“What are you doing in my bed, you beast?!”

She was yelling at me.

I used to be human. Ever since I intercepted a curse aimed at my brother, well, my body is more like a bear and a wolf’s than a man. I hate that she calls me a beast.

But she’s not wrong. My new nose and ears are overwhelming powerful to scent and sound. But my wolfish eyes are so weak, I’m practically blind.

Oh yeah. And I only have a few weeks until my human brain… goes south. I don’t want to endanger my family so removed myself to somewhere remote before they could stop me.

I found an old villa in the mountains, but it was not quite as uninhabited as I’d assumed.

The girl who finds me is afraid to let me leave, so I stick around. Just for a while. It’s not because I crave human interaction.

Or because I find her sharp tongue so amusing.

Or because I want to spend time with her.

I’m just biding my time. If my angry outbursts increase in frequency, I’ll leave and accept my fate.

—

Thorn of Rose is a fantasy retelling of Beauty and the Beast. It is a sequel to Shard of Glass, but can be read out of order. If you love sweet romance, a little bit of magic, and a self-assured heroine, than this story was written for you. (Perfect for teens 13+).