When you’re running from your past, there’s no better place to hide than a small village tavern—until your past walks through the front door.
Sass Thornshield has finally found happiness as co-owner of The Tusk & Tail in sleepy Wayside, with her half-elf business partner, a mischievous flutter-stoat, and the striking guardswoman Val making each day brighter than the last.
But when a dwarf warrior from her past arrives with a dire warning, Sass is forced to reveal her noble heritage and the truth about her flight from an arranged marriage. Now she must decide whether to run once more or trust her newfound family with her deepest secrets.
As the warmth of the hearth battles the chill of unwanted obligations, Sass finds herself caught between duty to her bloodline and loyalty to the family she’s chosen. With Val offering unexpected strength and friends willing to risk it all for her sake, Sass discovers that a dwarf’s legacy doesn’t have to be forged with an axe.