the Girl Dragon Kept: An Intimate Dark Fantasy Romance

Marline has always been the forgotten daughter.In the storm-worn coastal village of Saltmark, survival is worth more than dreams. When winter threatens and food runs thin, Marline is promised in marriage to an older farmer - traded not for love, but for grain, cattle, and the hope her family might endure.She expects a quiet life.She expects sacrifice.She does not expect fire.On the night Marline whispers a desperate prayer for escape, the sky answers. Flames consume the village. A shadow descends from the clouds. And the world she knew disappears beneath wings, heat... and something ancient watching her.Dilomea is a dragon of mountain and ember - powerful, solitary, and unbearably alone. When he finds the girl who ran toward the dark instead of away from it, instinct binds him to her in a way he does not understand.He does not rescue her.He keeps her.Deep beneath the mountain, in a cave warmed by living fire, fear slowly gives way to curiosity... curiosity to understanding... and understanding to something neither monster nor girl has ever known before.But being kept is not the same as being chosen.As the quiet days pass and the bond between them deepens, Marline begins to see the truth beneath the dragon's strength - loneliness that mirrors her own, gentleness hidden beneath power, and a connection that feels dangerously like belonging.And when Marline realizes she is free to leave, she must face the question she never expected to ask: Was she taken...Or was she found?The Girl the Dragon Kept is an intimate dark fantasy dragon romance about loneliness, warmth, and the power of being chosen. Perfect for readers who love beauty-and-the-beast romance, monster love stories, cozy dark fantasy, and slow-burn emotional connection.Perfect for readers who love: - Dragon romance - Beauty and the Beast retellings - Monster romance (gentle monster trope) - Slow-burn fantasy romance - Cozy dark fantasy - "He keeps her" romance trope - Found family and emotional fantasyA quiet, romantic novella where warmth replaces fear, and being chosen changes everything

Pagina's: 96, Paperback, Independently published