Tessa trailed the hulking silhouette across the empty sand, each paw print pooling with seawater before she stepped over it. The bear’s pace was steady, unhurried, as though it knew exactly where to go. It’s leading me to its den, she thought, stomach hollowing with dread.
The shoreline curved toward a black slit in the rock wall—an opening just wide enough for the bear’s shoulders. When it slipped inside without pause, Tessa’s pulse spiked. A cave. Perfect place to disappear forever. She stopped, toes digging into cold grit, debating a frantic dash back to the cottage.