Rise of the Alpha

Wolves of Willow Bend #1-3

by Heather Long

Discover the Wolves of Willow Bend.

Includes:

Wolf Bite
After a dominance challenge ended with his parents deaths, Mason left Willow Bend and his pack behind, choosing instead to live life on his own terms…as a Lone Wolf. A wanderer, he keeps his life simple and carefree until an unexpected encounter brings him face to face with his tragic past and the woman he always adored. Determined to get her out of his blood, he teases her into an easy one-night stand…but one taste will never be enough.

Adopted as a young girl, Alexis Huston lived on the fringe of pack life. She’s never been strong enough, fast enough, or pretty enough—except to Mason, but then he left her. Allowed her freedom as an adult and sworn to keep the pack’s secrets, she’s struggled to fit into the ‘human’ world. A chance meeting turns her hard-won life upside down.

She is left with two options—she can tell the only wolf she’s ever loved that she’s carrying their child…or she can protect him, keep the baby a secret, and run.

Caged Wolf
Triplets, the Buckley brothers were inseparable until everything went wrong one violent, bloody night. A.J. Buckley, the eldest of the trio, faced a human trial for a brutal murder. Found guilty, he was sentenced to twenty-five to life. Without argument or regret, he accepted the sentence. After six years in prison, A.J.’s conviction is overturned on a technicality and he returns to Willow Bend to face a new Alpha and fresh charges.

Vivian Knox was the only witness to the murder. She refused to testify in the human courtroom and spent a year in prison on contempt charges. Once released, she worked tirelessly to free A.J., finally locating a loophole in the case against him. Satisfied with his freedom, the last thing she expected was to be kidnapped to the back of beyond where another judge demands she testify to what she saw that night. This time, contempt is the least of her problems.

Only four people know exactly what happened that night and none are talking. When pack law threatens Vivian, A.J. must stake his claim, but his wolf might be too damaged to help him….

Wolf Claim
Gillian Whitford, darling of Willow Bend, brings out the protective instincts in all the dominants, but none more so than Owen Chase, the pack’s Hunter. A loner by nature and calling, Owen spends less time with his pack mates and more time on the borders of their land. Not even the change in the Alpha and the swearing of a new oath kept him around long.

Winds of change still drift through Willow Bend as they adjust to their new Alpha. When the Hudson River pack requests a fill-in healer to replace their own, Gillian, journeymen apprentice to their Pack healer, is the obvious choice to help. Owen forbids her to accept, but the sweet natured wolf rebukes his selfishness and volunteers anyway.

Risking a challenge, Owen faces off against his Alpha to appeal her decision and finds himself charged with her safety. Now, the loner will be escorting one of his pack’s most precious into foreign lands. He’s all that stands between her and a dozen potential threats…and if he doesn’t stake his claim, he may lose more than his heart.

Genres: Paranormal, Romance, Paranormal Romance, Shapeshifters, Fantasy, Amazon, Paranormal Urban Fantasy

776 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 26, 2016

About the author

I love books. Not just a little bit, but a lot. Books were my best friends when I was growing up. Books didn’t care if I was new to a town or to a class. They were always there, my trustiest of companions. Until they turned on me and said I had to write them.

I can tell you that my own personal happily ever after included writing books. I’ve always said that an HEA is a work in progress. It’s true in my marriage, my friendships, and in my career. I am constantly nurturing my muse as we dive into new tales, new tropes, new characters and more.

After seventeen years back in Texas, we relocated to the Pacific Northwest in search of seasons, new experiences, and new geography. I can’t wait to discover what life (and my muse) have in store for me.

Maybe writing was always my destiny and romance my fate. After all, my grandmother wasn’t a fan of picture books and used to read me her Harlequin Romance novels.

Friends to lovers, enemies to lovers, friends to enemies to lovers, you name it, I love them and love to write them. I started with Earth Witches Aren’t Easy, the first in the Chance Monroe trilogy, but my characters and I have traveled a long way since I created that urban fantasy world.

One of the series I hear my readers recommend the most is the Untouchable series followed in quick succession by the Vandals, and that just delights me. No lie, whenever one of my readers brings up my wolves, I do a little a fist pump.

I’m active on social media, and I love hearing from readers. Feel free to tag me with a question about any of my books, or just say hi!

Reviews

[Coco.V]

💝 FREE on Amazon today (2/19/2018)! 💝

[Tiera McMillian · Rating 3 out of 5]

So after a short introduction to this author's work through another series, I dived right into this series to get more from her. Honestly these were just short and to the point and for the most part enjoyable quick reads. I can't really find fault with that. This author definitely has some talent conveying character depth and a variety of character personalities over a short span of story. They were really fast paced though, just a quick and to the point HEA rollout. The plot itself seems like its lacking depth really noticeable in the first book but as you progress through the books I felt that they each built upon each other and it definitely seemed to take on more depth as I progressed. I am glad I read them all in the box set it gave me a sense of something larger happening rather than just the short romance we get in each book. I think what I liked the most about this story was that the "wolves" were unique in that they were just ordinary shifters. There wasn't a deep and complex backstory that had to be worked through in each book which really gave the author more time to get connections happening on the pages. Yes the connections are instant in the cases of the books but in all honesty the individual characters had backstories that made sense and flowed really well. Now let me kinda break them down individually

Book 1: Wolf Bite: This book really gave us a foundation with our wolves, their customs, their dominance issues as well as set world up for the reader. I do feel like Mason and Alexis and their story was the most rushed and just when things were starting to get good it was like bam quick fix and HEA. The quick fix straight into HEA was kind of the MO for the rest of the stories as well.

Book 2: Caged Wolf: The blurb really gives us just as much info as the story does for this story. I feel like the author could have really expounded upon all that is happening here in this story but just went for the kill right out the bag. I mean we literally start the story after all the things really interesting things have happened for our characters. This felt like a really long epilogue just tying things up after the story already happened for me. I would have liked so much more info about "fugues" where Vivian was concerned and maybe way more in depth about what was happening during the time we skipped. The author did tie up loose ends in the long run so it was fine but I feel like this story could have been a lot more in depth making it more enjoyable for me.

I feel like of the 3 books here book 3: Wolf Claim, was probably my favorite. By that time I'd had a ton of character introductions and really felt involved with the pack. I also really like the unique healing aspects of the healer role in book 3. Also, Gillian and Owen just really had me hooked from the get go. They probably had the most chemistry of all the stories so far and I just really felt their story was the most interesting but without the backstory and build of the other books I don't know that I would have enjoyed it as much. /shrug. No way to really know.

All in all I really look forward to more from this author. Not sure these short romances are my all out, balls to the wall jam but I wasn't bored.

[Letha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Howling good!

I love a good shifter series and this author is very entertaining. The characters were believable and multidimensional. Can't wait to read more.

[Christy Birman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent books

All three of these books are very interesting and sexy. The werewolves in all three books are excellent characters, I wanted to continue reading about each of them.

[Jenny Prose · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 book box set

I loved this set because of the really well defined characters within each book that built off the first one. I love the character interactions but I love the shifter world the author created the most. I would have given it 5 Stars if it wasn’t for the grammatical and punctuation errors throughout. Defending could use a proofread at least.

[Chessela Helm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Three great books and will get you interested to read more.

[CarolKat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wolf Bite:

When Mason Claybourne scented Alexis Huston and knew she was in trouble, he had to help her, protect her.

It had been a long time 10 years since he was forced to go lone wolf. He knew he couldn't stay with her but he could make sure she was safe and back with the wolves that should be protecting her. The thing was there weren't any. She was here alone.

There is a history between Alexis and Mason, one that requires a lot of fixing. Complicated by Margo one of the enforcers who keeps their eye on lone wolves like Mason, to be sure they follow the rules. If the rules are broken the lone wolf will be punished. And it appears Mason is going to be all about breaking rules now that he has Alexis.

This couple is explosive when they come together. The question is would they be able to. I loved this book and could not put it down.


Caged Wolf:
AJ is finally free, 7 years is a long time for a wolf to be incarcerated without being able to shift. Now Mason is demanding answers, not only from AJ but he has Vivian brought to Willow Bend as well. That didn't go over well with AJ and he wasn't shy about letting Mason know it.

Vivian worked hard to find the data needed to free AJ, now with him free she is set to move far away and heal far away. Fate however had a different plan. Margo and Owen had been sent to fetch her to Willow Bend. AJ has yet another trial, one that might not work out very well for him. She woke with bruises on her face and a split lip, and no idea where she was. Not good when you have had fugues before.

A trip to Emma and much becomes clear, at least to the reader. A prescription to rest, eat and play alone together. All with Mason's approval.

I truly wonder at times how Mason knows so much before everyone else does. This is a story of commitment and love that nothing and no one can stop.


Wolf Claim:
One of my absolute favorites in this series. Wolf Claim focuses on Owen and Gillian but also introduces the Hudson River pack and it's Alpha Brett.

Gillian is a Healer Apprentice but believe me when I say she is no longer an apprentice. Gillian is unique in that she can heal both humans and wolves, a secret well guarded by everyone. She is more than a little attracted to Owen, one of Mason's top hunters, but he doesn't seem to get it.

Owen is just a bit protective of Gillian. When Mason proposes to send her to help Brett the Hudson River Alpha with the mystery of wolves dying, he definitely lost his cool. He doesn't want Gillian going away into an unknown problem. Little did he know Mason intended to send him with her all along.
*Sigh* Men!!

The mystery behind the deaths is elusive and while they try to figure it out Brett's attraction to Gillian grows.


Needless to say there is a lot of tension. As they figure out the what, the question becomes who. Not exactly a comfortable position for anyone to be in. Brett can only trust Gillian and Owen and that is felt throughout his pack.

I loved this nail-biting, hold your breath tale. It gives a whole new dimension to the Wolves of Willow Bend Series.

[Jamoz23 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read and reviewed this series more years ago than I want to remember.
Seeing there are a lot more books added to this series, I am rereading them through Kindle Unlimited.

01 - WOLF BITE
Whilst I really enjoyed this book I hate when the laws ruling the packs in these worlds are asinine and archaic, not too sure about some of the other packs either. I am sure all of this will all come through in this series somehow.
Liked Alexis way more than Mason as she came across as a survivor and had left the pack knowing she could never be happy there.
Mason had drifted around as a lone wolf for a long time and I am not sure if he would have continued that way.
I also disliked the references to other women he had been with, some of them he had lived with for years, and the fact he was going to use Alexis to 'get her out of his system'.
Once he has had Alexis he walks away AGAIN, leaving her in a horrible situation.
I did enjoy the ending but Mason was still not my favourite alpha and certainly not a hero.

2 - CAGED WOLF
Though I enjoyed this book, it isn’t one of the better ones out there.
Not sure why Vivian locked up speech wise and didn’t just tell the truth, it was self-defence after all.
A.J. and his brothers were not even really there. They arrived just as Vivian hit her attacker.
Focuses more on A.J. trying to find his balance after 6 years in a human prison, holding his wolf side locked down until deep emotional damage is done. This is also put down to the mate bond being ignored as well.
He finally returns back to his pack after Vivian supplies the evidence needed to lawyer Ryan to free him.
But his pack has changed Alphas recently and the old Alpha, who left him to rot in prison is gone, and he needs to learn to trust Mason.
This is proved hard to do when Vivian is bought to the pack so the truth will be told.
Mason, who was absent from the pack himself at the time this happened, has to know he can trust A.J. in his pack.

3 - WOLF CLAIM
Owen is a loner. He prefers that life as he believes his parents are unhappy together due to being separated by job choice.
He wants Gillian but refuses to interact with her no matter what she says or does.
When Gillian has to visit another pack, Owen fights her going and ends up ordered to accompany her as protection.
Brett, the Alpha of the Hudson pack, makes a play for Gillian which forces Owen to wolf up.
The ending was just a bit silly as it was fairly obvious who the baddie was and Owen was even watching him at the time of the attack.
Sad so many lives were lost.

[Birgit · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book; the three first stories in the Wolves of Willow Bend series tell the reader firstly about Mason, the lone wolf who left the pack after the death of his parents, then AJ, suffering in a human prison and abandoned there by the previous Alpha, and lastly Owen, the Hunter, who thinks he is not good enough for the woman he loves.
Although the main focus in all three was on the relationship (or lack thereof...) of the main protagonists, but there were more plots woven into each story - but brilliantly done and not confusing the reader with too much going on with too many characters. The protagonists were very likeable and realistic in their feelings and interactions, something a reader can identify with, which always makes it easier to fall into the story and get drawn in. The storyline and development was equally captivating, and the narration style so fluent and easygoing, that as a reader I was just drawn along. I think I found a new series and author I will definitely follow.
The big, really big negative aspect in all the book was the poor editing! There were so many grammar and spelling errors (horrible ones, really), and that really put a damper on my reading. Hence the rating not quite reaching the top.

[Tammy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mason was forced from his pack to lead his life as a lone wolf, but his anger and rage towards his packs alpha never stopped simmering under the surface.
Alexis was a young human girl who grew up in the pack because her mom married a wolf and was turned. Alexis never understood the packs politics and at times the whole wolf thing terrified her, but then she met Mason when they were children and she always liked him and her feelings grew for him as they grew until one day Mason was gone and no one would tell her where he went or why.
Now Alexis is a grown woman living on her own in Dallas when she is defending herself from a mugging Mason shows up to help her..They catch up and they both realize the spark is still there between them but Mason knows it wont work because she is human and he is a lone wolf..
Mason cant deny his feelings anymore for Alexis so he does the only thing he can for them to have a chance. He goes back to his pack and challenges the Alpha til death falls on one of them..
A very good read, enjoyed it and looking forward to the next book

[Dar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wolf Bite, 4 stars - This was one for those stories were you reading it, and it’s good, and then it just grabs you and you can’t read fast enough to see how things pan out!

Caged Wolf, 5 stars - Oh, I really liked these two! The story has this air of hurt and pain lingering over it, and slowly, bit by bit, that cloud lifts, and by the end, it is so happy and peaceful, a perfectly filled out circle of love <3

Wolf Claim, 5 stars - Ah, the old I’m-not-good-enough-for you! But in the middle of that, a mystery to solve, and challenges for her affections. Our heroine shocked them all, and I loved her at every turn, for it 😊

[Jeni Wideman · Rating 5 out of 5]

You don't want to miss out on this series

The Rise of the Alpha is a perfect introduction to the world of Willow Bend!

I LOVE Willow Bend....if I lived in this world, I want to live there but only with Mason as my Alpha. He is the gold standard of Alphas.

.Alexis and Mason are true couple goals, anyone who destroy s your bed TWICE...sigh..AND then burns down the world for you? Perfect. AJ and Vivian....I love how their story plays out, but those 7 years 😥, and then we have Gillian and Owen, I love how she went for what she wanted and got it.... Now Brent, I need my Hudson River Alpha to meet his mate, he deserves happiness

[Debra Roth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Series

I fell in love with all the characters. This story has drama, conflict, love, and sex. Strong alpha males and strong women. Some of the women, like Gillian, the healer, were submissive but strong women. Owen loved Gillian but he needed to learn that Gillian may be submissive, but she was strong. Mason, a lone wolf, had to challenge his old alpha, for the right to move back home and claim his mate. A.J. Wrongfully sent to prison and abandoned by the old alpha, had to fight for himself and his mate's sanity when Mason brought him back home.

[Autumn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty Ok

I’m a bit on the fence about these books. I love the characters and the story line is mostly there but the typos drive me nuts and sometimes things just didn’t quite go as I thought they should have.

Things tended to be very rushed. The story is going along and everything is good and then suddenly events, and what should be important story-building scenes, kinda get glossed over and then the story continues on for a while.

I kinda feel like the author had a good thing going but wanted to pump out books as fast as possible and the writing suffered from it.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great!

This set is the first 3 books in the Wolves of Willow Bend series. They are well written tales with well developed characters. Each book follows a different couple as they face day to day life as members of the pack. Each faces difficulties related to claiming their mates. Every storyline flows from the pages and right into your heart. If you like tales about shifters, be sure to add this book to your must-read list.

[Safety Lady · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kick butt set, a must read

This is what paranormal romance should be. Great writing weaving a tale of survival, romance, and family (pack). Absolutely loved this set of books. Starting with Mason’s tale, weaving in AJ’s story, and ending with Owen these three alpha males beat the odds and ended up with a HEA. Characters you can fall in love with and root for the whole way. Definitely one to add to your collection. Happy reading.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three good stories.
Mason is still drown to Alexis even after her goes lone wolf. Can they be together somehow?
AJ is sent to prison for a murder he didn't commit. Can Vivian help him get out?
Owen and Gillian are sent to another pack to help out after the healer died. Can they find their path?

[Hayley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a pretty good read as always i love most books of this genre but some get a little difficult to follow as the stories progress this one doesn't it is an easy read (or was for me). I enjoyed that you found out what happened to to each one as the time slowly progressed. I would read this book again.

[Jayne · Rating 2 out of 5]

3 books in 1.

Not a bad bundle of books, three different...ish stories, obviously you've got the wolves mating but you've got a variable premise in each.
I did find myself skipping a few chapters in each book because they dragged and went on endlessly and they definitely needed proof reading but not bad.
2 1/2 🌟🌟

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing

First time reading Heather long's books and it definitely won't be the last time! Loved everything about all three books in this series! Sizzlin hot, alpha male goodness, action, love! It's all you love in a pnr read! 👄👍👍

[Sandyinlargo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes!!!!!

I have all three of these individual books and I love them. But more that, I just had to snatch this book up when I could. Why? Because being able to easily move from one book is the best!!

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good set of stories

Took time getting into this set of books but once I did got engrossed in them. Each story is standalone but they form part of the pack, so it’s good catching up with the previous story.

[Yvonne Barbosa · Rating 5 out of 5]

New author for me and I loved it ! I will
Be getting more of her books

[Auhmanduh · Rating 4 out of 5]

first 3 books in the Willow Bend series (11 books total I believe). I enjoyed book 1 and book3.

[Linda Chase · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh yes

God iv loved these books.iv laughed and cried but the characters are so loved and all three story lines are fantastic.just hope there are plenty more to follow

[S · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast paced

This author gives you just enough to keep on reading. Loved how the world created was shown and the culture expressed. The h & h for each novel are captivating !

[Marina · Rating 4 out of 5]

not bad

[Rene Bowman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome books!!!!!!

This series was one of those where you can't put the book down. It totally pulls you into the world of the wolves and their lives. Worth a second read!

[MsRoman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great series

I enjoyed this series Mason, Owen ,Brett were my favorite .Two Alpha one Hunter ....
I would recommend this series....

[Gabrielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic read

Great set! The plots were intriguing and each one better than the last. Definitely an author I would recommend.. buy this set!!!