Hunter - Book 2 of the Hunted Series

Chapter 24 - Pack Meet & Preparation

 Another excitement ripple through the pack a week later when Stonehaven's 'baby', the modular home, was finished. It'd only taken a few months, the first month in a factory, and more or less completed in three weeks, with an additional week for the usual checking that apparently needed to be done. I got informed, as we all did at breakfast on that Sunday, that Jeremy was calling a 'Meet' in a week and we had a week to clean the place and put furniture inside it.

I'd asked what one was and found out. It was the official Pack gathering, called for emergencies and large threats. There'd apparently already been four since I'd arrived in December. Three, I hadn't been allowed to, as I wasn't an 'official' pack member yet. The last I would have been but it had been as soon as I'd been taken and Nick and Antonio injured. This one would be slightly different- Paige would be there as she and Lucas had been in charge of searching and hiding the boat that'd been abandoned when I'd escaped, and Jamie would also join us some of the time. Non-werewolves had never been allowed at these meetings before and it showed how serious Jeremy was taking this. He wanted to get rid of them for good. But he hadn't wanted to call it until he could fit everyone inside the house again, not wanting anyone to stay in town.

So it was nose to the grindstone.

We all went to see it on the Sunday as it was the worker's day off. I had expected to see a small thing or a building that looked nothing like Stonehaven. I was wrong on both accounts.

It was more or less exactly in the same style Stonehaven had been. The stones along the lower floor, which were extending across to cover Stonehaven's frame as well, were exactly the same shade and color as they'd been before the fire. The second floor was just a touch lighter, a slightly different stone, but the windows were the same style, the porch exactly the same, the roof covering both buildings made of the same shingles it'd once had. It was clearly a different house, with a different floor plan, but it matched so well.

Jeremy pointed out that along the base of both buildings they'd placed Stonehaven's old stones. There were enough to cover the ground floor walls of both buildings.

Jeremy led us through it, ignoring the dust and dirty ground, shadowed by the large group of curious werewolves as he pointed out what he'd had changed. The ground floor had a kitchen, he had wanted that, but the family room and 'breakfast' room, which had originally been separate and open to the kitchen and hallway, had been shut up into two rooms that were closed off behind doors. One would eventually studio for Jeremy and whoever else wished to use it but he'd use it as another 'bedroom' for now, the other the library. It would be used for the Meet as it was large enough for everyone to fit inside comfortably. There was still a dining room to eat in, a den for an additional study and for Jeremy to use until Stonehaven's study was rebuilt.

The second floor had the four bedrooms. Jeremy informed us he would be moving into the Master bedroom from now on, spending his nights there, spending his days at Forestwatch while construction was taking place. This naturally meant that Elena and Clayton would be moving out with him and the twins as well. I doubted they'd spend the day there either- Clayton would not want to be near the builders- but it did ease up Forestwatch's overcrowded rooms somewhat.

Jeremy told Elena that he'd return to his old room in Stonehaven, and give Elena that room when he could, but they had the second largest bedroom on the other side of the building for the time being which they'd have to share with the twins while the Meet was on. There'd be too many of us for them to have their own room for a little while yet. The twins would get one of the two spare rooms, they could choose, so the remainder could eventually be a new guest room. Jeremy added, with a small smile, that if I had to kick anyone out at any time for getting on my nerves, he'd put them in there. His eyes went to Nick a fraction, making me laugh and Nick scowl, his arm wrapping around me as if he was making it clear he wasn't going anywhere.