Epilogue
Lila
Late SPRING – ONE YEAR LATER
The mountain smells different in spring.
Gone is the sharp edge of snow and smoke; now it's all pine sap and thawing earth and the sweet green scent of new life. The meadow behind our cabin glows gold in the sunlight, dotted with tiny wildflowers daring the mountain to freeze them again.
I tug at the edge of the blanket, smoothing it over a patch of grass. "If you tell me this corner is crooked one more time, Thane, I'm throwing a berry pie at you."
He grunts, pretending to think about it. "You have terrible aim, so it would be a complete waste of a pie.”
I look up at him—still impossible, still mine—and laugh. "You're incorrigible."
He leans down, brushing his tusks against my cheek in a way that still melts my bones. "You like me that way."
I really do.
Laughter drifts from down the slope. Kroy and Kayla appear first, Kroy balancing a barrel of cider on one shoulder while Kayla scolds him about sloshing.
Behind them, Drak and Jasmine walk hand in hand, stopping every few steps so she can photograph flowers.
Varn and Mazie come next, arms full of baskets, and last is Garruk—alone, of course—carrying an entire haunch of roasted venison that he clearly just wrestled off a spit.
"Look at this," I say, shading my eyes. "An entire army of orcs and wives."
"Garruk needs a wife," Thane says. "We'll get him mated soon."
I grin. "You think he's ready?"
Thane snorts. "No. Which is why it'll be fun to watch."
The laughter bubbles out of me. I never imagined I'd have this—a family made of warriors and creative, artistic women, all stitched together by love and sheer stubbornness.
Over the past months, I've visited each of their homes.
Jasmine teaches me to bake with foraged berries.
Kayla and I trade books. Mazie and I hike until our legs ache.
They're more than friends. They're sisters, bonded by the same impossible miracle.
By the time everyone reaches the meadow, the air fills with chatter and the smell of food. The orcs haul logs into benches, and the women spread blankets. Thane taps the keg open with a single smack of his palm, and cider froths into cups.
Kayla raises hers. "To the mountain!"
The others echo, "To the mountain!" and I feel something warm and proud settle in my chest. When I catch Garruk watching the group with a rare, soft smile, I nudge Thane.
"He looks happy."
“But he needs a mate," Thane murmurs back. "Maybe the mountain's already thinking about who to send him."
"Maybe she's closer than he thinks," I say, winking.
Thane arches a brow, amused. "You always think you know what the mountain wants."
"Maybe I do."
He chuckles, low and rough, the sound I love most. "Then tell it to send him someone soon. He's getting grumpier by the day."
"Grumpier than you were when I met you?"
"Don't push your luck, little human."
I laugh and lean against him, cider cool in my hand, his body warm against my back. Around us, our family eats, drinks, and tells stories until shadows stretch long across grass. Eventually, everyone drifts back toward the path, full and happy, promising another gathering before summer ends.
When the last wave of goodbyes fades into the trees, the meadow falls quiet. The fire crackles low, the air still rich with food and smoke. I gather dishes, but Thane catches my wrist, pulling me gently back against him.
"They're gone," he murmurs against my neck.
"I noticed."
His hands slide to my hips. "You worked hard all morning. Let me thank you."
"Thane," I start, but it comes out a sigh. "We're outside."
"Good thing it's warm now," he says, voice thick with laughter.
I turn in his arms, sunset catching in his eyes. "You're impossible."
He grins, all tusks and tenderness. "You love me anyway."
"I do," I whisper, and it's still as true as the first night I said it.
He lowers his forehead to mine. "The storm brought you to me."
"And love made me stay."
The mountain wind stirs around us, carrying the scent of spring and the echo of our laughter. Thane lifts me into his arms as easily as ever, and the rest of the world fades into warmth, sunlight, and the steady beat of a heart that finally found its home.