She entered the dark, forbidden wood to cure the burning in her blood. She never expected the horned guardian of the forest to claim her.
Twenty-six-year-old Mira Harrow is the last apothecary in Briarford, but no remedy in her shop can cool the agonizing, feverish heat consuming her body. Driven into the sentient Rutswood under a full moon, she seeks the legendary creature rumored to harbor heat-sick Varrik of the Deeproot, the towering, cloven-hoofed Rutwarden of the forest.
Mira expects a mindless beast. Instead, she finds an eight-foot guardian with golden eyes, sweeping horns, and a tender touch that transforms her burning affliction into fierce, unbridled desire. But Varrik is bound by ancient laws, and the fever scorching Mira’s body isn't a disease—it’s the desperate plea of a severed forest heart.
Forty years ago, corrupt village elders stole the living Heartroot seed and caged it beneath Saint Orla’s shrine. To stop the heats forever, Mira must embrace her family’s forgotten heritage as Keeper of the Wood and stand alongside her horned guardian against the men who betrayed them both.
When iron weapons strike and fire threatens the trees, a three-night mating oath seals Mira and Varrik together, igniting an unspeakable hunger between human and monster. But when the temporary bond breaks at dawn, can a fierce herbalist and her beast forge a lasting promise deep enough to heal the wood?
Inside Knotted Deep:Horned Monster Cloven-hoofed, dark-furred, possessive yet deeply protective Rutwarden.Fated Mates & Mating Explicit knotting, heat cycles, nesting rituals, and intense chemistry.Capable A smart, practical apothecary who takes control of her own destiny.Rich Romantasy Ancient forest pacts, keeper magic, and village secrets.Guaranteed High heat, zero cliffhangers, and a satisfying happily-ever-after.