Gesa got her mate back. Surviving the fae lands and tearing Oisin free from his father should have been a victory—but Oisin didn't return whole. His memories are fractured, his sense of self unraveling, and the love he once felt for his pride is buried beneath fear and confusion. Gesa knows him. She loves him. But now she has to find a way to reach a man who no longer remembers why he chose her.

And Oisin isn't the only one breaking.

Hisashi's unleashed power in the fae lands has accelerated the growth of his dangerous spirit abilities, pushing him toward a choice that could bind him to the family shrine forever. Stability may save him—but at the cost of everything else he wants.

As if that weren't enough, their mage is about to be forcibly reclaimed by the guild that once owned him. Redistribution is the polite term. Slavery is the reality. Gesa isn't about to let that happen—but buying a gruff, furious mage who refuses to be claimed comes with complications of its own.

Holding a pride together isn't about strength or dominance.

It's about showing up when everything hurts.

A Matter of Pride, the seventh novella in the Gesa's Menagerie series, is focused on emotional recovery, devotion under pressure, and the hard, quiet work of choosing each other after the battle is over.

Suitable for mature listeners.

Author's Note

Gesa's Menagerie novellas are 30,000-40,000 words and feature an evolving reverse harem, found family, and inclusive relationships.

• Contains mentions of trauma and fantasy violence
• Relationship dynamics may include MF, MM, FF, and group fun.