Heart of the Wolf by Terry Spear

Posted July 8, 2016 by Marsha in Shifter Connected, Shifter Series / 0 Comments

Heart of the WolfTitle:  Heart of the Wolf
Series:  Heart of the Wolf #1
Author:  Terry Spear
Published:  April 1, 2008
My Rating:  4 stars
Source:  Owned, Kindle Edition
Cover Description:

Their forbidden love may get them both killed. Bella is a red werewolf, sole survivor of the fire that killed her entire pack. Devlyn is a beta male werewolf in a pack of grays. Forced to flee her adopted gray pack when the alpha male becomes a vicious threat, she struggles to live as a lone wolf, until Devlyn, the gray male who rescued her as a pup, comes to bring her home.

When a local red werewolf goes on a killing spree, Bella and Devlyn must flee the murderer, the police and their vengeful pack leader. With the full moon rising, and her heat upon her, Bella can’t resist the pull to her destined mate, even if it means Devlyn will have to face the wicked alpha male in a fight to the death.

 Sexy shifters and their feisty mates who aren’t shy about loving each other – so, this is an adult, 18+ reader tale.

Read on for my thoughts on Heart of the Wolf.

Bella and Devlyn have a long history.  He saved her from the fire that destroyed both her home and her pack.  She was adopted by his pack and became the only Red among the Gray wolves.  She had always adored Devlyn, hero worship at first that slowly grew into true affection as she felt he was her destined, fated mate.  Unfortunately, the Alpha was interested in Bella for himself, she endured much at Volan’s hands.. much more than she ever let on to Devlyn.  Bella knew that in order for them to be together, Devlyn would have to fight and defeat Volan.  At that time, in his youth as a beta wolf of the pack, Devlyn did not have the strength to defeat the older, cunning Alpha.  So Bella ran.  Far from the pack, the man she loved and all the safety of the world she knew.  She had no idea if she would survive, but she knew that Devlyn would not if she stayed.

Modern day, many years later… Bella has put together a good life for herself over the long years since she left her pack.  A werewolf is very long lived, so although Bella would look like a 21 year old to the humans around her, she is in fact over 100 years old… still a young woman for her kind.  She has settled in a small town in Oregon, and if not complete without her mate, she is at least content.  Bella owns a cabin in the forest not too far from her home, it is here that her adventure will begin… and it won’t end until blood has been shed.

There have been grisly murders of red haired women in Bella’s area.  She has suspicions about how they actually died and is scenting around her wilderness home for clues to verify what she believes.  She is certain she has scented Reds in the area, which is surprising because she had long believed that she was the last surviving Red werewolf around.  But the scent, the markings are strong, a patch of red fur seems to confirm her belief… and she is being watched.  While in her wolf form she can more easily catch the scent of the intruders in the forest, and while she knows someone is out there she is caught off guard when shots ring out and she is struck with two darts.  She has been captured and will be taken to a local zoo as the mate for an aging wolf.. real wolf.  Bella’s journey, and Devlyn’s return to her life have just begun… life’s going to get interesting.

As a long time reader of Terry Spear’s work, I’ve enjoyed watching this series (and others), as well as Ms Spear’s writing continue to grow and refine.  With now nineteen stories in the Heart of the Wolf series alone, she has to be doing something that her readers love — which is delivering an entertaining, intense, multi-layered story line in each of her books.  I’ve been hooked from the start.

Bella finds herself in a zoo enclosure with a true red wolf – one with thoughts that she quickly uses her werewolf’s anger growls to halt.  But that won’t last long.  There have been other Red’s outside the enclosure, watching her, the person who captured her also is debating on sending her to another zoo for a very large donation… and then she sees him.  Devlyn.  And while it’s obviously bittersweet to see him again, she also knows that he is there as Volan’s beta, to release her and take her back to the pack – and their Alpha.  As it is growing very close to the Moon’s phases that will leave her without her wolf form, Bella has to make a desperate bid for escape.  It will leave her making news headlines, and bring those chasing her even closer.

Devlyn and Bella will be in a race against time and enemies to find a killer, acknowledge what they are to each other, and figure out a way to simply survive a multi-fronted attack from enemies known and hidden.  The action is fast paced, and the story intense with mystery, sexual tensions and surprises along the way.  There will be an ultimate showdown, and Bella’s future depends on the outcome.

If you love Shifter Romance, then you would enjoy Terry Spear’s works.  This begins the Heart of the Wolf series, and I highly recommend this story and series.  Sometimes you just have to go back to the beginning, and that is what I’m doing with this series.  It’s even better the second time around.

Available in paperback and for the Kindle

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