Chapter 2 — The King Who Refused to Attack
Nobody moved.
Not the tourists.
Not the guides.
Not even Emily.
The lion stood so close she could see tiny scars around his nose and droplets of river water hanging from his whiskers.
He looked at the cub.
Then at her.
Back to the cub.
Emily slowly lowered herself to one knee so the current would not pull the little lion away.
"I wasn't trying to take him," she whispered, her voice shaking.
"I just wanted to save him."
The words meant nothing to the lion.
Or so she believed.
The cub suddenly lifted its head.
Its tiny body shivered.
Then, to everyone's astonishment, it crawled out of Emily's arms and stumbled toward the enormous male.
The tourists screamed.
Emily expected the lion to charge.
Instead...
The cub collapsed before reaching him.
Without hesitation, the male lowered his massive head and gently nudged the little cub upright.
His touch was unbelievably careful.
A lioness stepped forward.
She sniffed every inch of the cub.
Then something unexpected happened.
She walked toward Emily.
Closer.
Closer.
Until Emily could feel the lioness's warm breath.
The woman closed her eyes.
This is it...
she thought.
The lioness leaned forward.
Touched Emily's injured shoulder with her nose.
Then quietly licked the blood running down her arm.
The guide gasped.
"I've never seen anything like this."
The lioness stepped back.
The male released a deep rumbling sound that echoed through the valley.
Every other lion immediately relaxed.
The cub walked back toward Emily.
Not toward its own family.
Toward her.
It rubbed its tiny head against her soaked leg.
The tourists couldn't believe what they were seeing.
Phones trembled in shaking hands.
Some cried openly.
The cub refused to leave.
Again and again the lioness nudged it away.
Again and again it returned to Emily.
The guide finally understood.
"The cub thinks she saved its life..."
"But that's not the strange part."
Emily looked at him.
"What do you mean?"
He swallowed hard.
"The strange part..."
"The pride is letting the cub decide."
As everyone watched in disbelief, the tiny lion walked back to Emily one final time.
Then gently placed one muddy paw on her boot.
The giant male stared at her for several long seconds.
Finally he turned around.
The pride silently followed him into the tall grass.
Only the cub remained.
Emily's heart sank.
"No..."
she whispered.
"You belong with them."
She carefully picked up the exhausted little lion.
Walked toward the edge of the grass.
And set him down.
The cub looked at her.
Then ran after his family.
Emily smiled with relief.
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She thought the story had ended.
She couldn't have been more wrong.
