Noah’s eyes widened. “Protecting it from what?” Ben glanced back toward the enclosure. “From the other lions. From us, too. He didn’t want anyone near it while it was hurt. That’s why he stopped eating, why he stayed in that corner. He gave up his own comfort just to keep it safe.”
Daniel tightened his arm around his son, feeling the weight of the explanation settle in his chest. Beyond the glass, King lay watchful in his corner, still guarding an absence he didn’t yet understand. But in another building, under careful hands, the life he had shielded was breathing easier.