I wasn’t supposed to touch it. Not the vine. Not the ward line. Not anything near the Grove. But I did. And something woke up. Now the trees lean when I pass. The roots hum under my feet. The forest watches me—especially him. The one made of bark and silence. The one who doesn’t speak… but listens. He told me to stay away. But I keep coming back. Because the Grove isn’t just alive. It’s reaching for me. And so is he. I think I was supposed to be afraid. But what scares me more… is how much I want to stay. Read on sacred vines, slow-burn obsession, sentient forests, monster tenderness, and a heroine the Grove won’t let go. He told her not to touch the trees—now they’re blooming for her. HEA guaranteed.