahara and her cubs are safe and will do anything she needs. That is what attracts Zahara the most knowing that she has someone who is serious and wants to stay around for a long time. Eventually, her heartache for Kovu ends.
Note: I made changes to Kheri's nose, making it a couple of shades darker. I will also update his reference image on his character page.
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Kheri and Zahara: Me(C).
Render/base: Me(C).
Original Image: Disney(C).