I finished the main sequence of the Hidden Wolves Minneapolis West Pack with Unplanned Coda but the werewolves are just so much fun to write. A charity anthology wanted a paranormal story from me, and I set out to write a short Wolves tale, and ended up with a 44,000 word novella. I wrote another short story but that left me with a novella floating around. So I decided to publish it (with the short story, which I’ll have rights back to, at the end as a bonus.) Releasing July 18 2024.
David was holed up alone, grieving for his wife and unborn child, letting the pack he rebuilt over the last twenty years as Alpha be run by his loyal Second, Rob, and his Third, Sherman. Finally, Sherman got tired of his apathy and Challenged him. David could’ve taken Sherman down, no sweat. Rob could’ve wiped the dirt with Sherman. What held them back was a memory of one night when they were seventeen, and twenty years of wanting. If they were free, away from the homophobia of the pack, away from responsibilities, what might they finally have together?
So David suppressed all his Alpha instincts and walked away. Rob, as always, went with him. Now they’re in David’s truck, heading west through the Wyoming mountains. They’re just David and Rob, no longer a pack but two men trying to figure out if they can be anything more to each other.
Until they stop in a small town for a meal, and someone steals David’s truck, someone who smells like a wolf. Trouble’s afoot, lone wolves can use some help, and David’s discovering once an Alpha, always an Alpha. But if they help these wolves, if they stick around, is any relationship they might’ve had doomed to be shoved back into the closet?
Set in 2010, a year before Unacceptable Risk in the bad old days of the packs, this is a Hidden Wolves universe standalone 44,000 word novella with new characters.
Content warnings for grief, past abuse, past captivity, and violence.
Contains the added bonus 5K short story Toby, Doyle, and the Cats.
This preorder is currently up on Amazon and is on Smashwords for a wishlist memo, and will appear wide in preorder soon: https://books2read.com/OnceAnAlphaKaje