The Good Wolf - Meredith Russell 4 1/2 Hearts

Review written for MM Good Book Reviews

Mason has had to live with in fear with a terrible secret since the night that his best friend turned it into a nightmare that he could never have imagined. Living a life in solitude he does all he can to keep the monster at bay. Mason stumbles across a newly turned werewolf who has no clue what he is, Mason tries to help but Niall doesn't believe a word he is told.... until the next time he wakes up naked in a strange place with no memories. Both Mason and Niall are drawn together but Mason knows what a monster he really is, and with his vile enemy closing in again Mason just wants to run. Niall wants to find a solution to both their problems and Mason has to learn to master his wolf and realize that being alone doesn't have to be the only solution.

This is a brilliant story that takes us back to the horror of werewolves, where they are near mindless monsters that revel in murder and terror. Mason is a man that is desperate to silence his monster, he has done terrible things which haunt him and he resorts to desperate measures each month. Niall is a man who went to bed with the wrong person, now he is drawn into a world that he wants out of, and Mason is his only hope. The two men are drawn together, but Mason doesn't want his burden falling on someone else and after the final confrontation Niall has to convince him that the two are meant to be together.

I loved this story for the visceral feel to it, the unapologetic way it shows the werewolves as nasty and the darker haunting way that Mason has dealt with it. The opening scenes to this story strike to the heart of the plot, men reveling in their wolves and enjoying the destruction and terror that they unleash. Mason is the good wolf though, he never sinks to the darkest levels that others have and tries to change his path but he is always tracked by the one who made him. Niall falls victim to the deranged wolf and finally turns to Mason when he accepts the truth of what has happened. Their attraction is mutual but it is a very difficult rocky path, Mason has a huge amount of guilt that eats at him and Niall has a fight on his hands to convince Mason that they should be together.

The storyline is pretty easy to follow and I loved the solution to the werewolf problem, delving into myths for answers. It isn't an easy solution and is one that could confuse... kill the creator and revert to human unless you have given in to the urge to hunt and murder a human.

I recommend this gem to those who love base werewolves, fighting instinct and urges, a battle for life, destroying the evil and finding a happiness that was never expected.