Aiden's Charity [Paperback]

'Aiden's Charity' is Book 3 of the Wolf Breeds and Book 8 in the overall Breeds series (per publishing dates), although chronologically it's Book 12.

Aiden is a Wolf Breed of incredible control. For years while imprisoned in the Council Labs, Aiden was able to fool the scientists with his seemingly impotence. After repeatedly having no physical reaction to females, even with the powerful drugs administered to initiate an intense sexual response, death now awaits him for the Council executes any Breed stamped with failure. But the stubbornness of one lab tech changes everything.

He's watched Charity for a year. Her seeming innocence and delicate stature makes him yearn to protect her, irrational as that may be. But Aiden is flooded with fury and betrayal when Charity coaxes a sexual response from his previously flaccid body. Now Dr. Bainsmith, head scientist and known for her sadistic cruelty, knows he's been playing her all this time. Yet her revenge is short lived, for the next day Aiden and the Breeds escape the torture of the New Mexico Council Labs.

Six years later.

Charity has narrowly escaped the exploding Council Labs in South America that held her prisoner for the last six months, just in time to die slowly in the surrounding mountains from a stomach incision. As blood leaks from her body, the mating heat that commenced six years earlier, now rages tortuously through her drug induced body. Weak from exhaustion, Charity awaits her death but this time it's Aiden that stands between her and death's door.

Charity, unbeknowenst to the Breeds, has fought for their release and the Council's demise in secret. Hiding the mating heat that plagued her, Charity played both sides and was able to pass information and messages to the Breeds in the hope that Aiden would one day forgive her betrayal and come for her. That hope soon died with his continued absence. Then after her secret was discovered, Charity was subject to torture in the name of Breed science.

Now it's Aiden who strives to bring her back to life despite his conflicting emotions. He wants to be tied to no woman, especially Charity. But nature has away of exacting what it wants.

As Aiden grudgingly takes Charity under his protection, the instinctual drive to mark and claim becomes more than he can bare. With Charity's body still recuperating, he tries desperately to abstain but the pain of the heat is beyond Charity's endurance and the two come together in fiery abandon.

I enjoyed 'Aiden's Charity' although it's not my favorite installment in the series. My real disappointment with the story was that IMHO, I thought Aiden and Charity really were only compatable by way of the mateing heat. They were so different and despite all of Charity's efforts to help the Breeds, she was still a scientist at heart. If the mating heat was not part of the equations, I think for this reason alone Aiden would never have given her second thought.

In addition, I thought that Aiden was verbally cruel to Charity. Yes I understand that she betrayed him six years ago, but the poor woman is in some incredable pain and the least he can do is tramp down his anger and be polite.

Of course the sex scenes were trademark Leigh and uber hot. Amazingly enough after reading these Ellora's Cave Presents Breed novels, I'm struck at how Leigh has maintained the raw sexuality in her Berkley Sensation Breed novels. The only difference I see is that the pain of the mating heat is bit toned down for Berkley while being ramped sky high for ECP.

In all honesty, my whole reason for reading this book was to read Leigh's introduction to Del-Rey, a Coyote Breed, and his mate Anya. These two will fighting for their HEA in 'Coyote's Mate' due out in February 2009. So far with glimpse of their situation in 'Aiden's Charity', I'm definitely looking forward to their story.

Be prepared, but a really wonderful story, lots of heat, graphic but emotional, well defined characters that you care about and get involved with...but definitely a HOT Lora Leigh read. Love the whole series of breeds/wolves...recommend reading them all from the beginning.

This is one of the Wolf series books. It was excellent. Better then other's I've read in the series but it is also more grahic as to how Charity was treated. I definitely recommend the read.

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