Oh, I love the book by Cherie Priest. I haven't gotten my hands on the second one yet, though. I should see if my library has it in yet (last I checked, they didn't).

I've been a little put off by the Mercy books because I'd heard that there was a lot of focus around the women as being less important than the men, with the heroine being an exception because she is an alpha. And then the rape in the later book. I should probably get around to reading it for myself, heh.