When the deadly werewolf Asil is gifted five blind dates by some anonymous “friends,” his reclusive life will never be the same, in this enthralling novel in stories from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Mercy Thompson series. Includes two all-new stories as well as three previously published stories. Dear Asil: We are worried about you. A werewolf alone is a sad thing, especially at Christmastime. So we have a challenge for you: five dates in three weeks. We have taken the work out of it and connected you with five people from online dating sites. You should also know that we have informed the whole pack and instigated a betting pool. Have fun! Sincerely, Your Concerned Friends Praise for Patricia Briggs and her novels “Patricia Briggs never fails to deliver an exciting, magic- and fable-filled suspense story.”—Erin Watt, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Royals series “An excellent read with plenty of twists and turns. . . . It left me wanting more.”—#1 New York Times bestselling author Kim Harrison “Action-packed and with more than a few satisfying emotional payoffs . . . Patricia Briggs at the top of her game.”—The Speculative Herald “Patricia Briggs is an incredible writer. . . . I love hanging out with the amazing characters in this series!”— New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh “Easygoing-yet-immersive writing style, well-drawn characters, and excellent world-building. It passed my three-Rs test—readability, recommendation, and rereading.”—Dear Author “I love these books.”—#1 New York Times bestselling author Charlaine Harris “The characters are all realistic and vibrant.”—The Independent (Utah) “Patricia Briggs is amazing. . . . Her Alpha and Omega novels are fantastic. In fact, they’ve contributed greatly to new works in the paranormal romance field featuring werewolves.”—Fresh Fiction “Outstanding.”—Charles de Lint, Fantasy & Science Fiction "There’s enough action to keep me on the edge of my seat and enough humor to give readers a break.”—USA Today “[An] imaginative writer who always leaves fans anxiously waiting for the next tale.”—Monsters and Critics “Reading a new Patricia Briggs book is like receiving a highly anticipated, awesome birthday present—you look forward to it all year, you’re excited and nervous when you start unwrapping, and then you’re blown away by the level of sheer awesomeness within.”—The Book Smugglers Patricia Briggs is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Mercy Thompson urban fantasy series ( Winter Lost , Soul Taken ) and the Alpha and Omega novels ( Wild Sign , Burn Bright ). Unappreciated Gifts At three in the afternoon on the first day of December, the werewolf sometimes known as the Moor, feared for centuries by his own kind, opened his email to find this: Dear Asil: We have become worried about you. A werewolf alone is a sad thing, especially at Christmastime. So we have a challenge for you. Five dates in three weeks. We have taken the work out of it and connected you with five people (from online dating sites) who should make the excursions from your lonely existence worthwhile. Or amusing, if only to us. The dates, except for meals, which we thought should be up to you and your partner for the experience, are planned and paid for (when necessary). Tickets for your first event should arrive in today's mail-all you have to do is write an email and arrange a meeting time and place. You should know that all of these people think they have been talking to you and are looking for you to bring a little romance into their lives. We have carefully chosen people we think would be very hurt to find out they were unwitting participants in a game. Some of us believe that you would not hurt a stranger just to avoid a little discomfort. Others think that knowing that we have informed the whole pack (via email) and instigated a betting pool will be better incentive. Especially since no one, so far, has bet on your attending more than one date. Below you can see the profile, photos, and email exchanges between your first date and . . . well, I guess you know it's not really you. Charles, computer guru that he is, did help with sending email that looks like it's coming from you and intercepting the return emails. He was unwilling until we enlisted his mate. Lest you get excited, Anna is not one of us. And though she does know who we are, she has sworn not to tell. Should you succeed in all five dates (success defined below), we shall confess, turn over any and all audio/video footage, and submit ourselves to your reckoning. Sincerely, Your Concerned Friends *A successful date is one in which (a) neither party runs screaming into the night, (b) there are no dead bodies at the end of it, and (c) lasts longer than two hours-at least an hour and a half of which is spent with your date-which is an hour and fifty minutes longer than we expect any date of yours to last. Asi