Thunder Wolf
by Heather Long
Series: Wolves of River Bend, #11
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Release Date: March 7, 2017
Most Lone Wolves have a story--a pack they left behind, a love they lost, or worse, one they buried. Some leave their packs to roam because they crave freedom, and independence. Some leave because in their hearts, they can't bear to stay. Some leave because they see no way to go back...
Enforcer John Nelson has pulled double duty for months, keeping an eye on the Lone Wolves who are his charges as well as those that once answered to Margo Montgomery. More of a loner than most, he doesn't mind going months at a time without seeing another Enforcer as was his typical pattern or at least it was until the formation of the Three Rivers pack disrupted lives everywhere. Now he must divide his time between watching the upstarts and checking on his charges while working with the other Enforcers to anticipate the next move by the Russian Volchitsa. No Enforcer expected to find themselves among the hunted, but when they target the one wolf he can tolerate, John defies orders to go after her.
Hadley Sexton is a bit of a wild card even for an Enforcer, and she loves being unpredictable. More of a mother hen than she likes to admit, she keeps an eye on her Lone Wolves, and treats them more like family than charges...but when three Enforcers are brutally murdered over the course of three weeks, Hadley discovers someone has been shadowing her trail and they aren't alone. It is a dangerous game with a brutal enemy, one willing to kill the wolves she's sworn to protect to draw her out.
For Hadley, John will break every rule, but will he be in time?
First things first, he was going to go very long hot shower to scrub his brain and body free of the lingering hunger he experienced where Hadley was concerned.
Twenty minutes later, with a towel wrapped around his hips, he walked back into his bedroom to find Hadley perched on the foot of his bed with a cup of coffee in hand. She looked deliciously sleep rumpled, right down to the creases in her cheek and the wild disarray of her curls.
He wasn’t sure if it was her or the scent of coffee, which struck him in the solar plexus.
“Coffee.” The syllables came out like a pair of grunts. She pointed toward the dresser and he followed with his gaze to where she indicated. A large mug of coffee awaited him, cream no sugar.
“Thank you.” He claimed the cup and took a long drink. The scalding heat combined with the rich flavor of the Arabica beans and the hint of sweetness in the cream went a long way toward soothing his unsettled beast.
“Yep.” Only the hardness of the word made it discernible in her mumble. The beast might be sitting upright and drinking coffee, but he knew better than to engage. John gathered his clothing in one hand before grabbing the mug with the other, then walked toward the bathroom.
It wasn’t until he stepped inside that he realized he’d gone to change out of sight of the wolf he cared about so much. Embarrassment flooded him. Chagrinned, he glanced toward where she sat, but she didn’t so much as glance up from staring into her coffee mug.
Hopefully, she hadn’t noticed. Nudity among wolves couldn’t be an issue. They shed their skin for fur and fur for skin—they were always naked. Being a prude or worrying about body issues wouldn’t let them last long. Hell, he’d seen Hadley nude plenty of times, as she had him. While he treasured those memories of her beauty, he refused to ogle her.
Why was it a big deal today?
Uncertain of whether to be annoyed or worried, John stripped off the towel and ran it over his body quickly to dry off any remaining moisture. Afterward, he dragged on a pair of briefs, followed by jeans then a loose T-shirt. He skipped shoes, as he didn’t expect them to go out anywhere and he preferred the maneuverability bare feet provided.
Sipping his coffee, he returned to the bedroom and Hadley. She hadn’t moved from her previous position, and continued to cradle her coffee mug.
“You want a second cup?”
She grunted.
She never was very good before she had at least one full cup of coffee in the morning.
“Come on down when you’re ready. I’m going to start breakfast.”
He made it all the way down the stairs and halfway to the kitchen when he realized breakfast wasn’t what he’d been seeking when he left the room. He’d been running away.
Twenty minutes later, with a towel wrapped around his hips, he walked back into his bedroom to find Hadley perched on the foot of his bed with a cup of coffee in hand. She looked deliciously sleep rumpled, right down to the creases in her cheek and the wild disarray of her curls.
He wasn’t sure if it was her or the scent of coffee, which struck him in the solar plexus.
“Coffee.” The syllables came out like a pair of grunts. She pointed toward the dresser and he followed with his gaze to where she indicated. A large mug of coffee awaited him, cream no sugar.
“Thank you.” He claimed the cup and took a long drink. The scalding heat combined with the rich flavor of the Arabica beans and the hint of sweetness in the cream went a long way toward soothing his unsettled beast.
“Yep.” Only the hardness of the word made it discernible in her mumble. The beast might be sitting upright and drinking coffee, but he knew better than to engage. John gathered his clothing in one hand before grabbing the mug with the other, then walked toward the bathroom.
It wasn’t until he stepped inside that he realized he’d gone to change out of sight of the wolf he cared about so much. Embarrassment flooded him. Chagrinned, he glanced toward where she sat, but she didn’t so much as glance up from staring into her coffee mug.
Hopefully, she hadn’t noticed. Nudity among wolves couldn’t be an issue. They shed their skin for fur and fur for skin—they were always naked. Being a prude or worrying about body issues wouldn’t let them last long. Hell, he’d seen Hadley nude plenty of times, as she had him. While he treasured those memories of her beauty, he refused to ogle her.
Why was it a big deal today?
Uncertain of whether to be annoyed or worried, John stripped off the towel and ran it over his body quickly to dry off any remaining moisture. Afterward, he dragged on a pair of briefs, followed by jeans then a loose T-shirt. He skipped shoes, as he didn’t expect them to go out anywhere and he preferred the maneuverability bare feet provided.
Sipping his coffee, he returned to the bedroom and Hadley. She hadn’t moved from her previous position, and continued to cradle her coffee mug.
“You want a second cup?”
She grunted.
She never was very good before she had at least one full cup of coffee in the morning.
“Come on down when you’re ready. I’m going to start breakfast.”
He made it all the way down the stairs and halfway to the kitchen when he realized breakfast wasn’t what he’d been seeking when he left the room. He’d been running away.
I just love this series and Thunder Wolf helps move this story arc of the Enforcers forward, giving us a bit more insight into the Enforcer world as well as revealing more information about the threat of the Russian Volchista.
Hadley and John were both great characters. I just loved watching Hadley go all Enforcer on her charges, keeping them in line and reminding them that just because she may be small, doesn’t mean that she still can’t kick some serious butt. John wants Hadley – no ifs, ands, or buts…except as an Enforcer relationships aren’t something you can do. Of course, from the beginning of this story arc you can feel that the world is changing for these wolves, and maybe involvement is not a liability. I loved that even though John’s base instinct was to protect Hadley, he respected her Enforcer ability and let her take care of herself, never trying to step in front of her, always fighting beside her. It was great seeing these two work together and play together – and I loved how Hadley could bring about that playful side in John.
I also love the way that Heather Long manages to interweave the stories of the packs into each book, allowing us to keep track of the goings on and spend time with some of the characters from previous books. And continuing to see different sides of Julian, the head of the Enforcers, is always interesting – and has me anticipating his book!
As I’ve said before, this is one of my favorite series. I think the only thing keeping me from a 5-star rating on this one was I didn’t feel as emotionally vested in the characters as I have in so many of the other books, which may have been a result of both characters being Enforcers and both were fairly well adjusted – I felt like I was watching a great story rather than being a part of it. Again, still enjoyed this one, just finding it hard to rate it the same as some of the other books in the series that I loved!
Although I think you can read this one as a stand-alone there are a lot of tie-ins to the overall story arc which may make this one a bit harder to follow along with – and really, this entire series is worth the read so why not start at the beginning!
Also in the Series
Series Reading Order:
Wolf at Law (Prequel)
Book 1: Wolf Bite
Book 2: Caged Wolf
Book 3: Wolf Claim
Book 3.5: Wolf Next Door
Book 4: Rogue Wolf
Book 5: Bayou Wolf
Book 6: Untamed Wolf
Book 6.5: Wolf with Benefits
Book 7: River Wolf
Book 7.5: Single, Wicked Wolf
Book 8: Desert Wolf
Book 9: Snow Wolf
Book 9.5: Wolf on Board
Book 9.6: Holly Jolly Wolf
Book 10: Shadow Wolf
Book 9: Snow Wolf
Book 9.5: Wolf on Board
Book 9.6: Holly Jolly Wolf
Book 10: Shadow Wolf
Book 10.5: His Moonstruck Wolf - Available in the Once Upon A Valentine Box Set
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