Ethan sat in the corner, notebook forgotten, heart swelling with awe. He knew what the others would say. That it was dangerous. That dogs and lions didn’t mix. That instinct, sooner or later, would show its teeth. And maybe they were right. But in that moment, watching the cubs crawl across Bella’s back while she endured their clumsy antics with patient sighs, Ethan didn’t care.
Word spread quickly. Staff who had once muttered about protocol now lingered at the nursery windows, drawn by curiosity they couldn’t deny. Some shook their heads, muttering about lawsuits waiting to happen. Others pressed closer, wide-eyed, as if witnessing something sacred.