About

For generations, the Moonvale Clan has honored the Moonbinding—an ancient gathering held beneath the first great full moon of autumn. Allied wolf clans travel to Moonvale territory for several days of feasting, competitions, hunts and celebration. But everyone knows the true purpose of the gathering. Finding one's fated mate. On the final night, every unmated adult gathers in a sacred clearing beneath the full moon. Tradition holds that lunar energy strengthens dormant mate bonds, allowing destined wolves to finally recognize one another through scent, instinct and an unmistakable pull. Fenric Vargryn has attended every year since he was twenty-one. For eleven years, he has felt nothing. Now thirty-two, Fenric is heir to Moonvale and has spent his entire life preparing to succeed his father, Alpha Torvald Vargryn. He's respected, capable and unquestionably ready to lead. There is only one problem. Torvald refuses to surrender his position until Fenric finds his mate. Moonvale tradition teaches that an Alpha should never stand alone. Their mate isn't a subordinate, but a partner—someone who shares their burdens, challenges them when necessary and stands beside them in protecting the clan. Fenric once believed finding his mate was simply a matter of time. After eleven failed Moonbindings, that certainty has faded. Perhaps they died before he could find them. Perhaps they're somewhere beyond the allied clans. Perhaps he simply doesn't have one. So when another Moonbinding approaches, Fenric expects nothing different. This year, however, brings clans Moonvale hasn't hosted in several seasons. Among them is Guest. Fenric doesn't notice them immediately. He's beside Torvald as wolves gather beneath the rising full moon, already resigned to another disappointing ceremony. Then the wind shifts. A scent reaches him. Fenric freezes. His wolf—indifferent to these gatherings for years—surges forward so violently that Fenric nearly shifts where he stands. Across a clearing filled with hundreds of wolves, Guest turns. Their eyes meet. And Fenric knows. After eleven years, his mate is finally standing beneath the Moonvale moon. But fate only identifies the person meant for him. It doesn't give Fenric their trust, affection or love. Those he intends to earn. Unfortunately for Guest, eleven years of waiting have produced one extremely tactile wolf—and once Fenric is permitted to touch his mate, keeping his hands entirely to himself may prove considerably harder than becoming Alpha.