Pack Refuge: The Splintered Bond, Book 2

The Splintered Bond #2

by Merri Bright, Allie Piper (narrator), Ryan Stone (narrator)

I was promised a refuge.

My new pack was supposed to be a haven, a place where the unranked are treated fairly. But when I arrive at Northern still wearing a tag that declares my low status, I find myself in a worse situation than before. Hunted, but not knowing where to hide or how to escape. Ignored by the pack who vowed to protect me. Rejected by a wolf who might have been my fated mate.

My only refuge is in the arms of the quiet, massive shifter from the Mountain pack, though the other Alpha Heirs keep snagging my attention as I train for my ranking fight. When that day finally arrives and everything goes wrong, I'll discover just how dangerous the Northern pack can be.

There's no refuge for the rejected.

Pack Refuge is the second book in The Splintered Bond series featuring a fierce, strong Southern shifter who will not have to choose one mate... if she chooses any at all. You need to listen to Pack Reject first to follow Flor's adventures. For mature listeners.

Genres: Why Choose, Shapeshifters, Romance, Paranormal, Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Magic

Audible Audio

First published July 25, 2024

About the author

Once upon a time, Merri Bright tucked romance novels behind all her textbooks and read love stories instead of the lessons. Now she writes the same kind of books she’s always loved, dreaming up stories about naughty angels, misunderstood demons, sexy shifters, growly Alpha males, and all sorts of dragons.

She drinks cinnamon tea while she writes, and believes in the power of naps, kitten cuddles, and long walks with her dog.
Come watch Merri be socially awkward at Merri’s FB page or Instagram @merribright, or email her at merri@merribright.com.

Reviews

[Sarah D · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book spent way too much time on reforming Northern pack, which I didn’t feel a vested interest in. There was a real gap in understanding why it was so toxic when it had a supposedly good alpha, alpha mate, two alpha heirs who were honorable, and a probably-good Sergeant. Who were the villains here? Anonymous middle management?

Well, for me, the fight against no name middle management is not very interesting.

Vanessa and Clara are the resident mean girls, who also become homicidal traitors for no real reason. Jealousy… I guess?

I just felt like with as many mates as there are, this journey into Northern pack focused on the wrong place. We got hardly any character development for our main characters and no overarching plot development.

This was nowhere near as good as the first book. Hopefully the next one is better.

[Merri Bright]

Thank you so much for reading Pack Refuge! The cliffhanger ending may have you gasping, but don’t worry, the next book isn’t far away. Make sure to follow me on my socials and newsletter for updates when the pre-order for Pack Ruin goes live in October. https://linktr.ee/MerriBright Another story in that world, An Ancient Bond, will be out in August/September, and can be pre-ordered here: https://books2read.com/ancientbond

Note: The serial story is ongoing, and you can hop in on episode 99 on Vella and read Pack Ruin (Season 3) in draft form. https://www.amazon.com/Pack-Reject/dp.... International readers (or people who want a bunch of other free stories) can subscribe to my Ream page and do the same here: www.reamstories.com/merribright Please be aware that the serial story varies somewhat from the published books.

If you need content warnings for any of my books, or just want to say hi, please go to www.merribright.com or email me Merri@MerriBright.com. I’d love to hear from you!


Make Mischief,

Merri

Content Warnings:


Pack Refuge contains on-page, graphic violence/death, intimacy with multiple partners, profanity, physical assault, mention of past sexual assault, parental pressure to choose a mate, and mentions of past domestic abuse. This is a medium-dark, slow-burn reverse harem romance, with scenes that may be disturbing to some readers. Please be kind to yourself when choosing to read.

If you note any content warnings that are not listed above, please email merri@merribright.com so I can make sure to add them.

[Laura (lady_h_reads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC and ALC Review, Updated 17 March 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️
I was his secret treasure. His sparkling stars and shimmering moon, kept hidden deep within his heart. Kept safe.

Story Review:
I did not want this book to end! It’s an emotional read - but just as it is sad, there is so much hope.

Could I fall in love with Brand any more than I was already? Merri sure made it easy to love him. More than any of Flor’s mates (with a resounding exception for Joaquin, who was a favorite from book one and can do no wrong in my eyes), he alone is deserving of her love. Of being her mate.

I love Flor’s strength. Her compassion. Her dirty mouth. One of my favorite FMCs gifted to us by Merri. She is strong like Feather, but swears like a sailor.

The spice picks up in book two, but it’s still on the slower burn side. It is definitely a plot-focused book, and I love that—emotional connections before sexy time.

Like Book 1, this book ends on a cliffhanger. We won’t get their HEA until book 4. I cannot wait for the rest.

Audiobook Review:
I was so excited to get an advance copy of this book!

I didn't think I could love Brand and Grigor any more than I did in book 1, but Ryan Stone's performance of their roles blew all expectations out of the water! Conversely, he also made me hate Finnick all the more. I felt all the pain and betrayal as if it were happening to me.

Let's just say that Ch 31 hits hard.

Another standout performance by Allie Piper! I love her ability to nail every characters' accent and the way she makes Flor come to life. She has the southern drawl nailed!

So well done, I can't wait for the rest of this series to be made in audio!

Thank you to Merri Bright for the ARC and both the author and Podium Audio for the ALC.

[✧ FLINN ✧ (HIATUS) · Rating 1 out of 5]

My expectation were low but even then I'm disappointed

[CiCi | bookameme · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m so gone for this series

Merri Bright is incredible!! The last book was all angsty pining and humor, this one was dark secrets and political machinations, but both of them were fabulous!!

There were some pretty funny lines in here but the humor was turned down a bit while the spice was turned up. It even started to get k!nky!

🌶️🌶️🌶️

(I listened and read this one in tandem and the audio was just as spectacular as the first one.)

[~Babette~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hate margarette

[Mary Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Flor thought she was headed to safety with Glen's pack, but trouble seems to follow her everywhere. She stays humble, but she also speaks her mind and stands up against injustice. The unranked shifters found strength and inspiration from her example, bringing much needed change to Northern. Flor is kind of like Scrappy Doo, except her bite matches her bark, and I love it!

[Enilorac ♡☆❀ · Rating 4 out of 5]

i love florida with my whole heart can i be added to the pack please also while we’re at it can we go ahead and kill all of the councilmen douchebags and then live happily ever after okay thanks

[Spasticnontastic · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Poseidon King of The Sea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I need an entire book on just grovelling from Fin and Glen. They are currently beyond embarrassing and if I were Flor with a magic wolf and a mountain man as my mates I'd reject the rest asap.

I genuinely love this FMC but the mummy issues shouldn't make us forgive some bitchy old woman for trying to manipulate her. Especially when she's been through it enough.

I'll be honest that there were times I felt like things weren't made clear to us. The whole toxicity of the northern pack plus their alpha is also good? how can they both fit? There are mistakes and then there's incompetency.

I really wanted to keep liking the alpha and his mate but all positive attributes were taken and then somehow we are supposed to feel bad for them?

Fin's parents and his whole backstory are giving attempted angst but perhaps if I cared for him in any way I would care instead of being happy his life is pretty shitty.

The whole talk on being magical and being a wolf? This was said in a very simple way without explaining the actual clear image. If there are humans and shifters as well as witches does that make J a hybrid or are all wolves of magic? I didn't understand and felt irritated at times whenever this was brought up.

How old are all her mates? I'm genuinely lost cos J says he's too old for her and has been speaking Spanish for 19 years ( as part of something?) the vagueness at times was confusing.

I love Mountain Man !!!!!!! Brand and his dad are everything but the whole way the matin came about made me so uncomfortable. and then while DOING IT !! the other two just watch again without consent? I understand it might be people's thing and in a RH it commonly is. But in a situation where Flopr has stated so many times that she is against it and has only had bad experiences, was there no way for her to have some peace?

Happy it worked out, but so many different moments throughout the book where I was screaming for the word LAKE to be said so we could all leave this uncomfortable situation

That being said I genuinely enjoyed both this book and the first in the series and would give it a solid 4 ****

I think with secrets being unravelled and more depth being given to characters, I can definitely see the books following this getting a higher rating !!!


ps.

Flor has a relatively small physique and frame, but in the art and women on the cover having massive tits is seriously messing with my brain. Every time they say she's small or little, I wanna punch the book because it feels like such a blatant lie.

[Doom Sunshine · Rating 2 out of 5]

This story is weaker than book 1.
The prologue spoils a lot of chapters and everything ends too nicely in a bow.

If someone is going to write about SA and war, that author should be comfortable enough with saying exactly what is happening to the unranked females and include some curse words. However, this author lacks the gumption to use proper words.

No one cares enough to investigate what Flor is or how she got her scars; no one cares enough to actually delve deep into the past. It's like this is a half formed story that is being made up as the books are written.

Oh, and because this is a RH, the dumb nicknames for the FMC are all around. Examples: little flower, little badass, sweet girl, dream girl, princess, little one, little queen, my love, wildflower, little spitfire, little wolf, girl, little behrserk, little fighter, sharp-petalled flower and Queen.
*Sigh* so many "little [x]" nicknames. The author lacked creativity to come up with something else I suppose.

[Ravin DeMarco · Rating 5 out of 5]

Merri continues to play with my heart strings in this second book in the Splintered Bond series. Bearman is definitely my favorite guy right now. Flor goes from one nightmare to the other. It seems that no matter where she goes, people recognize that she has amazing power and want to do whatever they can to stamp it out. Well what they don't realize is that Flor, is the baddest of bads and she will not let that happen. I loved that Flor got more vulnerable with the guys this time than she had previously, allowing them in just a little bit, but still keeping her own secrets at the same time. I need more! And that ending!!!! Bad Merri lol

[Kendra Klapheke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Talk about a Cliffhanger!

Flor is a force to be reckoned with, she goes to the Northern pack to escape; but finds she has more battles to face and secrets to uncover. However, this time she is not alone.

I love Flor and her determination to help all unranked wolves evens with her own struggles to overcome. Her strength is inspiring, and her strengths inspires other. I can't wait for
Book three to see how the journey continues for Flor and her mates. Big cliffhanger! At the end of Book two, I yelled out no! Counting the days to see what happens.

[ROMEOISNOTFUNNY · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reread 30 may 2026
❤️🫶🏿❤️🫶🏿❤️
###########
Originally 7 sept 2025

It's not easy, nothing is easy and Flora's life past current and definitely future is not easy.
But there are some hot MMCs all different, all with their own darkness there and making me jealous! Well not city wolf, not yet anyway 😏
It gets hotter in this book, but also gets darker with more betrayal, hate, danger and death...more!
*read through audio
4.7 stars

[THE PETITE LIBR☆RY · Rating 3 out of 5]

Blah blah blah, proper name, place name, backstory stuff.

Verbatim what it felt like reading this book. So much time spent on unnecessary pack drama and pack structure. Girls, I’m sorry for the fictional woes, but who cares? Instead of dedicating an entire book to pack politics, we could have spent time with literally any of the MMC (take your pick), focused on her wolf, or let her get kidnapped by the rogues. Boom. Immediately a more interesting book.

[marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book but I feel like it focused too much on reforming the pack and not enough on the relationship between the fmc and her mates. I would have loved to get to know the guys better.

[Korra Kalaus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok so I’m actually so into it

[Angela Parker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tentativel trust
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 25 July 2024
The second book continues Flor’s amazing story, it’s another sad one but not quite as heartbreaking as the first book.
Here with Glens Northern pack she is so much better off even with mean girls like Vanessa and Clara. She finds everything strange and doesn’t have an easy time adapting, finding a lot she doesn’t agree with here.
She still has three of her would be mates with her, alpha heirs Brand, Glen and Finn, all still trying to woo her in their own way.
Some interesting developments in this book which introduces some spice for her at last. She certainly has some major hang ups from her life being hunted in the Southern pack that it’s hard for her to relinquish.
Flor is still a mystery, I want to find out more about her and why she has so many shifters hunting her still. What’s happening with Sargent, I feel like he’s an important part to play in the story.
Love the dip into pack politics and looking forward to see where this goes next.
Another cliffhanger, really hope that this isn’t as bad as it sounds.
A really immersive world that Merri’s created here, love it and can’t wait for the next part of the story

[Danielle (Danniegurl) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn’t like this one but it was still a good read

So I didn’t like this one and it was because of how much hope we were given by Glen’s mom. How much of a refuge the Northern pack was supposed to be. How Marguerite was to be the maternal figure Flor had needed. Instead she became pushy about Glen, and then insinuated that Flor OWED THEM. Disgusting. This woman has been Hunted, and abused for a long time. And you do this? Where is the compassion?

Then to find out about the pack and actually what was going on, and how they didn’t exactly have a clue? I’m not buying it. Their answers were weak. To “protect” the others they kept them lower ranked? How does that help protect the pack and the vulnerable when the people who are supposed to be the Enforcers are weak and abuse their power?

Then everyone hating on Flor is getting a little bit old for me. I’m gunna need her to have, aside from her mates, a trusted person to lean on. Someone like Del would have been perfect. Is he really dead? I hope not but so far we’ve seen nothing.

The ending was intriguing with Luke. Was the Alpha we heard Sargent, who might be idk Flor’s uncle maybe? Mate? Idk. But I’m not 100% certain it’s him. It might actually be Calloway the former Alpha or a new player, like Finn’s parents orrrrr the Rogues, though didn’t one,of them get away? The silver teeth dude? I suspect they are colluding, Finn’s parents, with all the nefarious people like it is a whole big conspiracy. I suspect it’ll be maybe a self fulfilling prophecy like she was gunna rise up against someone but instead they messed with magic and she got Hunted and abused and now she’s more powerful bc of it. Watch. lol. I like Flor she inspires the masses. So far I like Brand and Joaquin, though I wish that he wasn’t so invisible.

I’m worried about Luke and I think that Flor won’t make it in time and I really don’t understand her reluctance to go to him knowing he’s her mate and he’s suffering. After learning that I would her wolf would demand they fix it, expeditiously, like now. And yet…she didn’t really seem to have that reaction and I don’t understand it.

I know she’s scared of Southern, that makes sense. But. Isn’t she stronger and more badass now? You’d think she might’ve gained a bit of confidence.

Also a few of the mates say I Love You and I do feel like we haven’t seen enough of them together, live action, to really exactly see that per se. A lot of sections are told instead of showing but the book is still good.

I can’t wait to read the next one.

[Cassandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have enjoyed this story going into this book, somewhat. Things started out similar to the last book, but then it all just got strange. It felt like the author needed to manufacture some drama, so things suddenly are so bad in this place that was supposed to be so honorable. 


You can't tell me that Glen didn't relize anything was going on. Sure, some things were kept from him, but somehow Patrick knew. For someone who supposedly loved his pack so much and thought they were so honorable, he was really oblivious. 

Then, there are his parents. How could they not realize the extent of what was going on? Really?They already rigged things in their favor to keep the people subservient, but then are shocked when nobody wants to stay a servant their whole life. They are so much about honor and yet walk all over those that they supposedly are trying to protect. It's ludicrous. They supposedly have this great alpha, but he let things get so bad? He apparently wasn't really all that great.


Things seemed to focus on the pack dynamics too much, rather than staying with our main characters. With all the repeated sentiments, it just got a little repetitive. I want more of their building relationships, not reforming the packs. 


After the first book, I knew it was a slow burn, but holy hell, this is super slow. Maybe things will pick up in the next book.

[Emma · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. This honestly felt like one giant detour. I picked this up expecting Flor to actually learn about her wolf and for the relationships to develop…instead I got hundreds of pages of pack politics and reform that I genuinely could not have cared less about.

Northern was hyped up as this safe haven, yet somehow it was basically the Southern pack with better marketing. The unranked were still treated horribly, and the whole “the Alpha and Margerette didn’t know because they were protecting them” excuse was laughable.

The plot was all over the place, there were so many inconsistencies, and every time I thought the story was finally going somewhere, it took another random left turn. By the end, I was wondering what the point of half this book even was. Like seriously what is the plot supposed to be.

Was it entertaining? Sure. I was never miserable reading it, and the vibes carried me through. But this series completely lost my interest so I won’t be continuing. This could’ve been so much better.

- Recommend/Worth It?! = No
- Why Choose, Wolf Shifters, Fated Mates
- Audible Audiobook, KU

[Booksighted · Rating 2 out of 5]

★★.5 Stars

Flor is in the Northern Packlands now, but things aren't what they seem (Their "honorable" treatment of unranked shifters is basically just Southern Pack abuse wearing a better PR disguise).

Sadly, the same goes for the plot. Book two is supposed to be where we finally get answers and flesh out the world, right? Instead, the author keeps hiding the ball, glossing over details to manufacture this fake, hush-hush suspense.

Newsflash: withholding the plot doesn't make us salivate for answers, it just makes us bored. It completely killed the momentum and excitement from book one and turned into a repetitive, stagnant downgrade.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this series under the impression that it was most likely going to disappoint me, and it actually ended up surprising me in many ways. The plot was interesting and the characters were well developed. I ended up reading the full series. I will say, I wished that the emotions/trauma responses from the FMC read as more genuine, same with the actual struggles. In many ways it read as “this traumatic thing happened to me but whatevs screw em” and sure I guess, but I do wish we got more of an emotional development. Similarly with the conflicts in each book, they were resolved relatively easily and I wished there was more meat.

[Tiffany Rogers · Rating 2 out of 5]

I cant with this wattpad level writing. Way too many awkward moments. The voice actors. Just no its an interesting premise. Was hoping for my why in the why choose instead of all this love triangle ish plot going on.

[Bent Letters · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

[Alli · Rating 3 out of 5]

Low key special snowflake vibes

[Jennifer · Rating 1 out of 5]

Awful

Don’t waste your time on this horribly written series. I promise you’ll only be disappointed, if you even make it to the end of the book.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eeeerrrggg. That went on too long.

[Lolo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh
Boring

[Sara Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really this series isn't that good but I'ma still read the next book