Gael Martinez fled the small Texas town of Del Rey the minute he turned sixteen. Legal or not, he had to leave or end up dead. Life’s been hard, and everything Gael ever hoped for has been stripped from him. He’s close to giving up, so worn down from fighting to live every day. When incredible information reaches him that gives him a reason to hang in there, at least a little longer, Gael is afraid to hope for a better life.
An accidental encounter leads to him being told things have changed with the coyote den that had been floundering in Del Rey years ago. Miller Hudson, the coyote shifter alpha, had found his mate, and the den was now flourishing—and the biggest miracle of all, some of the shifters could now actually shift.
As tempted as that makes him to return, it could all be a bunch of lies and Gael is still hesitant, even though he yearns to go home. There’s no point if he’s only likely to be killed. Dying at another’s hands isn’t the way Gael ever intends to die.
It’s only upon discovering the changes regarding some of the humans in Del Rey that allow Gael to truly consider going home.
What he finds in the small town is more than just a home. He finds himself, and the man he’s always meant to be.
Reader Advisory: This book contains scenes of BDSM, BDSM-related genital torture and spanking, as well as references to fisting and to the sexual abuse of a secondary character.
In From the Cold is the second in the Coyote’s Call series and you should definitely read them in order. Miller and Gideon play significant roles in In From the Cold and the whole pack’s story continues. That’s a big strength in this series, the premise of the pack is unique in that collectively they have lost their way and are just beginning to learn their heritage, how to shift and how to make pack dynamics work for them all. The pack’s breakdown is what caused Gael to flee the town when he was just 16 and he’s barely survived ever since. The first half of the book is a real heartbreaker and Gael’s story was told so well. It hurt to read, but was never completely without hope. It was close, but I loved Gael’s voice and the matter of fact way he related his life on the streets did the “show not tell” thing just right. The impact of his life was felt without crossing the line to cliché.
A chance run in puts Gael back in touch with his old life when he and his ‘friend’ are just trying to find a warm place to crash for the night. What plays out next is trust dynamics slowly evolving. Miller’s mom is the one who recognizes Gael and she calls in reinforcements from home to try and convince Gael to return to the pack. No one really knows what happened to Gael and his family all those years ago, but seeing Gael as he is now, it’s obvious it was something horrendous.
One of the men who comes to the city with Miller is Iker, the town sheriff and fellow shifter. He’s from a different pack and is not a coyote so he’s got a bit more of a grounded history than anyone else there. He and Gael feel the mate connection right away, but Gael is so very damaged and meeting Iker gives him emotions he’s never been able to indulge before. The group convinces Gael to return with them along with his friend.
The strength Gael begins to indulge in with Iker happens pretty quickly and it was a smidge jarring reconciling his sex personality with his every day self, but there was enough of his struggles to keep him grounded and not feel like I was reading about a new character all of a sudden. He and Iker’s kinks complement one another just right and I know that’s where a lot of Gael’s confidence came from. Iker was able to give that to him and Gael ate it up.
There’s continuation of the drama and mystery that is a continuation from Book 1 that made for an exciting ending and set up to the next book. I’m really hoping it’s about Roman and Evans. Like, really a whole lot. I can’t WAIT for their story.
For more information on In from the Cold, check it out on Goodreads.
**a copy of this story was provided for an honest review**
Off to get book 1 😊
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