His thoughts quickly shifted to the poor bear cub. Jeremy returned to the shed, his breath fogging in the bitter cold. The bear cub lay slumped on the floor, eyes half-closed and body still, its earlier resolve now replaced with utter exhaustion.
Jeremy’s pulse quickened; the bear cub had clearly given everything it had to protect the puppies, and now it lay on the brink of collapse. He knelt beside the baby bear, his hands trembling as he gently checked for signs of life. The bear’s breathing was shallow, its body weak and unresponsive.