Wow! And that is for two reasons. First, the pairing in this book of the series is fascinating, with the dragon clan healer, Kristoff, and the wolf alpha’s eldest son, Garrett, finding out they are mates – except neither of them wants to be mated to the other and they each have more than excellent reasons. The second reason is related to the shocking event that took place at the end of the last book – well, I am happy to report that the author has, indeed, found a way to fix it. I am not going to be able to give any more details, since that would still be a spoiler, but rest assured, all is okay again on that front. At least almost well, there are still a few obstacles…. But it looks as if that secondary story line will still continue in parallel with the main one for a while, and I really like that idea.

As for this book’s main story, let me begin with Garrett. He is Conner’s eldest brother, and destined to become alpha of the Black Mountain pack one day. He had a mate over fifty years ago, but she died in childbirth as did Garrett’s baby. Garrett loved her a lot and is determined to never love anyone like that again. Never mind that he doesn’t think he will ever find another mate, and definitely not one of the dragons, so he was excluded from the peace treaty that means as many wolves as possible should mate with dragons. There is only one problem: as soon as he finally makes it up the mountain for his nephew’s birth, he falls in lust with the dragon healer. And no matter how determined he is to call it lust, not a mating, he cannot deny it forever. But when he finally gives in, it is not his proudest hour, as he completely misses all the signals from Kristoff and ends up giving him the mating bite without the dragon’s consent. Uh-oh! And even though he is a very proud alpha, he soon realizes that he will need all the help he can get from his younger, dragon-mated brothers to fix this mess!

Kristoff has his own set of issues. Not many dragons know this, but he was raped by alpha wolves a few years ago, and the one thing he never, ever wants to do is even have close contact with another alpha. The list of nasty names and nastier feelings he has for the overbearing idiots is long and detailed. When Garett comes to his room, clearly wanting sex, Kristoff is surprisingly tempted. He only goes ahead with it to prove to himself that he isn’t “broken” from his previous experiences, and he figures having sex again will be good for him. But when Garrett bites him and mates him he is livid. How dare he! Needless to say, he will not give in easily, no matter how considerate and romantic Garrett suddenly becomes.

If you like this series and want to know what’s next for the various dragons and wolves of Black Mountain, if you enjoy reading about two men who are super-determined not to find a mate but cannot help themselves when they meet, and if you’re looking for a read that is exciting, interesting, and contains some very hot bedroom action, then you will probably like this novella. As ever, I can’t wait for the next book!


NOTE: This book was provided by the author for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
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The story is illogical with in the boundaries and setting of the story itself. spoiler: [No matter how you look at it what Garret does is rape and Kristoph's last minute change of heart doesn't really change that.] Garret's solutions and plans have such obvious flaws that even a 4 year old can argue against them. The only thing that takes the story forward is a very cheap plot manipulation. The characters act illogical, on more than one occasion and on many levels, just because the author says so. This story is an insult to the reader's intelligence. ( )