Page 59 of Claimed By Stone
But this year, it felt right to bring the light back. I’m not sure if it was to serve as a distraction, but whatever the reason, it felt good to be here celebrating in the mountains.
I was halfway to the hall when I heard boots behind me. Khuldruk caught up with that easy gait of his, always sounding like he was just about to challenge someone to a sparring match.
“You’re really doing it,” he said, nodding toward the faint glow of the lanterns. “Leaving your study without any provocation.”
I shrugged. “Felt like it was time.”
A long pause. “Is she the reason?”
I didn’t answer right away. My jaw worked, words sticking.
“She’s my mate,” I said finally. “I don’t know how it happened. It doesn’t make sense. But I feel it in my bones.”
Khuldruk clapped a massive hand on my shoulder, nearly knocking the wind out of me. “Took you long enough.”
I blinked. “You knew…”
“Of course, I knew, my brother. I’m not an idiot. I saw the way you looked at her. I knew the moment you stormed into the dungeon claiming her. I’ve been telling you as much, but you weren’t ready to hear it. And let's not forget it has been less than six months since I found my mate. I know the signs.” He sobered a little. “I’ll help you figure it out. We’ll protect her.”
“Thank you,” I murmured. The knot in my chest loosened just a little. “Let’s go see what trouble they’ve gotten into.”
The scent of baked rootcakes and spiced meats hit me before we even reached the hall. Laughter floated down the corridor, warm and easy, and when we stepped through the archway, I nearly forgot we were a people teetering on the edge of war.
Callie was fussing over a stack of linen napkins near the long tables, laughing as one of the younger warriors tried to sneak a pastry. But it was Seraphina who caught my eye. She was standing at the far end of the hall, stringing lanterns with gentle fingers, laughing at something one of the elder orcs said. Her hair was braided back with green ribbon, her cheeks flushed with life.
She belonged here.
I felt it in the ache behind my ribs. She moved through the crowd like she’d been raised in the mountain, like she’d helped carve it from stone.
“She’s radiant,” Khuldruk murmured next to me.
I grunted in agreement, watching her turn and beam at something Callie said. She was all warmth and light. And she wasmine.
Callie waved us over, dragging Seraphina with her. “Seraphina was just telling us about a tradition from her home,” she said, eyes bright. “It’s so lovely, Thavros.”
Seraphina tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, a little shy but glowing under the attention. “It’s something we used to do on New Year’s Eve,” she said. “We’d write a wish on a strip of cloth and tie it to a tree branch. The idea was that the wind would carry it to the Gods.”
A few orcs around us let out low hums of interest.
“We don’t have many trees in the mountain,” I said, unable to help the smile tugging at my lips, “but I bet we could rig up something that would please the Gods just fine.”
Seraphina laughed. “I thought it might be nice. To have a tradition that brings hope.”
I nodded, heart tight. “Then it’s ours now, too.”
The Great Hall shimmered with candlelight and flickering lanterns. Tables overflowed with roasted meats, winter fruits, and honeyed bread. Someone had carved ice sculptures near the entrance—clearly Khuldruk’s idea—and children wove through legs and cloaks, shrieking with laughter.
I found myself laughing too, truly laughing, as Callie pulled Khuldruk onto the dance floor. He pretended to grumble, but his tusks gleamed with a grin, and they moved together like they’d been dancing for years.
Seraphina found my hand, her fingers threading through mine. “Is this normal for a New Year’s celebration?” she asked, eyes twinkling.
“No,” I said, squeezing her hand gently. “This is better.”
We stood together at the edge of the festivities, her body warm beside mine, her laugh occasionally bubbling up like music. She was radiant, not because of what she wore, but because of how shebelonged. She belonged here. In this hall. With these people.
And by some grace of the Gods, with me.
“Would you like to dance?” I asked her with a curt nod.
