The Beast's Promise by Amylea Lyn is the second book in the Outside the City series.

Owen was taken from The City when two people, Ash and Raine, escaped leaving the family he loves behind. Unknown to him, The City enacted a price for their escape killing his grandfather and taking his brothers to the orphanage where few children ever return.

Owen has been living with the Katria, a clan of shape shifters, for two months, but he has never forgotten his twin brothers that were left behind. Owen knows that he the Alpha's brother Maltok, is his mate, but he knows how dangerous it is for a Katria to be found in The City and he is going to find his brothers or die trying. Mal doesn't understand why his mate keeps refusing him, but when he learns the truth he pledges his help after Owen agrees to become his mate. Not everyone in the clan is pleased with their Alpha. Ash is mated with not only a man, but also a human causing dissention among them as they wait for Ash to have kits. Owen and Mal leave on their journey not knowing what to expect or even if they will succeed.

This is an incredible sequel to Amylea Lyn earlier book Nature of the Beast. Once I started this book I couldn't put it down until the very end. I went through an emotional roller coaster experiencing everything the characters went through. The differences between the controlled world in The City that was completely at odds with the clans who live in the forest living freely. No one knew how The City and the outside split, forcing the two environments into completely different evolutionary directions, but it was fascinating when it was revealed. It was terrifying how Owen and Mal found the remains of his grandfather knowing that his brothers were taken to what I would consider a prison for children. The conditions of the children was horrible, but the worst shown was how some of the children were left to die just because they were sick. The love between Owen and Maltok was inspiring and the addition of Owen's brothers, Lucah and Micah, completed their family and was amazing. I hope that this isn't the end to the Outside the City series.

Reviewed by: Teresa