The first time she saw her dream-beast, she thought her date’s car had just missed killing it.
Heather Kincaid sat wedged against the front passenger door of Ted Gaines’ car, wincing every time he whipped around another curve on the dark mountain road. He glared straight ahead through the windshield as the car roared toward her family’s summer cabin at ten miles over the speed limit.
Even though she’d just turned eighteen, her parents had expressed doubts about Heather going out alone with Ted, who had a reputation for being "wild." But he was, after all, a cross-country star at the local high school and son of the local storekeeper whom they knew from years of summer visits. Heather had been thrilled when he’d asked her out, shy bookworm that she was.
She didn’t feel so thrilled now, after they’d parked at the scenic turnoff and she’d had to bat his hands away one time too many.
Eyes flashed in the headlights, and something darted across the road. Deer—
