Review: The Alpha (The 13th Floor) by Christine Rains
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 02 25, 2013
The Alpha is the second novella in the series The 13th Floor.Werewolf Stefanie Porter is a female Alpha that has been dethroned by Wyatt, a manipulative and vicious Alpha seeking a new pack. After being imprisoned and beaten, she finally managed to escape, and has sought sanctuary in apartment 1302 in the city of Carmine on the mysterious 13th floor. She is now trying to rebuild her life apart from a pack.When her old pack catches up with her, during a run in the woods, a mysterious lone wolf jumps in to help Stephanie escape. With the pack scouring the city for her, Stefanie must put her trust in James Roberts to teach her some unusual urban survival tricks.This story has an interesting twist in that Stephanie is a female Alpha that was born from a long line of Alphas, so it is not surprising that she insists on doing things her way. She is strong, smart, and protective of her pack, however she needs their psychological support for added strength. James is an enigma to her, he is a turned wolf, and was taught by his sire how to hide his scent. Everything about Ms. Rain's werewolves is unique; I found it a refreshing change from the norm.The main characters are original and well drawn. We are also given enough information about the secondary characters to understand how they influence our heroes and the plot. I enjoyed the interaction between Stephanie and James; no matter how hard she tried, she could not get away from her wolfish tendencies. The wolf wants what the wolf wants, period, the end, that's that. The action is nonstop from the very beginning as they try to escape the wolf pack and there are a couple of graphic fighting scenes that are well done. It was interesting to note that this story is happening simultaneously with the story from The Marquis, as the demon is wreaking havoc on the city of Carmine. It was clever of the author to weave these two stories together this way; I have to admit it took me a minute to catch on though. I also have to say I liked the way The Alpha ended; it completed the circle and brought a smile to my face.This is book two of The 13th Floor series and while it can be read as a stand-alone, I would recommend reading The Marquis first.This book contains adult language and situations that may be offensive to some.I found no significant errors or issues.**Originally written for "Books and Pals" book blog. May have received a free review copy. **  February 21, 2013