Hexmate

Widdershins Supernatural Academy #1

by Blake R. Wolfe

A witch without power. A werewolf with everything to lose. A forbidden love that will change it all.


Being a werewolf and the star of the wrestling team means my life is all about control—control on the mat, control under the full moon, and control over my emotions. I’ve spent years perfecting it. But then I met Caden, and all that control started to slip. He’s a witch without magic—or so everyone says—but there’s something about him that draws me in. He’s got this quiet intensity, a spark that feels more powerful than any spell I’ve ever seen.

But in a place like Widdershins Academy, where bloodlines and magical purism rule, witches and werewolves are not supposed to mix. The rules are clear, and breaking them could cost me everything—my pack, my title, and even my future. Yet, every time Caden looks at me, every time he brushes against me, it feels like the world shifts, and suddenly, those rules don’t seem so unbreakable. I can feel his soul calling to mine and when I finally get up the nerve to kiss him, I know I won’t be able to stop.

Caden:
I’ve spent my whole life feeling like a failure. Born into a legacy of pureblood witches, I should have been powerful, but my magic never came. In a world where worth is measured by power, I’ve always been on the outside, trying to blend in and failing miserably. And then there’s Atlas.

He’s everything I’m not—strong, confident, and untouchable. But somehow, he sees me, really sees me, in a way no one else ever has. When he’s near, it’s like I’m more than just a powerless witch. But I know better than to hope. He’s a werewolf, an alpha, and everything about our world is designed to keep us apart.

When a cruel prank leaves me stranded in the woods during a deadly snowstorm, it’s Atlas who finds me. He saves my life, his wolf instincts guiding him through the snow, but the storm traps us together in an abandoned cabin. There’s no escaping the truths we’ve been avoiding, and as the fire crackles, we give into the instincts we’ve been denying for too long. In those intimate moments, I see the vulnerability he tries to hide, and for the first time, I believe I might be someone he truly needs.

But the storm is only the beginning. When a magical attack threatens Widdershins Academy, we’re thrust into a battle bigger than either of us. As purists tighten their grip on our world, we’re faced with an impossible defy the rules that divide us and risk everything for the love we’ve found or let the system win and tear us apart before we’ve even had a chance.

Hexmate is a heart-pounding, magical sweet and spicy romance filled with forbidden love, sizzling chemistry, and the courage to challenge a world built on division. Set against the enchanting backdrop of Widdershins Academy, Caden and Atlas’s story is a spellbinding tale of resilience, redemption, and the power of love to rewrite destiny.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, M M Romance, Paranormal, Shapeshifters, Magic, LGBT

276 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 14, 2025

About the author

Blake R. Wolfe has adored werewolves and monsters since he was a child growing up in a small rural Michigan town. Now he lives near the shores of Lake Michigan with his two partners, two cats that need to be fed every three seconds, and a dog that is very spoiled. He spends most of his free time hiking through the nearby forest, thinking up the next great romance story for his readers.

Blake writes under three separate Pen Names:

--Blake R. Wolfe -- Gay Paranormal Romance

--Atreus Rosewood -- Gay Contemporary Romance

--Eoghan R. Cunningham -- LGBTQ+ Fantasy

Sign up for Blake’s newsletter for exclusive discounts and special editions at www.blakerwolfe.com

Get access to exclusive short stories on Blake’s Patreon!
www.patreon.com/blakerwolfe

Reviews

[Beew · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good Plot, Terrible Execution

The plot, it the idea of the plot, is great. I had a lot of expectations for this one. Unfortunately, I was.very disappointed at how poorly written it was. It was as if no one actually proofread this before publishing it. There were minor continuity errors in almost every chapter, grammatical errors throughout the whole book, and at least one continuity error that impacted the plot. The errors were very distracting and took away from how good this story.could have been.

[Kelan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This had a lot of character issues, unnecessary plot elements that shouldn't be used in that way, and just why I'm the world would you basically make this character like they never had a past? At no point is there anything said about the woman that raised him or gore he felt about that, or admit anything that happened before the literal beginning of the book. People aren't just blank slates like that

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of all, this has to be the most amazing cover that I have ever seen! It is so beautiful. And, the story is as good as the cover. I thought the story was great and that the author came up with a great universe. It was definitely giving me Romeo and Juliet vibes with them being from different species and are expected to hate each other. But, they don't let that get in the way of their love. There were so many cute moments throughout the book. Plus, not gonna lie, I do love a good monster x human romance.

[la review bleu · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. Usually I don't read College romance, but this author is one of my favorite, and didn't disappoint at all. There is nothing I didn't loved in here. The characters were great, the plot phenomenal, and what else can I say - I loved it. The spice war hot af! The burning desire between Caden and Atlas was a treat. Overall, I loved the idea of mates, and familiars. Amazing world-building. Can't wait for the next book.

[Pazi ×Winter Of Books× · Rating 3 out of 5]

Primero que nada, es una mezcla entre Romeo y Julieta, Harry Potter, Winx Club y Halloweentown.

¿Va a ser la gran obra literaria del siglo? No pero a quien le importa eso, es liviano, aunque al inicio te bombardea con información y te da vibes de novelucha de wattpad (literal).

Caden tuvo su intro digna de rayita en las epocas de tumblr, el único y diferente, medio ñoño, todos lo odian, hasta su papá.

Y entonces llega Atlas, entrando en todo lo alto al estilo Travis Maddox, lo vió (en los camarines, obvio) y se flechó (en realidad no fue un flechazo, fue otra cosa).

La trama fue bastante simple y hubo bastante spicy también pero no me voy a quejar esta vez.

[Cata♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

buena trama pero no me atrapó los suficiente, si bien la dinámica entre ambos personajes me encanto sentí que en si el libro es muy obvio en todo aspecto, lo que me aburrio desde la mitad en adelante.

[Rafael Andrade · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fast-paced supernatural MM romance, filled with action, ruthless enemies, and a couple that radiates sexiness and spice.

[Liz · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5

[Brooklyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Man I wanted to dnf this book but I was like 80% through it. It’s not bad per say but it’s just not my cup of tea

[Bri · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was so bad, oh my god.

[Cecilia · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is so bad I want to give you a zero but thats not possible, so I give you a one.

[Eric · Rating 2 out of 5]

While not my favorite read, it wasn't "bad." However, it took longer than it should have to get into the story. At the very beginning, we are introduced to the MC in a moment of high drama. Without giving spoilers, it just became incredibly difficult to like the MC or see them as anything other than a whiny "Oh, woe is me!" type. For too long, the MC is just kind of mopey so it honestly took a lot to get through this book. And honestly, parts of it felt AI. Can't say that I'm a fan of Wolfe after reading this book. Long story short: Good idea, bad execution.

[colleen the convivial curmudgeon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cute, quick read, and I did enjoy it, overall. But it was also kind of a hot mess.

First off, I should say I'm not a huge fan of the fated mates trope, though I'm coming to expect it from any werewolf romances. It just smacks way too much of insta-love, and people swearing undying and eternal love after, like, three fucking days.

I do enjoy some forbidden, star-crossed romance vibes, though.

I found the villains a bit OTT. There's a typical school bully who has it in for Caden for no real reason aside from being a rich snob or something, and there's the prejudiced teacher, though at least the teacher came around a bit and realized she was being prejudiced in the end.

The biggest issue, writing wise, though, was there was a lot of repetition and weirdness in the dialogue. Something would get said and two pages later either the same thing would get said again, or someone would act like the thing was never said.

One example is, like, someone's dad shows up and he says, "Father", and then two pages later someone who was standing right there was like, "Who was that?". Stuff like that. And it's small stuff, but it happened, like, a lot. Like a lot a lot.

So, yeah, some major editing is needed, toot-sweet!

ETA: Oh, I should also mention that the plot, what there is of it, is interesting, but definitely more of a foil for the romance. Definitely more spice than story for this one.

But, like I said, I did enjoy it. It was cute and short, and I read it in, like, two days.

[Axalia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Caden et Atlas avec un Culomètre à 🍑🍆

[Betsy]

AI cover
(+AI translation)

[Kurohagi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very promising new series. I love the world of magic, monsters and shifters.
This first installment features Caden, a wizard with special magic and son of one of the greatest mages known to man, and Atlas, a powerful werewolf, an alpha who must succeed his father as head of his pack. In this universe, relations between wizards and other species are forbidden.
The attraction between Altas and Caden is instantaneous. I loved watching them struggle to resist this attraction, which could only get them into trouble. And trouble they will get. But the bond between them is too strong to resist.
The characters are endearing, evolving as the story unfolds, asserting and discovering themselves as events force them to face their greatest fears.
My only regret is that this book is too short and could have used a few more chapters.
I can't wait for the sequel to discover Wild's story, a fae.

----

Une nouvelle série très prometteuse. J'adore l'univers mêlant magie, monstres et shifters.
Ce premier volet met en scène Caden, un sorcier à la magie particulière et fils d'un des plus grand mage connu, et Atlas un puissant loup-garou, un alpha qui doit succéder à son père à la tête de son clan. Dans cet univers, les relations entre sorciers et les autres espèces sont prohibés.
L'attraction entre Altas et Caden est instantanée. J'ai aimé les voir lutter pour tenter de résister à cette attraction qui ne pourrait leur attirer que des ennuis. Et des ennuis ils vont en avoir. Mais ce lien qui se créer entre eux est trop fort pour y renoncer.
Les personnages sont attachants, ils évoluent au fil de l'histoire, s'affirmant et se découvrant alors que les évènements vont les obliger à faire face à leurs plus grandes peurs.
Un seul regret, ce livre est trop court et aurait pu faire l'objet de quelques chapitres de plus.
J'attends avec impatience la suite pour découvrir l'histoire de Wild un fae.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
This book starts really great, it grabs your attention, and gives poor Caden a huge and devastating shock. From here we get to learn a lot about Caden, and how powerless and ignored he feels despite trying his best. Unfortunately he gets bullied quite a bit, but not just from his peers, but also from his dad. He only has one friend - who is a great and entertaing character that does add to this story - until he meets Atlas, our other MC. Where Caden struggles with pretty much everything, Atlas excels at whatever he does and has many friends. The spark of connection is strong with these two and only gets deeper the more time they spend together. Their bond develops and soon love follows.
There are some interesting events that take place throughout the book that pull an emotional response and help keep the book moving along.
My main issue with this book is that it feels incomple with respect to what happens next for Caden and Atlas - where they go and what they do after the main events of the book. Perhaps the next book in the series, while focused on a different couple, will continue to give info on Caden and Atlas. There was also a huge inconsistency in the book with regards to Atlas being able to speak while in his shifted alpha form. During his first time shifted he was clearly able to speak as he did it several times, but the next time it was stated a few times that he couldn't. Example "He attempted to speak, his voice a guttural growl that was only recognizable in meaning, but not in words." This book clearly needed more proof reading as there were several errors throughout. Hopefully all this will be corrected for the final copy.

I received an ARC, this is my honest opinion.

[Jeanette Waters · Rating 5 out of 5]

On the day after Caden graduates high school, he finds out his mom was only a woman paid to raise him, meets his dad and finds out he has magic. Weak magic. If he can't strengthen it, his dad will kill him. After two years at Widdershins Academy, Caden has one friend, his roommate Wild, a Fae. His peers ignore him because of his meager magic. And he's being bullied by Rowan, a student, who has more power. Caden saves Atlas, an alpha werewolf classmate, from nightshade poisoning and the two are drawn to each other. After rescuing Caden from assault, Atlas declares them mates.
Witches and werewolves are hereditary enemies because witches can force a familiar bond, enslaving wolves to boost their magic. Voluntary familiar bonds and mating bonds are forbidden at school. Grounds for expulsion. Then the school begins to pass rules which discriminate against non witch paranormals. There's a secondary plotline arc where students are being attacked. And an arc where Caden's dad wants Caden to force a familiar bond on Atlas.
With all that's going on, I think Caden and Atlas's relationship could have been put off a book. It felt a bit rushed. Their bonding was steamy, but there were a few too many I'll love you forevers for me. I did like the mystery resolution, although it was a bit expected. A means to tidy lose ends. Only book two will resolve whether Caden and Atlas are going to blow off the next two years of school or stay as secondary characters in another witch/monster romance.
I mostly enjoyed the book. And will be reading book two when it comes out. Probably.
I received an advanced copy of this book and this is my review.

[Vicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 stars!

This is book one in the author’s Widdershins Supernatural Academy series and features Caden, a lonely nature witch, scorned and ignored by fellow students and faculty alike due to his perceived lack of magical power, all at the behest of his father, one of the most powerful witches around and definitely the cruelest.

Atlas, a powerful alpha werewolf and destined to become the Alpha of his pack, was more than capable of striking fear into the bravest of creatures on the mat but when it came to Caden, mistreated and abused, yet stronger than he realized, he was the gentlest of souls and I loved him so much for his protectiveness.

Whispers about segregating the non magical creatures from the witches’ pure bloodlines sparked flames of fear, hate and prejudice, pitting the two groups against each other. It didn’t matter that they were supposed to be enemies and that interspecies relationships were expressly forbidden, Atlas and Caden felt like they were meant to be but, how can they fight it when everyone else is against them?

This was a pretty good book…it was a little darker than I was expecting but I still enjoyed it enough that I’m looking forward to reading the next one; I hope it’s about Wild, Caden’s roommate and Karrick, one of Atlas’s teammates. Professor Blackwood has some things she needs to atone for and I’m a little worried that Rowan, the school bully, will somehow be in a position to cause more trouble. All in all, there’s a lot to look forward to and I can’t wait. 4.25 stars!

I received a copy of this book for free but am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Steve Pardue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hexmate is an exciting tale incorporating the fantastical elements of werewolves, witches, vampires, and other supernatural beings. The story centers around two young men, Caden and Atlas, whose journey unfolds in the enchanting Widdershins Academy, an institution specifically designed for ‘monsters’.

Caden, a witch with limited abilities, is entangled with Atlas, an alpha werewolf. Their paths cross when Caden intervenes to help Atlas evade a dangerous encounter with a witch harboring malicious intentions. This act of bravery leads to Atlas inviting Caden for coffee as a gesture of thanks, marking the beginning of an unexpected bond.

Readers are immersed in a world rife with themes of forbidden love and the societal divide among mystical creatures. The tension between witches and other beings seen as inferior plays a crucial role, highlighting the prejudices ingrained within their society. Moreover, the sinister manipulation from the school’s powerful faculty adds an underlying sense of dread, particularly stemming from Caden’s father’s questionable motives.

Hexmate offers an imaginative reading experience that captures the heart and provokes thought on the dynamics of power and acceptance among different beings. While the story presents a rich tapestry of characters and plots, there is ample space for further exploration of the characters’ backgrounds and the intriguing environment of the academy itself. For anyone who enjoys stories filled with magic, mystery, and romance, Hexmate is a journey worth taking.

[Lucy Larsen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’d say that this book wasn’t bad and I don’t regret reading it but it really did leave a bit to be desired and I’m glad I purchased the ebook and not a paper copy.

The writing itself, I think, is what made this story not great for me. There are levels to books, and I would classify the writing in this book as about mid-tier Wattpad or AO3. It was an interesting plot line and was done is a way that was kind of fun, but the scene transitions felt choppy, the characters were only slightly less than flat, and the world building left a bit to be desired. A good book that you could enjoy if you turned your brain off and just consumed it.

I personally didn’t mind reading it but I think, if I’d known what I was walking into with the writing style, I might have given it more stars than I did. I also had some issues with grammar and punctuation throughout. There were several sections that almost felt like they had never been edited by an editor and knowing that this is self-published I worry that is the case for this book. However, I did like the characters despite the fact that the they both only had slightly more personality than a flat character. The spicy rating was a level 5.

Overall, I would rate this book a 3.5 out of 5 star rating. Not bad and it was good, but I have 50/50 feelings about if I’m willing to read the second book or not.

[Amy L · Rating 3 out of 5]

The cover of this book is gorgeous and is what made me pick it up.

All the pieces of a great story are here- they really are. But the pacing is out of control. Everything happens so fast that we have no time to learn anything about anything or anyone. We know nothing about Caden until everything is different for Caden- we have to see what his normal life is first for a life-changing experience to have any sort of impact.

I have no issues with any single part of this book. The characters, the villain, the conflict, the school, the magic system. It’s all there and it’s all good. BUT. We are told a lot of stuff we should be shown. Characters are given no time to learn and grow and we the audience don’t get that time either. I know there’s a lot of Harry Potter comparison to be made, and say what you will about the horrible JK, but what HP does better is to give everyone TIME. Time to learn the magic system, time to care more about the characters (we are told Caden has a friend, not shown how that happens; we are told what Atlas’s dad thinks and does, not shown; we are told who a victim is and why they are important, never shown.)

All in all, this feels like an outline that could use a lot of filling in. It’s all there, I promise!

[roshixth · Rating 4 out of 5]

🤠 okay so here’s the thing…

For a self published indie book, I really appreciated the ambition of this story, the magic system was unique as was the university system! The mystery at the end was quite fun too.

With that being said…this read very much wattpad-y and could have done with a lot more editing and fleshing out 🥲 I totally understand the limitations of an indie book, but sometimes the lack of information or rushed explanations could be distracting. For example, they had their first kiss after atlas transformed into his “alpha” form and carried Caden into the random conveniently placed cottage in the middle of the woods.
But atlas’ transformation back into human didn’t happen until after the kiss and they talked.

But..technically that would mean…that atlas looked like the werewolf on the cover does….meaning…Caden was functionally making out with a wolf muzzle 😷

LISTEN I KNOW BUT..the story was bizzare but in a very interesting way sooo, perhaps I will check out their other books… NOBODY JUDGE ME IM SUPPORTING INDIE AUTHORS

[Kathy Seabrease · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first read by this author and I was not disappointed. A slow burn romance with a really interesting story around it. Caden and Atlas were definitely a case of opposites attract. Poor Caden had been raised without a Dad, only to find him a villainous butthole. Living in fear in the shadows due to his dad, rejected for almost being a powerless witch and having no friends with except of Wild, Atlas was a surprise ally. Atlas being the all pro werewolf was the last person that Caden expected to find a friend. Both were shocked at their mutual attraction. Throwing caution to the wind, they took a chance on each other... odds were against them, but they brought out the best in each other. Of course, every story has an antagonist and this one had them in spades, the least to worry about was Atlas Alpha dad... the worst was a close tie of Caden's dad and school witch bully Rowan. Throw them all together and you have a hellava story.

[Cara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hexmate is the first book in the Widdershins Academy series.

It is a very promising start to the series.
Caden is a boy, who after graduating from high school, lived a normal life, from that moment realizes a series of truths about his family, his past and that he comes from a powerful family both in money and magical power. But his magic is weak.

Atlas is a werewolf, athlete and future alpha of his pack. Caden is his fated mate.

What I liked about the book is how the author explores the dynamics between the different groups, the group of wizards, all humans and the group of magical beings. Forces both internal and external to the academy try to pit these two groups against each other and of course Caden and Atlas will be the point of union between the two groups.

[Eliza Baum · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Instagram algorithm followed by an internet rabbit hole got me to this book, and I'm not mad about it. Is it a new favorite? Nah. Did I enjoy my time with it? Yep.

I really liked the character dynamics, with Atlas being strong, sweet, and protective, but not overbearing, and Caden being shy and hesitant, but coming into his own as the story progressed. However, the plotline around prejudices between witches and other magical species was heavy handed, and the romance development was pretty shallow. They barely have small talk before they're in love, and the villains were of the mustache twirling sort. I was along for the pleasant ride, but it didn't rock my reading world.

3.5 stars rounded down, because it wasn't quite deep enough to get the four-star treatment.

[Marysol · Rating 3 out of 5]

Es que las expectativas que yo le tenía a este libro 😭
Me siento triste de que no haya sido lo que yo esperaba.
La historia daba para más, pero simplemente no sucedió. dejando de lado el "instalove" que por el contexto se entiende (no me agrada pero puedo entenderlo para la trama) me hubiera gustado que se desarrollara más el mundo mágico y no solo destellos de él aquí y allá solo como contexto, yo quería saber por qué se odiaban las familias, detalles dell legado malvado, sumergirnos más en el pasado, no se, lo sentí vago, al igual que el "villano", que sí, que planeó cosas super malvadas, pero todo fuera de "escena" que no me hizo odiarlo con las 3 apariciones que tuvo.
Tenía todo para ser una de mis historias favoritas, pero simplemente no sucedió 💔

[Nachomos:) · Rating 2 out of 5]

The amount of continuity errors that made my head spin at the end. I just couldn't give higher rating cuz they do affect the plot too and it was just all over the place.

Let me give 2 examples (spoilers):
1. So Atlas can't top Caden cuz the mate bond will form, which was in later chapter somehow changed to top in his alpha form, so human form would have been save.
2. This could be an oversite on my end but if I remember correctly Caden didn't want to do the familiar bond so Atlas suggested the mate bond cuz Caden could be stronger that way then the familiar bond. But then they did the familiar bond too anyway so what was the reason to do the mate bond then.

[James Hill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Academy

This is a good book. I will give it a 3/5. The plot makes sense and the characters are well developed. Caden is a witch sent to school by his father to learn how to be a witch. His father thinks he is weak and useless. Of course that opinion is known through the school. But one day Caden saves a wolf shifter, Atlas, from a fellow witch who is trying to harm him. Caden and Atlas become good friends.. Actually they become more friends despite all of the prejudices. But while the two men are trying to build something, someone is determined to destroy everything.

[Katie Loz · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75🌟

I really like the characters and the characters world that we were introduced to in this book, and I am going to keep reading the series. My only “issue” is I think this book could do with some editing. There is a scene in particular where Caden answers the door to Atlas, but then has to jog across the room from his bed to get out the door, in the next paragraph. I re-read it 3 times because I was like wait when did he get back in bed? There are a couple spelling errors too. Not really a big deal and I am definitely not the grammar police, I be throwing commas everywhere, and it didn’t take away from the story either.