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Fate has a funny way of complicating things.Marie thought her future was clear - mate the next Alpha of the Reynold's pack. But when she locks eyes with Jonathan Jones, her world tilts on its axis - she's found her true fated mate.

There's just one her boyfriend isn't willing to let go.

Consumed by possessive fury, he refuses to accept defeat. Ignoring Jonathan's warnings, he spirals into obsession, convinced Marie belongs to him.

And when he takes things too far in a dangerous attempt to claim her as his own, a vicious feud ignites between the Jones and Reynold's packs - one that will echo through generations.

Dive into this passionate prequel to the now completed Shifters of Grey Ridge series that reveals the explosive beginning of Cooper's parents' love story and uncovers the bitter roots of an age-old pack rivalry.

This is a dual POV, MF, steamy wolf shifter romance and can be read either before or after the rest of the Grey Ridge books.

90 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 17, 2025

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About the author

Reece Barden

38 books704 followers
Reece is a steamy paranormal romance author writing wickedly wild romance. She is currently working on the shifter romance series, The Shifters of Grey Ridge and the Steel Pack Alphas.

She loves creating steamy stories about hot, growly alpha men and the women who love and torment them.

She writes for people just like her who love a little light-hearted fun with their naughty heroes and edge-of-your-seat storylines.

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Community Reviews

5 stars
254 (49%)
4 stars
141 (27%)
3 stars
92 (17%)
2 stars
19 (3%)
1 star
7 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
Profile Image for Jennifer.
1,541 reviews20 followers
May 19, 2025
I love the grey ridge shifters

I'm so sad that this series is at an end. I have enjoyed it, and any spin offs so much.

Oh Marie!!! So sassy!! They were perfect fated mates. I loved seeing it all from the beginning and also seeing a young Cooper and Rex.


Ok ok I will do a reread. You dont gotta pull my arm!
Profile Image for Christine.
176 reviews17 followers
March 4, 2026
I can't believe it's over; I wasn't ready for it to be over! A quick read, but it helped fill in some of the small gaps. I'm going to have one heck of a book hangover from this whole series. Johnathan and Marie are just as lovable as their kids, and I wish it were longer. This series was everything I needed and wanted. I highly recommend reading the whole series; it renews your love of books, and it is difficult to put down. I was hoping to learn more about Marie and the few things you learned about her in the other stories, but some mysteries are good to keep you wondering.
162 reviews
November 16, 2025
Page Turner!

I have read all 11 books in the Grey Ridge Series. And definitely enjoyed all of them. Each one kept me on the edge of my seat. Each book had its own story and troubles to deal with, very emotional and scary. I recommend them as a must read. My next series to read is the Alpha Games. Can't wait.
7 reviews1 follower
February 27, 2026
Good

I absolutely love the storyline of this book, but it’s painful to be missing so much detail that could’ve made me obsessed with this title. Everything happened much too quick with the short length of this book, and I would’ve loved to have a random chapter or 2 from the other alpha’s POV mixed in the thrall.
Profile Image for Cheryl.
2,351 reviews60 followers
May 10, 2026
Ok but some inconsistency

This book is like fast forward no stop. Starts right with met the s€x. It builds up the Graham situation with nothing solved.

Before they mark each other, it stated that they have pink raised scars but then a little bit later it say "when we mark each other".
242 reviews1 follower
April 18, 2025
Nice short novella

Marie & Johnathan story. It was beautiful short story of the parents. We found out more what happend between two packs and as a lover of Grey Ridge series, I loved it and can recommend it.
483 reviews1 follower
April 22, 2025
This really should have come out before Dean’s story. His background would have been established and we would have understood him better. This is a good, very short book that apparently, was an afterthought.
3 reviews
May 30, 2025
Alpha's Envy

This is a prequel to the Grey Ridge series, Ironically it's the last book of the series.

I like the history of Jonathan & Marie's story & how Graham & his pack is so entwined with their lives.
Profile Image for Avantia.
88 reviews3 followers
July 18, 2025
This is a VERY short book for the price and reads like a short prologue and a selection of free bonus someone would get for signing up to the authors mailing list NOT a book that should cost money it's not worth it.Disapointing.. expected so much better just sex and the tinest of danger.
Profile Image for Hannah Avendaño.
334 reviews
June 2, 2026
Nah. It was just for nostalgia because the series was so good so it was an attempt at giving the parents story. It was frustrating and annoying to read though. Followed by a bunch of time jumps that just aren’t necessary given we know all of that from the actual series. Unnecessary addition
354 reviews1 follower
April 19, 2025
It was great to get a glimpse of Jonathan and Marie’s story as well as the Reynolds pack. I would’ve loved it even more if this was longer. It was short but so interesting.
25 reviews
April 20, 2025
Great addition to the series

Really enjoyed this short story. Would have liked it to be longer. Well written and original storyline. A must read.
102 reviews
April 30, 2025
LOVED IT

Amazing….. we finally got to read about how it all started. I love Marie and Jonathan. They are the best. Awesome book. Thank you.
Profile Image for Ty buckley.
36 reviews
May 9, 2025
great story

Reece continues with her first phenomenal story telling. Didn’t know how much I needed or wanted the back story on Luna & the Alphas.
21 reviews
July 9, 2025
Recommended!

So sorry the series is over. Read all the Grey Ridge books. Looking for the next one!
Haven't read this much in years
Profile Image for Debs.
201 reviews
September 16, 2025
Lovely end for the grey ridge shifter series. This is just a short prequel telling how Johnathan and Maria got together and started the family we got to know with the series
Profile Image for Tori.
322 reviews
September 21, 2025
Nice and short

I love older Marie, but younger Marie bothered me and it might be due to the book being so short so we don't actually see her growth really or her struggle.
Profile Image for Laura Goodall.
21 reviews
September 25, 2025
loved it!

Loved this little prequel… great to see Johnathan and Marie when they were young.. short, but didn’t need to be any longer. 💜
84 reviews
June 1, 2026
another great one

I loved this one just like all of the series. Not much new information here, as most of the story already played out in one of the other Grey Ridge books, but I still loved hearing the back story in more detail.

One thing I did note, there was a typo / some timeline problems. Chapter 14 the first traumatic event for Dean and Maya happens. So, obviously Maya is born, and I thought was about 3 yr old.

Epilogue says 15 years later, the second tragedy happens. It says “three years after Maya’s death” but she didn’t die, it was another character, someone “had taken another mate.” At the time of that death I thought Maya was 3. Math wise, this means Maya is somewhere between 15-18 years old.

The Extended Epilogue happens 2 days later, and now we know something is happening specifically to Maya. We know from the other book that she is 12 when this happens, and in the Bonus Content, Dean says Maya is 12.

So that Epilogue has to be more like 9 years later, not 15. Not a huge deal, but one of those details that I find annoying. (There were other little things in the series, like missing opening or closing quotation marks, or missing changing the paragraph from one speaker to the next, so then the dialogue is not in sync.)

But the overall story was incredible.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews