Josie Bartley, a werewolf born to a prestigious pack, fears sheâs flawed, destined to never connect with her wolf spirit after a dream that left her forever changed. When Ashton, the future Alpha of her pack, pursues her, she hesitates. Sheâs sworn off on all romance until she finds her mateâthe one fated to be hersâand longs for more beyond the antiquated traditions of her pack. Caving to her sense of duty, and the pressure on all sides, she agrees with the relationship.
The moon goddess, however, holds a secretâŚ
Lucian, the fiercest of his kind but ostracized for his Lycan heritage, is next in line to be Alpha King. Known as the Alpha of rogues and feared by the Council, his enemies spread rumors to prevent his ascension. As the final campaign for the throne begins, Lucian crosses with a long-awaited blessingâhis mate.
While Josie and Lucian try to shed the shackles of their past and forge their path forward together, Ashtonâs out for blood, seeking to take back Josie and steal the Alpha King position. If they canât stop him, their newfound future will be destroyed forever.
Josie Bartley, a werewolf born to a prestigious pack, fears sheâs flawed, destined to never connect with her wolf spirit after a dream that left her forever changed. When Ashton, the future Alpha of her pack, pursues her, she hesitates. Sheâs sworn off on all romance until she finds her mateâthe one fated to be hersâand longs for more beyond the antiquated traditions of her pack. Caving to her sense of duty, and the pressure on all sides, she agrees with the relationship.
The moon goddess, however, holds a secretâŚ
Lucian, the fiercest of his kind but ostracized for his Lycan heritage, is next in line to be Alpha King. Known as the Alpha of rogues and feared by the Council, his enemies spread rumors to prevent his ascension. As the final campaign for the throne begins, Lucian crosses with a long-awaited blessingâhis mate.
While Josie and Lucian try to shed the shackles of their past and forge their path forward together, Ashtonâs out for blood, seeking to take back Josie and steal the Alpha King position. If they canât stop him, their newfound future will be destroyed forever.
Josie
 Iâve lived my entire life within the borders of the Green Meadow werewolf pack. The cobblestone streets lined with brick storefronts gave the normally sleepy center of my small hometown a comforting, nostalgic feel. On an average day, its residents would go about their day in a reserved, orderly fashion. But that afternoon, standing in the center of town and shivering despite the heat of the summer sun, I desperately wished to be anywhere else in the world.
Rogue wolves of every color filled the blood-soaked streets. The sounds of rumbling growls, crunching bones, and high-pitched yowling pulsed in my ears. Clenching my hands, I tried to still their trembling. Fear taking hold at the sight of deadly fangs dripping with blood, I cupped them to the sides of my head in a feeble attempt to block out the thunderous sound of combat. Bile rose, burning my throat. My stomach quivered at the metallic scent of carnage and filth. Every muscle froze in fear, leaving me helpless and unarmed for battle.
I jumped as two boys ran up to me. âWhat in the hell is she doing here?â Jackson snarled, his dark hair falling into his glowing eyes.
âJosie, you canât be here.â Seanâs normally quiet voice stammered with concern. I stared blankly at the lanky teen. He gripped my shoulders, trying to turn me away from the scene before us. âGo back to Jackieâs or go home.â
âSean, letâs go!â Jackson growled mid-shift and bounded off. Sean looked at him, then back to me. Shaking his head, he took off, shifting and joining his comrades.
I thought of my brother, Brandon, a warrior like Sean and Jackson. Has he joined the fight?
Trapped in my silent movie, I could only watch as an injured tawny wolf dragged himself from the fray, blind to the dead lying motionless in the gutter. The back of his hamstring was torn away, and there was a gaping wound in his neck. The dull look in his brown eyes as they stared at me and the thick trail of blood behind him was enough evidenceâhe was close to death. His filthy, matted fur and skinny frame were clear indications he was a rogue. It was easy to tell them apart from our warriors, who were tearing through their numbers with ease.
All young pups were educated about the disreputable wolves cast out of their packs. They were the subject of nightmares. Many died within the first year of banishment. Males lived a murderous lonely life, thieving for food or living off wildlife. She-wolves would often form smaller packs for protection but even they struggled to survive. My heart ached. No wolf should suffer this way.
Being the second largest pack in the Southeastern region and home to almost two hundred werewolves, rogue raids were rarely a concern. Who would lead such a foolish invasion? Rogue packs didnât have Alphas to guide them, making their actions all the more unpredictableâand dangerous.
Two wolves tumbled before me, snapping at each otherâs throats, both oblivious to my presence. I instantly regretted leaving my friendâs party.
Should I run back to Jackieâs?
We had argued about her cousin, Ashton, who was next in line to be our future Alpha. I ran out of the garden and that was when the alarms sounded.Â
Instinct kicking in, I rushed toward home, but when I reached the square, the rogue wolves were already charging onto the main street.
âJosie, move! Youâre going to get killed!â A tall man I recognized as one of our sentries pushed me aside, breaking me from my daze. The two guards at his side shifted into their wolves and leapt onto three rogues aiming straight for me. Panicked, too young to shift myself, I ran out of the square and into the surrounding forest.
Darting between the trees, ignoring the pull of broken branches as they tore my dress and shins, I didnât stop until I could no longer draw breath. When I took in my surroundings, shock lanced through me. I was in neutral territory, outside our borders. Iâve run too far. Trying to get my bearings, the hair on the back of my neck raised in warning. I spun to the sound of snapping twigs. Neutral territory wasnât as benign as it soundedâwe all knew it was rogue territory.
âItâs just a startled rabbit...â My voice cracked, sounding foreign to my ears in the silence after the clamor of battle.
âNo rabbits here,â a gravelly voice droned behind me. âWell, except for this one. Care for a bite?â I swung around, facing the source, cringing at the carcass he held in his hand. Slowly, he licked the blood from the corners of his mouth.
âW-who are you?â
âNames are so trivial,â the lanky man sneered. âYouâre one of those Green Meadow bitches, arenât you?â He crept forward.
I flinched. âAre you with the rogues attacking us?â
âPerhaps. Didnât your parents warn you about wandering alone outside your borders?â he continued, closing the distance between us. His ragged appearance was sickly and wild. Licking his cracked lips, he scratched absently at his scruffy beard. Hungry eyes peered at me from behind long shaggy bangs. I shivered. âA sweet little morsel like you could really keep me warm at night. Why donât you come closer? I canât quite smell you from there.â He raised his nose to the air.
âStay a-away.â I took several steps back. The ground swayed under my feet.
Donât faint.
âNow, thatâs not very friendly. I was hoping we could be friends. What do you say, darling? When the sun goes down, it gets cold out here. You donât want me to freeze to death, do you?â He lunged. I dodged his grasp and bolted deeper into the forest. He growled behind me as he landed on all fours.
Trying to stay on my feet, my head swirled with a hazy ache. Scanning my surroundings, I realized I was close to one of the popular hangouts of the adolescent wolvesâDevilâs Crack. The Crack was forbidden to all of us, but that didnât stop the young males from taking turns and leaping over the large crevice to impress the ever-present gaggle of she-wolves cheering for them. A month ago, I followed Brandon here. I always enjoyed watching my brother in his wolf form. He was big for a Beta and made everything look so easy. My father was furious when the border scouts reported all of us. Along with the other parents, ours grounded both of us for a week.
I broke through the tree line, my only means of escape separated by the deep rift. She-wolves never jumped the Crack, and without my wolf spirit, attempting this ridiculous feat spoke to my desperation. The wildlife stirred behind me. My pursuer was close, and he wasnât alone. Feeling trapped, I turned toward the crevice.
My vision blurred, and then an unknown voice echoed in my mind. Run! I will protect you.
Obeying, I ran as fast as my legs could carry me. Staying meant being killed by my pursuersâŚor being taken as their new toy. Despite my fear, my only choice was to jump and pray I could reach the vines hanging from the rock ledge on the other side. I closed my eyes and launched myself into the air. Goddess, help me!
A falling sensation turned my stomach. Landing safely on the other side, I skidded on my feet. No, not feet. WaitâŚpaws? Shocked, I opened my eyesâ strangely, everything was brighter. Still fearing the rogues and their menacing howls behind me, I continued running.
Trees rushed by as brambles pulled at my fur. Fur? The damp earth squished between my toes as they gripped the dirt, propelling me forward. The faint scent of the lavender fields that bordered the outer edge of the forest, mixed with an animalic odor of deer and fowl, filled my nose. My chest heaved. Rapid pounding pulsed in my ears, blocking all sound. I glanced around. Whatâs wrong with my eyes? Did I die?
Leaping over a fallen log, I threw my body against a boulder, trying to rouse myself. Ouch! I whimpered. Not dead. What happened to me? Did I shift?
Holding my breath, I stopped to listen for the sounds of my pursuers. Hearing nothing, I let out my breath and shook my head. A fresh new scent enticed me forward. Following it, I slowed and padded softly into a clearing. A bubbling brook trickled steadily over a smooth rock bed. The light of the sun streaming through the trees sparkled off the rippling water. Birdsong mixed with the dribbling sound of the water. It all seemed like a dream.
I dipped my head to take a drink, and thatâs when I saw it. My reflection.
I leapt back. Shaking my head and blinking my eyes, I stepped forward and looked again.
No⌠No, no! This canât be! The image before me was impossible. They donât exist.
I assure you, we do, a soft voice whispered in my mind.
Whoâs there? I glanced around, raising my muzzle to sniff the air.
Iâm your wolf.
My wolf? A moment of panic spread through me, but then... Youâre the reason I outran the rogues.
Yes. You lost them when you shifted and jumped over Devilâs Crack. They couldnât follow you.
How? Iâm too young to shift. Females donât shift until their eighteenth year. You called for the goddess, and she sent me to protect you, the wolf explained.
Her voice was tender, but fear consumed me.
No, this isnât happening. Go away! Leave me alone! I pushed at her presence, burying it deep within me. Iâd rather face the rogues. This isnât possible. Youâre a ⌠I canât beâŚ
Canât be what, Josephine?
I donât want this. Youâre not real. Mom said theyâre only in fairy tales. This has to be a dream.Â
I promise Iâm very real. I need to wake up.
Josephine⌠Go away!
Searing pain coursed through me. My body twisted as bones cracked, shifting me back into my human form. Lying on my side, naked and shiveringâ not from the cool air, but from the image in the waterâI curled my knees to my chest.
âGo awayâŚâ I whispered.
Â
Josie is the daughter of a respected Beta and a member of a powerful werewolf pack but she has a terrifying dream when she is young and fears she will never connect with her wolf. If Josie canât shift, she will be forced out of the pack and she wonât find her fated mate. Even when she starts dating Ashton, the sexy son of the Alpha, she still fears she is somehow flawed and will eventually be forced to go rogue. As she grows up, she realizes her own worth and that things are not as they seem and neither are people.Â
I really enjoyed this story. The premise is nothing new- werewolf shifter who is somehow flawed and ostracized because of it, finding love and acceptance in an unexpected place. However, the author did a very good job keeping my interest and crafting characters that were complicated and multi-faceted. I really liked Josie, her fears about the future were valid and she didnât have the annoying habit of some romance heroines of being rebellious just for rebellions sake. She really tried to fit in to her familyâs expectation while still trying to fulfill her own dreams.Â
Without giving too much away, I will say that I also really loved Josieâs main love interest. He was protective and broody without being domineering and over the top. They seemed to genuinely like each other and their sexual chemistry was off the charts.Â
I also enjoyed that none of the characters were one dimensionally good or bad. Even the villains had some good qualities or reasons for acting the way they did. This made the story more compelling and explained Josieâs struggle to make some tough choices.
If you like stories about fated mates that have to battle outside obstacles to get to each other and lots of smexy alphas, you will find Finding My Wolf perfect.Â