Cry Wolf (Alpha and Omega, #1)

by Patricia Briggs

[EBookObsessed]

Charles Cornick and Anna Latham are such opposites that they are the perfect couple. Charles brings a stability and a sense of safety to the abused woman, and Anna brings out a humanity that no one usually sees in Charles. I am loving this couple and am enjoying them as much as the Mercy Thompson series.

In the Mercy Thompson series, we don't get to know Charles Cornick very well since Mercy was much closer to his brother, Samuel. Mercy was never close to Charles but she has relied on his help in the past stories. Generally, Charles keeps to himself since, as his father's Enforcer, he might be forced to kill anyone so it's best not to get too close.

Cry Wolf takes up after the Alpha & Omega short story which can be found either in the newly released Shifting Shadows anthology or in the prior released, On the Prowl. In this short story, we first meet Anna Latham when she contacts the Marok about problems in the Chicago pack. The Marok sends his son, Charles, to assess what is happening. Upon meeting Anna, Charles knows two things: First, that Anna is a very rare omega werewolf; and second, that his wolf wants her for his mate. Anna was abused at her pack. Not only was she beaten and tormented into being submissive, which is not natural for an omega, but as part of her torture, she was passed around as a reward to keep the males happy. An omega wolf has a calming effect on other wolves, and they are outside of the hierarchy of the wolves, like a Native American medicine man.

As we begin Cry Wolf, Charles and Anna are returning to Montana. Charles was shot with silver bullets while he was taking care of the problems with the Chicago pack. Charles, who is a born werewolf, reacts badly to silver and is taking longer the heal than normal.

Charles and Anna have barely known each other a week, and Anna is very nervous about her place in Charles's life, in his pack and what is expected of her.   She has been a werewolf for three years but Anna's alpha had kept her in the dark about all things werewolf and Anna has no idea about even basic werewolf gifts like using her senses.  And it is not just Anna flailing around unsure of herself.   Charles, not used to sharing his feelings or even his home, has been caught unaware by this mating and what to do, but he knows he has to act gently for Anna's sake.

Although Charles has declared his desire to be Anna's mate and she has agreed to move from Chicago to be with Charles, they haven't sealed with mate bond and that is making them both nervous and wary. Anna is still so instilled with fear and Charles both fears she cannot accept the dangerous killer he is, and fears she will walk away from him. But more, he fears the other unmated males who would gladly take Anna from him.

Trying to figure out their new life is complicated enough. When a rogue werewolf starts killing up in the mountains, Bran needs to send Charles to investigate even though Charles isn't 100 percent.  Bran needs to send a wolf as dominate as Charles to subdue the rogue and kill him if necessary. A lesser wolf might be convinced to join in the fun of the hunt. Charles and Anna set out into the winter mountains to locate the rogue wolf.

There are more hiding in the mountains than just a lone wolf and the danger from friend might just be more than from foe.

Anna and Charles will face danger together as well as try to find a way to be comfortable with their new future together.

THOUGHTS:
I just love these two as a couple. We really didn't know much of Charles through the Mercy Thompson series. We knew he was powerful and dangerous and that his mother had magic but Mercy wasn't close to Charles so we really didn't see much of him. I loved seeing the stoic Charles and how Anna effected him. First, we see his nervousness since he feels very strongly about her, but he is afraid that he could lose her because he see himself only as a killer and she seems a little fearful of him; and then as one of his pack mates points out, they are not yet mated, so Anna is still free to select anyone else as a mate. Charles doesn't want to lose her but knows he can't force her to stay if she doesn't want to. It would break her if he tried.

Anna has been taught to fear dominant wolves and although she instinctively doesn't fear Charles, she is unsure of her place and also unsure of her own feelings toward him. After being passed around as a whore to the pack in Chicago, she is unused to the feelings that Charles arouse in her and it scares her.

Although the plot was as enjoyable as all the Mercy Thompson stories, I am more caught up in the relationship between Charles and Anna. I would have liked to see more of that, but as I can see since I have already started Book 2, this is still going to be something the two of them will be working on for some time.

I like this story as much as Patricia Briggs' other series and am looking forward to the next books.

I am listening to the audiobook which is narrated by Holter Graham, who did some the narrating in Shifting Shadows. He brings a different feel than Lorelei King, but he still does a fabulous job bringing the characters to life. By the time I get to Dead Heat which comes out in March, and which I have a review copy that I will have to actually read myself, I have no doubt I will be hearing it all in my head in Holter Graham's voices.