Savage Salvation: A Dire Wolves Mission: 7 (Devil's Dires)

Title: Savage Salvation - A Dire Wolves MissionSeries: The Devil's DiresAuthor: Ellis LeighDesignation: Book 7 of Series, Full-Length Short Novel, Standalone, No CliffhangerMy Rating: FIVE SINFULLY SEXY STARS*****Oh my! I loved, loved, loved Savage Salvation! Ellis Leigh totally rocked my world again with the seventh riveting release in The Devil's Dires and folks, this one was a real barn burner! Leigh grabbed me in the first few pages and had me choking back tears well before the end of the first chapter. I sighed, snickered, snorted, snuffled, sobbed, swore, shook my fists in anger, and outright ugly cried through the entire book and LOVED every single second. As an avid follower of this series since its inception in 2016, I knew before reading the first page that Luc's story would be an angsty, emotional experience, but the depth of emotions evoked by this book completely caught me by surprise. I've been a diehard fan since Leigh began her writing career almost five years ago and her passionate, raw, all-consuming prose still takes my breath away. For anyone familiar with Leigh's work, you may be asking yourself: Why does The Devil's Dires sound familiar? Well, there's actually a very good reason. The Dire Wolves were first introduced as secondary characters in Leigh's Feral Breed Motorcycle Club Series, so we've known of the existence of this small, select group of wolf shifters for quite some time; we just didn't know a whole lot about them other than they acted as the Cleaners for the Blasius 'Blaze' Zenne, president of the NALB (North American Lycan Brotherhood). While the Feral Breed MC members act as the enforcers or police for the NALB, the Cleaners are an elite strategic group created by Blaze as a cover for the seven-member pack of Dire Wolves, a dangerous breed long thought to be extinct. And folks, these wolf shifters are tougher than tough, badder than bad, meaner than mean, and better than the best. They live hard and fight harder. But after a lonely millennia of existence, none of these wolf shifters have ever found their mates - until now.Series Premise:The Dires are all handsome, sexy wolf-shifters, but unlike other wolves, the Dire Wolves are a breed among themselves, one shrouded in mystery and now almost extinct with only a small group of seven known to still exist. (That is, until recently. Oops...slight spoiler!) And all seven of their pack make up a secret, elite team of soldiers, trackers, and hackers who are by far the biggest, baddest, and toughest of any species known to man or wolf. They are better than the best, called upon when the talent and skill of the Feral Breed's finest wolf shifters fall short to successfully accomplish the mission. The Dire Wolves submit to no one yet choose to work for Blasius 'Blaze' Zenne, President of the North American Lycan Brotherhood, the ruling power over all shifters in the country. Their breed owes their loyalty only to each other, but these Dires do hold in high regard one man outside their seven-man pack, and that man is Blasius Zenne. They are loyal to Blaze, not the NALB. They answer only to him when he calls, not because they have to, but because they respect him, choose to bend to his authority and obey his orders. Their duties fall under the purview of Blaze's Cleaners, a unit used to solve certain problems when unparalleled skill and lethal action are required. As the series progresses, we get to know all seven Dire Wolves with each book featuring primarily one member of the team as he embarks on a perilous mission, made even more complicated when he meets his fated mate, the one woman the universe created just for him. Each of these highly principled wolf shifters must face their destinies while their hearts battle between duty to their new found mates, and duty to their mission, as well as to their breed. One Brotherhood... One mission... One man... One mate... One fate... So buckle up, my lovelies, it's a wild ride!As always when talking about books and authors I enjoy, I tend to get a little carried away and a lot wordy, but here are a few details about the book itself. The story is exciting, imaginative, compelling, fast paced, action packed, suspenseful, sexy, romantic, steamy, and exceptionally well crafted and edited. The narrative is beautifully written in the third person with clearly discernible perspectives from the two protagonists: stoic Dire Wolf Alpha Lucifer aka Luc, and beautiful, strong, independent Cassiel. The dialogue is smart, raw, intense, seductive, well executed and flows effortlessly. There are so many elements that make Leigh's stories great, and she skillfully combines them all to craft a riveting paranormal tale filled to the brim with danger, drama, action, adventure, suspense, angst, passion, and romance. I've loved the entire premise for this series as well as the extraordinary world Leigh created, but the magnificent cast of characters is, hands down, my favorite component. They are engaging, relatable and literally explode from the pages, demanding my undivided attention, capturing my imagination, and completely stealing my heart. And Luc and Cassiel were certainly no exception! Luc and his, sometimes, all-knowing abilities have been such an enigma throughout the entire series. I would describe Luc as a powerful, courageous, steadfast, unwavering leader and friend, one whose loyalty has always been dedicated to his pack and duty. And Cassiel... I don't even know where to begin to describe her. I knew it would be difficult to develop a heroine to match Luc's powerful persona, but Leigh always rises to the challenge, and she certainly nailed it with Cassiel. I was truly impressed by Cassiel’s strong, fierce, independent, and intelligent nature, living alone in the wilds of Alaska with only her sled dogs as friends and companions and growing herbs to make natural medicines as her only means of income. She was also a little jaded, leary of others, and preferred to live the life of a recluse, which was understandable as a result of living a hard life as an orphan since the age of two and bounced from one foster home to another, yet she was still kind. She and Luc were so perfect for each other and complemented each other brilliantly. They both provided a vital part the other desperately needed in their life. And of course, their sexual chemistry was smokin' hot, even if it did take half the book for them to even begin to recognize their feelings. (But there was a very good reason!) lol... What I'm trying to say as tactfully as possible is, this is not your usual instalove story where the hero immediately says upon meeting the heroine, "Me Tarzan, you Jane. You're my mate and I will claim you now," then they automatically jump into bed together. lol... It was a lot more complicated and emotional, which just happens to be Ellis Leigh's specialty. Like most fans of the series, I have eagerly awaited Luc's book, but reading his story was bittersweet. As the only member of the pack left without a mate, logically, I knew his date with fate would probably be the last book of the series, which broke my heart. I didn't want to say goodbye to any of these characters who have commandeered a piece of my heart for the last 3 years. But, and there's always a but, sometimes the end is only the beginning, or possibly a better statement would be a quote from Marianne Williamson, "Every ending is a new beginning". Nope, no spoilers from me. Just no, absolutely not! You'll just have to read the book. lol...Did I like this book? No, I LOVED it! I loved the world building and the strong, courageous, larger than life characters Leigh created for this series. It can be read as a standalone but be forewarned, it does have an underlying interconnected conflict with recurring characters throughout the series, so to enrich your reading experience and avoid spoilers, I highly recommend reading the books sequentially. I was completely hooked in the first few pages and quickly found myself totally immersed in the lives of the characters. All the storylines in The Devil's Dires have been engaging, but Leigh totally gutted me with Savage Salvation. Leigh not only tugged at my heartstrings, she ripped my heart right out of my chest. Ellis Leigh is a gifted storyteller and skilled wordsmith - a true master of her trade, always giving readers the perfect combination of danger, action, suspense, humor, romance, and sex. And, of course, leaves us sighing, swearing, sweating bullets, gasping for our next breath, and begging for more! Would I recommend it? You bet, and I am but only for adult readers since it does contain naughty language and explicit sex scenes. Who knew Luc could be such a dirty, sweet talker but I loved every word! lol... Will I read this author again? Absolutely! Just as soon as she releases her next book! And finally, was I entertained? Completely! I loved this story and the characters. I cried for them, empathized with them, laughed with them, cheered for them, shook my fists in anger as they fought their enemies.....and I never wanted it to end! Fabulous entertainment and an awesome read!Long thought to be extinct, Luc and his six Dire Wolf brothers had learned to be invisible by hiding in plain sight. These seven Dire packmates kept their true identities secret by trusting only each other, except for one man outside their small pack, and that was Blasius Zenne, president of the NALB, the man who helped them maintain their cover. For millennia, they'd suffered a lonely existence, knowing they were the last of their kind, with no hope for family or happiness. But for some unknown reason, fate had finally decided to intervene in their lives. All six of his Dire brothers had recently found their true mates, leaving him as the only unmatched male left. All have been Omegas, a variety of shewolf thought to be a long-lost relative of the Dires and shewolves they'd sworn to protect. Two thousand years was a long time to exist without a mate by your side, and he'd long ago given up hope of ever finding his. Even after all six of his brothers had unexpectedly found the other half of their soul, he'd assumed his mate would never appear. As Alpha and leader of his pack, it was his responsibility to carry on, even if it meant completing his mission alone. But the constant barrage of feelings and emotions, from both his pack and humans, as well as the sickness of the land around him have worn him down. He's tired, weary, exhausted physically as well as mentally, and fears the end for him may be near. Fueled only by disappointment and failure of his mission to locate the still missing Omega shewolves, he tenaciously continues his search in the isolated Brooks Range of Alaska, where a cloud of evil seems to shroud the land. For the last 12 months, Luc has continued his mission alone, sacrificing his own wellbeing to allow his pack brothers the time to enjoy their new mates. But recently, something had changed. Luc could sense it, smell it, taste it. His empathic abilities told him something was coming, and that something could very well mean the end for him. It was time to call in his pack and complete this mission once and for all. But fate has a surprise in store for Luc, one in the form of a brave, feisty, independent woman with the face and name of an angel living alone in the wilds of Alaska, a female whose presence calmed the static and unrest in his mind, a peaceful oasis and soothing reprieve from the constant flood of emotions and darkness surrounding him. The mates of his Dire brothers had all been Omega shewolves with the names of angels. This female’s name was Cassiel, also the name of an angel... Could she possibly be another lost Omega? She smelled human but had to be something more, something he couldn't quite identify - yet. But he would. Why was he so drawn to this woman who appeared to be only a human, one that knew nothing of shifters or magic? More importantly, is it possible she could be his mate? If so, his mission just became a lot more complicated. For the first time in his long millennia of existence, his priorities were torn. How can he complete his mission and simultaneously keep Cassiel safe from the danger coming for them both? Will Luc choose duty or love? Must he sacrifice one for the other? We'll see!

I have read all this series and likes each one. I like the fast pace of the books knowing the author could have dragged the stories out but didnt, which keeps you captured without getting bored. What makes you buy the next book straight away is how Ellis gets you wrapped up in their world and leaves you wanting more. I really liked how each main male and female characters are all so different yet you still get romance, suspense and action.

Cassiel lives in the isolated Alaskan bush.. she makes herbal remedies to sell to tribes and locals.She has her sled dogs and needed no one..Then Luc accidentally found her, he thought she was human, but then he got close enough to sense her wolf..But she had been brought up in human foster care and then in the bush, so she had never shifted, Luc finds a way to be with her but first they had to deal with a sick pack of only male wolves and hidden children..Cassiel finds them because she had lived in the region for yearsThis is the end of the Dire Wolves series but there is a hint about Luc and Cassiel tracking more Dires in Australia… I wonder if Ellis will continue that thread?

All seven dires come together to help their fearless leader when he calls. On this final mission (queue sad music, cuz it is) Luc is so deep into finding those missing women that he doesn't realize the missing piece of his soul is so close to him. She's a strong Omega of course she is to be paired with such a strong leader. Cassiel has always lived in the Brooks Range and feared nothing except for the monsters that came out at night. The monsters that frighten her when she was six years old and was an orphan and seen it with her very own eyes in one of her fosters homes when her parents were killed. The only thing was the monster never did anything to her but watched over her. She could not understand why. Why did it creep in her room and no one see it.Luc came across Cassiel by mistake or as care would have it and he could not stay away from her. When he realize he was one of the monsters she feared he kept that part of himself from her. Him and his brother's along with the other Omegas hunted down the corroded psychotic wolf pack and found out why they could not find any women. This pack was so foul, they did horrid things to women and child were unthinkable. But it was Cassiel who saved the day. She never knew she had it in her. That brave woman took on a pack of wolves to save the man to became to love and took her fate in hand. Between realizing the man you love is a wolf and yourself is a mighty wolf that is a whopper of a doozy. But to know there are children out there that need your help is unquestionable. For Luc to think he was going crazy because he's an empath who has felt everyone's feelings and short for over thousands of years and never realize peace until he met his mate was a blessing. He thought he was failing his pack but he wasn't. In the end everyone got what they wanted a few had babies, Luc and Cass on their way to travel and Bez and Sariel adopted three more little shewolves. What did you think I was gonna tell you the entire story? Naw, it's awesome! Just sad it had to end.

Loved it