Hearthhaven Monster Town 2 - Dragon Forge Mate

Smoke curls above the mountain forge long before sunrise. The clang of hammer on iron echoes through the valley, drifting down toward the quiet streets of Hearthhaven. Most people know who’s working up there. Kael. The dragon shifter who keeps mostly to himself. When Dr. Eliza Hart arrives in the hidden mountain town, she expects unusual patients. Hearthhaven is one of the few places where humans and monsters live side by side, sharing markets, clinics, and lantern-lit streets after dark. Still, nothing quite prepares her for Kael. He runs the forge high above town, shoulders dusted with ash and heat rolling off the stone walls. For centuries he has guarded the valley from creatures that slip through unstable rifts beyond the mountains. The work is quiet and dangerous. Kael asks for nothing in return, and he trusts even less. That works fine until Eliza refuses to ignore a wounded patient. She finds him injured and forces him to accept treatment inside the sweltering forge, where the air smells of hot metal and coal smoke. What begins as stubborn medical care turns into something far more complicated. Because the silent dragon isn’t only Hearthhaven’s protector. Beneath the scales and fire stands a man carrying centuries of solitude and duty. The more time Eliza spends near him, the harder it becomes to step back from the pull building between them. Kael has lived long enough to know the danger. Humans age quickly. Dragons remember everything. And beyond the mountain ridge, the creatures crossing into this world are growing more numerous with every passing season. As pressure builds around Hearthhaven, Eliza refuses to let Kael face the darkness alone. She challenges his distance, questions his choices, and steps directly into a life he has guarded for generations.…