"Years after the outbreak of a mysterious pandemic, hardly any survivors are left in the quarantined wasteland of North America. Hunger and the menace of man-eaters are nothing compared to the ferals – those who were infected and mutated by the virus. Two survivors, the pregnant Megan and her brother David, leave a deserted colony to seek a safer haven. A huge pack attacks them on the way, and they only manage to escape in the last moment with the help of two hunters. Cassius and Abigail have roamed the wasteland since the Breakdown, and even as they bicker over whether to take in more strays, they realize that there is something strange about the siblings and that the ferals will not rest until they are caught. The group heads to a riverside colony where Megan can safely give birth to her child. None of them could have predicted the dangers that await them on their journey – or that the ferals might not be the biggest peril."-- back cover.