Shemesh was the first born in a surprise litter of five pups. Her mother was the family dog of her master’s neighbor, an Alaskan malamute who roamed the acreage unchecked — and her father, an opportunistic coyote. Once weaned, her and her siblings were quickly distributed amongst the unsuspecting townsfolk. Only her master, an aged outdoorsman named Noam Honeyman, was keenly aware of her true nature.

Noam trained Shemesh with a firm, but gentle hand, giving her free reign of his fenced property in exchange for obedience within the house. He praised her for every good thing she did, no matter how small, and only ever scolded her with stern words — even when she dragged half-dead prey through the living room. And she so badly wanted to be a good dog, because it came with stories: long, mesmerizing tales told by firelight about her master’s chosen people.

Shemesh soon became Noam’s most loyal hiking companion, carrying some of his supplies on her back as they explored the trails of northwest Montana. She might as well have lived in the woods during her second summer, with week-long camping trips spent swimming in mountain lakes, cooking long meats over the fire, and sleeping under a thousand thousand stars by her master’s side.

Despite her idyllic life, the more time Shemesh spent in the wilderness, the more she felt the mountains’ call. It was a fateful meeting with a skittish coyote that changed her life forever. Shemesh had heard the wild dogs in the distance before, even sang with them before her master could call her back inside, but she had never come nose to nose with one. When they ran, Shemesh gave chase. She had so many questions to ask them! What was it like to live in the wild, to roam wherever they pleased, to sleep under the stars every night?

But Shemesh tumbled down an unstable slope and lost track of her same-eared quarry — and with them, her own zig-zagging trail back up the mountainside. Separated from her owner on the outskirts of the Teekon Wilds, Shemesh was forced to come to terms with not knowing which way “home” was for the first time in her life.