Is love too great a risk in a cruel and dying world? Rafael has never intended to settle down or take a mate. He knows firsthand how a mate bond can destroy a family. This world is too savage for love. He wants nothing to do with Hailey, the pureblooded female who arrives from Glenn Meadows. So what if she’s fearless, poised, and gorgeous? Not to mention that his wolf is on hers the moment they meet. Just because his brother changed their plans doesn’t mean he’ll stick around Wolf Hollow like a whipped dog. Too bad his furry half won’t let him flee. Hailey had all but given up on ever finding a pureblooded male to continue her line. Too bad the one who shows up in neighboring Wolf Hollow is a complete and utter wretch. His wolf wants to mount hers while his human half rejects her—repeatedly. Message received. Why does he have to keep chasing her down, awakening dreams and desires long buried? While their wolves get whatever this is out of their systems, Rafael and Hailey make a pact. The worldly nomad agrees to teach the sheltered she-wolf how to get by in the wild and become her own alpha rather than submit to her pack’s leader. Once her survival skills are honed, Rafael will be on his way. But the animal in him won’t give in so easily, not until man and beast come together to claim Hailey as his mate.