Deep in the forest . . .

The deserted estate in remote northwestern Maine might have seemed foreboding, but it would be a refuge for Paloma St. John. There, she would be alone with her only friends -- the gentle animals she'd rescued from her own uncle's cruel scientific experiments.

But Paloma wasn't alone. There was a presence in the woods beyond the compound gates, a presence that reached into her mind, invaded her every thought, left her trembling with fear . . . and something more. Passion.

Was he protector -- or predator? Savage or savior? Whispers in her thoughts and dreams courted her in another realm, while the voice of her heart beckoned him forward. And so Paloma waited, with longing -- and with dread . . .