Hunted Beast by K. Loraine

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

She’s everything I want, and I hate her for it.

Hate might not be the right emotion for what Dahlia stirs in me. But I can’t have her, so telling myself I don’t want her is the only option. Especially since my dog won’t leave her alone. While I’ve been doing my best to avoid the woman I crave, my pup has taken on the role of her protector. He follows her every chance he gets. That’s probably for the best because there’s a serial killer on the loose and he’s got his sights set on her. At least, that’s what the ghosts keep saying. With her beast out of commission it’s up to the rest of us to keep her safe.

Her fae outcast

Her rogue captain

And me…her reluctant shadow

As much as I should stay away, fate keeps throwing us together and it’s not hard to see the reason why. Dahlia is unlocking me piece by piece.

My memories might be slow to return, but my power isn’t. Since arriving at Blackwood it’s grown by leaps and bounds, bringing one truth into sharp focus. I need her, forbidden as she is. She’s the light to my darkness and despite our differences our powers are clearly connected. If I have any hope of solving the mystery of who I am, Dahlia and I will have to work together to stop the Ripper before he gets what he wants. Her.

She is the key to all of it. And without her, I will never again be whole.

Hunted Beast

Dangerous Bonds and Deadly Games

The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: ❤️💙💚💛
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Chemistry: 🧪🧪🧪🧪🧪
Story/Plot: 📕📗📙📘
World building: 🌏🌍🌎🌏
Character development: 😋😉😎😛😟
Narration: 🎙🎙🎙🎙🎙
Narration Type: Duet Narration – Full Cast

Character Backgrounds and Plot Summary

Hunted Beast picks up immediately after the chaos of the first book and throws Dahlia Moore even deeper into the dangerous supernatural politics surrounding the Mate Games. Dahlia is still struggling with the truth about her identity and powers while being emotionally pulled between her five mates: Kai Nash, Tor Nordson, Cain Alexander, and Caspian Hook. Each man brings a very different dynamic to the relationship, and this installment spends more time developing those connections individually rather than treating the harem as one collective unit.

Kai remains the emotional center of the group in many ways. His protective instincts toward Dahlia are strong, but this book also shows how much fear he carries underneath the surface. Tor continues to balance brute strength with surprising emotional vulnerability, especially during scenes where Dahlia questions whether she can trust anyone around her. Cain leans heavily into his darker tendencies here, creating some of the book’s most tense interactions, while Caspian brings a calmer and more strategic energy that helps ground the group when everything begins spiraling out of control.

The plot focuses on escalating supernatural threats, hidden agendas, and the growing danger surrounding the Mate Games themselves. Dahlia is no longer simply reacting to events. She is beginning to understand her importance and the terrifying role she may have to play in the conflict ahead. The story mixes action, romance, and mystery effectively, especially during the hunt sequences and the increasingly violent confrontations between rival factions. Several revelations near the end dramatically shift the power balance and leave the series on a brutal cliffhanger.

Highlights and Limitations

One of the strongest aspects of this audiobook is how well the authors handle relationship progression without slowing the pacing. Dahlia’s bonds with the men evolve naturally through conflict and trust rather than instant emotional resolutions. A particularly effective example is the growing tension between Dahlia and Cain. Their scenes carry genuine unpredictability because his possessive behavior constantly walks the line between devotion and danger.

The world building also improves significantly in this installment. The mythology surrounding the supernatural factions becomes more layered, and the authors start revealing how manipulated the Mate Games truly are. The political maneuvering gives the story more weight than a standard paranormal romance. Several action scenes stand out, especially the sequences involving coordinated attacks and shifting alliances among the mates.

The emotional stakes feel stronger here because the characters are forced to confront difficult truths instead of simply surviving external threats. Tor’s emotional openness during Dahlia’s moments of self-doubt creates some of the book’s best quieter scenes. Caspian also gets more meaningful page time, allowing his intelligence and restraint to contrast nicely against the aggression of Kai and Cain.

That said, the pacing occasionally becomes uneven in the middle portion of the book. Some scenes repeat emotional beats that readers already understand, particularly Dahlia questioning whether she can fully trust the men around her. While understandable given the circumstances, the repetition slows momentum during sections that should feel more urgent.

The multiple point-of-view structure is mostly successful, but there are moments where perspective shifts happen too rapidly. A few transitions interrupt the tension of major scenes instead of enhancing them. Readers unfamiliar with large-cast paranormal romances may occasionally need a moment to reorient themselves.

Narration

The narration team remains one of the biggest strengths of this series. Each narrator brings a distinct personality to their assigned characters, which is essential in a cast this large.

Stella Hunter delivers Dahlia with the right combination of vulnerability, frustration, and determination. Her performance improves noticeably during emotionally intense scenes, especially when Dahlia’s fear turns into anger or defiance. She avoids making Dahlia sound overly helpless, which helps maintain the character’s growth throughout the story.

Jason Clarke and J.F. Harding continue to dominate many of the male POV chapters. Clarke gives Kai a protective warmth that balances the character’s intensity, while Harding leans fully into Cain’s dangerous edge without turning him cartoonishly cruel. Their performances help distinguish the emotional tone of each relationship.

John Hartley and James Joseph also do strong work bringing emotional depth to Tor and Caspian. Tor’s quieter emotional scenes feel especially authentic because Hartley allows vulnerability to sit naturally beneath the character’s physical dominance. Caspian’s controlled, intelligent demeanor comes across clearly through Joseph’s measured delivery.

Samantha Brentmoor adds additional emotional texture throughout the ensemble narration, and overall the production quality is excellent. The dual and multi-cast narration style keeps the audiobook engaging even during exposition-heavy scenes.

Final Opinion

Hunted Beast successfully expands both the emotional relationships and the larger supernatural conflict established in the first book. The audiobook blends dark paranormal romance, action, mystery, and character drama in a way that keeps the story addictive despite occasional pacing issues.

The strongest elements are the evolving mate dynamics, the increasingly dangerous political intrigue, and the excellent ensemble narration. Fans of morally gray characters, possessive romance dynamics, and high-stakes supernatural storytelling will likely enjoy this installment even more than the first book.

The ending leaves several major emotional and plot threads unresolved, but it does exactly what a middle-series entry should do: raise the stakes, deepen the relationships, and make listeners desperate for the next book.

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