Raphael, The Immortal Youth Series #1 by Monica La Porta. Y.A. My ARC review.

 Raphael has nowhere to go, nobody who loves him , and his passed scarred him deeply. A young werewolf on the run , living rough in the catacombs beneath Rome and with nothing else to call his own but his freedom, he desperately tries to elude the Controller whose goal is to send him back to Renegade Youth Shelter and a life of torments.

As he lives day by day with the constant threat of being captured, his future looks dark and lonely. That is until a chance meeting with Luisa; a werewolf like him whose scent marks her as his one true soul-mate. Much to his despair , their encounter is cut short as he flees from the enforcer chasing after him.

His heart broken and his wolf bereft, Raphael will sacrifice everything to be reunited with Luisa. Even his freedom when he discovers she´s been abducted by a street gang . But will it be enough ?

★★★★★
This is a coming of age paranormal romance,  with a massive difference.
Raphael is a teenage werewolf living alone on the streets of Rome. From an abusive childhood,  he tries to stay away from the authorities that can be just as bad. He knows the city like the back of his hand, including the underground areas that is home to many others rejected  people,  wolves and pumas that live without any pack support.
While running from an enforcer one night he discovers Luisa,  he knows she is his even though they are so young. Life on the run separates them, many times. Raphael will put himself in mortal danger, and put up with any abuse to save Luisa from a ruthless gang of werewolf criminals.
We follow our hero through years of trials and tribulations, while he works to find and save his mate.
A beautiful story that keeps you on the edge of your seat, worrying over the incredible brave young wolf.

Monica La Porta is an Italian who landed in Seattle several years ago . Despite popular feelings about the Northwest weather , she finds the mist and rain the perfect conditions to write.