I came to the Greenbriar National Forest for science. What I found was worship.

As a driven Ph.D. candidate, I—Elara Vance—am supposed to be studying bioluminescent moss in one of the oldest untouched forests in the world. But my research is a lie. I’ve been following whispers, chasing myths of an ancient guardian spirit known only in local folklore as the Horned God.

They say he rules the forest’s deepest grove, answering the call of those who dare to seek him. Bound by instinct and ancient magic, his kind doesn’t just choose a mate—they claim, possess, and mark them in ways that defy reason.

I thought I could document him. I never expected him to answer.

Now I stand on sacred ground, facing a power older and more primal than anything I’ve ever imagined. He offers a choice—and a promise that once made, there’s no turning back.

I didn’t come for a thesis.

I came to surrender.

Knotted by the Old God of the Grove is a lush, dark paranormal quickie for readers who crave elemental guardians, intense claiming, and an untamed love between myth and reality. See the author’s note for content guidance.