The Reluctant Alpha

The story starts in pre-Civil War New Orleans when Benjamin becomes aware something is going awry; his body constantly betrays him during the day, and at night his mind plays games inducing troublesome nightmares involving running through the wooded areas of his plantation home. A conversation with a ‘confirmed bachelor’ uncle, Adair, enlightens Benjamin about the mysteries of puberty, and more particularly, on being a shifter−a silver fox when not human−and dealing with sexual awakening and the complexities of bonding with an Omega. The kindness and perceptions of his uncle guide Benjamin through a disappointing relationship with a handsome gen de couleur libres and influences his decision to seek refuge in the mountainous west to explore his nature as a shifter as well as to understand his desires.
Ben, as he becomes known, has a chance encounter with three trappers at the regional trading post. One of the trio is Caleb−a handsome young redhead with a slightly muscular physique, bronzed curls above his collar, and the suggestion of a beard−who attracts Ben’s attention. Before long Ben’s physical attraction to Caleb−who turns out to be a shifter, a red fox−conflicts with his moral aversion to binding. This reluctance to engage with Caleb emotionally, and thereby risk bonding, is severely tested when Caleb is attacked by several disreputable men who turn out to be wolf shifters, one of whom has his eyes on Caleb’s enticingly plump assets.