Grix had no idea someone could smell so divine. So scrumptious. So ethereally exquisite. Never had such a delightful scent wafted across his scaled snout. After months of following the tantalizing trail, he wandered into magic filled woods only to be surrounded by a group of hunters. Accusing him of murder, they take him prisoner and shove him into a cage with excited mention of a ceremony. Here he now sits, his back warm from the flame of a roaring bonfire, his nose swirling with the scent of his chase mere feet away, and his determination to fully discover his target raging harder than the fire. Little do these villagers know, Grix has a shadowy secret that warbles along his scales. A secret ready to take embodiment and prove its own physicality. Sacha had full intention to escape unnoticed. Months ago, she stumbled upon a hidden village. She was taken in against her wishes after being declared an exposure risk and forbidden to leave. Despite this, she's steadily made an escape plan. Little did she expect the perfect opportunity to fall into her lap with a surprise ceremony. Now, reluctantly sitting amongst villagers dancing around a raging bonfire, Sacha has to decide if it's time to escape... Or save the exhilaratingly gorgeous beast she swears is innocent before he's wrongfully sacrificed in the process. A beast that's sending chills down her spine despite its beauty. One that causes her face to flush each time their eyes lock. Author Note: This short story has explicit scenes and is intended for mature audiences. This is a fantasy based MFM monster romance set in a 3rd person POV from the FMC.