If I can keep my mouth shut, there’s a chance I might make it out of this alive. Unfortunately, that’s never really been my forte. I’ve been an outcast in my pack for ten years, and the constant torment and beatings have only made me stronger, harder to keep in line, and more determined to escape. On the night of my first shift, when I’m mated to the alpha’s son and he immediately rejects me, something inside me breaks and the shadows descend. I see the shadows. I can touch them. The darkness calls to me, and when I call for our maker, the Shadow Beast comes. He senses my connection to the shadow realm and claims me, pulling me into his world. Now I’m forced to deal with a large, brooding shadow creature who makes my heart race and whose touch sends sparks through me, literally. Shadow needs my help. He’s holding me prisoner. He wants me to fear him. But fear and I are old friends, and if he thinks he can bring me to my knees, he’s going to have to try a whole lot harder than that. Couldn’t put it down. Full stop. This book was honestly not what I was expecting. I read the blurb and was expecting a rejected mate, some pining, some groveling. Not at all. This story is so much more, rich, emotional, funny, and immersive. The possibilities in this world are endless, and I want them all. Mera is the best! She’s lippy, she’s snarky, she wields sarcasm like weapons against the arrogant shifters who tried to diminish her. But their torment wasn’t just fueling a fire inside her. It was forging her into something entirely new, stronger, and unstoppable. Shadow is their god, the one who created shifters. He is all-powerful, commanding, and used to having complete control. But Mera challenges him at every turn, and he can’t help but notice. Her fire and defiance intrigue him, frustrate him, and push him in ways he isn’t used to. He doesn’t just need her. He is drawn to her, and the tension between them is utterly electrifying. This is the ultimate slow burn, and it’s searing. Their connection will literally eviscerate them once they finally give in. This relationship is truly endearing, and I lapped it up. It also introduced a budding found family that I’m already obsessed with, and an addictive story that I’m fully invested in. I need answers. Thank goodness I have book two, because the way this was left had my feet kicking and giggles bubbling.