The past will always have its claws in the present. When Charlotte Walsh leaves Rosebrook Valley to attend college four hours away, she finds herself trapped in a cycle of regret and depression, amplified when she falls victim to a stalker.

After the unwelcome roses and peeping tom behavior escalates to threatening notes and ominous phone calls, she wants to return home. But if she runs away, her shadows could follow her.

She won't put her loved ones in danger. With no one else to turn to, she clings to the one friend who makes her feel safe: Aiden Easton.

Plagued by nightmares that replay his death, Aiden struggles through each day. When his adorable friend Charlotte hints that college life isn't all it's cracked up to be, he visits her at UGA to take his mind off his own stress.

But her situation is worse than he anticipated-Rogue Vasirian surround her, putting her in more danger than a human stalker ever could. Despite the ever-present reminder that they cannot be anything more than friends because she's human, and he's not, he protects what's his-even in the face of temptation.

No one could have foreseen the full repercussions of Aiden's magical resurrection. No one expected his fated mate-his Korrena-to awaken.

He bathed in her blood, a baptism that exorcised his former life without her. ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••Book five of the Blackthorn Saga is a medium burn/high heat, full length (160k+ words) new adult friends to lovers romance featuring two side characters as the main characters.

While it's best to read the previous books (at least book 4 if you wish to have a deeper understanding of the MMC's struggle), there's enough information it can be read as a standalone for newcomers to the series. The dark and mysterious world of the Blackthorn Saga is a new take on vampire romance in an academy setting complete with a king and his court, fated mates, magic, and more! Blackthorn Saga takes a new approach to the fated mates trope and the toxicity around the jealousy and possessive behaviors that can come from it, allowing the characters to evolve and grow across multiple books to find themselves and find a true, organic love without just bending to "destiny.

"••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••Author's Note: 18+ This series contains content that may be unsuitable for certain readers. To learn more about content warnings in the author's work, please visit her website.

Please note this book deals with themes of depression and PTSD. .