The 'Pack Mates' saga gets a great fourth volume in 'Michael's Heart'. Not only do I love two wounded men figuring out how to heal themselves and each other, but the continuing revelations of the bigger picture behind the series is fascinating. Make no mistake, this is not an easy process, and the struggle they both go through is heartbreaking in places. Their determination to make it, and the fact they are extremely attracted to each other physically are probably the only reason they keep trying.

Michael is the man who struggles most. He is a werewolf who has finally found acceptance in Declan's Smooth Rock Falls pack, but he might as well be a lone wolf. He is a firefighter and does his part, but other than a few close friends, he doesn’t have a social life. Not that he is interested – the wound from being rejected by his parents when they found out he is gay and his resulting fear of anything resembling love are very effective at keeping him lonely. Justin does tempt him, and he is Michael's mate, but Michael has an extremely hard time overcoming his fear of eventual rejection and the pain that will cause.

Justin is a very rare shifter, and hides exactly what kind he is very carefully. I can't blame him – wolves and Justin's species don't exactly interact peacefully in the wild. Being abandoned by his parents when he was fairly young may be the norm amongst his species, but it left deep emotional scars in his human psyche. Trust doesn’t come naturally to Justin, and even though he is in love with Michael, the wolf's continued on-again-off-again attitude hurts him a lot.

If you like wounded main characters, if you're interested to see them struggle and fight for every inch of progress in their relationship until they figure it out, and if you're looking for an emotional read that is as filled with tension as it is hot, then you will probably enjoy this novella. ( )