Graduate student Victoria Ross arrives in the town of Edgar, Washington to investigate the story of a "wild man" living in the woods. As Victoria interviews the people in the town, there are varying opinions ... some think this "wild man" is long dead, some think he's just a man who wants to be left alone, some think he's turned into a wild animal! Jarred Wilde is a man who ran away from this town and his life fifteen years ago when he killed a man in a fight over a girl. He was just a teenager at the time. Police later ruled it an accident, but Jarred never returned to civilization.
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Victoria realizes she needs help to find Jarred. Unfortunately, the only other person interested in finding Jarred is the brother of the man Jarred killed. Steve Parnell is the town drunk, but he knows the woods well. Against her better judgment, Victoria enlists Steve's help and they hike into the mountains, and plan to use Victoria's beauty to lure Jarred into contact with them. After all, he hasn't been with a woman in 15 years!
Deep in the mountain woods, things go bad quickly. Steve gets drunk and tries to rape Victoria. Suddenly, the wild man appears. In the ensuing fight, Victoria strikes what may be a death blow to Steve. Panicked, she runs through the dark woods, only to fall into an icy river, and injures herself badly.
Victoria wakes to find herself in a cave, fashioned into a crude home. A shadowy, bearded figure nurses her for days while she is delirious. Slowly, she regains her faculties and reaches out to Jarred. But, she can't stay in this mountain hideaway ... the sexual attraction between them is growing quickly, and the winter snows will trap Victoria here for months if she doesn't leave immediately. Jarred is part savage, unpredictable, and part of him wants to keep Victoria his captive. Victoria is desperately torn with her desire to get back to civilization, but also to protect Jarred from discovery, for search parties are sure to come soon! Victoria's ill conceived attempt at escaping the mountain looks like it will lead to death for Victoria and the pursuing Jarred ... but if they live, it will be in Jarred's world, on his terms!
The review of this Book prepared by Michele Crossgrove
