I’m not supposed to be here. Hollow Oak isn’t on any map. GPS dies at the gate. And the locals? Yeah. They stare like I’ve walked into a secret society wearing a press badge and a neon “snitch” sign.
But I’m not leaving. Not until I get the story. It starts with whispers: of disappearing hikers, a town frozen in time, and something that howls when the snow falls hardest. Then I meet him.
Alaric Thistlebrush — yes, that’s really his name — is the town’s resident enforcer, built like a war crime and staring at me like I’m his next assignment or his next meal. Spoiler: it’s both.
I should run. Instead, I move in. And the deeper I dig, the more the town closes ranks… and the more Alaric closes in. Apparently, I’m not just a threat. I’m his fated mate.
Turns out, when you chase monsters into the woods… one of them might chase you back, propose, and demand a human wedding.
