Dark Succession: True Mates #2

Dark Succession
True Mates, book 2
ebook
Published April 20th 2010 by Freya's Bower

Nora Hunt is the daughter of former pack leader Sean Hunt and niece to Kieran Hunt. Emotionally and physically scarred after being held captive for weeks, she's finally ready to move on with her life. But when she meets Ryland, she discovers not only a world of darkness and pain, but discovers Ryland may not be any better than those who held her captive all those weeks.

When Ryland Keegan steps in as Alpha of his dead brother's pack, he inherits a pack of savage rogue wolven, as well as a legacy of violence, lies and five women held captive within the pack's confines.

But when Ryland's pack members start dying one at a time, he must decide if Nora is the catalyst or the killer. Can he trust his True Mate? Or will he be relegated to a life of leading the dregs of Wolven society?

“Just let me hold you for a while, mate.”

How do you turn a villain into a hero? Give him a chance to tell his side of the story.

Ryland is altogether a different man in this book in comparison to the first. Not that *he* changed. Just the perspective. With his brother now dead, Ryland has inherited the pack (a group of misfit rogues) and a den (an underground concrete stronghold). His life as a shifter is totally screwy. Then he finds his True Mate in Nora, the she-wolf tortured by hyena shifters in the first book. She's also the niece of Kieran, the alpha mate of the woman Ryland once tried to claim.

He escaped and strode across the hall to his own. Inside, he closed the door, leaned against it, and shut his eyes. Now what?

Meeting his mate hadn’t exactly been on today’s agenda. He wasn’t sure how to proceed. Just like their wolf cousins, shewolves chose their mates, despite the rare paring of True Mates. And like the wolves, they usually chose the strongest in a pack. But it wasn’t always the case. Sometimes, they chose entirely by their heart. That’s what scared him. Ryland didn’t know how to court a female. They’d always come running to him. And since none of those females had managed to touch it, he was sure he didn’t have a heart.

Ryland's feelings toward finding Nora teeter a bit in the beginning. He's proud when she stands up to him but later, as he doesn't know what she's been through, Nora shows fear from the memories of her past and Ryland is disgusted by it. His True Mate is a coward. Nora, too, is humiliated by her terror but the stronger emotion is the attraction she feels for Ryland. For the first time in her life, she finds herself wanting a male's attention, even wanting a mate.

Facing a threat to his status as alpha and working to correct the errors of his predecessor, Ryland is torn between what's right and what's best for the pack and for their kind. All the while Nora is there, slowly bonding with him on an emotional level as the need to claim her only exacerbates his very fragile predicament. This one had more of a murder mystery side to it with a very interesting shock factor. Joshua isn't who Ryland always thought he was. And Nora has known Ryland for longer than she remembers.

Then when Nora finds out the truth about Ryland's attempts against Anna... And Ryland sees Nora's scars for himself... OMG goodness! I'm not even sure what it was about this story that hit just the right spot for me. It just did.

I was all about some Ryland though. Anna and Nora are on about the same level with me but Ryland blew Kieran so far out of the water you might want to look for him along the stratosphere.

"You have to see what you are before you can see what you are to me."

Uh huh. Smexy. Ryland is probably the first character I seriously wanted to gobble up. The desk sex was smoldering. The battle of wills that joined the ride just upped the heat. The suspense, though, was going to be the death of me. 5 out of 5 stars.

In My Mailbox 10.31.10

Hosted by The Story Siren

I can't scream about this enough! After four books of cliffhangers, I finally got -what I thought- was a happy ever after in book five, Never Cry Werewolf. But no... apparently we're meant to bathe in the bliss of finally having Sasha accept (Max) Hunter as her mate *OR* Banks is back to rip everything she did to shreds. I'm nervous either way. I had no idea this book even existed!

Thanks to Redd I have my very own hard copy to bang against the desk should anything go wrong. I can't very well whip around my Kindle can I?


My review for Never Cry Werewolf is here in case you're curious why I thought it was the end of the series. Warning- it has major spoilers.

THANKS AGAIN, REDD! *hugs*

Blurb for LEFT FOR UNDEAD

Secret government operative Sasha Trudeau earned a long vacation with her lover and fellow Shadow Wolf, Hunter, after the brutal wolf-like attacks that left New Orleans in an uproar. But when her team calls with news of vampire slayings, Sasha knows it’s only a matter of time before another war breaks out among the supernatural denizens of the world …

The vampires are nobody’s ally, but the cold-hearted deaths of their own kind make them even more bloodthirsty than usual. But who is the culprit? With the Seelie and Unseelie courts claiming innocence and aligning together, Sasha’s team is at a loss. Until they discover that they’re facing ancient creatures from the depths of hell itself, bent on unleashing pure fury …

Other books in the series: (Linked to Amazon)


More books I obtained this week: (Linked to Goodreads)

SheWolf: True Mates #1

SheWolf
ebook, 119 pages
First published December 18th 2007 by Freya's Bower
ISBN 1934069906 (ISBN13: 9781934069905)


A small town veterinarian has a big time problem. She's not human.

Plagued as a child with an extra-sensitive sense of smell, strength, and eyesight, Anna Callaway always thought she was special. But she didn't understand how special until she met Kieran Hunter.

He insists they are True Mates, but he's not human either. He's wolven.

Kieran is a protector of his race. No longer the Alpha of his pack, he spends his time searching out and punishing any who may reveal their race to humans. While patrolling, he finds two wolven about to kidnap Anna. He battles to protect her, but is surprised to find himself drawn to her in a way he never expected.

The couple must learn to deal with their differences before they can address their similarities. But when three men kidnap Anna, she must decide if she is to embrace the wolven way of life, or return to her quiet existence. And whether to abandon the man who claims her as his True Mate.

"Prove to me you are my wolf."

I found this series when I stumbled upon book two, Dark Succession, starring Ryland and Nora. Imagine my surprise when Ryland shows up in this book on the verge of raping our female protag, Anna.

Escaping for some fresh air outside a male review, Anna is cornered by Ryland and Joshua, two wolven who seek a female to birth a child for their dwindling race. Despite Ryland's claim of her, Kieran arrives, fights Joshua, and becomes Anna's savior.

Throughout the assault, Anna swears she's infertile, making the declaration in attempt to buy her freedon. When she repeats it again later to Kieran, he's taken aback. Perfect 'Yes, I am/No, You're Not' moment there.

Anna is a tough woman and she comes into this new existence with a fury. As she meets the pack even Kieran sees the alpha in her. And an alpha, in his mind, he is not. It makes for some tension that is only survived by throwing Ryland back in his face.

So yays for SheWolf. I loved this story for catering to the mindset of the only the strong survive and the better man wins. There's a moment where Anna allows Ryland's kiss as her body responds to his suitability as a mate. Then as she forces Kieran to accept what he is, she makes him prove himself worthy of being her choice. So it can't be said I don't respond to a strong female. I'm just very choosy. Most of them just piss me off. Not Anna.

I did want to bitch-slap Kieran though. Don't change her, they tell him. Had me questioning what I had read. Surely he would not change her with this kind of situation looming over them. What does he do? He changes her. What happens then? The inevitable. 4 out of 5 stars.

Excerpt:

“Get out,” she growled. Kieran watched in amazement as her body moved exactly like a shewolf. Her shoulders rose while her head dropped. She glared at the man from beneath shuttered eyes. She stalked him smoothly. Deadly force was packed in those muscles. A shocking sense of pride mingled with his own desire to kill Ryland. With one finger, she poked Ryland in the chest. “I told you that it’s the bitch’s choice, and I do not choose you. Get out.”

Ryland tossed his head. Kieran reveled in the frustration clouding the wolven’s eyes.

“This is not over,” the blond said through clenched teeth.

“Yes, it is,” she said with finality.

Slowly, he moved away, and once he was safely out of the door, Anna slammed it shut. For a moment she stood, a hand resting against the wood blocking out the rest of the world, the other raking her hair from her face. Seconds passed like minutes, and she stayed perfectly still. Kieran took a step toward her, and she turned.

His lungs squeezed the breath from his body. Her face flushed with the heat of desire, she stepped toward him. Her movements were different than they had been just moments before. Her shoulders squared, and her chin lifted. Hips swung enticingly, her steps slow and sure. A soft rumble sounded from her chest. The scent of her arousal filled the room, nearly overpowering him in her sweet desire. She licked her lips suggestively.

“You would have killed him,” she whispered.

“Yes.”

For the first time, confusion speared Kieran. He sensed her anger, but anger wasn’t what he saw on her face. “Why?”

The question caught him by surprise. Why, indeed? “Because he wanted you. You are mine.”

“Am I?”

“Yes.” He barely recognized his own voice.

Her palms touched his cheeks. She stared into his eyes. “You would kill for me?”

“Absolutely.”

He felt the shudder that ran through her body. His gaze rested on her lips—swollen and hungry for his kisses. Kisses he craved to give. But he would not start something she wouldn’t let him finish. “I don’t know why, but I find that an incredible turn on.”

Blog Hopping Friday #7

Hosted by: Bitten by Paranormal Romance, Crazy For Books, A Few More Pages, Parajunkee.com

Parajunkee's question: If you have, or would have a daughter, what book would you want your daughter to read?

My answer: I don't want a daughter. Never ever ever ever ever.

Book Beginnings

Currently reading Something Wicked by Michelle Rowen which begins...

"Would you look at his place? Equal parts lust and desperation. It's fantastic."