The mountains remember their guardians.

And they remember what was sworn.

Lyra has always belonged to the Appalachians. As a trusted park ranger, she knows the ridgelines, the hollers, and the natural dangers that live beneath the trees. She is woven into the community she protects—relied upon, known, and deeply rooted in the land. What no one sees is the truth she carries beneath human skin.

Lyra is a dragon—a dragon shifter bound to the mountains she guards.

For centuries, she has stood watch over her mountain range, sworn to protect it from creatures born from the Hallow Song now shadowed in folklore. Living openly among humans, she balances modern life with an ancient oath that demands vigilance, restraint, and sacrifice. Guardianship is not isolation—it is presence. And it comes with a cost measured in patience and longing.

When the Wampus awakens—a legendary predator that hunts with cunning and purpose—the balance Lyra has maintained begins to strain. The creature is relentless, steeped in old magic, and drawn to the heart of the mountains.

Taren is a dragon guardian sworn to another range, bound to Lyra through the ancient magic that first shaped their world. Between them burns the dream-flame—a rare, intimate connection that allows them to sense one another across distance and time, deepening their longing and desire.

As the Wampus tightens her grip on a man she has abducted, the mountains demand action. Lyra must confront the predator directly—track her through ridgelines and shadowed hollers, free the captive, and keep the mortal world from learning what hunts beyond its sight.