Reaper. Fang. Wolf. Caine. An alias for each life lived.
Government operative turned assassin, Wolf lived in the shadows until a secret cabal forced him into the light. The last thing he needed was a confrontation with what—and who—he’d left behind. Now there’s no going back.
Agent. Torturer. Killer. An identity fueled by pain.
Growing a conscience wasn’t part of the plan, but what did Wolf expect after letting annoying do-gooders into his life? If having to endure a season of Christmas cheer wasn’t bad enough, Wolf accepts an invitation to spend the blasted holiday with the biggest do-gooder of all—Sean Belmonte, his dead partner’s brother. Can Sean get Wolf to let down his guard? One thing’s for sure—it’ll be a Christmas neither will soon forget.
Charlie Cochet is the international bestselling author of the THIRDS series. Born in Cuba and raised in the US, Charlie enjoys the best of both worlds, from her daily Cuban latte to her passion for classic rock.
Currently residing in Central Florida, Charlie is at the beck and call of a rascally Doxiepoo, and a very opinionated German Shepherd bent on world domination. When she isn’t writing, she can usually be found devouring a book, releasing her creativity through art, or binge watching a new TV series. She runs on coffee, thrives on music, and loves to hear from readers.
This was DELIGHTFUL!! and also more like a teaser for Wolf’s and Sean’s book than anything else - BUT it was freaking adorable. Never would’ve guessed I’d say that about Wolf, but he was adorable (don’t tell him I said that!) - I mean he’s all grumpy and he’s hoarding all the blankets he can get his hands on and somehow, if he wants to or not, he’s putty in the white tiger Therian Sean’s hands in the span of these few chrismassy days in that cabin in the woods.
But ofc it wouldn't be this series if there wasn't also a little action with explosions and blazing guns involved.
* :•☆ *:・゚
side note: This short TIN novella is a freebie in the BBB giveaway and I guess kind of a prequel to book #3 in the series.
************* TIN series (part of the THIRDS universe):
Book 1 - Gone But Not Forgotten - 4.5 stars Book 1.5 - Cold Light of Day - 4.5 stars Book 2 - Go Down in Flames - release expected 2023 Book 3 - Speak of the Devil - release expected 2023
*** Charlie Cochet says you can but I wouldn’t recommend starting this series without having read the THIRDS series first.
We are definitely getting more Wolf and Sean. This short story is just the beginning of their love story.
In this short, we get to have Wolf's POV after all this time. It opens with him taking care of what Dex was asking him to at the end of the first TIN book. He's still as ruthless as ever, but honestly...a little lonely.
He's got a secret apartment in NYC, but he's all alone in it, and bitterly commentating on Christmas movies, when he gets a call from Sean, the brother of his old TIN partner, Benji (aka Tucker), who has been taking care of Benji's two children since he died about 16 years ago. He told them he'd be spending the holiday with a friend so they could go off and do their own thing for the holidays and not feel guilty.
But Sean isn't spending the the holiday with a friend, and is feeling lonely and missing Benji, and he calls Wolf, who he thinks is named Caine (just another of Wolf's alias'). Wolf, when Benji had died, had given a grieving Sean his card with his number on it, and to call him if he ever needed anything. Wolf has also been keeping tabs on him over the years.
When Sean invites Wolf to a cabin in the woods that used to be his brothers for Christmas, to just give each other company over the holidays, Wolf surprisingly agrees.
It doesn't take them long to fall into bed with each other after meeting for a second time after all these years. Sean himself is a big Tiger therian, but is really just a big softie (Miss Cochet loves her gentle giants and so do I). Sean is an elementary teacher, and his students love him. He is sweet, kind and gentle, but willing to protect and fight if he needs to.
Such as when, during their stay in the cabin together, they get shot at. Wolf, trying to protect Sean, gets him locked into a closet, but Sean doesn't want to sit there and do nothing while Wolf puts his life on the line, so he shifts into his Tiger form and runs out after him. When Wolf gets back from taking care of the threats, he sees that Sean took out another, but he only knocked the guy out where he could have killed him. But Sean is too good to do that.
During the attack, Wolf learns that they were after Sean, because he's important to Wolf as the brother of Wolf's dead partner - and because they tried to take Hudson and it didn't work, so whoever is trying to get something out of Wolf is desperate.
The attack, of course, forces Wolf to have tell Sean that his brother had worked for TIN, and that he mainly goes by Wolf, not Caine. But other than the basics, he doesn't tell Sean more. Partly to protect him, partly to protect himself, and partly out of habit, I suspect.
Wolf doesn't expect more to come out of the stay than some sex, even as he's finding himself caring for Sean. He even admits to himself that all he ever felt toward Dex was lust, but with Sean he wants to hold him, comfort him...be with him in more than just a sexual way. Maybe now Wolf will stop "flirting" with Dex and now Dex and Sloane won't know how to handle a non-flirty Wolf lol.
We already, in this, get a call between Wolf, Dex and Sloane where they figure out that Wolf is with someone and when Wolf throws his own phone into the fire, Dex just calls Sean's phone, so Dex even talks to Sean for a little bit. I already am hoping in the next installment that is Dex/Sloane, that Wolf won't be flirting, because now he's very much hung up on Sean ;).
This was a delightful read. I loved Wolf and Sean's connection, and I already can't wait for their full length book, which will be the third book in this series after Dex and Sloane's book which we'll get next in this series.
This was Wolf and Sean just getting started, even though Wolf is determined to be nothing more than a holiday fling and nothing more. Wolf thinks he barely has any heart left to give, but I can't wait for Sean to prove him wrong. Wolf is already feeling feelings, so I'm excited for when he falls in love.
I always love a good "good guy who is a sweetheart who gets past the big bad tough guys' defenses and manages to melt his heart and so he'd do anything for them and also they're simply besotted whenever they're around them" trope. Gimme gimme! :D
Excited for more in this series. I just love this whole THIRDS/Tin universe!😍
I've been intrigued with Wolf and wanting his story since first meeting him whilst he was living the dream torturing Dex, and this little teaser didn't disappoint. I think Sean is going to give Wolf one helluva run for his money, and I. can't. wait to see where the author takes them.
This is actually a prequel to Wolf's arc in TIN #3 so we get to see the start of Wolf and Sean's relationship. I'm dying for Wolf's book and I loved the peeks at what's under that cool exterior. I also loved that Sean isn't a pushover. I think he's the perfect, sunny contrast to Wolf.
Of course, there's not just the budding romance. Where Wolf goes, danger and chaos ensue (and Dex usually shows up too). Wolf is also working on his relationship with Hudson so we get a bit of everything here in this short teaser. It'll be a wait before Book 3 (book 2 isn't out yet) but I'm wanting it even more now so I can see all of this fleshed out.
Oh that's just so mean! I need the rest of Wolf and Sean's romance like now please Charlie 😂
This is basically a sneak intro to the subjects of TIN book three our favourite arse and now private contractor ex-TIN agent Wolf and white tiger Therian Sean. The younger brother of Wolf's former partner, Tucker aka Benji.
It's alternatively laugh out loud funny, at others super sweet and also manages a couple of scenes of extreme heat!
Can April hurry up for book two and then book three ASAP after please 😁
Le mystérieux et charismatique Wolf 🐺 décide de passer Noël en compagnie de Sean, le frère de son ancien coéquipier du TIN. Ce superbe tigre blanc, professeur des écoles, ignore tout du métier de son frère décédé il y a quelques années. Et de celui de Wolf aussi…
Sans surprise, j’ai adoré cette nouvelle de Noël dans l’univers du THIRDS 🥰♥️
Wolf a toujours cet humour pince-sans-rire et provoc’ que j’adore. Mais il est aussi très seul… Sa vie d’espion free-lance et de mercenaire est loin d’être de tout repos mais comme tout guerrier, il ressent parfois comme un vide. Sean est vraiment mignon. Il est à fond dans l’esprit de Noël 🎅🏻🎄🍪🥰 Il invite Wolf à passer les fêtes dans l’ancienne cabane isolée de son frère. La cohabitation sera vite 🔥🥰 Sean est la douceur et la gentillesse incarnée. J’ai adoré la manière dont il souhaite protéger notre tueur à gage préféré. Et Wolf m’a fait craquer avec son fétichisme pour les plaids et couvertures 🤣
Mais qui dit Wolf dit que le danger n’est jamais loin et bientôt l’ancien agent du TIN n’aura d’autre choix que de protéger son magnifique tigre blanc ♥️
La fin reste très ouverte car s’est une introduction au tome 2 de TIN et surtout au tome 3 qui sera centré sur Wolf 🐺
Cette nouvelle est courte mais elle ravira tous les fans de THIRDS avec la juste dose d’humour, de sexy, d’action et de… DEXXXX 🥰♥️
J’espère qu’elle sera traduite par les Éditions Bookmark car elle est essentielle pour la suite de l’histoire de la saga TIN et de Wolf ♥️
This was a cute novella based around Christmas time.
I was excited to read about a little slice of Wolf or Caine. He has so many names. We meet Wolf in The Thirds series. And even though he didn't start out as a favorite, he became one as Charlie Cochet worked her magic of story telling. This story shows a softer side of Wolf, which I know from reading The Thirds, is buried deep but likes to shot itself every so often.
Sean is Wolf's dead partner's brother. Sean knows Wolf as Caine from his years working with his brother. He invites Caine over for Christmas. It's not drawn out in the novella, but you get the sense that Sean was always interested in Caine.
I don't want to give too much away. And this is such a short read. But we have some hot sexy time between these two. As well as some action. Because it wouldn't be TIN without the action. And of course Dex and Sloan make an appearance. I love those guys! Always will.
I love Wolf and I've been looking forward to Wolf's story but, this dynamic & set-up of their relationship really doesn't work for me. If you've read Thirds, Beyond the Books, etc there are hints of Wolf having someone important in his life other than Hudson so, it seemed obvious that it was someone he has a shared past with. Tucker's brother being his SO was my guess from the beginning, however, in this book, I find that Wolf and Sean have no real shared past at all. Wolf only knew Tucker for a year before he died, he very briefly interacted with Sean and then neither of them spoke to each other for sixteen years. Out of the blue, Sean invites Wolf to spend Christmas together and Wolf just...goes along with it? Like, idk, it seems very out of character for Wolf. Wolf is a highly-wanted and a highly-guarded individual to the point he even keeps his beloved little brother at more than an arms-length of distance so, it's not believable to me to see him open up so quickly to someone who is basically a stranger. If they had kept in touch, even as just friends or something, I can understand but, not like this. It's basically insta-love. In my opinion, that's not a great trope for cold-hearted assassins. If it was possessiveness leading to love or a slow-burn where Sean wears Wolf down, that seems a lot more believable and fun.
Also, I understand if this was a contemporary romance but, in world full of bad*** heroes with supernatural abilities, how lame is the name Sean? lmao. I'm sorry but, c'mon of all the names to pick from..SEAN!? Really? Wolf and Sean? I can't imagine being in trouble and thinking "it's okay...sEAn will save me!" lol I'm done.
One thing I do look forward to is seeing Wolf and Hudson rebuilding their bond. That short convo here was very sweet.
TIN Series Novella (Therian Intelligence Network). They're sort of the Therian equivalent of the CIA. "THIRDS" - an elite agency funded by the military that was launched by the Human & Therian legislature in 1990 called "Therian Human Intelligence Recon Defense Squadron, aka THIRDS". It comprised of equal Therian and Human agents.
This is a cute, sweet, novella set around the Christmas season. It is always good when we get to learn more about either Wolf/AKA Caine. He has lots of names. We first met him in The THIRDS series. he didn't start life as one of my favorites, but he soon became one thanks to Charlie Cochet story telling abilities.
This one shows the much softer side of the character, which I knew from reading The THIRDS series, is buried deep... but likes to show itself every so often. Sean is Wolf's dead partner's brother. Sean knows Wolf as his other identity; Caine, from his years working with his brother. No one, not even a wolf should spend Christmas alone...so Sean invites him over for Christmas.
It's a novella, so it's not drawn out, but you get the idea soon that Sean was always, and still is, interested in Caine. This is such a short little read... but we have some hot sexy times between these two guys...as well as some action. Of course it wouldn't be TIN without lots of action. Dex and Sloan make an appearance.
If you haven't read any of the THIRDS series or any others where these characters are featured, you may have difficulty understanding the plot or the characters.
Merci beaucoup pour la pure joie de lire cette histoire, Charlie. Ok, j'aurais aimé en savoir plus sur les deux hommes. Si au début je détestais Wolf, petit à petit... Enfin, si vous me demandez qui est votre personne préférée. Je répondrais tout d'abord que mes préférées sont la Destructive Delta avec mes deux chéris Dex et Sloane. sans oublier Sébastian. Mais depuis que j'ai fini la série, ben... Wolf est mon préféré parce qu'il est ce qu'il est et il ne s'en cache pas. Je dois admettre que j'aime l'anglais. Mais ici, Charlie le met là où normalement Wolf aurait dü fuir. J'ai aussi aimé Sean. Les contraires s'attirent. Un homme tranquille a besoin de quelqu'un qui bouge... J'aurai plaisir à relire ce livre car je suis vraiment tombée amoureuse de Wolf même si je l'adorais déjà.
Loved it. It was nice to see Wolf in a different environment. I laughed at some of his antics, especially with blankets. The introduction to Sean was fun with his fumbles while talking to Wolf. This is just a novella to introduce us to Sean, the only man who I believe can change Wolf’s ways. I look forward to reading their full length story.
Ok I’m actually so excited for Wolf! Alfie deserves a semblance of a happily ever after and the sunshine that is Sean… perfection! This was a fun, sweet, sexy short! Really hoping we get a book for them!
More of a teaser than a full book. The THIRDS world is too complicated to call this a standalone, I feel but for readers of the series, this is a great little addition. It just left me hungry for more!
This was adorable. I love the killer instinct of Wolf but then there is the soft stealer of all the blankets Wolf. Also, laughter during foreplay and sex is hot. Sean was the perfect match for Wolf.
What a PLEASURE this short novella was! I can't believe I have to wait MORE not only for the next installment but the one after where we get Wolf and Sean's FULL story. ~sigh~ Surprising enough I think this book could be read as a stand alone, maybe it's going to be a way to get into the series, well, at least TIN.
We've met Wolf - aka Alfie Colbourn (Hudson's brother) enough times in the past. He tortured Dex and though he hasn't exactly redeemed himself he also helped his brother (and others) since then. He used to be a TIN operative before his last mission - 16 years ago - in which he and his best friend and partner were betrayed by one of their own resulting in Tucker's death. Since then he has been a free lance and he is VERY good at his job.
After losing Tucker (real name Benji) he promises his younger brother - Sean - if he ever needed any help to contact him. They hadn't really stayed in touch and Sean doesn't know what his brother TRULY did for a living but there is still a connection between the two. Occasionally Sean would call Wolf and speak with him. Remembering his brother through him.
This Christmas Sean Belmonte is on his own. His nephews (his brother's kids) are off doing their own thing and he decides to stay at his brother's cabin in the woods. Yet it's lonely there and he finds himself calling Caine (that's the name he knows Wolf by) and offering to spend the holiday together. Wolf doesn't even know why he said yes but he did and a few hours later he arrives at the cabin and surprised by EVERYTHING that happens between them, especially the way Sean reacts towards him.
Sean doesn't really know anything about Wolf, which means he sees a good looking guy who has always been nice and supportive towards him. He finds him to be AMUZING, FUNNY and even ADORABLE. Yep, WOLF. Wolf is totally and absolutely stunned by the way Sean sees him and acts towards him. He is grumpy and annoying but mostly he IS nice towards Sean and the attraction between them is impossible to ignore. Sean might be a HUGE guy (being a White Tiger Therian) but he is sweet and gentle. He doesn't put a label on what they are doing but he is also not looking for a one night stand to be forgotten before the morning arrives. Wolf doesn't know how to react to him. He wants him, more than he ever did anyone, but he has his ways, and there are good reasons to stick to them.. So it's no surprising when danger arrives.. It changes Sean's assumptions towards Wolf but it doesn't change the way he feels about him.
I LOVED LOVED LOVED the interaction between these two. I think I laughed 90% of the time and highlighted half of it. I had SO MUCH FUN reading it. I was sad to say goodbye to these two (for now) but at least the story ends on a rather positive note. Can't wait to get their full novel!
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! (and it's totally free! check the link bellow)
But the plot holes were so big 3 tanks could have driven side by side through them. Someone shoots up your house, it's snowing outside, and you stay and decorate your tree immediately without sweeping up glass or worring about broken windows??? Easy fixes if just some extra time spent writing. Frustrating when good authors get sloppy and expect readers to stay loyal to careless work. Especially when an extra chapter would fix it. Disrespectful to the reader who is paying for your work.
This novella was a perfect way to jump back into the THIRDS universe and I can’t wait for more in the TIN series! I loved getting a glimpse of Wolf and Sean, and definitely can’t wait for their book. This novella had a little steam, romance, and action mixed together. Definitely recommend it if you’re a fan of THIRDS!
Such a yummy teaser of what’s to come with Wolf and Sean. Each new book from Charlie’s series gives a little bit more of Wolf’s character. Think he may have met his Mach with Sean who is adorable!
I have so many questions and don't even know where to start. Don't get me wrong, I have been in love with Wolf since he appeared in the picture and let Dex get away . Because he has been on the "really being bad" spectrum I expected some major character development from him. I am aware that he has been good in his childhood, so his ruthlessness is a result of training, betrayal and loss. Putting his story arc in a short story is in itself disappointing, adding insta feelings for him to a person he hasn't seen in years is just not what I expected for and from him. He has been living in the shadows for so long, has been called different names by different people, so he seems to me to be a man of multiple layers. He struggles to keep the connection to his brother Hudson up. When he receives a phone call from the past that isn't his brother, his reaction is unexpected. I have nothing against Sean, Benji's brother, but after sixteen years of silence between him and Wolf, I didn't get what made him ring a man he didn't really know. Between Sean and Wolf is a lot of questioning themselves going on, but despite that Wolf follows Sean's invitation to hang out over Christmas. He arrives at Benji's cabin, that Sean is keeping purely for sentimental reasons, and flirts with Sean, which quickly leads to more. By that stage I like Sean a lot. Being Therian they have in common. He's a white tiger and bigger than Wolf, but sensible and soft in demeanour. He's the light to Wolf's darkness, the teacher opposite the killer, the conscience to the ruthlessness. But is opposites attracts enough for those two to become more? How dangerous it is to be close to Wolf follows like thunder comes after lightning. A group of rogue Therians attack them at the cabin. What follows is a fight for Wolf and a revelation to Sean, who learns about the dark side of his brother. And then... the story will continue. Huh? In Tin book 3, so there will be another before that. I love you Charlie, but usually I avoid reading Teasers, and that's all what this short is.
The novella in another series where no one knew how many friggin’ doors a certain sports car had. Stuff just ain’t adding up, and I hate when reviews warn me and I don’t listen.
I already knew that since this didn’t revolve around Dex and Sloane that it would be half-hearted at best, but I’m annoyed and sad that it was worse than I expected it to be. The other reviews told me it would be a mess, and it was most definitely the epitome of a hot mess.
Shot-out windows? No worries! Busted lamps and broken bits of things destroyed by the attack? Pfft. Who cares? We gonna have lil’ kissy kiss and decorate a tree and just watch our step. Clean up? We don’t know her. We’re fine in our wet and bloody clothes from when we did The Thing, too, so let’s have our Hallmark moment now.🥴
Look, it was cute until it was ridiculous. I want all of the stories about Wolf. I know he’s a heartless sociopath, but I love me a morally grey hero, and that’s exactly what he is. He deserves the happiest of HEAs and you will not convince me otherwise.
H O W E V E R, comma, you can do better than this. You could’ve done better for Ash and Cael, Ethan and Cal, and most definitely Seb and Hudson. You could’ve done better for Austen and Zach, too, but I gave a pass for that one since it was better than the previous attempts at giving other characters their stories. These are okay, but the time, care, effort, and attention that is clearly shown to Dex and Sloane has been told to take a long walk off a short pier for everyone else and it SHOWS. I can *FEEL* the lack of fudges given for them and it kills my vibe immediately.
TL;dr: If they’re such a burden, don’t bother. I’d rather read that they’re happy and living their best lives through the background than a meh book/novella that doesn’t compute. There were flash fictions in the BTT books that held more substance than this.
3/5. We all still want better and more, but if this is the best we’re gonna get, at least we got adorable Wolf with biscuits and blankies.😒 *slides off soap box and tucks it away until next time*
How did I not know this was a Xmas read? I read the blurb and still that little holiday setting tidbit completely went over my head. Not that it makes any real difference it's just I would have read it in time to post during Xmas in July😉.
I'm not going to say "I forgot how intriguing and fun Wolf could be" because even though my initial read was awhile back I've listened to the audio since but truth be told even if I hadn't listened to the audiobook I would still remember Wolf. He's not a character easily forgotten.
Sean Belmonte, well let's be brutally honest, he couldn't be any more opposite to Wolf if he tried, polar opposites doesn't even nick the tip of the iceberg. Some might say Wolf doesn't deserve to find happiness after what he did to Dexter waybackwhen but Dex seems to accept it so I can too.
Speaking of Dex. That phone call, brief maybe not even 2 or 3 pages long is a perfect example of where Dex and Wolf are in their connection, and dare I say showing fringes of friendship? Had Sean and Wolf not had the chemistry they do, that phone call would have still made reading Cold Light of Day a necessity. But of course, Sean and Wolf do have that smoldering, awkwardly flirting chemistry so the phone call and growing friendship of Dex and Wolf is just icing on the cake . . . or as Dex would like: a bowl of cheesy snacks followed by a dessert bowl of gummy bears.
Don't take the holiday timeframe to think this is all sugary sweet. Sure there is holiday fun but there is also everything that Charlie Cochet's THIRDS/TIN Therian Human world is known for: danger, action, and just the good old fashioned all around mayhem. Does Sean fit in this world? Maybe not at first glance but I think with Wolf at his side, he'll be navigating it like a pro before too long😉.
OK, this is an unpopular opinion, but I don't like Wolf's character in the THIRDS books so I've been hoping for one hell of a redemption arc for him. I think Cold Light of Day is a really good start to that journey. I love that Sean's a huge white tiger Therian and is the biggest marshmallow - he fits perfectly for the sunshine/grumpy trope. I also like that Wolf has a bit of Mr Darcy from Pride And Prejudice about him in that he's drawn to Sean in spite of his own character and behaviours. It makes for some truly great scenes. And seeing Wolf displaying 'normal' wolf Therian instincts goes a long way to making him more likeable to me...blankets! 😁 Of course, it wouldn't be a Charlie Cochet book without some action, so there's that too. All in all, this novella's very enjoyable appetiser for the next TIN novel...bring it on!
A great intro to the enigmatic Wolf - the reader gets a peek at this cold as ice assassin where caring is just something he doesn't do anymore… except when his dead partner’s brother calls and invites him to celebrate Christmas with him.
This of course had what I love from this specific universe - violent action, hurt comfort, humor, and adorableness. Yes, adorable ridiculousness abounds and it’s at the top of the list for me in what makes this series unique in turning their alpha characters into an ooey gooey mess…
….This is not a stand alone and one must be familiar with the THIRDS series in order to truly appreciate this character and his arc. For those readers who are all caught up, then this is again, a very nice appetizer to Wolf and Seth’s future full length story whenever that will be. I’ll be right here to grab it up when it comes available!
I thought that this was a good addition to the TIN Series, a spin-off of the THIRDS Series. I do wish that it was longer though as it was just a teaser. I enjoyed getting snippets of what goes on inside Wolf’s head. I found it funny how much wolf enjoys messing with Dex and Sloane. The chemistry between Wolf and Sean was off the charts. Sean’s actions towards Wolf baffle him, and he also doesn’t know what to do with the feelings that start to arise for Sean. All I can say is that the bad guys really shouldn’t try to mess with someone Wolf cares about, they really should’ve learnt that lesson after they targeted Hudson. It’s going to be absolutely glorious. I’m looking forward to getting more of Dex & Sloane and Wolf & Sean as the series continues. I’d definitely recommend this novella, series, universe and author to everyone.