Challenged

IN A WORLD BASED ON SECRETS, BEING IN CHARGE CAN BE FATAL.

Now that they've awakened, Caleb and Gabriel have the unenviable task of bringing their packs together and figuring out how to lead as co-alphas. Even with the support of some of their closest allies, there's no way for them to predict how the rest of the pack will react to their leadership. Before they can settle into their new roles, a murder on the Awakened Council draws the young alphas further into the world of the Awakened than either of them wanted.

After traveling to Croatia, the young couple tries to help figure out what happened to the slain Council member and becomes the target of a fresh round of attacks. Until they figure out who's behind them, they're forced to remain with the Council and risk their lives to save the others. To discover the truth, Caleb and Gabriel are pushed to their physical and emotional limits and must learn what it takes to lead in a world based on staying hidden. Unfortunately, the cost of those lessons may be more than either of them was prepared to pay.

Challenged is the second half of the Awakened series, a young adult paranormal fantasy series that combines humor, horror, and same-sex love. It’s the shifter book other shifter books wish they could be, and it will make you want to live in the world of the Awakened, even if only for a moment.

http://www.kennethcreech.com

Kenneth Creech writes young adult LGBTQ+ fiction where the main characters don't have to come out. Growing up in a small town in Arizona prompted his love of reading at a young age. Having read countless books featuring characters who struggled to come to terms with their identity, he decided to write about LGBTQ+ characters who were already themselves and could struggle with something else.Kenneth began writing in high school and was included in the 2001 nonfiction anthology, Coming Out Young and Faithful. He wrote and published the Awakened duology and the short story "What I Now Know" in the award-winning anthology Queer for the New Year (2022). In his free time, he's taught sociology, helped hundreds of high schoolers get into college, acted as an advisor for several gay-straight alliances, and planned quite a few weddings for other people. Kenneth lives in Texas with his husband.