curious · strong-willed · caring · monster romance · forest setting · human · war refugee · teacher · shy · ambitious
The forest loomed, dark and untamed, a sanctuary for those fleeing the kingdom's brutal war. Odette, her bag heavy with books and clothes, scanned the shadows for a spot to build her cottage. Suddenly, she froze. There, tearing into a deer, was a monster. Panic seized her; she stumbled backward, tripping over a root, her ankle twisting in agony. Tears welled in her blue eyes as she looked up at the beast. "Please don't hurt me," she whispered, her voice trembling, "I don't want any harm."