Alpha Colony 2: United Passion by Aubrey Ross is the sequel to Untamed Hunger. This series takes place in a not-too-distant future after secret genetic engineering has resulted in the creation of shapeshifters or “morphs”. The Alpha Colony series focuses on the felidae-morphs (cat-shifters), but there are also canine morphs in another colony. These colonies, presided over by the Department of Morphological Affairs (DOMA), are crosses between Native American reservations and animal reserves. As with an animal reserve, the morphs are free to roam the colony in either their animal or human forms, but should they escape their confines, they are tracked down and either killed or returned to the colony.

Nearly a year ago, the love of Maddox’s life ran from him, using her leadership of the rebel wereleopards to lead her followers into the wildest region of Alpha Colony, where she could hide them from DOMA and herself away from him. Maddox wants her back, just as much as he wants her cooperation in uniting all the cat clans now that DOMA’s secret gene manipulation — the experimentation that created the Morphs — has finally leaked out on the Internet. With the public up in arms, demanding DOMA be brought to justice, and the Morphs released from their reserves, it’s time for the cat clans to demand their rights. But to make that happen, he must first convince Dy to accept his mate bond, something he intends to do even if he has to handcuff her to his bed!

Dyuana knows, however, that there’s no point in renewing their relationship. Maddox is leader of the Barbary werelions, a pride of village-dwellers — DOMA lap cats as she calls them, and she’s leader of the wereleopard dissidents who refuse to comply with DOMA mandates. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to know that lap cats and wild cats couldn’t mix. Besides, she’s a half-breed. Her father was leopard, her mother lioness, which means she’s barren. As much as she cares for Maddox, she knows he needs to take a full-blood lioness to mate. Pride law mandates he produce cubs, a new generation to lead them. Lusting after each other wasn’t going to get either of them anywhere.

When a mutual threat, in the form of the shunned Izak and Amara, throw a wrench in the works, hoping to see a continuation of the contention between Dyauna’s rebels and the village clans, Maddox and Dy have to come together to prevent a bloodbath. Will the contentious lovers be able to work through their issues and bring their groups together for the greater good? Or will Izak and Amara succeed in tearing the groups apart for nothing more than amusement?

This is a quick, deliciously hot read. As always, Aubrey Ross’s writing is tight and flows smoothly, but to appreciate United Passion to its fullest extent, you must read Untamed Hunger first. It will help you grasp certain aspects of the underlying storyline, especially those revolving around Izak and Amara. Grayson and Sasha from Untamed Hunger also return in this book.

Throughout United Passion, the tension between Maddox and Dy veritably sizzles off the pages. Dy’s selfless reasons for walking away from him ten months before this story begins are easy to understand and you respect her for making those choices. Of course, she has some personal family issues that also affected her decision. They‘re issues that Maddox knows about and understands. He’s your typical big, strong, hunky hero, representing everything that’s decent, good and appealing about an alpha male with a loving heart. The hot bod just sweetens the pot, or in this case…the man.

There is one issue with this book. It’s too short! As staunchly as Dy believes in working against DOMA rather than with them, she changes her mind too quickly about joining forces with the village clans to apply peaceful pressure against them to gain their civil rights, if not their freedom. Book three in this series, Unwanted Desires, is due out on May 7, 2010. Hopefully, we’ll find out then how their peaceful insurrection turns out.　

Read my review for Untamed Hunger.