ALPHA AND OMEGA by Patricia Briggs

Title: "Alpha and Omega"
Anthology: On the Prowl

Series: Alpha & Omega #0.5
Author: Patricia Briggs

Summary

Anna Latham has been a werewolf for three years, and for three years she has been abused by her pack.  But when she sees a picture of a missing boy in the local newspaper, even the threat for abuse doesn't stop her from calling the Marrock, the head of all of the werewolves, and telling him that her pack is responsible for his disappearance.

When Charles Cornick, the Marrock's enforcer, arrives in Chicago to investigate the pack's involvement with the boy's disappearance, he is also charged from protecting Anna from her own pack.  Though at first glance she seems to just be submissive, he soon learns that she is an Omega, and his wolf is determined to do more than just protect her.

My Impression

I love this story. Though I typically find novella's lacking in plot, this one had a complete story arc, one that I felt was fully developed and left me wanting to read more.

I also love Anna and Charles.  While the main focus of this novella is discovering the problem with Anna's pack, the attraction between Anna and Charles is present from the beginning, and I loved seeing how they both attempt to navigate their interest.  Charles is not a werewolf who is comfortable being emotionally close to someone and Anna doesn't trust werewolves because of her abusive pack.  It's clear that there is still a lot to negotiate between the two, but I liked seeing the mutual interest between the characters.

Why I Picked Up This Book

One day I was browsing the "Teen" section of Barnes and Noble when my mom noticed this anthology on a display board in the store.  Knowing my love for books with magic and werewolves, she showed it to me.  I'll admit that "Alpha and Omega" was, and still is, the only story I read in the anthology.

Genre: Urban Fantasy, Romance
My Rating: Five Stars

**Note: This story was originally published in the anthology On the Prowl. It has now also been published in the hardcover edition of Cry Wolf, as well as in Alpha & Omega: Call of the Hunt, an omnibus containing this story and the first three novels of the Alpha & Omega series.

Interested in other books by Patricia Briggs?  Check here to read my reviews of other books from this series.