Epilogue
Belle
“What the fuck?” Knox curses and slams his fist on the dining table. “Someone is trolling me again. There are fifty new comments calling me “Art Daddy” on my page. I thought I blocked that account.”
I can sense Rhys’s amusement through our bond, but I try my best to hide my urge to smile. We’re the only two that know Rhys is the troll, and even under the threat of torture, I would never sell him out.
Harassing Knox is just too much fun.
The pack is gathered around the kitchen and dining area, hovering as a woman I just met puts the finishing touches on my makeup. An entire news crew is at the cabin today to interview me about my most recent book... And the viral videos my alphas made that helped bump my release to the top of the charts.
Cameras are set up around the fireplace, angled just right to catch the sun spilling in through the cabin windows. There are special chairs set up for me and the host who’s interviewing me.
Everything feels so surreal. I can’t believe there was a time when I spent days in this cabin, completely unaware that I even wrote books. Now here I am, bonded to my editor and being regularly requested for interviews.
I don’t agree to many. These days, I like sticking close to home, and I could do without the bright staging lights and having my nose powdered by strangers.
Down the bond, I feel different emotions stirring.
Percy is proud, making me blush. Annoyance from Knox, who’s ready to kick everyone out of our home as soon as possible. And amusement as Rhys enjoys Knox’s growing frustration.
The interviewer, Grace, gestures for me to join her in our seats. She’s perfectly composed as she sits down, gracefully crossing her ankles with a soft smile playing on her lips.
Someone on the crew calls out a warning for everyone to be quiet on the set.
I have no idea how many people will tune in for our live stream. Hundreds? Thousands?
The book release campaign that Janice helped set up went viral faster than any of us could have anticipated. We thought the hype would have died down in between the original campaign and the new release, but turns out... not so much.
From the moment I shared my dedication page paired with a clip of me sporting freshly-fucked hair and two visible bond marks, the internet has been losing its mind over our pack all over again.
The hashtags haven’t stopped trending.
Grace smiles toward the cameras, and I follow suit, as the camera guy holds up fingers to count us in silently. When he reaches one, she puts on her news voice.
“This bestselling romance author was high on the charts before, but Belle, who writes as pseudonym Paige O’Hara, has recently seen a big boost after going viral across social media.” Grace turns her smile to me, her eyes crinkling at the corners with reassuring warmth. “People seem to be pretty obsessed with the story of a romance author who found her happily ever after. How does it feel to have so many people showing their support for your pack?”
I smile, settling deeper in my chair. This interview may be live-streamed, but in a way, all the interviews always feel like they’re really for them . The alphas I want to show my appreciation to at every turn. Bragging about them has become second-nature.
“Rhys, Knox, and Percy... they’re not just my pack alphas. They’re the sunshine after a snowstorm. The beauty when the world feels a little dark. A safe place to cuddle up when I need to be reminded how it feels to be loved right . They’re my heart and my home, so it feels incredible to be able to show other people what love like that looks like. And that’s why I dedicated this book to them. Because in a way, I think writing romance was preparing me for them all along. So that I would recognize the real deal when it came along.”
I glance up briefly to meet the pleased expression of my alphas. They never get tired of hearing me say such sweet things.
The interview with Grace lasts for a few more minutes before she wraps up with a quick spiel to her viewers about how they can order my new book.
As soon as the camera is off, a few members of the crew leap into action to start packing up and hauling the equipment out.
“Thank you so much for letting us interview you in your home. You’ve all been a real delight to talk to.” Grace takes my hand in both of hers to shake enthusiastically. “I loved the book, so I can’t wait to see what you do next. Maybe there will be another interview together in our future.”
“I hope so,” I tell her in earnest. She’s the kindest interviewer I’ve worked with so far, going out of her way to include the guys during prep and to keep things positive and light.
One of the first interviewers I sat down with decided to pop in a surprise question about the loss of my mom. That was... hard. The guys nearly stormed in to rescue me from that interview before I composed myself and managed to muster up a message focused on how my mom’s life taught me how to love.
That’s the part I stay focused on these days. Loving her, not losing her.
And after visiting recently to meet my mates, I think my dads are finally on the path to learning to do the same. They just needed to be reminded that in some ways, my mom has lived on.
There aren’t many things in life better than being loved right.
I excuse myself from Grace and make my way toward the kitchen. There’s a spread on the island that Rhys graciously provided for us and the crew. There are pitchers of fresh lemonade and platters of handmade snacks, but the only thing that seems to have been touched is the fresh fruit Percy added at the last second. The food is mostly untouched.
Probably because Percy and I worked diligently to spread the word to the crew members that they should avoid anything homemade at all costs.
Only we must have missed someone while making the rounds because I watch in horror as the main cameraman pops a chunk of blueberry muffin in his mouth.
He makes a retching sound instantly and darts to the sink to spit the bite out.
“What’s in this? ” he asks when he can catch his breath again.
My eyes grow wide as Percy rushes in to try to diffuse the situation, but Rhys has already noticed the reaction. His expression is heartbroken.
Knox rushes in and wraps an arm around Rhys. I hurry to join them, hoping we can sweep this under the rug.
“Clearly that man is an idiot with no taste buds,” our grumpy alpha announces loudly enough to be heard by the poor camera guy who is now headed for the door but still well within hearing range.
“Exactly,” I agree readily. “Not everyone can appreciate food with fine dining quality. It’s him , not you.”
Rhys nods along, the logic making total sense to him. “You’re right. I’m sure these folks are used to being fed table scraps and bland breakfasts that pale in comparison to the cooking of a Michelin-worthy chef. They don’t know any better.”
I exhale in relief that Rhys’s delusions can live on another day.
With Rhys reassured, Percy steps away to usher out the last of our guests.
It’s just us now, me and the pack.
“Fame looks pretty good on you,” a sassy voice commends me.
Oh, right, and Mia.
I turn toward the sound of her voice near the entrance of the hallway. She wandered off on her own for so long that I forgot she was even here. I think she said she needed to take a call or something, but I can’t remember after all of the chaos of getting ready for my interview.
Mia strolls in and picks up my abandoned coffee mug from the table, helping herself to a sip that makes her close her eyes in bliss for a split second.
“Your coffee skills are unbelievable,” she tells Percy as he returns to us.
He grins at the compliment.
“Did you get to watch the interview?” I ask Mia since that was her plan. Someone needed to watch the live stream to report back, and none of the guys were going to leave the room long enough to do so.
Her eyes light up. “Yes, and the whole thing looked great. I’m so fucking impressed with you. My bestie is a legend. I’m proud of you, B. You did the damn thing.”
I laugh as I walk over to hug her. “Thanks, Mia.”
Instead of pulling away, I loop my arm through hers and turn us toward the front door. “We’ll be back,” I’ll call to the guys as I walk her out, so that we can go to the porch for some privacy. I pull the door closed behind us, and then we take a seat together on the steps.
I’ve missed Mia. We spend as much time together still as we can, but it takes more planning these days. Living in the cabin outside of the city means impromptu girl time can be a little tougher to manage.
Because of the limited time together, more time has passed since that night at the bar than I meant to let go without us finally having the talk she wanted. As much as I’d rather not know any details, I can’t leave her hanging any longer. She deserves to be able to share details of her love story with me. No matter how messy the story is.
“So... how’s Jason?” I ask, keeping my voice light so she’ll know this is okay to talk about.
She turns on the step to face me completely and gives me that look. The one that says some shit went down and she has a lot to say. She’s practically bursting to tell me now that I’ve given the green light.
I really shouldn’t have let this wait so long.
“It wasn’t what you thought,” she blurts out, “or even what I thought. The truth is... so much crazier.”
“Crazier than crashing a car, getting amnesia, being rescued–and maybe a little held hostage–by a scent-matched pack, and going viral on social media?”
Mia tilts her head to one side and raises an eyebrow. “Nothing else could be that crazy, but this is pretty fucking wild, too.”
She takes a deep breath and launches into her explanation of what exactly happened after I left.
Holy. Freaking. Knots.