The deeper the roots, the darker the secrets.

When park ranger Malachi James discovers a poached mother bear at Pennsylvania's Worlds End State Park, he never expects the search for her missing cubs to unearth his own buried past. Partnering with wildlife biologist Cate Garrison, their mission to rescue the vulnerable orphans becomes a dangerous collision with Jade—a secretive cult founded by Malachi's estranged father and still embracing his long-missing mother.

But when Cate vanishes while investigating a remote den, Malachi's worst fears materialize. Has the cult that defined his childhood now taken the woman he's falling for? With time running out, Malachi must confront his family's dark legacy before it claims another victim.

Racing against time and battling human predators in the unforgiving wilderness, Malachi's steadfast faith becomes the guiding light Cate desperately needs. The forest that once offered sanctuary now conceals deadly secrets—and possibly the answers to questions he's spent a lifetime avoiding.