Dylan Royce, Willow Bend Hunter, is a natural flirt and courted his fair share of she-wolves, but he’s never found the woman who makes his pulse race. With the new pack’s borders verging on Willow Bend territory, he’s tasked with keeping an eye on them. His job grows more challenging daily, especially since one seductive female keeps crossing the line.

Chrystal Landros knows she’s supposed to keep to her side of the Three Rivers-Willow Bend line. But she loves to explore, and Willow Bend is home to some spectacular sites. As a former Lone Wolf, she hasn’t always been certain of her welcome, but her new home in Three Rivers opens a wonderful world of unfamiliar opportunities. Too bad the wolf who makes her blood heat is tasked with keeping her away from the places she wants to visit.

While Dylan and Chrystal clash repeatedly over her border incursions, the game between them threatens to turn deadly. Tensions between Willow Bend and Three Rivers continue to rise. Could their forbidden dalliance be the spark to ignite a war?

Oh Chrystal, you truly stink at staying within borders. The situations you get yourself into, well let’s just say you need to be more careful.

Dylan was looking forward to his date and enjoying the snowfall on his route when he scented the wayward wolf. When he finds her in a precarious position he is annoyed and scared for her.

This is a favorite scene when he needs her to shift so she’ll be warm and get to his cabin quicker.

Wide eyes blinking at him again, she swallowed. “You’re naked.”

“No kidding. And if my balls get frostbite, I’ll do more than snarl at you. Shift.”

“But you’re staring at me.”

It was Dylan’s turn to blink. Nudity wasn’t a big deal. She certainly had nothing to be ashamed of. Her long tumble of brown hair fell in damp waves against her soft olive skin. Blessed by generous curves and full breasts, she lacked tight muscle definition but her plush form didn’t betray any hint of weakness. If anything, it reinforced his need to see her safely shifted to a warmer form and out of the snow before she caught a real illness. Though wolves rarely sickened the way humans did, they could get ill if they didn’t take care of themselves.

Or if those who are supposed to be taking care of her fail to look after her properly. The failure to do so added another black mark against the new so-called Alpha, as far as he was concerned. “Just change, Chrystal. The faster you do, the faster I can slip this on you and change myself.”

Another hop from foot to foot as misery burst like a rain cloud over her head. “I don’t know if I can do it while you’re watching.”

Not a refusal, not a challenge, a cry for help. Grunting, Dylan said, “I’ll watch the tree line, but I’m not turning my back on you.” Then, because her continued quaking left him feeling like an asshole, he gentled his tone. “You’re safe, Chrystal. Nothing will touch you while you shift. I promise.”

Doubt clung to her expression, although her eyes remained downcast. She nodded slowly. “Thank you.”

Yep. Her gratitude at being granted protection while she did as he’d ordered increased his sense of being a jerk. The little wolf was in the wrong, and it was his task to correct her and send her from their territory. Her constant flouting of the rules, however, needed to be quashed. How the hell did she survive as a Lone Wolf when she didn’t know how to follow the simple restrictions outlined by the probation treaty offered to Three Rivers?

Scanning the tree line, Dylan waited for the sounds of her shift, but none seemed forthcoming. Sparing her a glance, he found her arms folded tight against her chest while she continued to alternate from foot to foot. Her shivering increased ten-fold, however, and a faint tinge of blue touched her lips.

“What’s wrong?” Why the hell isn’t she shifting?

“I don’t know,” she said with more fear in her tone than bite. “I’m trying, but nothing seems to be happening.”

Disregarding her earlier discomfort at his stare, Dylan studied her. Her shivering increased. His wolf rousing from their shared grumpiness, he clasped her shoulder. If she couldn’t shift, she was in a lot more trouble than frozen clothes, frostbite and violating Willow Bend territorial boundaries. “Chrystal.” He snapped out the two syllables of her name and her gaze jerked to his. Calling a wolf out was a job best left to an Alpha, but dominant wolves could do it if they could override the more submissive wolf’s tendencies.

His vision flickered as his wolf peered out of his eyes. Growling, he uttered the command, “Shift.”

One blink. Then two. Her walnut eyes bled gold as her wolf glared out at him. No, not glared. Her wolf wasn’t angry; she was terrified. Fisting his control, Dylan let his anger and frustration bleed out of him. Ordering her wolf around when she plainly didn’t know how to cope with a more dominant animal served no one.

“Come on, darling,” he murmured, giving her shoulder a squeeze. “Come on out and play.”

The change rippled over her, and her eyes went completely wolf. When the muscles beneath his hand began to tug, he released her and stepped back to give her space. Shivering cascaded into the violence of her change. Her moans turned to whimpers and growls. Finally, fur glided over her shifted bones and form. She landed on four feet in front of him, panting hard.

Giving her a moment to reorient herself, Dylan lowered to a crouch rather than towering over her. The stink of fear occluded her sweeter scent. Yes, she needed discipline. Yes, she broke their treaty. Yes, he needed to kick her ass, but none of those offenses interested him at the moment. The she-wolf’s terror ignited every protective instinct he had. Extending a hand, he said, “Good girl. Beautiful job.”

A low whine vibrated in her throat, and she dropped to her belly. Dammit. His wolf’s frustration mirrored Dylan’s. They didn’t want her crawling. If he dragged her to him and gave her a hug, he’d likely scare the shit out of her. Settling his palm against her head, he gave her a gentle scratch.

“Sweet girl, thank you.” The wolf’s ears flicked toward him. She was a dusky black and white wolf, darker hairs sprinkled amongst the silver and white. In low light and at a distance, she’d look more like a husky than wolf. Her slighter build would help her blend in more urban areas. When she dared a glance at him, he gave her a small smile.

“Can you stand up, beautiful? Need to put these clothes over your head and around your shoulders.” If he fit it snug enough, they wouldn’t hamper her movements. With great hesitation and care, she rose to her feet, but kept her whole body hunched and tail tucked between her legs.

Ignoring the frigid air and his own discomfort, Dylan kept his touch on her light. Gradually, her slunk gave way to a better posture, and she darted another look at him. Maintaining a smile, he said, “Ready when you are, beautiful.”
Long, Heather. Untamed Wolf (Wolves of Willow Bend Book 6) (pp. 12-16).Kindle Edition.

This is not the last time Chrystal crosses borders. The next time in the middle of a blizzard leads to issues with her pack and Willow Bend. But it also leads to rescuing a wolf and her cub and three days alone with Dylan.

Lots of surprises in this one, we see a bit more the mysterious Enforcer Julian and of course Mason. Some hold your breath scenes and some seriously hot ones.

5 Contented Purrs for Heather!

Heather Long

USA Today bestselling author, Heather Long, likes long walks in the park, science fiction, superheroes, Marines, and men who aren’t douche bags. Her books are filled with heroes and heroines tangled in romance as hot as Texas in the summertime.

From paranormal historical westerns to contemporary military romance, Heather might switch genres, but one thing is true in all of her stories–her characters drive the books.

When she’s not wrangling her menagerie of animals, she devotes her time to family and friends she considers family. She believes if you like your heroes so real you could lick the grit off their chest, and your heroines so likable, you’re sure you’ve been friends with women just like them, you’ll enjoy her worlds as much as she does.