Hunted Guardian by M.D. Grimm

 In eighteenth-century Egypt, falcon shifter Con’s parents died attempting to keep powerful, ancient scrolls out of the hands of a monster. Now it falls to Con to keep the scrolls hidden and lead the hunter away so their sacrifice isn’t for nothing. But he isn’t quite fast enough, and he finds himself helpless in an unfamiliar English countryside village. That is, until a beautiful man with a limp carries Con to his manor to tend to his wounds.

As an alpha wolf, Quincy’s compassion is not valued by his pack, which leads him to nurse the falcon in secret. A bond quickly forms between Quincy and the mysterious raptor, so he’s concerned at Con’s reaction to the arrival of another visitor, the Countess Blackburn.

This M/M shifter book set in Regency period England hit all my ‘YES’ buttons, 5 rainbows.

This is a story about Quincy, a wolf shifter that was born with a defective leg and affects him in wolf form as well as human.  He has learned to live with this defect and understands that only because he is the nephew of the Alpha, Elizabeth and her mate Cornelius, one he was allowed to live and two given a position as a Guardian.    He has accepted his fate and although not happy, he is content.

And then we meet, Con, a Falcon shifter, thought extent. Con is running for his life, as he has done most all of his life.  Con decides to leave Egypt and hide in England.  Until he realizes he’s enemy has followed him. 

This story is set in regency period, England (1784) although you really don’t get much of that period feel in the story. Not that it’s written incorrectly, it’s not used as much of a back story. We mainly stay in and around the Shifters manor house, and the wooded land around the house.  We start with the pack off on a run and Quincy standing guard. Letting us get the feel of his unhappy and restlessness. But also his kindhearted feelings towards his pack members even though they may not feel that he is worthy of them.  One day he goes into the village and ends up rescuing a falcon from the local kids about to do it harm. Takes it back to the Estate and nurses back to health, all the time talking to it, not knowing that the falcon is indeed a human man/shifter. The day he goes to release the falcon, he tells him that a Countess is visiting and the falcon, who has been trying to figure out how to show himself, now he has no choice, and he must warn Quincy and his pack of this evil Countess.

I loved the connection between Quincy and Con even before Con did the big reveal.  You can’t help but want to grab Quincy and tell him everything will be ok.  He has just resigned himself to so much, it’s sad. And Con, just so proud and determined.  He must do this one job that he was born to do! Not only is Con amazed that someone like Quincy would bother not only to heal him but later stand up for him against his own pack. I can’t wait for more from this series. 

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