“I won’t need to introduce you. He’ll be the most festively dressed male at the party, and to think he used to be the Zone’s biggest grinch.” He’s smiling so widely, his tusks look longer than usual. I imagine he’s thrilled to introduce me to all his friends.
“This is really happening,” I say. “Meeting everyone at once.”
“Firehouse parties are a tradition.” He squeezes my hand. “Everyone brings something, even my mom. Warning: it always turns into organized chaos.”
He pulls up in front of the firehouse. The garage doors are open, and I can see people already gathering inside. “Ready?”
A spike of fear slices up my spine. “That’s not ‘just family.’ That must be half the Zone.”
“That’s what family looks like here.” He comes around to open my door, then pauses, his hands on my waist.
“Okay.” I smooth down my sweater. “Let’s do this.”
We walk in through the equipment bay, past the gleaming fire trucks. The space has been transformed from a workspace to something almost magical. Tables are set up, string lights have been hung, and the smell of food fills the air. Someone has rigged speakers in the corner that are playing soft holiday music.
The moment we step inside, I see the change ripple through the room. Conversations pause mid-sentence. Orc heads turn, nostrils flaring slightly. And then—
“SOULBOUND!” Kam’s bellow echoes through the firehouse. “They’re soulbound! Chief, you owe me twenty bucks!”
Ryder groans. “You bet on us?”
“Damn right I did.” Kam claps him on the shoulder, grinning, then looks at me with acceptance. “Welcome to the family, officially.”
“About time!” booms another familiar voice from the back of the room. I turn to see Joy striding toward us, her red scarf trailing behind her and a Santa-hat-wearing orc in tow. Grum’s grin could outshine the string lights overhead.
“You didn’t tell me this was going to be the big reveal,” Joy says, hugging me fiercely. “You had half the Zone on tenterhooks.”
“Wasn’t exactly planned,” I manage, still laughing.
Grum’s gaze moves between Ryder and me, the kind of look that carries both pride and understanding. “Soulbound, huh?” he says, voice warm and rumbling. “That’s rare—and powerful. Hold on tight to it. Not everyone gets that kind of miracle.”
Ryder’s grin softens. “Coming from you, that means something.”
“Damn right it does.” Grum chuckles, then says to me, “Joy’s been bragging about you for weeks, Laney. Glad to finally meet the woman who can wrangle both animalsandfirefighters.”
“Mostly,” I admit. “The parrot’s still in charge.”
Joy laughs. “And proud of it, I’m sure. Now come on—Yara’s looking for you, and if we don’t move, Kam’s going to eat all the pot roast.”
The crowd shifts again as Joy steers us deeper into the room, and that’s when I see what must be Ryder’s mother approaching—silver-streaked hair gleaming under the lights, eyes bright with emotion.
She’s shorter than Ryder but powerfully built, with similar features softened by age and warmth. She’s wearing a beautiful deep-purple tunic embroidered with Orcish symbols.
“Finally!” She doesn’t hesitate, pulling me into a hug that smells like cinnamon and apples. “The woman who captured my son’s heart and soul.”
“Mom,” Ryder says, but he’s grinning. “Mom, this is Laney. Laney, my mother, Yara.”
“It’s wonderful to finally meet you.” My voice is sincere despite my nerves.
Yara pulls back, her amber eyes—so like Ryder’s—studying my face with open curiosity. “Soulbound,” she breathes, and her expression transforms into pure joy. “Oh, my boy. After all theseyears alone.” She cups Ryder’s face with both hands, switching to Orcish for a moment, her voice thick with emotion.
Ryder responds in the same language, and I catch the gentleness in his tone even if I can’t understand the words.
“Forgive me,” Yara says, turning back to me with tears in her eyes. “I’m just so happy. Soulbonds are a gift from the Goddess. That my son found his match…” She pulls me in for another hug. “Welcome to our family, daughter.”
The word “daughter” hits me square in the chest, and suddenly I’m fighting tears too.
More introductions blur together—Captain Brokka clasping Ryder’s shoulder with a gruff, “About time, brother,” his mate Marissa squeezing my arm and whispering that she’s been through it all and is available if I need to talk. Each person acknowledges the soulbond with reverence, treating it as the miracle it is rather than questioning how fast everything happened.
