Make sure to shoo your family out of the room and have some water at the ready for this high steam omegaverse read! If you weren't into dominant men before now, this book will for sure change your mind. Anna Fury has a way of writing heroes that make me wish alphas actually existed in the real world, even though the world she has created shows how much struggle these men go through to be accepted. This book is a spin-off from the original Alpha Compound series, taking place after Mitchell's pack has left Stone's home, and now Stone is building up his own pack. You don't have to read the first series to enjoy this one, though I will say it's great to see the worldbuilding in that first series. It puts this series into perspective and helps the reader truly understand what the alphas and omegas are dealing with on a regular basis and how it got to this point.
Stone messed up in high school with the only girl he has ever loved, betraying her out of fear and stupidity, and he's been pining ever since. Desperate to get over her, he tried mating once, and after going through a devastating rejection of that bond by his mate, he has sworn off trying again. There is only one omega for him - Erin Grant, the mayor of his town and a married woman. When she makes a delivery to his pack's general store, holding back tears, he learns her marriage is not a happy one and divorce is imminent. When she is attacked by a neighboring pack not long after, he rushes to her rescue and vows to keep her safe. Now they are in close quarters, with no marriage or mate to keep them apart, and their love and lust for each other burns brighter than ever. Erin is determined to show Stone how much she still loves him, and Stone is determined not to let her get away again.
While I wouldn't normally be rooting for a hero who formerly cheated on the heroine, I have to say no one deserves a second chance more than Stone. Having grown so much since that long ago night when he made the worst mistake of his life, he has been paying for it, and he has become the protector of so many people. Dominant but with a soft side for the omegas in his care, he genuinely wants happiness for them and will do whatever he can to make sure they have what they need to get there. His instinctive protectiveness towards Erin endeared him to me almost immediately, especially when they both had to restrain themselves from doing what they longed to do. Stone had so much respect for Erin, and it was clear she loved him too much to cause him pain by starting something she would have to leave. Thankfully, her husband was an absolute a-hole, to put it nicely, and he was not an obstacle for long. That's when the steam started, and oh boy, I was not prepared. We have some fan favorite tropes - second chance, nurse back to health, forced proximity - yes please to all three. And the best part was that Erin could hold her own when Stone went alpha on her. In fact, in the bedroom, he was not the only dominant one and some kinky times occurred that made my glasses fog up...metaphorically. She was the perfect match for him, and his pack was the icing on the cake. I loved them all, and I immediately wanted to read more about their individual stories.
I can't wait to see where this series takes us! You'll know who it is fairly quickly in the book, and based on the sneak peak we get at the end of the book, it is going to be even steamier than Rock Hard Reject. Bring it on!
**I received a free copy from the author and this is my honest review.**