She was staring straight at them.
Lisa froze, breath snagging in her throat. The lion’s golden eyes locked on the trees—then on them—with an unsettling stillness, as if she could see right through the leaves, through the quiet, through everything. Her ears twitched once. Her pupils thinned to sharp slits.
Caleb swore under his breath. “She knows we’re here.”
A chill swept over Lisa’s skin. “What?”
“She’s not guessing, Lisa. She’s watching us.”
The lion didn’t move. Not yet. Her tail swayed low and slow—a warning. Nina shifted in the hollow, but the big cat didn’t glance down. Her gaze never wavered from the trees. From them.
Lisa sank deeper into the brush, pulse pounding. “She’s going to attack.”
“Not unless we give her a reason,” Caleb murmured, voice tight. “But we’re running out of time.”
He reached into his pack with deliberate slowness and pulled out a small drawstring pouch.
Lisa’s whisper shook. “What is that?”
“Jerky. Strong-smelling. I use it for trail cameras.” His eyes stayed on the lion. “If she’s hungry… maybe I can lure her off.”
“You’re going to bait a mountain lion?”
“I’m going to try,” he said quietly. “But you need to be ready.”
“For what?”
He didn’t answer. Closing the pouch with one hand, Caleb rose to his feet. The lion’s muscles bunched. She had him in her sights. Caleb stepped into the open, slow and steady, keeping his hands low, trying to look harmless.
He descended the slope toward the ridge, dropping a strip of jerky every few paces, his gaze never leaving hers. The lion’s growl was low and dark. Then she rose.
Lisa’s breath caught.
The big cat unfurled to her full height, muscles rippling, and began to move forward with a predator’s patience. She came down the hollow toward Caleb—not for the food, but for him. Her head was low, tail twitching, each step laced with threat.
Lisa stayed rooted in place, heart hammering so hard it hurt.
Caleb glanced back and gave the smallest of nods. Now.
She crept forward, still half-crouched. Each motion felt painfully slow. The lion hadn’t noticed her yet, all of her focus locked on Caleb as he retreated toward the ridge, hands open, speaking to her in a low voice Lisa couldn’t make out.