Page 181 of Down Knot Out

I had struggled with the idea when Grady first suggested it, but since my monster smut was nothing like my romantasy, I caved and started a new pen name. And since I was doing that, I wanted to launch the right way this time, without any fear.

The success of my first book had only confirmed what Grady had already known. No one cared about my secondary designation. They just wanted good books.

Grady seems to read my thoughts. “You’re thriving, you know. All of you.”

A warm glow spreads through my chest at his words. “We are.”

He settles deeper into the couch, coffee mug cradled in his hands. “Don’t mind me. I’ll just be over here, stealing your plot points for nefarious purposes.”

“As if you could keep up with my imagination,” I retort, turning back to the screen.

“True,” he concedes with a chuckle. “I’ll leave the monster smut to the professional.”

The banter washes over me, a reminder of the friendship that sustained me when I had nothing else. And now I have everything. A home, a pack, a purpose, and the freedom to create without fear.

I start to type again, words flowing faster now. Grady’s presence behind me is comforting, a link to my past that doesn’t pull me back but pushes me forward.

Through the open window, Quinn’s laughter drifts up from the garden below, and Blake’s deep voice answers her. I reach out to take a lemoncookie, and my gaze drifts back to where Nathaniel and Dominic entertain the guests.

My fingers pause over the keys for a moment as I take in the life we’ve built, this family we’ve formed, and this future we’re writing together, one word at a time.

The End.