ure terror. He reached the hollowed-out ostrich nest

o time for

t cut through their excitement. He shoved t

d it in his jaws, and started running, motioning for the cubs to fo

scent, colder and sharper th

ustled. Three lionesses fann

of brutish aggression. On the right, the younger, leaner Cassia circled, cutting o

eat in Franco's mouth. She let

between the lioness and his cubs. He hisse

it. Her single eye, cold and merciless, sized hi

. Fight? He'd be dead in seconds. Run? They'd

a che

d behind his legs, trembling. A fierce

or a lion's growl. It was a sound of pure, defiant rage, so unexpect

hesitation, he act

nered cheetah was gone. In his place

tuttered. Their instinc

nt down, scooped up a handful of dirt and du

king her head, momentarily blinded.

ll, pushing a single, frantic thought towa

d hit them, a wave of pure terror and

ed and starte

nearest rock and hurled it with all his

n driving her into a frenzy. All thoughts of the cubs vanished, repl

in her eyes and knew

ding in the opposite d

furious lionesses, hell-bent on tearing apart the stra

nd branches tearing at his bare skin, leaving bl

dodged, weaved, and used trees and rocks to block their charges. The lionesses' c

fire. His legs were turning to le

en he

eep, dark chasm, a crack in the earth

s tra