Okami: A Little Red Riding Hood Retelling (Tales of Akatsuki. Book 3)

A prisoner seeking his freedom. A woman chosen by the gods. To break himself of his centuries long bondage he must capture her. Shin gave everything up for love. Uncaring whether he lives or dies, when he catches a spy in his master's land, he lets her escape. What he hadn't been counting on was just how cruel his master can be. Now he must catch the spy or be locked away for eternity in darkness. Pretending to be a woman, he infiltrates a woman's only temple. Akane, the spy is head strong and determined to not trust him. But when fate sets them on a quest to save a kidnapped girl, they're drawn together. As he falls for her, Shin finds a new reason to live. But fail to bring her back to his master and he'll never see the light of day again. A wolf desperate for freedom. A headstrong spy running from her past. A love they cannot deny. Shin's life has lost all meaning as he spends endless days patrolling his cruel master's domain. When he catches a wolf spy, on reckless impulse, he lets her go. But then his master surprises him by allowing him to leave the forest for the first time in centuries, but in exchange for temporary freedom, he must recapture the spy and if he fails, he'll be locked in solitude for eternity. A fate worse than death. While seeking missing priestesses, Akane met Shin, and their brief exchange awakens the wolf inside her. Ever since she lost control of it, she's suppressed that side of her and tried to live as a human. She planned to bury it again, but Shin reappears, in disguise, tempting her wolf and her heart. Akane can't risk losing control. If she does, she'll endanger everyone she loves. Then kidnappers take her sister, and only Shin knows where. Caught in an uneasy alliance, they set out together. However, they find it impossible to deny their growing attraction. If Akane is willing to trust Shin, he can help her tame the raging beast inside her, but can love save Shin from eternal damnation or will he sacrifice himself to protect Akane?