In all the years she has watched the wolves in the woods behind her house, Grace has been particularly drawn to an unusual yellow-eyed wolf, unaware he turns into a human for a short time each year, but when the two find one another in human form, they vow to do whatever it takes to stay together.

Edgar Sawtelle, born mute, lives contentedly on his parents' Wisconsin farm helping raise a unique breed of dogs developed by his grandfather to embody the qualities of companionship and wisdom, but the death of his father and his belief that his uncle had something to do with it, force him to flee to the forest with only three yearlings for companionship, where he struggles to survive until the need to confront his uncle leads him home again.

Ivy and Bean decide to be good, kind, and pure of thought in the hopes that the wild animals will befriend them, but when their plan doesn't work, they decide sometimes it's good to be a little bad.

While visiting the farm, Martha learns new words and that she might not be cut out to be a farm dog, until a coyote threatens the sheep and it is up to Martha to raise the alarm.