Mildred Lee (1908–2003)

In this world, wolf shifters are at least as much animal, when shifted, as they are human the rest of the time. They also have a peculiar pack structure with four key members, possibly more in some cases, but that wasn’t really clear to me. And, like in many shifter stories, human hunters are the bane of their existence. But the focus of this tale is the importance of pack, and how the bonds between its members make the whole stronger than the sum of its parts.

Alex is an omega, best buddies with Ethan who is another omega and has been his best friend since they were kids. They were on their own for a long time, living in peace with the humans from the nearby town, and doing okay. But I guess having other shifters around, and being part of a slightly bigger pack than one with only two members, is a good thing, so Troy and his two betas are a welcome addition. Not to mention that Alex is falling for the big alpha faster than he ever thought possible.

Troy is the alpha of a pack who lost their omega to human hunters, led by a minister who doesn’t approve of gays or shifters. He is slow to trust the humans of the nearby town, for good reason, but he is clearly in love with Alex, so he goes along with Alex’s suggestions. Troy still mourns the omega they lost, and when the man who caused that loss, inadvertently, but still, turns up, he knows there will be trouble.

If you like shifter stories that focus on defending a small pack against attack, if you enjoy reading about characters trying to get over their grief, and if you’re looking for a slowly developing romance with some hot loving, you will probably like this short story.


NOTE: The anthology this story was published in has been provided by Torquere Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
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