On Friday the thirteenth of October, a five-year-old girl named James meets a monster at the Shreveport Holiday Inn. Now, there are those in southern Louisiana who believe in the legend of the rougarou—a werewolf that prowls the bayou. Others think the monster is nothing more than a Cajun tall tale. The Gauthier family, though, knows true evil exists. Matthew Gauthier, his wife, and their four kids are a family built on love and pride, but their shared happiness is shattered that terrible Friday in October after attending the Louisiana State Fair. They move on in the aftermath, even James, who grows into a great beauty is always fearful of what hides in the night. It is James’s loveliness that initially attracts rural Texas boy Charles “Cat” Thomas when they meet years later. It is her fragile nature—reminding him of his own tragic family history—that makes Cat want to protect this shy, secretive, young woman. Loving James comes at a terrible price, though, because the rougarou is still out there watching.