Cooper Bradenton hates high school- most likely because his fellow werewolf classmates are assholes and treat him as the gay loner outcast. He has never been that guy- the popular jock with great grades, the powerful warrior with incredible skills and proud parents, or the talented tracker that his pack relies on. Cooper finds that he's best at cursing unnecessarily, snarking back in the worst situations, and consuming chocolate Pop tarts at alarming rates. However, Cooper's foundation is shaken when a certain Beta comes into town and the two discover that they are mates- predestined to fall in love. As Beta of the Dark Wood Pack, Axel has to maintain a certain level of control. He has a routine that he religiously follows and he never strays from it. The crunch of bones underneath his paws, the slide of blood between his fingertips- they all leave him satisfied. None of that even comes close to the joy he feels when he finds his mate, Cooper. Unfortunately, Cooper's home and school life isn't the easiest, and the two hour distance between their packs complicates their relationship. Axel must, for the first time ever, give up a bit of control when Cooper refuses to be bossed around.