These Wicked Gardens

She was always strange—too quiet, too clever, too otherworldly. So when the monster came, they knew exactly who to blame.

Ever since the beast razed her village, Beatrice has lived in exile, tending the vineyard that produces the most coveted wine in the land. But she rarely sets foot beyond the vines—not when the villagers still believe she is the one who called the monster in the first place.

To keep herself company, she spins stories of adventure, danger, and romance—especially with a dark, enigmatic stranger. Then Gabriel arrives, a silver-tongued merchant with a face that's all too familiar. He claims he wants to buy her wine, but Beatrice recognizes him—not from her past, but from the stories she’s only ever told herself.

Gabriel knows more about the monster than he lets on. And he needs her help.

Lured by whispers of forbidden power, Beatrice is drawn into a world of seduction, secrets, and things far more monstrous than the creature that destroyed her home. Gabriel swears she must stand by his side and face what lurks in the dark—but when the line between man and monster blurs, she’ll have to decide which one she’s truly been waiting for.