Jessica, a 27-year-old teacher, is housesitting in a small town surrounded by Deepwood while her parents are away. When her cats go missing in the backyard, she sets out to find them, only to stumble upon something entirely unexpected.
Declan and his pack of warriors face a pressing challenge the women in their ranks are under a powerful curse, mysteriously disappearing without a trace. His mother being one of them, their absence has created a heavy void, and Declan feels the weight of responsibility to restore their spirits and bring them back.The only hope lies in an ancient prophecy, but its details remain unclear.
When Declan encounters Jessica, his wolf instincts compel him to take her captive, believing she may hold the key to breaking the curse. Drawn to her in a way he can't explain, Declan feels a profound connection, but he is haunted by the shadows of his past.
He lost his parents as a teenager when they vanished under similar circumstances, and his father had left him with the weighty claim that Declan was destined to fulfill the family prophecy.
As Jessica struggles against her captivity, she questions why she's been chosen. Declan, unsure yet resolute, senses her significance and realizes they must work together to uncover the truth.
With the fate of his pack hanging in the balance, Declan is determined to protect Jessica while confronting the darkness of his family's legacy.
Together, they embark on a quest to unlock the secrets of the prophecy, hoping to restore the women of his pack and heal the wounds of his past.
Jessica West is a rarity in her world, an alpha female blessed with sight. She has never been able to detect her own mate bond and believes she is mateless. Until she meets Ryder, an alpha heir from the neighboring pack, and her fated mate. The only problem is Ryder has a secret. Can the bond forged in the magic of fate and moon overcome the choices our past self made?
excerpt:
Anchoring into my skin, I slowly back away from my so-called mate. Distance is necessary. More necessary than breath. In fact I should stop inhaling his f***ing essence that clouds my head and entrances my wolf.
"Answer me!" I whisper-scream at Ryder.
"Yes." a pregnant pause hangs between us before he speaks again.
"I am sorry Jessica. I didn't know. I didn't think it could be like this." His hands move between us, grasping for the invisible bond that ties us through the magic of our existence.
His voice is pained. As if it hurts him to speak these words to me.
How can he be in pain? How can a wolf choose another, it is beyond comprehension. It goes against our very nature. My mind is reeling. The inside of me is a mass of hurt, anger, frustration and arousal that won't go away.
"What did you think? You would just come here, find your mate. Mark and mate her. Me! Mark and mate me, and then what, walk away?" I speak bitterly, spitting my words at him.
The look on his face is a sharp slap on mine. A slow realization sinks in, cutting my soul irreparably. Ryder needed to mark and mate his fated mate to transition to full adult male. Without marking and mating ME he would forever stay juvenile in body. He couldn't inherit his alpha title.
"Yes." it's a whisper, and yet his voice is so loud in my head, I choke on his spoken word.