Cold prickled his skin the moment his eyes landed on the lifeless leopard that once breathed. Now, its eyes stared coldly at the heavens in surrender. The perpetrator didn't even glance at the corpse — instead, he hurried to his cubs to check on them.
Travis ran over as well, a strange maternal instinct kicking in as he hugged the little ones tightly. Why the hell would they do that? Didn't they know how dangerous it was? They could have been badly bitten or even killed.
"Henry, dear, and Tilda — don't you know you shouldn't go around biting people? What if mama and papa aren't there?" Travis scolded softly, still holding them close.
Tilda pouted, her eyes glistening, then buried herself in his chest with a trembling hug.
"He wanted to steal you away," she whispered, voice cracking. "I got scared you would leave us again like Mum did. She didn't stay long before abandoning us, and I didn't want you to do that too."
Travis's heart softened immediately. No one understood better than him what it felt like to be left behind — both his parents had done the same to him. He tucked the two cubs closer, patting their soft, silk-like hair.
"I hear you, cutie," he murmured, "but you don't go around attacking people. We don't know who's who or what they can do. And one last thing—" He smiled, leaning down, "I'm not going anywhere."
He winked at them, and Henry jumped up in joy, morphing into his beast form and running around playfully.
Derek, standing at a distance, smiled faintly — his expression brightening more and more. Maybe Richard did help him after all, he thought. The stupid leopard had unknowingly made Travis agree to care for his cubs. At least that was progress.
"Now their mama has come," Derek teased with a smirk. "I thought you'd never agree, but turns out I was wrong."
Travis rolled his eyes and stepped away from the cubs.
"Maybe you should mind the way you kill in front of them. They're still kids, not adults like us who can stomach such violence."
Before he could continue, Derek covered his mouth with his palm.
"Shh," Derek warned, ears twitching. "You're making noise. Something's coming."
Immediately, Travis grabbed the cubs and held them tight. The hunters at the front of the pack moved into position, ready to attack whatever intruder approached.
"Stay behind me and don't move — no matter what," Derek ordered.
Travis nodded quickly, his eyes scanning both sides of the forest. The pride had formed a protective circle, shielding those inside — Travis and the cubs included. The air was tense; even the snapping of twigs had gone silent.
Derek, already in his lion form, crouched low in the grass, muscles tightening, ready to pounce. But then… silence.
Travis could feel the tension pressing down on them. The cubs clung to his hair, trying to hide their fear. He hugged them tighter, whispering softly,
"Don't worry, it's just a little issue. Nothing will happen to us. We're fine."
But no sooner had the words left his lips than the sound of footsteps broke out — fast, heavy, and coming from every direction. Twigs snapped endlessly.
"Damn it, this is bad… really bad. What's happening again?" he muttered, panic creeping into his voice. His pheromones spilled unconsciously into the air, and that sweet heavenly scent reached Derek even from afar. Derek's instincts stirred — Travis was panicking. But he couldn't leave the front lines now. Moving recklessly could expose everyone.
"Mama… are we going to die? Is it my fault for biting that leopard?" Henry's tiny voice trembled.
Travis quickly shook his head. "Of course not," he whispered, though fear began to grip his own heart. In this world, danger could come from anywhere, at any time.
Before he could say more, chaos erupted.
A sudden roar of thunderous hooves filled the air as herds of buffalos and giraffes stampeded toward them. The pride scattered in panic.
Travis leapt away instinctively, but his foot landed on a thorn. Pain shot up his leg, and blood spilled down his skin.
"Ah! Damn it!" he hissed, grimacing as he yanked the thorn from his elbow. The cubs screamed in fear, clutching him tighter.
"Don't touch it," Travis said through clenched teeth when Henry tried to help. "You'll get hurt."
His blood dripped onto the ground, releasing a scent that made the Lion clansmen freeze. They recognized it instantly — the scent of their queen.
"Find our leader's mate and the cubs!" Maya, the commander, roared. "No one separates from the tribe! Our strength lies together!"
A thunderous roar of unity followed as the warriors charged to hold back the oncoming herd.
But Derek couldn't focus anymore. He searched desperately for Travis — his eyes darting everywhere. The scent was scattered, confusingly drifting from all directions. That's impossible, he thought. Why is his scent everywhere?
In that moment of distraction, three buffalos surged toward him. Before he could react, one struck him with a brutal kick, sending him flying.
He crashed heavily to the ground, breath knocked out of him. All around, lions were crushed and trampled, their roars drowned beneath the relentless stampede.
Travis, by sheer luck, wasn't in the direct path. Still clutching the cubs, he shielded them from falling debris and dust. His elbow bled, but he ignored it — only focused on their safety.
He didn't notice the dark, slimy leech crawling toward his leg until a buffalo's hoof came down, crushing it into the dirt. The leech wasn't alone — several others crawled back into hiding, frightened by the chaos.
"Something's chasing them…" Travis muttered, eyes wide. "They're spooked. And I don't think we'll like what's coming next."
The cubs whimpered, clinging to his shoulders as the ground trembled beneath them.
"Travis! Travis! It's Derek! Where are you?" Derek's desperate voice echoed through the air.
Travis opened his mouth to respond — but froze.
From the sky, a dark shadow loomed. At first, he thought it was a bird, but it kept growing — larger, wider, stretching across the horizon.
That's no bird.
"Derek!!! I'm here!" Travis screamed, his voice sharp and terrified.
Derek turned toward the sound immediately — but behind him, three more buffalos charged. As he tried to pinpoint Travis's scent, his focus split, and one of the beasts struck him again, sending him tumbling.
He landed hard, dazed, and looked up — just in time to see why the herds were running.
A silver-striped, purple-scaled dragon was descending from the skies, massive and horrifyingly majestic. Fire burned within its throat, and each flap of its wings sent shockwaves across the forest.
Dust and heat filled the air. The ground trembled beneath its presence. The creature hovered for a moment, then reared its head back — ready to unleash a torrent of flames.
Derek, bones shattered and breath shallow, could only watch in dread. He tried to crawl away, but it was too late.
Then — a figure stepped before him. Small, trembling… but radiant.
"Stop!!" Travis's voice rang out.
A blinding light exploded from where he stood, spreading across the forest. Everything froze — the stampeding herd, the dust, even the dragon itself suspended midair.
And then, a purifying, heavenly scent swept through the battlefield — soft, mysterious, and powerful — leaving everyone breathless, even the majestic beast above.