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Mating Run #4
Kept
He was thrown out on the night of the mating run. He never expected to be caught—or claimed.
Closeted human Eli has spent years hiding who he is from his abusive family. When he's finally kicked out on the most dangerous night of the year, he's just trying to find somewhere to survive until dawn.
The house looks empty. Dark windows. No car.
He never means to break into an alpha wolf's den.
Never means to get caught red-handed by Kade.
Older. Dangerous. The kind of dominant wolf who takes one look at a terrified human in his territory and thinks mine.
Kade should throw him out. Should be furious that some desperate human broke into his home.
Instead, he's amused. Intrigued. And his wolf has already decided—this scared boy who stumbled into his lair? He's keeping him.
Eli thinks he's broken. Too damaged for anyone to want.
But Kade's not letting his uninvited guest leave. Not tonight.
Maybe not ever.
Because sometimes fate doesn't knock—sometimes it slips through a window.
KEPT is a high-heat knotty possessive first-time age-gap romance with a HEA and daddy/boy vibes. It's part of the Mating Run series, but can be read as a spicy standalone.
Closeted human Eli has spent years hiding who he is from his abusive family. When he's finally kicked out on the most dangerous night of the year, he's just trying to find somewhere to survive until dawn.
The house looks empty. Dark windows. No car.
He never means to break into an alpha wolf's den.
Never means to get caught red-handed by Kade.
Older. Dangerous. The kind of dominant wolf who takes one look at a terrified human in his territory and thinks mine.
Kade should throw him out. Should be furious that some desperate human broke into his home.
Instead, he's amused. Intrigued. And his wolf has already decided—this scared boy who stumbled into his lair? He's keeping him.
Eli thinks he's broken. Too damaged for anyone to want.
But Kade's not letting his uninvited guest leave. Not tonight.
Maybe not ever.
Because sometimes fate doesn't knock—sometimes it slips through a window.
KEPT is a high-heat knotty possessive first-time age-gap romance with a HEA and daddy/boy vibes. It's part of the Mating Run series, but can be read as a spicy standalone.
110 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 12, 2025
80 people are currently reading
38 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
September 28, 2025
Kade + Eli 🖤
Wolf and human | Mine mine mine | Knotting | Virgin
Kade, the wolf shifter, just wants a mate. Someone who sees the yearly mating run as more than just a good time. He wants long term. When Eli seeks refuge in Kade's home after he's thrown out for being gay, Kade finds everything he's always wanted.
"He'd never been anyone's anything before... He'd never belonged to someone who saw all of him and wanted to keep him anyway."
"Real love was fierce and protective. Real love chose you every single time, especially when it wasn't easy."
....
"No one's done this for you, have they."
"That's it. Feel me."
"Hungry thing"
"Marked up and mine. Like you were made to be under me."
"Maybe I was."
"Mine, mine, fucking mine."
"Beautiful. Perfect. Mine. "
....
⚠️potential spoilers below in detailed tropes, content, and warning lists
Tropes/content:
Wolf + human
Mates
Virgin
Broke into wolfs den for safety after getting kicked out on hunting night, not knowing it was a den
Mine mine mine
Eyes on me
First times
Kade gets naked Eli off twice before his own clothes come off for the first time
Praise
Possessiveness
"Baby"
"Use your words"
Good boy
Knotting
Growling
Strict roles
Primal play scene in bonus epilogue
Warnings:
Shitty parents (mom and step dad, no mentions of bio dad)
Kicked out for being gay and on a dangerous night
Wolf and human | Mine mine mine | Knotting | Virgin
Kade, the wolf shifter, just wants a mate. Someone who sees the yearly mating run as more than just a good time. He wants long term. When Eli seeks refuge in Kade's home after he's thrown out for being gay, Kade finds everything he's always wanted.
"He'd never been anyone's anything before... He'd never belonged to someone who saw all of him and wanted to keep him anyway."
"Real love was fierce and protective. Real love chose you every single time, especially when it wasn't easy."
....
"No one's done this for you, have they."
"That's it. Feel me."
"Hungry thing"
"Marked up and mine. Like you were made to be under me."
"Maybe I was."
"Mine, mine, fucking mine."
"Beautiful. Perfect. Mine. "
....
⚠️potential spoilers below in detailed tropes, content, and warning lists
Tropes/content:
Wolf + human
Mates
Virgin
Broke into wolfs den for safety after getting kicked out on hunting night, not knowing it was a den
Mine mine mine
Eyes on me
First times
Kade gets naked Eli off twice before his own clothes come off for the first time
Praise
Possessiveness
"Baby"
"Use your words"
Good boy
Knotting
Growling
Strict roles
Primal play scene in bonus epilogue
Warnings:
Shitty parents (mom and step dad, no mentions of bio dad)
Kicked out for being gay and on a dangerous night
September 16, 2025
Good short spicy pallet cleanser
September 20, 2025
Just the cuteness I needed
October 21, 2025
While I did enjoy this, it did take me 3 days to get through…. I just kept reaching for other things versus reading this.
I love that there’s a Sad Boy TM, and a big bad wolf who just wants to own and care for him. And the fingerfucking him through two orgasms was marvellous.
I wish there had been lube though. Especially with virgin butt taking monster cock with knots.
Also, Kane goes from wearing shorts (p20, p30), to jeans (p36), back to shorts (p40).
So, I liked it, but I didn’t love it.
Kudos for the fact it’s book 4 but said to be a standalone, and actually being a standalone.
I love that there’s a Sad Boy TM, and a big bad wolf who just wants to own and care for him. And the fingerfucking him through two orgasms was marvellous.
I wish there had been lube though. Especially with virgin butt taking monster cock with knots.
Also, Kane goes from wearing shorts (p20, p30), to jeans (p36), back to shorts (p40).
So, I liked it, but I didn’t love it.
Kudos for the fact it’s book 4 but said to be a standalone, and actually being a standalone.
September 22, 2025
MM
🌶️🌶️
Dark
Paranormal
Werewolves
Eli’s family kicked him out on the night of the yearly hunt, where werewolves hunt, claim and breed humans who volunteer as prey. But not every werewolf sticks to the rules. So being out is dangerous and his family knew it.
He finds a darkened house and decides to seek safety inside. When he enters the house, he realizes it belongs to a werewolf who he is most likely out on the hunt, so is probably the safest place to be. He soon finds out Kade is home. Neither can resist the pull. Kade wants a forever mate and Eli wants to be claimed.
🌶️🌶️
Dark
Paranormal
Werewolves
Eli’s family kicked him out on the night of the yearly hunt, where werewolves hunt, claim and breed humans who volunteer as prey. But not every werewolf sticks to the rules. So being out is dangerous and his family knew it.
He finds a darkened house and decides to seek safety inside. When he enters the house, he realizes it belongs to a werewolf who he is most likely out on the hunt, so is probably the safest place to be. He soon finds out Kade is home. Neither can resist the pull. Kade wants a forever mate and Eli wants to be claimed.
September 15, 2025
This is probably my favorite of the series thus far! I just had a-lot of fun with it. It satisfied my need for hurt/comfort with perfection. Kade and Eli are so good, honestly out of the shorts in this series this is the first couple I can say with 100% certainty - I’d easily devour a full length novel for. And of course the spice was delicious as usual, which is to be expected when you’re reading one of Rivers’ works.
September 14, 2025
Eli and Kade are 🔥🔥!!
This story had all the perfect things. A beautiful healing connection between Eli and Kade. Chemistry that was combustible between the two and a sweet, story line that just grabbed a hold of my heart! Superb writing that let you get lost in the story! Honestly, if I could give it more than five stars I would!!
Spice 4 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️. 5+ stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This story had all the perfect things. A beautiful healing connection between Eli and Kade. Chemistry that was combustible between the two and a sweet, story line that just grabbed a hold of my heart! Superb writing that let you get lost in the story! Honestly, if I could give it more than five stars I would!!
Spice 4 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️. 5+ stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews