Beyond the Fence [DISCONTINUED]

then

tiger

A thin female lion stalked out of the hole, fur bristling and hackles raised. Old blood dried on her flank, clearly marking her many victories. The lion's previously golden fur hung limply on her skeletal body. She was bigger than me by far, the height of my mother.

"I'm sorry," the lion said, stepping closer. "They'll kill me."

I growled and bent down close to the ground, ignoring her words. This would be just like hunting that antelope I killed back in the grasslands.

"I'm sorry," she repeated and lunged at me, claws unsheathed.