"What the..." A surprised voice said from the opened door. It was Laohu. "What happened here?"
Alex looked at him, his eyes wide with fear. Now that someone had seen the atrocity, a deep regret suddenly dawned on him. "It was... an accident," he lied, his voice shaking as he tried to cover the mess with a handful of hay. Marty trembled on the floor, in muffled moan, as some of the hay landed on his wounded body. "He's fine, see?"
But Laohu wasn't fooled by the lion's pitiful attempt of a ruse. His gaze was sharp, his eyes flickering from Alex to the zebra, and back again. "Doesn't look like an accident to me," he said, his voice cold. Yet, there was something in his eyes that made Alex's heart race faster. It was as if he wasn't just shocked; he was... impressed?
Alex stumbled over his words, trying to come up with a convincing explanation, but his mind was racing too fast. The tension in the carriage was palpable, thick enough to cut with a knife. Laohu took a step closer, his paws landing heavily on the floorboards, and Alex could feel the vibration all the way to his core. The tiger's nose twitched as he took in the scent of blood and fear, his eyes gleaming with something that sent a shiver down the lion's spine.
"An accident?" Laohu repeated, his voice laced with disbelief. But then, his expression changed, and a smile began to spread across his face, revealing his sharp, gleaming teeth. "Ah, I see," he said, his tone taking on a knowing quality. "You were just... testing your limits."
Alex's heart raced as he realized the tiger wasn't buying his lie. He could feel the situation spiraling out of control, his mind racing to come up with a way to explain himself. "I... I didn't mean to," he stuttered, his eyes darting to Marty's still form on the floor. "I just lost control."
But Laohu was already nodding, his smile growing wider. "Don't worry, Alex," he said, his voice smooth as silk. "We all have our moments of... weakness. But what's important is that we learn from them, and grow stronger." He took another step closer, and Alex could feel the power radiating off of him, like a predator assessing his prey. "You've proven that you're more than just a performer," Laohu continued, his eyes gleaming. "You're a fighter. And that's exactly what I need for my show."
Alex's heart sank as he realized his mistake. He had shown his true colours to the very creature he had hoped to impress and win over. He had hoped to be seen as a leader, not a monster. "I... I didn't mean to," he whispered, his eyes flicking to Marty, who lay unmoving on the floor.
But Laohu's smile only grew wider. "No, no, Alex," he said, his voice still eerily calm. "This is exactly what I need. A show of power, of dominance. It's what the audience craves."