He came to Harlow Creek to photograph wolves. He never expected to lose his heart to the man protecting them. Wildlife photographer Ezra Cole has eighteen days to document one of the last untouched wolf territories in the Cascade Mountains before logging changes the forest forever. His plan is simple: get the story, protect the wolves, and go home. Then he meets Caden Rowe. The quiet search-and-rescue coordinator knows every trail, every ridge, and every secret hidden inside the Ironback Wilderness. He lives by strict rules, keeps everyone at a careful distance, and carries a burden no one else has ever been allowed to see. Ezra wasn't supposed to notice. But the longer they work together, the harder it becomes to ignore the impossible things happening in the forest, or the growing connection between them. When a dangerous militia closes in on the wolf pack, an old conspiracy resurfaces, forcing Caden to reveal the truth he's spent eight years protecting. Trust becomes their only chance of saving the wilderness... and each other. As winter settles over the Ironback, Ezra must decide whether some assignments are meant to end or whether the road home is the one that leads back to the man waiting at the trailhead. Claimed by the Hidden Alpha is a slow-burn MM paranormal romance featuring a secret alpha shifter, wilderness adventure, found family, protective heroes, emotional healing, and a hard-won happily ever after.
