Leaving her gryphon clan behind was supposed to mean freedom—not more complications.

Gesa Lionheart never planned on building a life, let alone a family, in a backwater Michigan town. She definitely didn't plan on sharing her space—or her bed—with an ancient, dangerous fae. And she absolutely didn't expect to find herself growing attached to Con, the quiet, breakable human who has somehow become the heart of their strange little household.

Oisin jokes about her starting a pride. Gesa tells herself it's ridiculous. Gryphon prides are for alpha male Gryphons, not stubborn women who prefer muscle over feelings and don't trust anything that looks like permanence.

But denial only works for so long.

When a string of brutal animal killings exposes a predator who believes himself untouchable, secrets surface—and the danger becomes impossible to ignore. As violence closes in and Oisin's hidden past threatens everything they've built, Gesa is forced to confront a truth she's been avoiding:

Walking away is easy. Letting people matter is not.

And when Con puts himself directly in the path of a killer to protect the people he loves, Gesa must decide what it really means to claim a pride—and whether she's willing to fight for the family she never meant to create.

Heart of the Pride is the second novella in the Gesa's Menagerie series, a reverse harem paranormal romance featuring found family, evolving relationships, increasing heat, and a big, tough heroine learning that strength doesn't have to mean standing alone.

Suitable for mature readers.