The Monster Inside Me

The Monster Inside Me

Some people are born to carry what the land leaves behind. High in the mountains of northern Arizona, Aiden disappears every winter. When the snow comes, the forest takes him back—binding him to a cycle of transformation and restraint he has carried for seventeen years. Elena meets him in early spring, when the danger feels distant and survivable. Their connection grows quietly through shared time in the woods, long silences, and a tenderness rooted in choice rather than urgency. But as winter approaches, Aiden begins to pull away, bound by a truth he believes would terrify her if she knew. When Aiden vanishes with the first snowfall, Elena refuses to believe he chose to leave. As rumors of a creature in the forest resurface and the line between myth and reality blurs, she must decide whether love can survive when the monster is real—and whether being seen is more dangerous than being alone. The Monster Inside Me is a mythic romance novella about restraint, responsibility, and the courage it takes to be recognized without fear.