A few hours before Roan collapsed at the edge of the leopard territory, he was already fighting a losing battle against the freezing snow and his own failing body.
Roan was the son of the strongest hunter in the Lion Tribe. From the moment he could hold a spear, everyone expected him to follow in his father's footsteps—to track the largest prey, feed the tribe, and carry the heavy mantle of their family line.
But the Lion Tribe was not a home. It was a prison ruled by fear.
Years ago, the Lion King—a proud, ruthless tyrant—had forced Roan's father into an arranged marriage with a female chosen strictly by the royal court. The elders claimed it was for the good of the tribe, arguing that a master hunter needed a strong mate to breed powerful cubs.
