The Cassandra Chronicles

Cassandra Holloway is a college student at the University of Michigan trying to make her own way in the world. Having grown up in a children's home she is determined to blaze her own trail to be self sufficient in a hostile environment. Her firm plans to be the one that discovers new species around the world are effectively destroyed when she meets the quarterback of the football team Ryan Snyder. However, she only has eyes for one of her professors Alec Archer whose mysterious ability to sense her thoughts grabs her attention and doesn't let go.
He leads her down a dark path where she finds she is much closer to discovering those creatures that have captured her imagination since she was a child.