Patricia Briggs - Fair Game

The third book in the Alpha and Omega series, published March 2012.



They say opposites attract, and for werewolves Anna and Charles, this is certainly true. Charles, the pack enforcer is a dominant Alpha – whereas Anna has the power to calm others of her kind. Now that werewolves have dared to reveal themselves to humans, it’s their job to keep the pack in line. The pressure mounts when the FBI requires Charles’s assistance. He’s sent on a mission to Boston with Anna, and they quickly realise that a serial killer is targeting werewolves. And that they’re next on the killer’s list.


Anna is not so happy anymore in her marriage to Charles. He has been withdrawing from her for months now, and hasn’t touched her in weeks. She is worried, and getting desperate. He has to take a break from killing other werewolves, it is eating at him. Ever since the werewolves exposed their existence to the human world, the rules for werewolf behaviour have become stricter, and little to no second chances are given. They cannot afford to be seen as just monsters and killers. So Charles has to hunt and kill a lot lately, and he is being haunted by the ghosts of those he has killed. They are slowly eating away at him, taunting him, and to protect Anna from them, he has even closed down the mating bond between them.

When Anna goes to Bran to share her concerns, Bran waves her away. Bran is Charles’ father, and the Alpha of all the werewolves in the country, which means also the other Alpha’s. Charles has been his enforcer for many centuries, and he is used to dealing with it. And there is no one else to take over this job, so Charles will have to keep doing it. Bran doesn’t really want to believe her, but when even Asil approaches him about his concerns, he is getting worried himself. Perhaps Anna was right after all. But finding a solution is not going to be easy.

The FBI is working on a serial killer case, and has been for over 20 years. The last three victims of the killer are confirmed werewolves, and they have asked for help. Usually Bran would have sent Adam Hauptman to deal with public relations, but Adam is not able to go to Boston while his wife cannot travel (see Iron Kissed, Mercy!). So Bran decides to send Anna to deal with the FBI and the local police, and Charles as her bodyguard. Thanks to Anna being an Omega, she is perfect in dealing with the police and the FBI, and the new paranormal unit called Cantrip. She can explain how they should behave around Charles, and keep the tension low, without giving away much of their secrets.

When Anna and Charles are being filled in on the case, Charles discovers that most of the victims have been Fae. He recognizes a few of them, and they were by no means weak or powerless. Which means the killer has to be powerful himself to be able to kill so many of them for so long. He has abducted most of them from public places without being seen or smelled.

Then a young dancer is reported missing, and her father is a very powerful Fae, who insists on getting involved in the case. He will do anything in his considerable power to get his daughter back. As the victims are raped and tortured for days before they are killed, she is still alive. They just have to find her!


When they all go to the morgue next, Charles immediately notices that the carvings in the victims’ skin are the work of a witch. And as all the witches’ families have their own runes and such, the witches hired by the FBI have been lying. They have to know who has done this. Luckily, the Boston werewolf pack has some witches on retainer, and one of them is willing to come and take a look.

I am not going to spoil anymore of the story, all I can say is this: read this book!


I really loved this book. All of it. The relationship between Charles and Anna is just awesome, and I especially love the interactions with Brother Wolf, Charles’s alter ego, his werewolf. They both love Anna so very much, and need her, and need to see her happy and well fed. Anna has come a long way from being an abused and malnourished little werewolf to the person she is today. She is determined never to be a victim again. She deals very well with all the different agents, except for the obnoxious one from Cantrip. He is lying, and he loathes Fae and Werewolves.
The female FBI agent is a wonderful secondary character; the book starts with a glimpse in her own history. I really liked her a lot. She was great in dealing with everything.

The Alpha of the Boston werewolf pack is also a great character. He has no clue what Anna is, and he is afraid of Charles, but will stand up against him if necessary. In the end, he is a really big help.

But the ending of the book, o the ending. So good, so heartbreaking, so unexpected, I loved it. And I do wonder how this will reflect in Mercy’s world, especially with her beloved mentor Zee.

9,5 stars.