Beast (Legends)

Here's Denver Shaw's "Beast." It's a novel in the multi-author series, Legends ("where National Parks hold secrets—and monsters steal hearts").

["A grumpy cryptid falls for his sunshine human.

I didn’t come to Wisconsin looking for a legend. I came to get out. Out of staged smiles. Out of corporate campaigns. Out of photographing happiness that felt manufactured.

I was supposed to spend two months in the woods. No clients, no deadlines, just open sky, real silence, and nothing that needed editing.

What I find instead… is Calder.

Seven feet of muscle and shadow and ancient forest stillness.

He doesn’t trust humans, but I don’t scare easily. And the more time I spend with him, the harder it is to ignore the way he looks at me. The way his body reacts when I get too close. The way mine answers.

But the forest isn’t as empty as it looks. There’s something else out there. Calder won’t name it—only follows its movement, and keeps himself between me and whatever’s slinking through the trees.

And I’m starting to understand that whatever he’s been guarding me from isn’t the only danger in these woods.

I should leave… but I don’t. Because knowing that doesn’t change anything.

I still want him.

And the worst part?

He wants me too."]

I love how the first book ("Bootylicious") had Elias and the last book ("Beast") has Milo, and they're both brothers finding love off-the-grid with their misunderstood (and incredibly lonely) cryptids. 

This was a slow burn, but the burn was soooo worth it. Watching them start trusting each other, trusting themselves, trusting their feelings. It was worth the wait, all of the soft looks and "only you"s along the way. Their story was achingly sweet. They discovered each other's world's together while slowly (and not so slowly) falling in love. 

Trigger Warnings: danger, violence, non-graphic injuries, themes of isolation, and more.

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