1. The first story is by Jourdan Lane, a fill-in piece to her 'Soul Mates' series called "Instinct". Don't worry if you haven't read any of Lane's other works, though, this one stands on its own just fine. For those who have read the 'Soul Mates' series, this is Noah and Ethan's story and falls just before Secrets, when the characters first appear.

The meat of the story: Ethan runs a construction business and the local werewolf pack calls upon him, an independent werewolf, to do some work for them because he'll keep the whole werewolf-thing to himself. While he's there, he falls in love, but the past comes back to haunt him in the form of the vicious, possessive jerk who turned him.

2. Next up, Emily Veinglory's "Son of a Bitch" begins with an exiled werewolf in a podunk gas station helping a handsome stranded traveler in a business suit. In the morning, the werewolf's mother very unexpectedly waltzes into his place, bringing all kinds of pack and personal drama.

On a technical level, the author could really use a better editor. As with most short story romances, the love-devotion happens ridiculously quickly, but I felt the main conflict was resolved in a satisfying way. I liked the characters a lot and appreciated how the story pulled them together.

3. Finally, B.A. Tortuga's "Home Fires" is a classic hurt/comfort story. One werewolf, on the run from an Evil Organization, returns to his mate. There is a lot of sex. I kept waiting for a big confrontation with the Evil Organization, but it never came. That's not the main point of the story, I guess, but the lack made it terribly inconclusive and thus, a bad note on which to end. B.A. could use a better editer, too-- one who knows 'of' from 'off', here from hear, etc. I was getting tired of reading sentence fragments, too. This story was the weakest one in the anthology. ( )

All the story in this anthology are about werewolfes and pack. Two lovers can be a pack? and can you live being a werewolf withot the shelter of a strong pack around you? two hearts and a cabin can be right for shapeshifters?

Instinct by Jourdan Lane: Jack has been turned in a terrible way, by an evil alpha male who now continues to torment him. And then he meets Noah, a gentle werewolf, who wants to prove to Jack that pack is not always a bad thing. Jack and Noah are balancing mate, noone of them is an alpha male, in a real and huge pack, maybe they would be beta male.

Son of a Bitch by Emily Veinglory: Nate is a lone wolf. He was banished from his pack cause he wanted to change the rules, wanted the modern world lead the pack to a new era. And now he has a shitty life in a rural small town. And then arrives Steven, city boy banished himself for different reason. They find each other, but Nate needs to free his wolf. He can't live continuing to hide that side of his soul. But Steven, and not only him, is ready to help and support him.

Home Fires by BA Tortuga: Houston has freed himself from a cage. He was taken prisoner by the army who wants to create a new powerful soldier able to shift. And now he has only a place to go back: the arms of his mate, Jackson. He has left him in a youthful attempt to find something more, but now he knows that with his lover he has all he needs.

It's not easy to say what is the best among this stories: they are all pretty good. Not funny, not at all, they have a common path of angst and of love which helps healing the wounds. A very good shapeshifter anthology for who loves this genre.