Chapter 19: The Price of Survival
Catherine’s pulse raced as the male lion’s eyes remained fixed on the alpha leopard. The entire forest seemed to hold its breath, waiting for the inevitable clash between two apex predators. The male lion’s golden mane rippled in the breeze, his massive frame radiating power and dominance. He wasn’t here by accident. His presence in the clearing was a calculated move. The lions didn’t just wander into leopard territory without a reason. He was challenging the leopard for supremacy.
The alpha leopard growled, low and rumbling, its muscles coiling as it sized up the lion. The tension between them was palpable, but Catherine knew that a fight between these two powerful animals could end in bloodshed—and not just for the poachers.
The mother leopard, still holding the first poacher under her claws, didn’t seem to notice the looming threat from the lion. She was fixated on the man beneath her, her growls deepening in warning as the poacher tried to squirm free. His face was contorted in terror, his body trembling, but there was nothing he could do. His only chance now was to survive long enough for the lion’s arrival to shift the focus.
Catherine knew that if the lion and the leopards fought, they wouldn’t just be fighting over territory. It was more than that. It was about survival. And the poachers, caught in the middle, were nothing more than collateral damage. She had no way of knowing how long the leopards would maintain their dominance in this fight or whether the lion would back off.
The alpha male leopard’s growl intensified, a warning to the lion that it wasn’t ready to concede. The two animals, so alike in their ferocity, seemed locked in an invisible battle, each one waiting for the other to make the first move.
Catherine’s mind raced. She couldn’t stay here. The cub in her arms was still shaking, its small body trembling with fear. The only thing that kept it from running was the warmth and protection of her arms, but how much longer could she hold it? If the fight broke out between the two predators, there would be no escape.
Behind her, the first poacher groaned, trying to regain his composure, but the mother leopard’s claws kept him pinned to the ground. His chances of survival were growing slimmer by the second.
Catherine had to act. She couldn’t stand by any longer. The danger was escalating by the minute, and the poachers were running out of time.
And then, just as she took a step forward, something in the distance caught her attention. Another movement in the trees. Another predator?
Her breath hitched as the figure became clearer.
It was not just one. It was several.
More predators were coming.
The real battle was about to begin.