The Beast That Held My Leash

Stella, the burdensome princess of the kingdom, had nothing to her name but a beautiful face. Treated as a nuisance in her homeland, her fate was sealed the moment she came of age—she was to be sold off as a tribute.

That is, until a chance encounter with a mysterious man changed everything.

“I’m searching for something important. I’d like the princess to help me find it.”

The man who kidnapped her under the guise of an odd request was no ordinary person—he was a northerner, known for their extraordinary physical prowess. Worse yet, he was cursed, transforming into a monster as part of a generations-old affliction.

“Do you really think I can help break the curse?”
“Yes. Show a little kindness to someone who’s less than a year away from turning into a complete beast.”

Islay gave Stella three months to find the gemstone that could undo his curse, a task he claimed only she could accomplish.

As the days slipped by, Stella found herself unexpectedly drawn to the man who had shut himself off from the world.

But her growing empathy for him was shattered when an oracle revealed the truth: breaking his curse wouldn’t require the gemstone, but her own sacrifice.