Wolf Road by Beth Lewis

Elka is raised by a trapper she thinks of as an adopted father after he takes her in as a young child only to find out later that he is a sadistic killer. She flees into the wilderness with only her instincts and a knife to be joined by a lone wolf pup along the way. The people she meets while trying to find her real parents who left to strike it rich panning for gold do not always have the best intentions and many times Elka is making it out barely alive after putting them at risk and only one step ahead of the trapper. She does get help from a few good people, one of whom is a rescued girl sold into prostitution. Powerful and gut-wrenching this is a tale of good, evil and redemption. Described by her friend as a "diamond in the rough", Elka is afraid to love anyone for fear that she will bring them harm. Unless she can make amends by delivering the devil into the hands of justice, Elka will walk the road alone condemned by her own feelings of guilt and self-loathing.