My Partner the Wolf — Hollis Shiloh

Chemistry off the charts -- but is that enough?

Tom Langley and Sean Goods work together in a human-and-wolf shifter partnership, assisting the police, rushing in to solve crimes wherever their bosses send them. They're a great team, and they have fun together, too: joking and enjoying each other's company in a way that doesn't happen every day.

Tom is also a married man. And his husband hates the wolf shifter with a passion. Tom tries to balance the sides of his life -- one minute on a high-pressure chase with Sean, the next placating his husband Lowell.

Then the unthinkable happens: his marriage ends. Heartbroken, he's not expecting to ever get over Lowell's betrayal or to be able to love again.

Sean offers a solution: sex as friends. They have chemistry, and they trust each other.

But can they change their partnership that much? And is Sean secretly harboring feelings for him -- expecting more than just sex?

Sean is a loveable, funny, strong, and protective. He's the best buddy a guy could have. But Tom might not be able to keep from breaking his heart -- if Sean is in love with him, and Tom can't love him back.

Warning: this novel contains angst

Sexiness level: Medium-high

Length: 78,000 words

Themes: paranormal, contemporary, cops, partners, wolf shifters / werewolves, friends-to-lovers, angst, emotional


Excerpt:

I walked up to him and dug my hand into the ruff of his neck, grounding him. He'd started to shake from the tension. The whole case, the little girl's life, it all rested on his shoulders right now, and there was no escaping that in any form.

"C'mon, bud. You'll be all right. Want a drink?"

He hesitated.

I nudged him with my knee. "While the air clears." I started to reach into the backpack for a bottle of water. I always brought some with us, especially in the heat. He could get dehydrated if he wasn't careful.

He shook his head, pushing past me, moving on, at first without any assurance, and then more confidently. He was moving off the road now, casting around in the grass on the verge and the bushes. I couldn't see any tire marks.

All of a sudden he gave off an arf that told me to hurry up, and off he dashed into the undergrowth.

What the hell? Well, I wasn't going to doubt him.

I looked back at the men. "We're close. Radio for backup. And remember we're probably dealing with a hostage situation."

We could all hope the girl was alive, anyway. He'd damned well better hope she was. Whoever he was.

I saw one of them lifting the radio to call in more people. Then I charged into the undergrowth after Sean.