"River, I...I didn't realize..." I say, and before I can form the rest of my sentence, he strides towards me. I immediately step away and feel the rough bark of one of the nearby trees press into my back. One of his hands grips my jaw, so firm that I wouldn't be able to turn my head away; even if I wanted to. My whole body thrums with desire, his other hand planting itself on my waist. His onyx brown eyes bore into me; it's like being peeled back to my very inner layers, like he can see every part of me. I feel my core light up with want, my breath catching as he stares down at me, angry, lustful, intense. "You are mine." He growls, his tone rough and thick with possessiveness. I'm not prepared for what happens next. MATURE CONTENT 18+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ What do you do when everyone and everything you know is destroyed in front of you? For 21-year-old Holly Freeman, the only answer was to run. After barely escaping an unknown pack that ambushed her own, Holly stumbles into the territory of the Shadow Pack: the largest and deadliest pack in North America. Tales of the Shadows kept young pups scared at night, and Holly thought she'd sooner be a lonely Omega before joining them....But what is she to do when she mates with a Shadow member? And not just any member, but the ambitious, ruggedly handsome Shadow Alpha, River Matthews? Holly's heard the stories, the evils he's committed for the Shadow Expansion. Their first meeting like that of oil and water, Holly's at a total loss as to HOW they could be fated. But she's never felt anything so true. Determined to navigate the bond on her terms, and challenging River's command, they begin to find a common ground. Holly and River must learn to become each other's best allies, or risk having a greater enemy threaten not only their love, but the way of life among wolves everywhere.