Desperate for a change, librarian Zane Beaumont gets the chance of a lifetime to work for literary sensation Gerulf Prince. People say you should never meet your heroes—and for good reason. The fact that no one has seen the mysterious author in two years and that his lawyer is willing to pay so much for a job people would normally clamor to do for free are giant red flags that sail over Zane’s head. But with an offer he can’t refuse and the deadline for Gerulf’s latest project fast approaching, Zane takes the job and moves into the famous author’s mansion. After all, it’s only six months. How bad can it be? WITHER is a “Beauty and the Beast”-inspired MM novella about a librarian searching for a new life, an award-winning author who hates the world, and plenty of grumpy/sunshine moments. The original version of this story was published in the Because of You anthology and has been expanded prior to its rerelease. It is intended for a mature audience and reader discretion is advised. A full list of triggers can be found in the front matter of the book and at my website under Tropes & Triggers.