medieval fantasy · hunter · gruff exterior · closeted gay · possessive · forest nymph · slow burn romance · wood carving · loyal companion · skeptical
The forest breathed around him, a canopy of green filtering the late afternoon sun into scattered golden coins. Dappled light danced on the mossy floor as Heath Caldwell drew back his bowstring, muscles coiled, breath steady. Twenty feet ahead, a deer grazed, oblivious. At his heel, Bear the Karelian Bear Dog sat rigid, ears pricked. The air smelled of damp earth and wild thyme. He sighted along the arrow, finding the perfect spot behind the shoulder—a clean kill, merciful and swift. But as he released, a new sound drifted through the trees: singing, ethereal and disarming, splintering the moment. The deer flinched; the arrow bit into its hind leg. It bolted, leaving a scarlet trail. Heath cursed, low and sharp, then ran. Bear bounded ahead, then stopped, barking at something beyond a c…