Adrian’s breath caught. It was a single bear cub, slick with mud, eyes sealed shut, trembling with fear. It had been trapped in a collapsed den, buried by shifting earth. He widened the gap carefully, sliding his hands inside to lift the fragile creature free.
For a heartbeat, Adrian feared the wolf would strike, furious at his intrusion. But the beast only stared, eyes hollow with exhaustion and something that read like relief. Adrian set the cub gently on the bank. The wolf lowered its head, nostrils flaring, then nudged the cub closer with a trembling muzzle.