Ethan stood by the glass, knowing questions would come, but for now only one truth mattered: Bella was safe. When staff coaxed her out, she paused to glance back. The lions pressed to the bars, their eyes following her until the gate shut. Ethan stroked her head, whispering, “Good girl. You’re safe now.”
Time carried them forward. Fences were repaired, new rules enforced, and contact forbidden. Still, whispers spread—about the stray who had raised lions and the lions who never forgot. Visitors leaned close to the glass, hoping to glimpse some flicker of memory when the big cats prowled by.