Page 12 of Zin and Celeste: A Fortis Family Christmas

Dane moved to pull away as Zack and the others going with them came towards them, and she handed Samson’s lead to Jace. “He knows what he has to do, so trust him. The snow will make it harder for him to catch a scent, but he loves Zin, and if he can find him, he will.”

“Roz has the comms with Smithy. We’ll keep in touch.”

Celeste walked arm in arm with Roz to the door as she watched the remaining women kiss the men they loved before letting them go out into danger to save their friends. That was family, running towards danger when others ran from it to save the people you cared about. It had epitomised Fortis from the day she had met them, and that bond was only stronger today.

Lucy held her baby daughter tight as she watched Jace walk away, knowing he could be killed and letting him go without a single pause.

As the other women came to sit beside her and Roz, she looked up at them. “Thank you.” Her voice was shaky, and she swallowed as Ava, Lucy, Meg, and Lauren looked at her.

“Whatever for?” Meg asked with a frown.

“For letting them go after them when you know it’s dangerous.”

Lucy snorted. “As if we could stop them. They live for this shit, and besides, you’re family, all of us are family.”

“Celeste is right. You could have fought this, and you didn’t. So, yeah, thanks.”

Roz moved away to the comms where Drew was monitoring things. The sudden emotion in her shiny eyes too much for her. Roz was classy and cold to most but to those she loved she was warm and loving. She just didn’t like to show weakness, even to them.

Meg turned to Lauren. “We should get some food in the kids before we lose power.”

“I’ll help.”

Celeste went to stand and another pain roared through her making her catch herself on the arm of the couch as she gasped. Celeste felt a hand on her back as she breathed through the pain that felt like it was tearing her apart. Like the one before it didn’t last long, but it hurt like hell. When she righted herself, she saw four pairs of eyes watching her with wariness.

“How long have you been having contractions, Celeste?” Lauren asked.

“It’s not a contraction. It was a Braxton Hicks.”

“That wasn’t a Braxton Hicks. It was a contraction,” Lauren repeated.

Panic assailed her as the reality of the situation hit her. She was in labour and Zin was out there injured.