Page 60 of Beasts

“You are not leaving me with these monsters.” I grumble. Seth comes back down the stairs with an envelope and Oliver ceases his retreat out of curiosity. “You left on purpose.”

“Oh yeah, absolutely.” Seth smirks, coming over and handing me the envelope.

“What’s this?”

“Solution to a lot of problems if everyone is interested.” I open the envelope and it contains a document, the front page stating; ‘The Last Will and Testament of James Hart’.

“What is this?”

“It’s your father’s Will. You’ll find on the fourth page that he left three houses in his name to my father, your uncle. I’m passing the message to let you know that one of them is only three blocks away from the college and is basically a small mansion. It’s empty and has twenty rooms and four bathrooms, not to mention the multiple living areas and open kitchen. The place is yours.” I’m so glad I wasn’t eating.

“What?” I see what he means though about it being a solution to multiple problems.

“Just so you know, it’s out of Mr. Pierce’s district.”

“So if we all move there, then he can’t enforce anything upon any of you anymore?”

“That’s right. If we don’t live in his house, we don’t owe him anything. That is, of course, if you actually want us all to come with you.” I look at the piece of paper and I’m stunned that my uncle is willing to give this to me. He must have been holding onto it for a long time, I mean, his family could have moved into it a long time ago but chose not to.

“I mean, it would feel pretty lonely to move in by myself,” I begin, then turn to the room, “, but I wouldn’t want to go unless everyone thought this was a good idea.”

“Shotgun first.” Hendrik shouts, and everyone looks at him in curiosity. “What? Shotgun first, so after Amelia, I get to pick the room I want first.” His declaration quickly spirals into a boisterous debate among the guys, each claiming their right to choose a room. I glance over at Oliver, who gives me a reassuring nod, his smile mirroring my own. The prospect of a house belonging to all of us, a life free from fear and coercion for these remarkable individuals, fills my heart with joy and hope.

Chapter thirty-two

Unspoken Happiness

Two Weeks Later

“Hey, he should be arriving soon,” Nolan says, glancing out the large bay window that offers a view of the meticulously landscaped front yard.

“No worries. The triplets have an event tonight, so I’m sending Hugh and Echo with them for supervision,” I reply, scrolling through the digital calendar on my phone that now serves as a central hub for coordinating everyone’s activities in the house.

As Oliver and Kane help Valentine move his boxes, I watch them closely, making sure they don’t scratch the pristine white tiled floor of the entryway. Valentine is the last to move in, besides our new arrival.

“Okay, good,” Nolan nods approvingly, his eyes tracking the trio as they maneuver a particularly large box up the grand staircase.

Oliver pauses beside us, setting down his box with a careful thud. “How are you doing?” he asks, his tone tinged with concern.

“Still fine,” Oliver responds, meeting Nolan’s gaze.

“Are you sure?” I interject, looking for any signs of discomfort in his demeanor.

“Yeah, honestly, I’m not hungry,” he reassures us. “Just a bit bewildered, but my eyes are still brown, see? No green.”

“I kind of miss seeing the green,” I admit with a playful smile.

“You said they still go green when we—“ Oliver begins, but is quickly cut off.

“Whoa, stop right there,” Nolan interjects, his hands raised in mock defense. “I don’t need to know this.” We all share a laugh, which is interrupted by a knock at the door. Oliver gives me a quick kiss on the neck before bending down to pick up the box again, heading upstairs.

As Nolan opens the door, a new face appears - a blond-haired, blue-eyed man who could easily grace the cover of a magazine. Hendrik, emerging from the kitchen, audibly gasps upon seeing him.

“Hi, am I in the right place?” the newcomer asks, his voice laced with a hint of uncertainty.

“If you’re looking for a household full of weirdness and confusion, then yes, you look just like your picture,” Nolan replies warmly, extending his hand in greeting. “I’m Nolan, werewolf. This is Hendrik, he’s a shifter, but not the same kind as you,” he adds, as Hendrik eagerly steps forward to shake the newcomer’s hand, nearly tripping over his own feet.

I step forward to introduce myself, seeing Nolan’s momentary hesitation over how to classify me. “I’m Amelia, and let’s just say I’m a bit of a mystery. We’re all still figuring it out,” I say with a chuckle, extending my hand.

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