When the keepers arrived with food, the tension thickened. A man in khaki entered the den once, clutching a heavy cut of meat. Noah gripped Daniel’s hand so tightly his knuckles turned white. Every step the keeper took seemed too loud, too careless. The boy could barely breathe as King’s eyes snapped open.
The roar that followed shook the glass. King surged forward, mane bristling, teeth flashing. The keeper froze, then stumbled back, face pale with fear. Noah gasped, half-hiding behind his father’s leg. The entire viewing crowd fell silent, all eyes locked on the massive lion who had made his warning clear.