Rating: 4.25 stars
Buy Links: Amazon | iBooks | Amazon UK
Length: Novella
As a blood witch who works for the Coven, Penrith Flint has seen a lot of horrible things. But few are worse than the night he is called in to locate some kidnapped shifters and finds a wolf chained to a tree and near death. It is clear the man won’t survive more than a few hours without magical help, but Penrith is still careful to get the man’s consent before using his own blood to help him begin healing. Penrith’s only thought is saving the man’s life, and he never expects the exchange of blood to set off their fated mates bond between them.
Mitchell Wright was kidnapped, abused, and left to die. He barely remembers anything about that night; he has spent the last four months just trying to survive and get some semblance of his life back. His family and his pack have only grudgingly accepted him, and Mitchell’s leg is now mangled and he walks with a severe limp. But at least he is alive and he is ready to try to move forward. That includes going to the Coven offices to thank the agent who saved his life.
Ever since the night they met, Penrith has been giving Mitchell his space. They are magically bonded together, but the mate bond can often fade if not nurtured. And since Mitchell didn’t consent to magically becoming his familiar when the fated mates bond kicked in, Penrith has to keep his distance so Mitchell can decide what he wants for himself — even if that means he wants to break the bond and Penrith will lose his magic. But while Mitchell may not remember much about that night, he does feel a connection with Penrith, one he doesn’t want to ignore. The men may have found each other under tragic circumstances, but now that they have formed their bond, they may be able to find their way to a real future together.
Wolf Gift is the seventh book in T.J. Nichols’ Outcast Pack series, and while this is a short novella, I found the story packs a nice punch. The book continues a thread from the prior book, Wolf Hunt, where we learn about the kidnapped shifters and Taylor and Justin undertake a mission to help rescue them. So Mitchell is one of those kidnapped wolves and he and Penrith meet during the rescue effort. While this story features a new couple, it is a short book, which means there is not a lot of time for background and world building, and I think it is best read by those with some familiarity with the series or the larger world (though you don’t necessarily need to have read Wolf Hunt specifically).
One thing I have enjoyed about both this series (and the other two set in this world — Familiar Mates and Brothers of Fire) is that Nichols does a nice job of mixing up the formula and taking some creative approaches to the stories. In most of the other books, the bond between witch and familiar is jump started through a sexual connection (exchange of fluids and all that). In this case, Penrith and Mitchell’s bond starts in the midst of this tragedy where Mitchell is nearly dead and Penrith is using own blood to save Mitchell’s life. So these guys have no romantic connection or even a casual hookup; this is pure emergency where suddenly they find themselves bonded together. While Mitchell does consent to Penrith using blood to save him, it causes a bond where Mitchell is now a familiar, a position where Penrith, as his witch, can draw upon his magic. And since Penrith is a Coven agent, he has to keep his distance from Mitchell while Mitchell recovers and figures out if he wants to keep the bond. And if he doesn’t, Penrith will lose his magic in order to break the bond. Not to mention, early on there was a chance Mitchell wouldn’t survive, which would have killed Penrith too. And now, even if they agree to give it a shot, the guys need to figure out if they can make a life together. So there are all kinds of interesting conflicts, even in this short story. While I was intrigued enough that I would have loved more time to explore it all, I think Nichols does a nice job here with an engaging storyline.
While the pack side of things is not the main focus here, we do see the men connect with the Outcast Pack. Mitchell’s home pack is one of the old school varieties who are not thrilled he is gay, let alone that he is now a witch’s familiar. The Outcast Pack welcomes Mitchell in, and Penrith with him, and we see them running with the pack and starting to connect with the group.
This is the penultimate installment of this series and, while it is a shorter story than most, I found it really entertaining and offering a unique storyline and conflict. I have the final book already, so I am looking forward to finishing out the series.
