"Alpha and Omega"

“Alpha and Omega” is both the title of a novella written by Patricia Briggs that was published in the anthology On the Prowl and the name of the series it starts. It is a paranormal romance that contains werewolves and implications of rape and abuse. In the short story, Briggs takes one of the characters briefly introduced in the Mercy Thompson series (Charles Cornick), develops his character, and introduces a new character in the form of Charles’ mate, Anna.

“Alpha and Omega” starts out with Anna calling Bran, the leader of the North American werewolves and Charles’ father when she notices the picture of a boy she saw in her Alpha’s basement on the front page of the local newspaper. She tells Bran about the boy and her suspicions that one of her pack changed the boy without consent. Bran tells her that the boy is already dead and that he sent his son Charles to Chicago to investigate. Bran instructs Anna to meet Charles at the airport.

Anna is an Omega wolf, which means that she appears to be the most submissive form of wolf to other wolves, but she has power. Anna is a completely new aspect to Briggs’ werewolf world. She is outside the power structure of the pack. The Alpha of her pack had her turned into a werewolf against her will to help his mate maintain sanity. However, he treats Anna like the redheaded stepchild in an attempt to keep her inline without having to deal with her strength.

Charles too is a unique individual. He is the son of two full-blooded werewolves. For this reason, he was a wolf from birth, and his wolf is separate personality in his mind from his, who he calls Brother Wolf. From the moment Charles saw Anna in the airport, Brother Wolf chose her as his mate. Seeing her reactions to him and realizing what she was, Charles is determined to both save her and keep her for himself.

The story progresses following along as Charles learns about Anna’s history as a wolf. He then begins teaching Anna about what she is and working to save her from her pack. “Alpha and Omega” is a great start to a wonderful new series. I highly recommend it to anyone who Patricia Briggs’ Mercy Thompson series.