The Brac Pack #1-4 (Re-reads # 23-26)

The Brac Pack #1-4  by Lynn Hagen

Maverick's Mate: Maverick is the alpha of the Brac Pack, a pack consisting of gay wolves who (it is implied) aren't welcome in their birth packs.  Maverick is tired of the same old routine when he heads out to a coffee shop to indulge in a secret cup of hot tea.  While there he smells his mate, follows him to his apartment, does some mojo thing to keep his mate from freaking out, and sleeps with him.  He then has one of his sentries (soldiers) guard his mate.  Cecil, the cutie mate, is in an abusive relationship and when his douche bag boyfriend shows up and starts threatening violence, Cecil is shocked when a very large man comes to his rescue. Maverick shows up soon after and takes Cecil away to his house.  Cecil shakes up the pack house by bringing in video games and pretty soon everyone loves Cecil and Maverick can't imagine his life without his mate.  Add in a bad guy who is literally described as "beady eyed", lots of sequel bait characters, and some over the top alpha moves and you have what should be the most ridiculous story ever written.  And yet, for whatever reasons, I still love this book and the series as a whole. 

Hawk's Pretty Baby: Hawk is Maverick's warrior--the head of the sentries and as such is one scary guy.  When Cecil is rendered unable to show up at the community center where he volunteers every week, one of the adults that he has befriended has a meltdown and is hospitalized.  Hawk volunteers to check on this young man and finds his mate.  Johnny has been abused by his brother for years and has only recently come to trust and depend on his friendship with Cecil.  When Cecil doesn't show, Johnny has  panic attack.  While trying to figure out how to keep his brother from freaking out about the newest hospital bill, he sees Hawk.  He is immediately drawn to the big man and feels protected and loved in short order.  Unfortunately, Johnny's brother is not ready to let his brother go so easily.

Sunshine's Savior: Kota, Maverick's beta, is in a new city trying to track down a person of interest when he is approached by a young hooker who turns out to be his mate.  Blair, who was kicked out of his house when he was too old for his sick father to want to molest anymore, has been making his way the only way he knows how.  When Kota pays him for a night and only sleeps with him--no sex--he isn't sure what to expect.  Something about Kota makes him take a chance on trusting him and he heads back to Brac Village with him.  Feeling ashamed about how he has had to survive makes it hard for him to take up offers of friendship from the other sentries and their mates.  Kota is very protective of Blair and has to deal with misunderstandings while also trying to figure out how to save Blair's younger brother who was left behind with Blair's abusive father.

Remi's Pup: Remi has been going crazy trying to find his mate.  Remi knows his mate was last seen at the mall and that he is most likely a drug addict.  With little to go on and less still that doesn't consume him with worry, he finally tracks his mate down and witnesses first hand a drug transaction.  He is able to follow Drew, his mate, to Drew's apartment but when Drew begins to go through violent with drawls, Remi decides it would be best to take Drew back to the pack's house--Remi and Drew are going to need all the help and support they can get.  Drew knows he has a problem and he wants to stay clean now that he has Remi in his life, but it isn't as easy as all of that--not everyone is so happy for them and will do anything they can to drag Drew back into his former addiction.

This is not a series to take too seriously, but rather one to enjoy as is without looking to deeply into the shaky foundations holding the whole thing up.  It is over the top more often than not with gigantic timber wolf shifters meeting (generally) tiny twink-type guys--but it also showcases mates who would do anything for their partners and tries to take on serious issues such as domestic abuse, drug addiction, and homophobia in surprisingly sensitive ways.  

Reading Challenge
Hard Core Rereading 
Literary Pickers

I purchased these titles with my own funds.