Olivia Downing

Defying Destiny Olivia Downing

Publisher Marketing: On an Earth-like fantasy world, Maralee is a slayer of man-eating, immortal Wolves. For over 500 years, the Wolves' weakness to silver has been her family's guarded secret. When the beasts massacred her family fifteen years ago, they thought their secret had died with the last of the Wolf Hunters. Maralee survived the attack, and she knows how to slay these pestilent Wolves. With her departed father's silver sword, she kills for vengeance and duty, chasing her destiny as The Wolf Huntress. Nash is a Wolf Guardian, the only of his shape-shifting kind who can break their 500 year-old curse. Protected by his crescent-shaped birthmark and a troubling secret, Nash is impervious to the full moon's effects. When a frenzied, blood lust consumes his brethren every moon cycle, he uses his power of persuasion to soothe the Wolves and protect their human prey. One night, beneath the full moon, Maralee meets Nash, and her perceptions start to change. She only killed a single Wolf on this hunt. This mysterious man who stopped her from slaying the rest of the pack intrigues her. A Guardian? Nash has failed to protect his own brother from the Huntress, but in Maralee, he sees possibility, not malice. Certain he can prevent her from slaying his people by showing her their humanity, Nash invites the Huntress into his life -- and falls for her. He hides his Wolf form, knowing he is everything she hates. A monster. How can she ever love a monster? How can she not? Destiny decreed she kill him... Her heart had other ideas...