Mate by Ali Hazlewood

Here is a summary, with spoilers for Mate by Ali Hazlewood

Serena Paris is running from the human world and trying to stay hidden. Though one night, that all changes when a vampyre finally catches her and is excited to turn her in. Before things get too violent, Koen Alexander, Alpha of the Northwest pack, arrives to help her. But the vampyre has some words for him, trying to goad him, including that rumor has it Serena is his mate.

Flash back to a very young Serena. After a traumatic event, she is sent away, orphaned. Flash forward again, she is taken in by a group of vampyres and becomes best friends with Misery Lark; the two are somewhat outcasts together. Flash forward again, Serena was mysteriously missing but soon is taken in by the Northwest pack, and everyone seems to be a bit weird around her. Enter Koen Alexander, who gives it to her straight: they are mates, but that doesn’t mean either of them need to do anything about it. So Serena goes on her way.

Back in the present, Koen rescues Serena and takes her back to a home base for her to rest. Koen also starts to question why she isn’t shifting. Serena knows why but decides to lie about it, saying that because she is a hybrid, she can only shift during the full moon. But inside, Serena knows it is because she is sick, and it’s getting worse—and according to a doctor, she will be dead in less than a year.

There starts to be a lot of speculation about the hybrid Serena, and she starts to worry, as there are for sure two other hybrids out there: her best friend/sister Misery and a little girl named Ana (who is Misery’s mate Lowe’s sister). Wanting to get the press away from any other questions, Serena offers to go into an interview and tell them she is the only one of her kind and that they shouldn’t go looking for others. Also during this interview, one of the doctors there lets loose that because she is a hybrid, she won’t be able to have any children—something Serena had no idea about. After the interview, Koen, who was adamant against it, decides that she needs to hide. Vampyres know who she is now, and who she is with, and they are coming for her. So Koen takes Serena to his home so she can be secluded.

Thus starts the tentative relationship. Serena is forced to be around Koen all the time, and she starts to realize she likes it. She also starts to learn more about his pack and begins to bond with many of his second-in-commands and other pack members. For the first time, Serena feels like she has a real home and a family. Though during her time there, weeks go by, and her sickness is getting worse. She starts to have nightmares that include her waking up partly transformed and with an incredibly high fever, but she manages to keep these symptoms to herself.

As Serena gets closer to Koen, she starts to wonder why he has never made a move on her. That is when she finds out that, in the past, there were issues with pack leaders who put their mate or significant other first before the pack, so those in command made a pact of celibacy to avoid temptation. So, when Koen took over as Alpha at fifteen, he also took on the act of celibacy. One day, pack leaders come to check on Koen, knowing that he is living with his mate, and they want to make sure that he is still being celibate. This is when Serena mentions she already knows about the pact he made.

One night, while Koen is gone, Serena has one of her episodes and decides to sneak into Koen’s room for a bath to cool down. Midway, Koen shows up, helps her out until she passes out. When she wakes, all of her secrets come out, and she tells him that she is dying. Koen won’t accept that and insists on more doctor appointments. When they go, she finds out it might be something that can be fixed—it won’t kill her, but it will be a rough time. And on top of that, Serena is about to go into heat, which will make things even harder since Koen won’t let anyone else touch her. She makes arrangements with the doctor to get a shot so she won’t go into heat. That night, the two end up crossing a line when they both do some sexual acts without calling it sex.

Going about her day, the Northwest pack gets ambushed, and Serena is taken. When she wakes, she is introduced to a woman named Irene, who claims to be her aunt. And on top of that, she has a letter from Serena’s mother. Before she can get more info, Koen shows up, angry and wanting blood, so Irene takes things into her own hands and reveals that the reason Serena’s mother is dead is because Koen killed her. Koen explains that he had to do a lot of things when he was young, and not all of it was good, but Serena doesn’t stay mad for long. She manages to grab a knife and get Koen out of his bonds, and the two escape.

Koen makes Serena go back to the doctors to get checked, and that is when the doctor mentions she can no longer get the shot because she is in heat. The doctor, who is high up in the pack, says she and Koen should just go have fun, as the only people who don’t want him to do that are the old ones; everyone else in the pack says it’s an old tradition that shouldn’t matter.

So, Serena and Koen spend a couple of blissful days together. Serena learns all about were anatomy and loves being with Koen in this way. By the end of their few days, Serena can say with all her heart that she loves Koen. Though when their few days of bliss are done, Koen says he is going to step down as Alpha. So Serena takes back everything she said so he won’t do that. She doesn’t want to be the reason the pack doesn’t like him or her. But Koen is set and doesn’t care what anyone else wants; he just wants to be with Serena.

The two aren’t able to talk much more about his decision, as Irene and her group are at the threshold and ready to attack. Serena offers to be a trap for them—and it works a little too well. In the midst of all the fighting, Serena takes a bullet for Koen and passes out. When she wakes, Misery is there, upset that she is finding out everything about her life now. When Koen gets back to her, he tells her that the council has taken away the celibacy mandate, and the two can be happy together as mates, and he can still be Alpha for the pack.