Epilogue Two

NEEKAR

I stare at the bonfire, at the sparks dancing above the tall orange flames. It’s well past midnight, and the pale sliver of the moon hangs low in the east, just rising over the mountain peaks in the distance. My cup is nearly empty, the last bit of ale sloshing around as I lift it to my mouth and take a sip.

I should get another—or join the last remaining orcs still milling around, stretching the party late into the night.

But I stay right where I am, on an otherwise empty bench by the fire, alone.

It was a beautiful ceremony. We’ve never had a wedding this big at the Hill, and I’m glad Mara got to celebrate her love for Owen in such a lavish way. She’s been taking care of everyone in this palace for a decade, and she deserves to be happy.

I think back on the time before we arrived here, before we left the old kingdom and traveled across the human lands to find a new homeland for our people. I’d been so young then, still in training, a seventeen-year-old with stars in his eyes, wanting to prove myself to my new king.

I’ve done that—and more. I’ve made friends and helped my family get settled here, I protected our clan and met many good people along the way. I’ve earned the respect of my clansmen, and found myself, my role in this world.

But I haven’t found her .

My mate, whoever she might be, is still unreachable. Whether she’s orc or human, she’s out there somewhere, living her life without knowing I exist.

I sigh and toss back the last of my drink. There are dozens of wonderful women in this clan—couldn’t it be one of them? If one of my friends turned out to be my mate, creating a life together would be simple. We’d pick a set of rooms here at the Hill, settle in, and start a family. I’d remain in King Gorvor’s employ and see my family every day. I’d be able to help my parents as they got old, and my sister’s children would get cousins to play with.

But she isn’t here. I’d know it—and, more importantly, she would know it, too. We’d recognize each other instantly.

I lean forward, placing my elbows on my knees. The heat of the fire chases away the night chill—this high in the mountains, nights get cold, even in the summer. All too soon, the days will turn shorter, leaves will turn, and another winter will pass without me finding my mate.

Suddenly, the thought is too much to bear. Some deep-seated instinct is calling at me, urging me to leave, to find her, to make sure she’s all right.

I try to reason with myself. Sometimes, it takes orcs years or decades to find their mate. Ozork searched for his mate for such a long time, traveling to the human lands and back every year. He’d nearly despaired, but Willow arrived right on our doorstep one day, and he knew . So maybe I should just be patient. I’m much younger than him, after all, and perhaps we’ll meet by chance one day.

But that’s not what my gut is telling me.

“Neekar!”

I turn my head toward the sound and find Sarrai waving at me from one of the tables.

“We need another for the cards, come on,” she calls.

I’m tempted—just as I briefly thought about finding someone for the night, like many of the other single orcs did tonight. Weddings do that to people. But my heart’s not in it, and I wouldn’t be good company tonight, not at cards, and not in bed.

So I shake my head at her. “Another time.”

But now it would look strange if I continued sitting alone by the fire after rejecting her invitation, so I push to my feet and carry the cup back to one of the tables, where we’ll pick them up tomorrow as we join the kitchen staff in cleaning up after the feast.

“I’m tired, is all,” I explain to Sarrai and the others as I pass their table. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Getting old,” she jokes, but without much sting to her words.

Perhaps she senses that I’m not feeling myself, because her dark gaze sharpens—she’s known me for years, and I’ve rarely turned down a chance to spend more time with friends, not without a reason.

Before she can comment on it or ask questions I don’t have the answer to, I turn my back on them and head for the Hill. With every step carrying me forward, my conviction grows—I have to do something . I traveled to Ultrup this spring with Ozork, Willow, and Owen as a guard when they went to speak with the duke, and that had felt like a good decision, but simply going there and back wasn’t enough.

Perhaps it’s time to do more than that. I’ll have to speak with the king, but if I leave now, if I follow my nose and find her, I could return to the Hill with my mate by the winter.

A flicker of hope kindles in my chest. Aye, this is the right decision, I can feel it.

Just wait for me, I’ll find you .

I nod at Darrin and Lorm, stationed at the gate, and force myself not to run past them toward my room. I don’t want to raise an alarm, after all. Besides, King Gorvor wouldn’t appreciate it if I barged into his room in the middle of the night with a request like this. I’ll have to wait until morning to ask him—but then I’ll leave.

And I’ll find my mate.

The End.

Eep, what just happened? Did I just announce a brand-new series? I guess so - The Orc’s Thief , the first book of The Boar Clan Brides , is coming in 2025 , and you can preorder it today .

I hope you know how much it means to me that you stuck with me for this long, and I hope you’ll dive into the next series with me as we find out what’s in store for Neekar and his lady friend.

You can expect more cozy vibes, spicy scenes (of course!), and more orcs who desperately need mates - you know, all the good stuff.

While you wait, I do have a bunch of other books already ready and waiting for you. Just flip the page and pick one to start!

Talk to you soon!

xo, Zoe

PS: If you have a minute, I would appreciate it if you could write a quick review for this book (and the series in general). They’re very helpful for authors!