Linda_Wilyuhm

Asher Carter has spent his entire life hiding his true self. In Eldermire—a town ruled by the iron grip of the Council of Purity—being different is dangerous, and some kinds of love are a crime that can cost you everything.

Orphaned young and raised under the council’s suffocating laws, Asher has learned that survival means keeping his head down. By day, he works as a waiter at The Gilded Spoon, an elite café where the town’s powerful gather. By night, he dreams of a life where he doesn’t have to pretend.

Then there’s Malcolm Hayes—the mayor’s son. Wealthy, charming, and engaged to the daughter of a high-ranking council member, he is everything Asher can never have. To the world, Malcolm is the perfect heir to Eldermire’s legacy of purity. But beneath the polished facade, he's living a life that isn't truly his—while being irresistibly drawn to the quiet waiter he just can't stop thinking about.

One moment, they were just two men living separate lives. The next, they are fugitives.

Hunted by a town that sees their love as an abomination, Asher and Malcolm’s only hope is to escape beyond Eldermire’s borders—to a place where love isn’t punished. But running won’t be easy. 

In a world where their love is forbidden and betrayal is inevitable, the question isn’t just whether they can escape—but whether their love is strong enough to survive.


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Trigger Warning:

This story explores dark and intense themes. Please proceed with caution if you are sensitive to:

Graphic violence

Vigilante justice

Homophobia

Fear and persecution

Life-threatening situations

Explicit sexual scenes

Sneak Peak