CHAPTER 4 — The Bullet Never Reached Its Target... Because the Alpha Lion Made an Impossible Choice
The trigger clicked.
Everything slowed.
Olivia closed her eyes.
She expected pain.
She expected darkness.
Instead—
A deafening roar exploded only inches behind her.
The ground shook.
Before the poacher could fire, the alpha lion launched forward like a thunderbolt.
Nearly five hundred pounds of muscle slammed into the armed man.
The rifle flew twenty feet through the air.
The poacher crashed into the mud with a scream.
Chaos erupted.
The other gunmen opened fire.
BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
Bullets tore through branches.
Dust exploded everywhere.
The tourists threw themselves behind the safari vehicles.
The rangers returned fire, forcing the poachers to take cover.
The lionesses reacted instantly.
Instead of attacking, they surrounded the cub, shielding it with their own bodies.
The alpha fought alone.
He moved with unbelievable speed.
Every leap sent another poacher crashing to the ground.
One rifle disappeared beneath his massive paws.
Another man dropped his weapon and ran.
"Retreat!" someone shouted.
But the leader refused.
He pulled a handgun from his belt.
Olivia saw it before anyone else.
"No!"
The shot rang out.
The alpha twisted at the last second.
The bullet struck his shoulder.
A spray of blood stained his black mane.
The great lion staggered.
For the first time...
The king of the pride looked vulnerable.
The cub cried desperately.
The lionesses roared in panic.
Olivia didn't hesitate.
Ignoring the gunfire, she sprinted toward the wounded lion.
The rangers yelled for her to stop.
She never even looked back.
She dropped beside the alpha.
Blood poured from the wound.
His breathing became slow and heavy.
Anyone expected him to attack the human touching him.
Instead...
He looked into Olivia's eyes.
There was no anger.
Only exhaustion.
Very gently, the giant lion rested his head against her arm.
As if he remembered the woman who had saved his child.
Tears streamed down Olivia's face.
"I'm not leaving you."
At that exact moment, a helicopter thundered overhead.
Everyone looked up.
The side door slid open.
A sniper wearing the uniform of the National Wildlife Protection Unit leaned out.
Then came a voice booming through loudspeakers.
"DROP YOUR WEAPONS!"
"YOU ARE SURROUNDED!"
The poachers froze.
But their leader smiled.
Slowly...
He reached into his jacket.
Pulled out a small remote control.
And whispered with a grin,
"If I can't have the cub..."
"No one will."
He pressed the button.
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Somewhere deep inside the forest...
A massive explosion shook the earth.
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