The bear devoured the fish in savage gulps, muscles rippling beneath its white fur. Between bites, it huffed and wheezed, as if exhausted. Nolan blinked, stunned by the realization that this colossal predator was anything but triumphant—it seemed desperate, even pitiful, in its frantic feeding.
His breath caught in his throat when the bear swung its massive head toward him again. A guttural moan rattled the ice beneath them. Nolan realized then how famished it must be, how life in this merciless land had driven the beast to such boldness.