The bear turned its head toward him. Its dark nose twitched, and the chuff of its breath rose in an ominous cloud. Then its eyes settled on Nolan, holding him in a stare that made the distance between them feel dangerously small. He knew what the animal was capable of. Every instinct urged him to move, yet fear seemed to have locked his legs in place.
He forced himself to take a step backward, then another, careful not to make any sudden movement. Beneath his boots, the ice was slick and uneven, dusted with loose snow that concealed its treacherous surface. The bear continued forward, its immense frame cutting through the white haze. Nolan tried to judge how far away it was, but panic made the distance impossible to measure.