Blackridge Haven Shifters Series by A.F. Montoya

You get treated like a monster long enough, you start acting like one. Derek has lived his whole life being seen as a monster. Even his friends were afraid of him at first. He became lonely and angry and he was struggling to stay in control. He knew it was only a matter of time until he was put down. That is, until a blue haired beauty walked into his life. She’s fearless and brazen and the first person ever not to shy away from him... moreYou get treated like a monster long enough, you start acting like one. Derek has lived his whole life being seen as a monster. Even his friends were afraid of him at first. He became lonely and angry and he was struggling to stay in control. He knew it was only a matter of time until he was put down. That is, until a blue haired beauty walked into his life. She’s fearless and brazen and the first person ever not to shy away from him. If he can figure out how to get his inner bear back under control, he may be able to keep the one person who makes him feel human. Growing up with an inner animal like hers, Liv is no stranger to being treated differently. Once she finally left home, she decided to live life on her own terms and screw anyone who had something to say about it. So when she sees a gentle giant being judged because he happens to be massive, she’s determined to protect him. She never thought she’d fall for him. And she never meant to hide her animal for this long. Now she needs to figure out how to come clean and trust that the sweet man who calls to her animal won’t cast her aside once he figures out what she is. less

I almost wished I’d never agreed to become alpha. I’m not as strong as they think I am. Jackson has always watched out for his friends. When they made him alpha, he thought he'd be better at it. But between the fire, the move, and the crew, he was barely keeping it together. So when a beautiful broken woman shows up needing the crew's protection, he's determined not to get close to her. He's got enough on his plate. But he's drawn to her in ways he can't explain... moreI almost wished I’d never agreed to become alpha. I’m not as strong as they think I am. Jackson has always watched out for his friends. When they made him alpha, he thought he'd be better at it. But between the fire, the move, and the crew, he was barely keeping it together. So when a beautiful broken woman shows up needing the crew's protection, he's determined not to get close to her. He's got enough on his plate. But he's drawn to her in ways he can't explain. He needs to figure out how to protect her while keeping her at a distance or risk losing his head and his crew at the same time. Esme just wanted to become a painter. So how did she end up here? When she trusted the wrong man to keep her safe, she ended up trapped in a relationship that threatened to destroy her. In a desperate attempt to escape, she asks the local crew for help. Now, while struggling to figure out her next move, she finds herself overwhelmingly distracted by the quiet and elusive alpha who gives her the one feeling she craves. Safety. She's afraid to trust her gut with her poor track record with men but when her ex manages to find her, Jackson may be the only person who can truly save her from her fate. less

I won’t trust humans ever again. All Theo wanted was to make her happy. But when his girlfriend finds out about his animal and dumps him for something he can't control, he's left shattered and spiraling. He refuses to trust humans again and fights against his crew who only wants to help him. So when a sassy human draws his animal's attention he's determined to stay away from the beautiful distraction. At least until an enemy of the crew targets her... moreI won’t trust humans ever again. All Theo wanted was to make her happy. But when his girlfriend finds out about his animal and dumps him for something he can't control, he's left shattered and spiraling. He refuses to trust humans again and fights against his crew who only wants to help him. So when a sassy human draws his animal's attention he's determined to stay away from the beautiful distraction. At least until an enemy of the crew targets her. He needs to decide if his distrust of humans is worth losing the one person who can make him smile. Lily has been the weird girl all her life. Outgoing, eccentric, and just a little odd. She had trouble making friends because her off the wall personality was a little much to deal with. When a mixed crew stumbled into her stall at the fair, she'd hoped she finally found people who spoke her language. But one sexy as hell silver eyed jerk seemed determined to drive her away. So when he showed up to make amends, she knew better than to trust it. But she couldn't seem to stay away from him. And when she discovers the truth about what he is, she’s beyond fascinated. Now, as a rival wolf pack stalks the crew, she needs to decide if she's willing to face the risk of being in his life or escape while she still has the chance. less

I don’t know what to do. None of it helps. And I don’t know if I want help. My entire life has gone to shit.It was just Ethan's luck that the moment his life fell apart, he got dragged into an all out shifter war. Turned against his will, he was struggling to come to terms with his animal and his new life. An animal bred in trauma is already hard to manage but when you fight so hard against it, it becomes impossible to deal with... moreI don’t know what to do. None of it helps. And I don’t know if I want help. My entire life has gone to shit.It was just Ethan's luck that the moment his life fell apart, he got dragged into an all out shifter war. Turned against his will, he was struggling to come to terms with his animal and his new life. An animal bred in trauma is already hard to manage but when you fight so hard against it, it becomes impossible to deal with. In an attempt to stunt the monster inside him, he goes to the nearby bar to drown his thoughts in liquor only to have his animal settle in the presence of the new bartender, a handsome shifter determined to save him from himself. But this is why his life fell apart in the first place. He needs Corey's help to get better but he’s afraid of what would happen if he let himself get closer to the man who settles the monster.Corey could feel the sickness coming off of Ethan the minute he showed up at the bar. With his own ugly past to guide him, he feels like the only person who might be able to help Ethan before it was too late. But the longer he spends with the broken wolf shifter, the harder it is to hold back his feelings. At least until he figures out that the animal isn’t the only thing Ethan has been suppressing. Not wanting to push an already struggling shifter, Corey has to remind himself to stay away until Ethan is ready to admit the truth to himself. Even if Ethan’s animal calls to his in ways he never thought possible. less

Everyone was paired up but me and that meant cubs were next. I couldn’t be here for that. Wouldn’t be here for that. No matter how much I loved the place.Malcolm knew his time here was running out. The crew was growing, finding their mates, and he couldn't take the painful reminder of what he lost. As he was preparing to leave, a little family showed up in need of support and he couldn't seem to walk away. Especially when the single mom and her little boy kept looking to him for support... moreEveryone was paired up but me and that meant cubs were next. I couldn’t be here for that. Wouldn’t be here for that. No matter how much I loved the place.Malcolm knew his time here was running out. The crew was growing, finding their mates, and he couldn't take the painful reminder of what he lost. As he was preparing to leave, a little family showed up in need of support and he couldn't seem to walk away. Especially when the single mom and her little boy kept looking to him for support. He needs to decide if he's willing to let go of the past and try and be happy or to run before he ends up hurting everyone around him in his desperation to escape.When Carmen realized her son wasn’t human, she was terrified of what would happen if people found out. Determined to protect him, she upended her life and fled to a small town in Montana to keep him hidden. With the help of the local crew, she hopes to give him a better life. Along the way she finds herself drawn in by the construction worker a few trailers away and she fears history is repeating itself because she’s falling for a man she knew was leaving. But when her ex shows up out of nowhere causing trouble, there’s only one person she trusts to keep her and her little bear safe. less

No one escapes the pride.Rhea's been hiding from her pride since she escaped over a decade ago. She thought they'd finally given up until a letter showed up on her desk, warning her of what was coming. They found her and they weren't going to be nice about bringing her back. When a rogue lion shifter shows up in her territory, she's immediately suspicious that he's here to take her away... moreNo one escapes the pride.Rhea's been hiding from her pride since she escaped over a decade ago. She thought they'd finally given up until a letter showed up on her desk, warning her of what was coming. They found her and they weren't going to be nice about bringing her back. When a rogue lion shifter shows up in her territory, she's immediately suspicious that he's here to take her away. But when the pride starts to threaten her crew, she has to choose between trusting the one person she was determined to avoid or risk losing everything she's built in her new life.Link was tired. Bone deep exhausted. But when his friend called him about someone threatening his new compound, he was determined to show up and help. So how did he end up being roped in to help a lioness who wanted nothing to do with him? Having never met a shifter so afraid of their own kind before, he didn't know how to protect her without forcing the issue. And she didn't take too kindly to that. What did it say about him that fighting with her finally woke him up and drew out his lion? less