Title: Dark Instincts
Series: Phoenix Pack Book #4
Author: Suzanne Wright
Genre: Paranormal
Blurb: It happens whenever wolf shifter Roni Axton is near Marcus Fuller: a crackle of sexual awareness that’s intoxicating…and deeply annoying. Marcus is a pack enforcer who oozes power, but Roni is lethal in her own right—nothing like the flirty females who flock around him. Even still, his possessive gaze makes one thing clear. Marcus has singled her out for seduction, and he wants to make her sit up and beg.
No matter how aloof and unfazed Roni acts, Marcus can tell she wants him. When a brutal attack by a jackal pack forces them to work together, it’s the perfect opportunity for Marcus to chip away at her defenses—until he falls into his own trap, completely unprepared for the intensity of their connection. Roni is the only one who’s ever seen past his shifter charm and discovered the man hiding beneath it. And for Marcus, claiming Roni once will mean needing her forever.
Thoughts: I’ve been a fan of the Phoenix Pack series from the very beginning with Feral Sins, and in turn, a fan of the author. If you’re familiar with the series, you’ll already know the main characters (Roni and Marcus) from previous books. Roni, in particular, is a character I have been watching out for, and I’m excited that we finally get her story. She’s come a long way from the woman who pretty much stayed in her wolf form in prior books, and we get a little more insight into her reasoning behind that. I wasn’t quite sure how things were going to play out though, since Marcus used to “scratch the itch” occasionally with Trick (another male within the pack). Were things going to develop into a threesome here? Was Marcus going to pick Roni over Trick? There was so many ways for things to play out….However, issues with the first book Feral Sins did make me question whether the author’s original intent was for a threesome and she changed her mind?
Let me explain why – for those of you that read the original copy of Feral Sins, you may remember an infamous ménage scene with Taryn, Trey, and the enforcers of the pack (including Dante, Tao, Marcus, Trick, Dominic, and Ryan). This was the copy of the book I read originally, and to be honest, I admired the author for putting in something like this in there. However, the ‘edited’ version that came out a year or so later did not include this scene. I’m wondering if some of the reactions to the scene had the author choosing to go a more traditional route with Marcus?
Nevertheless, I still enjoyed Marcus and Roni’s story, and references to the prior relationship between Marcus and Trick are still in there – the author didn’t just shove that relationship under the rug. I enjoyed getting to know Roni better, and I loved the patience Marcus showed towards Roni. It was a really beautiful and moving story.
Great addition to the Phoenix Pack series!
Rate: A+
BTW – for the daring reader who may be interested in reading the original ménage scene that was edited out – you can still find it on the author’s webpage under My Books and clicking on Short Stories/Deleted Scenes.
