Secret of the Wolf (Warriors of the Rift, #2) by Cynthia Garner

• Title: Secret of the Wolf (Warriors of the Rift)
• Classification: Adult Fiction
• Gener: Urban Fantasy
• Format: Paperback, 336 pages
• Publisher: Forever (June 26, 2012)
• ISBN-10: 0446585122
• ISBN-13: 978-0446585125
• Author's Website:  http://cynthiagarnerbooks.com/  
• Notes: Books for this book tour never made their way to me from the publisher and I ended up buying them. That is why this review is being created and posted later than I planned. I just purchased this one last night. Hopefully I'll do the book justice while suffering from lack of sleep. lol Oh the suffering we'll endure for the love of a good book. lol

Victoria (Tori) Joseph is a preternatural (pret) that crossed over to our dimension during the influx of 1866. Every 73 years the Moore-Creasy-Devon Comet creates a dimensional Rift as it makes its way across the solar system. When that happens supernatural being ascend upon the earth hijacking human bodies thereby taking control and suppressing the human being that once possessed it. Referred to as the Influx, it has been happening for years and no one can predict what supernatural creatures these body snatchers (aka EDs - Extra Dimensionals) will become until the full possession takes place. Some are political exiles, some have left for religious reasons, but the majority were banned from their world for being criminals of the worst kind. Many see this as their second chance and attempt to reform and meld into society while others don't wish to give up their bad habits. It's the latter that the Council of Preternaturals hope to stop.

Tori is the werewolf liaison to the Council of Preternatural. A werewolf appears to be terrorizing the Scottsdale area leaving behind no DNA evidence. The rogue, as it's believed to be, is dousing the wounds of the victim with bleach and sprinking the area with ammonia to hinder the scent trail he or she may have left behind. The attacks appear to be random, but aimed at changing humans to werewolves. With each new attack the violence seems to escalate. Tori and others of the Council have been brought in to help investigate the attacks and find the attacker. 

Besides trying to save the world from rogue werewolves, Tori is also attempting to figure out how a device that Tobais stole communicates between our world and the preternatural dimension. Not only did Tobias manage to take the device, but he also managed to snatch the schematics for it. Tori was a radio communication technician during World War II and it was hoped she could figure out how the device works, but she quickly realizes the device seems to function more like a computer than like a radio. That goes well beyond her area of expertise. She'll have to ask Dante, the tall dark and sexy human cop, who has a better grasp on the workings of a computer for help. Oh the things one must do for their jobs. Sometimes you've just got to grin and bear it.     

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I am truly loving this series and the spin Ms. Garner put on where paranormal beings come from. 'Secret of the Wolf' takes place a month after 'Kiss of the Vampire' ends. Tobais and Nix are now married and we get a glimpse of how Nix is dealing with her newly made vampire half. Additionally, there are only a few months left before the Rift is once again opened allowing new prets to snatch the bodies of defenseless humans. Tensions are running high and the question of who and how many people will be taken over permeates the atmosphere. 

Tori is a loyal, smart and strong woman. She's recently been reunited with her brother whom she hasn't seen in nearly a hundred and fifty years. In 1866, when they'd first crossed over into this world, there was no way to find your friends or relatives who'd crossed over with you. She's now attempting to reestablish her relationship with him. She's ecstatic about reconnecting with him. She'd missed having family around.

Dante is a cop who's very family oriented and an all around good guy. He's also led Tori on a merry dance as whenever the two start to get close, he starts to pull away. He's partly leery of her preternatural state and partly afraid he doesn't have the time to commit himself totally to a relationship. He's been taking care of his sister who'd recently survived a bought with breast cancer and a divorce.  He also fears what will happen when the Rift opens up. What if he's overtaken by a pret? Does he take a chance at Tori's heart being broken or live in the moment while he still can? 

Why is the book called 'Secret of the Wolf'? Well, I believe it's because Tori (a wereWOLF) sits on some information that might help capture the rogue werewolf. She doesn't want to make any harsh decisions until she has something a little more solid to go on. She'll have to live with the consequences of her actions if her suspicions turn out to be correct.

Overall, I gave this one 5 out of 5 roses. I'm thoroughly enjoying the world Ms. Garner has created. I'm intrigued as to how the Rift will affect everything when it finally comes to be. I loved the quick pace, all the action and drama, and the mystery of who was converting people to werewolves and why. I loved witnessing the sexual tension between Dante and Tori that is so strong everyone around them could practically feel the heat from it. While I still have many questions as to how everything dealing with prets works, I'm hopeful we'll get closer to the answers with the next book. This is a series I HIGHLY recommend. On the Lisarenee Romance Rating Scale, this one scored a STEAM rating--too hot for a fan, but you still have a handle on things. You should use extreme caution when reading a book with this rating in public. People may inquire as to why you looked flustered and flushed.

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