The Wild Wolf's Rejected Mate

Five Packs #5

by Cate C. Wells

My mate called me weak and walked away.

Annie

I try not to think about mating the wild wolf from the Last Pack. It happened. He left. The witch sorted me out and life kept going.

I’m anxious all the time—every moment of every day—but I’m not worried about him. He hates me, and he’s not coming back. He made that perfectly clear.

I should have worried.

After all, everyone like me knows the first rule of anxiety—if you don’t worry about something, it will happen.

And the mate who left me is now trespassing on my pack’s territory, and this time, when I run, he chases.

Justus

My mate is damaged.

She’s beautiful, but she smells wrong, and she’s messed up like all the other wolves who pretend to be human.

Our mating was a disaster. I left her, but I couldn’t keep away.

And now—things have changed. I can’t keep my distance anymore, but she’s still as skittish as a rabbit.

She thinks I’m a monster, and catching her isn’t enough—

I have to figure out how to make her stay.

The Wild Wolf’s Rejected Mate is a shifter romance about fated mates finding their way back to each other. No cheating. HEA guaranteed. Intended for adult readers only.

Genres: Romance, Shapeshifters, Paranormal, Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Second Chance, Werewolves

338 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 26, 2024

About the author

CATE C. WELLS writes gut-wrenching paranormal and contemporary romance. Whatever the world, readers can expect character-driven stories that are raw, real, and emotionally satisfying. Cate's into messy love, flaws, long roads to redemption, grace, and happy ever after, in fiction and in life.

As well as books, Cate has collected a husband, two daughters, and a cat along the way. She lives in Baltimore when she’s not out exploring with the family.

Want a heads up on new releases and bonus content? Sign up for Cate's newsletter at catecwells.com

Facebook: @catecwells
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Bookbub: @catecwells

Reviews

[Val ⚓️ Shameless Handmaiden ⚓️ · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 Stars

I am a huge fan of Cate C. Wells and I love this series (and all her stuff, really) but this was just a miss for me.

I understand that Annie’s anxiety was a huge element here, but it was done to the detriment of all other aspects of the story and I was bored by it. Also, their chemistry felt off, the smut factor was super low, and there was none of the angst I’ve come to expect from this author.

Overall, this had SO much potential; but, again, I was just bored. Hoping the next one is better for me.

[Rain · Rating 5 out of 5]

*4.5* This story is unique, beautiful, frustrating, and deeply emotional.

I admit that I struggled with the first quarter of this story. Annie is a character whose pain seeps through every page. Her childhood trauma clings to her like a shadow, her life dominated by anxiety. She is barely able to function day to day, her fears controlling her every move until she becomes a trembling shell of herself. Yet, beneath her fears lies a tiny spark that refuses to be extinguished.

And then there is Justus. Unlike any hero I’ve ever read, he embodies a rare, old-fashioned kind of alpha, powerful, yet patient. His strength lies not just in his dominance but in his unwavering determination to earn Annie’s trust, placing her emotional healing above his own desires. It’s this quiet, steadfast devotion that sets him apart and makes their connection so achingly beautiful.

Shifter m/f romance
Fated mates
Second chance
Dual perspectives
Deeply emotional
So. Much. Anxiety
Low steam
5-6 year separation (no ow/om)
Beautiful HEA

This author has an incredible gift for crafting characters with profound depth and raw emotion. Even with low heat, this story completely stole my heart. The rich history of the clans adds another layer of brilliance. It’s an important reminder of how we often cling to the versions of history we recognize, rather than confronting the truths buried within the stories.

Heart-wrenching yet hopeful, this story is a stunning journey of trauma, trust, and the power of love to heal even the deepest wounds. Highly recommended for fans of an emotional slow burn, shifter romance.

Even though it's part of a series (and you should read them all) this would be ok as a standalone.

Many thanks to Cate C. Wells for an arc of this beautiful story, and Isabella for the BR.

[readabookonce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Justus’s wolf be like 🌻🐶🌻

MAIN CHARACTER NAMES AND AGES
Annie Murphy (18–~24) | Justus (18–~24)

FEATURES
∘ shifter romance
∘ fated & rejected mates
∘ goofy mmc (mainly his wolf but the human has his moments too)
∘ “steals” her
∘ healing

REVIEW
First, I want to say I’ve seen a lot of people calling Annie a doormat. That is not really the case. She has severe anxiety and elements of OCD, stemming from the abuse she witnessed as a child. The only person she really lets “walk all over her” is the voice in her head spewing vitriol. Ergo, not really a doormat.

I had a lot of sympathy for Annie, although I can see why one would be impatient or frustrated with her. Her reactions don’t always make sense, and with someone as sweet as Justus, it’s frustrating watching her lash out at him (mainly in the beginning).

Justus was an absolute sweetheart. He’s definitely the best mmc of the series. The little ritual his wolf does to make Annie comfortable in the beginning is adorable. And when human Justus gives her that box when they’re in his den??? There cannot be any debate about who the best love interest in the series is because Justus outshines them by miles. Although, I’ll always have a soft spot for Killian.

My one qualm with this book is the timeline. A majority of Annie & Justus’s relationship takes place over 2-3 days. After a 6 year separation, it doesn’t feel like enough time to mend and comfort. Then there’s the fact we didn’t get to see them together as a couple for long. While we do see a satisfying amount of relationship develop, I completely selfishly want MORE.

This is the first shifter series I’ve read in my adult life. Since then, I’ve read a plethora more. While I’ve loved others just as much, none have been quite like this one. The way Cate C. Wells writes characters, personalities, and familial dynamics is so addicting. So many characters who are completely unlikable end up being lovable, despite staying who they are. I mourn the day this series comes to an end and we say goodbye to the five packs. Side note—Cate C. Wells would slay a vampire series (just sayinggg).

OW/OM DRAMA not really OW — Justus has hooked up with two women from his pack before mating Annie; no mention on if they were together during their estrangement (6 years at the beginning of the novel)
CHEATING none
THIRD ACT BREAKUP no
ENDING HEA — epilogue set in near future

POV dual / first person
SPICE LEVEL 3 / 5
RATING 4.5 / 5

[Rachael*Caribbean*girl*bibliophile · Rating 3 out of 5]

Spoilers ahead


Annie is one of the besties of the h from book 1. She's a Quarry Pack unmated female. When she was younger, when the pack was under the rule of the previous Alpha, Annie witnessed something horrific that scarred her for life. Since then she's been quiet, anxious and scared. Meeting her mate at 18 turns into a disaster.

Justus is basically the Alpha of the lost wolves, the wolves who still live according to the old way. He finds his mate at 18 but there mating turns into a disaster as she's scared beyond understanding. Hurt pride causes him to say horrible things to her and the two remain separated for years......until he returns again and this time he takes his mate home with him.

********
Even when I'm not a fan of her characters I love this author's writing.
I struggled with Annie a lot, she was just so timid and scared and stinking up the place with her fear scent and to me there wasn't a reason. Yes she witnessed something terrible but the pack has changed a lot since the days of Declan Kelly's barbaric leadership. I really needed her to try a little harder to be brave.
Justus was a pretty good H, poor fool tried but he was young and hurt at their first mating and he lashed out and they both nursed hurt feelings for years. We know that Justus slept with two of the females from his pack but no word on what happened in the years he was away from Annie. I'm choosing to believe he was celibate though 😑
All in all this was a slow burn as Justus tries his best to get his mate to give them a chance, they were apart for a good portion of the book but their time together was really cute.
Since I struggled so much with Annie however my rating isn't as high as I'd like but she got quite a bit annoying at the end of it all tbh

I'm a fan of this author and will continue to read everything she puts out there, well except Wall cuz I don't do cheaters 😁

[Well Well Well · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMGOMGOMG
Ms. Wells has been my favorite ever since I read the first one. I will read anything and everything she writes. Just take my money and keep writing!!! Pleeeeeeease

[Bookish.Midnight. and. black · Rating 1 out of 5]

A lot of people loved this book and even though the cover is just a copy paste of other covers about shape shifters ( a man and a wolf)and even though the title is like any other title lately with words like 'mate' 'rejected'and 'wolf', I decided to give it a try.

Unfortunately, I hated it and DNF at 30%. This will be the last attempt to read this author. I really don't like her writing and I am losing my time and' hurting' her rating in the process.

1/3 of the book and we read about an anxious heroine scared to take a shower, scared because the tea pot whistles and a lot of stupid things like this. I get it, she went through some drama in the past but you don't have to bore the reader to dead with lots and lots of pages about how scared she is. She is incapable of having a conversation with the hero but she listens to the voice in her head. She needs a psychiatrist asap. And the books need another cover, another name and another plot.

[Jenn (The Book Refuge) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series never skimps on the heart-rending moments. When I open one of Cate C Wells' books, I never quite know what I'm in for, but that is always certain. However, it makes the payoff so much sweeter. When everything clicks together, it gives such relief. Justus and Annie have a lot of baggage and pain they bring to the table, but we know their bond will win out in the end.

That being said, it is hard to read at times. There is so much angst, it makes your guts tight for a good bit of the story. Each time I would open my kindle back up, I would do it with one eye open. Then we only get a little bit of happiness before we have to say goodbye. I wanted to see them happy together for a bit more page time.

Overall though, the was a great book for fans of the series. The Last Pack are wolves we've been curious about for ages. There's so much about them we want to know and Justus is our key to it all. He may have screwed up with his first mating with Annie but his devotion is unending and he only wants to make it right. There's something so sweet about that.

Also, the pups were ADORABLE! Haha!

4 stars
2 on the spice scale

CW: past trauma, violence, partially morphing bodies, hunting of animals for food

*Thank you to the author for an ARC of this title.*

[Ainhoa · Rating 3 out of 5]

That took a long time…

I’m ashamed to admit I did not like the heroine, and couldn’t relate at all. I’m sure Cate C Wells did an amazing job portraying the overwhelming fear and anxiety some people must feel on a daily basis and I think it’s amazing that she did it, because that’s not something we find very often, but sadly, it wasn’t for me. I had to take a breather halway through and read two books because I couldn’t keep going with her anxiety and the stinking everything everywhere.

All my stars go to Justus though. He was an amazing hero, patient, calm and always there for Annie.

[Barbarzynka · Rating 4 out of 5]

nadal bez komentarza 😂

[Margo · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF, but I definitely read enough to know that this book would be a one star read for me. The h is exhausting, because she is terrified of literally everything. Also, the realism in this series keeps getting worse and worse to me. I don’t want to read a supposed romance where the h observes of her perspective love interest, “I can see his butthole,” wolf form or not.

I will never think truly badly of the author of “Run, Post, Run,” but I should’ve stuck with my resolution to steer clear of the rest of this series.

[Intel Chicky Reads Romance (Kara Merideth) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Story: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Trope: fated mates
Angst: 😱😱😱😱😱
Smexy: 🔥🔥

Good Lordy - what a fabulous read! Cate C Wells is one of my favorite writers and continues to blow me away with her storytelling. The writing is intricate, nuanced, and genuine, managing to weave you into the pages as you read. It was difficult to stop or even take a break, lol. The character development is phenomenal. I absolutely fell in love with Justus and Annie and loved them for each other. They are real and relatable despite being shifters, in a shifters' world. Justus is a different kind of shifter than we're used to. He's very much a cinnamon roll for his girl, and all he wants to do is please her and call her his. But even the sweetest people can have a moment. Theirs is a journey to work through past traumas and hurts and move past prejudices and preconceived notions. It's scary to make yourself vulnerable enough to take a leap of faith - even with one you're fated to be with. The Wild Wolf's Rejected Mate is an easy pick for my best of 2024 pile. If you are in the mood for an incredible story with marvelous characters and don't mind having your heart completely ripped out before it's put all together again, it's definitely for you too!

[TJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5.0

This story stayed determinedly at a three star for me throughout the first half of the book. But, the last half started to work itself out, Annie (FMC) started to grow and change (thank heavens!) and the ending turned out to be really quite good. So… rounding up instead of down.

[Shelby | Spicy.booknook · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shifters PNR MF
Fated Mates
Sweet & Protective MC
Traumatized FMC
High Anxiety
Hurt/Comfort
Bookend Spice

Gosh this was an emotional journey. Nothing like I’ve read previously in this series. I’ve read the other books over the last year and enjoyed them all, but I feel like the relationship in this one is on another level. I love hurt/comfort stories and this one is beautiful and feels so real. That’s one thing this author does so well is inject some real feels into these books. And sometimes that’s rough.

Annie suffers from an enormous amount of fear and anxiety, to the point that it takes over her entire being. When her fated mate shows himself (in one of the most adorable ways I’ve ever read) Annie’s battle of mind and body is epic and extremely confusing for her mate Justus. Mistakes are made and that leads to rejection and an extremely emotional story.

Justus is such a swoony and sweet MC. Because we get dual POV we really get all their feelings and we understand, even when these two don’t. Justus was just so thoughtful and so patient. My only complaint would be that the ending felt a little abrupt and I wanted more, I felt a little cheated lol but it was still such a good read.

[Annelie · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF 60%
I don't know why but I didn't like the FMC and the storyline in fact. I already knew what would happen and how it would end...😕 Not very much suspense here. Not for me!

[Mina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can I say I have mixed feelings? I love Cate C. Wells, her writing style is top-notch and I'm always looking forward to her books. But this one left a sense of "not fast enough, and too fast at the end". We met Annie in previous books and Justus during the last book, so the author does that where she leaves you wanting to know more about these new mysterious characters. But this one did drag up until 70% of the book and then when we got to the good part, it was rushed into two chapters. Don't get me wrong, I love a good grovel, but Annie didn't find her backbone until chapter 14 (and there are 15 chapters in this book). The level of patience from Jusuts puts saints to shame. I thought he was great, he was funny, he was sincere (well, except at the beginning but emotions were running high). Overall, it was good... just slow and then rushed.

Received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Namera [The Literary Invertebrate] · Rating 3 out of 5]

⤅ Well, I finally got round to reading this one... 3.5 stars, rounded down.

I've read every single book in this series, and in my review of the last one I went into why I don't think most of the installments have actually been THAT good, so I won't repeat myself on that front. But there are a couple of reasons why, even though this book is actually better than all the most recent ones have been, I ultimately rounded down.

Plot first: when she was 18, Annie went into heat because she'd scented her mate Justus, a stranger from the feral and animalistic Last Pack. She's deeply traumatised from events she witnessed as a child, and as soon as he relieved her heat she basically fled Justus in terror. He's spent the next six years watching her from a distance, but it isn't until they're both 24 that he reappears wanting his mate.

First off, I have to say that the description of Justus really did not do it for me. Heavily bearded, unkempt, shaggy-haired heroes from a pack which doesn't look 'recently bathed' is not really my thing, sorry. Annie's own viscerally repulsive 'stink' of fear is regularly described though, so at least there's balance. In fact this is a book replete with intense descriptions of very earthy smells - Dr Ally Louks would have a field day with this one.

Secondly: this book is FAR too short and underdeveloped for the frankly very heavy topics being unravelled here. The entire premise hinges on making you believe that for SIX YEARS, Justus sees how utterly and extremely terrified his mate is of him in particular and men in general, and... never, for a single moment, considers why that might be the case. Six months, sure. Six years?? And then when he does realise there might be some deeper reason to her fear, it just comes out of nowhere and feels all the more unrealistic for it. I don't know, man, I just wasn't convinced that a seemingly fairly emotionally intelligent person like Justus, surrounded by loving packmates, never ever thought about why his mate is so scared of men that she almost died escaping him. And the amount of emotional trauma Annie was carrying seemed like it shouldn't have almost entirely dissipated within the space of literally like three days (if that).

Speaking of the loving packmates, Justus has slept with at least two women in his pack before meeting Annie; it's not clear whether he has sex with anyone else during the separation, but what IS clear is that Annie is allowed to hang out with these women and bond with them without ever once being told that these are her mate's ex-lovers. This rubbed me very much the wrong way.

Also, I'm surely not alone in thinking that a wolf mating scene was heavily teased, but was never actually delivered...

I will say, though, that I'm glad we FINALLY had a book in this series where one of the heroines took contraception. At last, some birth control in a series rife with teenage pregnancy! I really hope now that Wells focuses on some of the side characters who desperately need stories - Kennedy and Tye foremost among them.

[Doris Nhan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I waver between 3 and 3.5 stars. I really wanted to love this and as someone who has read the majority of Cate C Well’s books, I was looking forward to this one. But the pacing on this one really drags and it’s hard to discern what the actual plot is. It’s much more character driven than the other books and you can tell the author’s writing has really matured over this series. Her ability to build a complex personality is what keeps me coming back. The majority of the book deals with Annie’s traumatic past and I am all about mental health recovery in a book. But unfortunately it just felt like it dragged on and on. There was very little character development for Annie until well over 70% of the book. No one wants to read 300 pages of a terrified, anxious girl with no momentum whatsoever. Most of it was her, terrified (understandably so) but making very little movement or growth. Because of this, there is also very, very little actual interaction between Justus and Annie until 3/4 of the book, making their relationship fairly nonexistent. And the dramatic ending sort of falls flat at the end. Basically, it takes all of two pages to resolve.

Despite the shortcomings, Justus is probably my favorite male lead of the entire series. Honestly, not really sure that Annie deserves that sweet man. The found family pack dynamic of the Last Pack was so fun and endearing. Seriously, after learning about the generally egalitarian society in the Last Pack, why would you ever choose any of the other misogynistic, backwards packs?

*Many thanks to the author for the ARC copy of this book!*

[Serial Romance Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wells is so talented! This book was heart-wrenching. I had a hard time reading it because Annie is such a ball of anxiety. It actually ratcheted up my anxiety! The storytelling and character development were top notch. I think Justus is my favorite alpha for sure. His open mindedness and philosophical approach to pack life rather than dominance and exploitation was refreshing. If only more men, ahem “alphas” in our society could be like him!

I felt this book was more of a female mate rejection book because Annie told him to leave her. I was so frustrated with Annie, but also sympathetic. This could be considered a slow burn romance even though there is a heat mating toward the beginning it wasn’t romantic one.

[BAG of Books · Rating 2 out of 5]

Note: Quarry Pack again.

This is unreadable. Annie has such bad anxiety, she's not agoraphobic, she's worse than that. She's terrified of. being. inside. her. own. house. She had a panic attack because her teapot whistled. They make tea every day. She's terrified of taking a shower. I mean, just on and on and on. DNF.

[juli✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

the wild wolf's rejected mate was okay… it meandered a bit and i think i wanted more spice, conflict, something. not as memorable as the last few books in this series. still, i love the world of the five packs and i am for sure looking forward to Kennedy's book.

[Tmstprc · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good story, but too much of the word count is focused on understanding Annie’s trauma.

[Angela Hates Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this might be my favorite of all the wolf shifters in this series. And honestly, I came into this book a little bit nervous because CCW has let me down in the series before. But! I found this book very very sweet and tender and just freaking awesome.

Annie has anxiety. And, again, I was a little bit nervous about this because the anxiety card gets played sooooooo much. It’s not my favorite character trope. And honestly, it’s super annoying. I get it. You’re scared of everything. But also neuroplasticity is a real thing and I don’t like the “ope, sorry I can never change and this is who I am” narrative. I reaaaaally wanted Annie to fight her demons and over come and be the wolfie badass she’s meant to be and not have some dude come and just accept her and her scaredy ways. Ya know? And the beginning made me scared (lol) that poor little Annie was gonna be scared the entire book.

Justus is the best. Theeeee beeeeesssttt. He’s the cuddliest of all these alphas and the most wonderful and it was great to see him be so great and really put these other alphas in perspective. (I knew Killian was a dick the whole time lol. Even after reading book one!) And I doubly love that SHE was the one who rejected HIM and his widdle heart is so freaking crushed and the hope is gone and it’s just a sad little tale for Justus. But obvs he’s gonna lick his wounds, wait like six years, and come back and kidnap her. Because of course.

Really enjoyed this one! I hope for 10 more wolf shifters books.

[girlwithhearteyes · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars

After the oppressive themes in the earlier books, this was a breath of fresh air!

Mind you, it was still very heavy at times and rejected mates was still the central premise. Annie’s anxiety was seriously *vivid*. CCW did a great job of getting us in Annie’s head, and it was a rough place to be, but kind of captivating as well.

I loved how the story balanced the heaviness with a lot of sweetness. Justus was very different from the other MMCs, and his wolf was so playful and affectionate, I just melted. 🌻😍 And it was interesting to finally see The Last Pack in its element, after being teased throughout the series.

I also loved the bonus epilogue on CCW’s website, it really completed the story/relationship.

My favourite book in the series (that I’ve read) by far!

[cajareads]

And the award for the first dnf in 2025 goes to…

DNF @ 39%

I never thought I’d dnf a book from this series. I have read all (except one) books in this series and I enjoyed them but this one was really… overwhelming. The fmc has a panic disorder and ngl that first chapter had me all confused and I had a “wtf was that” moment reading that chapter. Her POVs were frustrating to read and it didn’t help that there were a couple of time skips and the mmc and fmc spent years away from each other after the first meeting.

[Grisette · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.6 stars

Another CCW! Yes! It's been a long time, but exploring further the world building for her shifter universe never gets old. This one ties directly to Book 1, and I even went back to read passages to refresh my memory. Overall, I enjoyed this story. It was not the best in the series but there were many things to love about it. Random thoughts:

🧶 At first, I had some difficulty to get into the story, as Annie's voice (and voices!) was quite overwhelming. As the chapters went by, I began to appreciate anew how CCW did such a great job to depict a heroine and a hero which had very distinct personalities and layers from previous characters in the series. It gave this book its own fresh individuality. And Justus's character was such a revelation! What a dream male he was! His patience, his sensibility, his sensitivity, his devotion, his strength, his nobility.... *sigh* Annie is one very lucky girl 🥰!

🧶 I checked and yes, this book's timeline intersects directly with the climactic event at the end of Book 1. But here comes a snag: the way Justus was depicted in Book 1, he seemed all in on the skin trade plan, while here in this book, it was clear he wasn't; the big issue is that this change in perspective sounded very like an obvious retcon attempt. Since in this book, we don't walk through Justus's POV of the confrontation scene with Killian in Book 1, I can't really smoothly fill all the blanks between that scene and the aftermath scene shown in this book. I am guessing that we are meant to believe that Justus arrived to scold his packmates, but the Quarry rebels came too soon and Justus had to play along until Killian's arrival gave him an opportunity to flee. But without actual storylines to confirm this, it felt a bit like a stretch.

And to compound this retcon feeling, in the Book 1 scene, Justus shifted before fleeing but no one remarked that he flip shifted, which we all know should have raised eyebrows - and in this book, flip shifting is explained as being the natural way for Last Pack wolves.

🧶 The story pace was very different from other books in the series. It was slower with almost no plot development. It was mostly an extended, languorous courtship from amazing Justus for very skittish Annie. I ended liking it, but it won't be to the taste of everyone. I can understand that everyone won't like Annie. She grated on my nerves at times, but Justus's sweetness helped a lot. And I really enjoyed the opportunity of digging more into pack lore, namely that of the unjustly reviled Last Pack.

🧶 Talking about Last Pack, I wished we had more clarifications on why they stole their females and how the latters came to prefer their new pack. It was hinted it was tradition and that it was rescue operations (mostly?), but how that fit with fated matings and pups is still fuzzy to me. I am guessing 'stealing' is a big misnomer, but again I can only try to fill in the blanks.

🧶 The ending brought in some welcome action, but it all ended all too rapidly! I had so many questions, like what are the consequences for what Leith did? Has Salt Mountain pack remained as backward even with a new Alpha? How are pack relations between Last Pack and Quarry Pack now? Won't Annie need to at least reassure her friends and say goodbye? What about her possessions she left behind? What will Abertha ask her for that bit of magic? Will Annie ever meet up with her Aunt Nola (Book 4)?

🧶 Trivia: Justus said that Last Pack did not believe in having an Alpha. Yet, one of his childhood reminiscence with his dad showed the pack had an Alpha. Did Justus's words only refer to his personal beliefs (as after all everyone calls him Alpha)? Or did things change after the wasting sickness episode?

🧶 It was hinted at various points of the book and its bonus epilogue, and I am getting all geared up for it: Kennedy's and Tye's story! At long last! I hope it will be the next book 😁

[GigiReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kind of different vibes with this one compared to the others.
What I liked:

The world building in this series has been slow and I think in this one we finally get a lot of background

Justus was adorable.

Seeing the other previous couples even if it was just in the epilogue.

What I struggled with:

The pacing was wonky. The middle sagged and the world building I loved also relied a lot on info dumping.

There was a LOT of inner monologuing that felt repetitive.

There was so much romanticizing of the Last Pack. Soooo much. I felt like the actual romance was secondary to all of that. I don't mind secondary characters and usually love them but I felt like it took over the romance

Annie stressed me the f*CK out. Sure this means that CCW did an amazing job of representing anxiety but it triggered me lol

TL;DR I feel like this one was super low stakes and Justus, the MMC, didn't really have a lot to grovel for. The romance was really sweet but overshadowed by the external plot and info dumping. Justus was adorable and in the end he carried the book for me.

⭐⭐⭐.5/5
🔥🔥/5

Tropes
Fated mates
Forced proximity
Kidnapping

[Jody Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this book. Wells has been dropping Five Packs lore and history throughout the series. In The Tyrant Alpha's Rejected Mate we hear about Killian's father and his strong over weak rule, cruelty, and disposal of the weak and damaged. All along we have heards snippets about the Basement. When he took over Killian had to resettle some women who were too traumatized by their abuse to stay in Quarry Pack with other packs. Annie is in Una's and Mari's books, given to debilitating anxiety attacks. What we learn here is that as a child she witnessed what went on in the Basement, and it's given her a lifelong fear of men and being trapped. "No female is ever safe" she thinks (in all the packs as we've met them, she's not wrong, really) and she has mastered coping technique after coping technique for not being noticed or singled out.

Justus is the Alpha (not the alpha) of the Last Pack, the supposedly nearly feral pack that spends too much time in wolf form, lives like animals, and kidnaps women and children. What they turn out to be is a society living closer to their shifter nature, those who rejected sublimating their wolves for human comforts when the Moon Lake leader led the shifters to "civilization." Unlike all the other packs, they don't live by rank and might makes right rule by fear, and instead of women being subjugated to men it's the pack in service to the pack, with women at the metaphorical and literal center of things. I love what Wells is doing with First Pack (as Last Pack calls themselves) and how it stands in contrast to the more "civilized" packs. Women come to the pack through rescue or a little light kidnapping and can't believe there is a societal support system, or that they don't have to trade favors for food, or that they don't have to fear men in general. Justus calls the other packs the Lost Packs, who have lost their way with the way they control instead of coexist. "I show the females my neck, and their males rumble louder. Lost packers are so lost. They read respect as insolence and guard their mates by glowering from a distance. Utterly backward."

Anyway, when they are 18, he and Annie match, and he thinks he's going to get "everything I never dared to dream of until a few weeks ago - running with my own female under a full moon, cuddling our pups in our warm nest, a family, a real home." Unfortunately what Justus sees as slow wooing Annie sees as prolonging the inevitable until the last minute. For a woman who fears men and their power to take, and whose pack system runs on men having say over the actions of their mates, the idea of being mated is terrifying. It's really heartbreaking to think one's new, better life is starting, and realize the other was giving in to biological necessity (the inverse of the Mari/Darragh mating), and he realizes too late she was just suffering through it with no intention of sticking around. "She's turned the best moment of our life into something ugly and shameful. She rejected us. She's made us into the kind of foul, craven male who [marital congresses] unwilling females."

Cut to six years later and its that time again, so Justus seeks Annie out. He's been angry and bitter about the loss of what might have been all these years, but he's also had potential insight via one of his packmates who has PTSD after trauma. He's reframed their interactions through this new lens, she gains insight into him, and like most women who end up in Last Pack, marvels at the lack of toxic masculinity there. Its really lovely seeing them both work towards something they both desperately want, and the slow path of relearning safety and belonging that Annie takes.

Although most of this book once they get the to Last Pack is a straight up love story, there's a little general lore development. As we learned in The Stone Wolf's Rejected Mate North Border pack is THE WORST, and we hear a little more about the human ring that's been involved in disappearances. Oh and what the heck Wells with dropping what seems like major Five Packs plot development in the bonus epilogue? If you are going to do that, then you have to write faster.

July 2025 reread: While Tyrant is such an accomplishment of a book laying the rich lore groundwork for this series in an organic way (and all the more so since Wells said initially it was going to be a one-off), I think this might be my favorite of the series. Wells turns the Alpha/pack/mate dynamics we've absorbed as series lore on its head. I love Justus and his non-prideful, patient way of ruling the pack AND approaching his relationship with Annie. I hope they pop up in the rest of the books, because I would love to spend more time with them and this pack.

Also I love this thought Annie has when she deliberately reopens a painful memory for them out of fear, "I've got a multi-tool in my brain, and its all knives, and every edge is serrated."

[Irene · Rating 4 out of 5]

honestly best mmcs out of the series

he slept with 2 ? women before knowing fmc, no OW/OM

[Victoria (Eve's Alexandria) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Woof. Please can CCW write me some more cosy angsty fated mates just like this?

[Brunella McCann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Worth the wait, worth the hype! 🥰I loved being with our Quarry Pack ladies and really enjoying spending time with our La/ost Pack! Cafe C. Wells really is so great at world building and establishing a canon, not shying away from the downsides to pack life as we have known it.

Annie and Justus were the angsty fated mates of my dreams, each of them learning to grow in a way to better show up for the other, leaning into their mutual love and trust! Who doesn’t love when the fated mates trope gets flipped on its head so we get some mutual pining? Plus some cameos from everyone’s favorite fated mates from the series.

Thank you to Cate C. Wells for the ARC, it was an honor to get my hands on this early! 🫶🏼🫡