Ashton, the brooding future alpha, and Brayden, a stubborn human just trying to survive college, clash from the very start. Their bond is undeniable, but Ashton’s fear of destiny and his abusive father’s shadow cause him to push Brayden away in cruel ways. I really admired how Brayden stood her ground, showing strength and compassion even when Ashton didn’t deserve it. Sure, the tropes are familiar, mate denial, pack drama, rogue attacks, but the emotional tension helped. I connected with the story and will want to see what happens in the sequel.

Brayden strikes a deal with her real estate dad: two years of community college business courses in small-town Oregon, and then she’s free to chase her dream of medical school. Easy enough—until she literally collides with Ashton, the local alpha werewolf.

Ashton immediately recognizes her as his mate, but since she’s gasp human, denial sets in. His coping strategy? Threats, bullying, and general jerk behavior. Meanwhile, Brayden—with her compassion, stubborn streak, and sheer guts—sticks around anyway, even becoming best friends with his sister.

Ashton’s family life is far from picture-perfect: his abusive father uses him as a punching bag, and he suffers in silence to protect everyone else. After a brutal run-in with rogues in the woods, it’s Brayden who saves his life—without asking for anything in return. That’s the turning point. Suddenly the big bad alpha is vulnerable, terrified of his own feelings, and determined to win her back. (Spoiler: it takes him, oh, about five minutes of story-time.)

Interwoven is the backstory of Brayden’s mother—her wolf dormant, her past tied to Ashton’s father, who once tried to assault her before she escaped town pregnant by a human. The threads all lead to the inevitable showdown: Ashton finally facing the monster who raised him, as the rogues close in.

It’s a pretty standard paranormal werewolf setup—alpha angst, mate denial, family trauma, pack dynamics, rogue attacks. Nothing groundbreaking, but the pacing is quick, the characters are easy to connect with, and the woodsy scent of our MMC lingers pleasantly in the imagination. I’ll be picking up the sequel, mostly to see what happens with Rowan.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for an honest opinion.