Thanksgiving was supposed to be simple.

Food. Family. Maybe even a moment to breathe.

Gesa should know better by now.

When she and Halstad are called out on a last-minute bounty, what should have been a quick job turns complicated fast. The goblin they're sent to bring in isn't what anyone expected—and making the "right" call might mean trusting someone Gesa once considered an enemy.

But doing the right thing has never been simple for Gesa and her pride.

By the time they make it home, chaos is already in full swing.

The kids are under questionable supervision.
Dinner is... technically in progress.
And someone has decided that "holiday spirit" includes playing dress up—with very distracting results.

Between reckless decisions, sexy distractions, and a kitchen that may or may not survive the night, Gesa is reminded that family isn't about perfection. It's about who shows up, who stays, and who's willing to burn everything down—sometimes literally—for the people they love.

This short story features found family, a love of men in eyeliner, and one very questionable Thanksgiving dinner.

A Gesa's Menagerie short story.