 A widowed rancher Claire McNichol and her teenage son, Jesse, and the dramatic events that cause them to reevaluate their relationships with one another and the world around them. Set against a rugged, rural backdrop, Claire and Jesse, along with their longtime friend and ranch foreman Purly Owens, work the cattle ranch that Claire once shared with her husband who was killed in a ranching accident. Claire counts among her closest friends Rose Handy and Sheriff Wade Messer. As the over-protective Claire contemplates selling the ranch and moving to San Francisco with Jesse, a life-threatening accident strands her deep in the wilderness with only a wild wolf for company. When Jesse realizes his mother is missing, he heads into the mountains alone to try and find her, but soon finds more than he bargained for when he encounters deadly poachers holed up at his mom s cabin and discovers they have killed a game warden. The ruthless poachers turn their sights on Jesse and stalk him through the mountains, intent on getting rid of the boy before he can reveal their crimes. While Claire and the wolf form an unlikely alliance in their struggle to survive, Jesse is forced to grow up fast as he races to evade the killers and rescue his mom before it s too late.