It took me a week to find the perfect place that was large enough for the eight or nine of us that were leaving. It was a huge log cabin with three floors and an attached garage and space for me to have a studio. It came with six bedrooms and four baths, but the attic space could easily be converted into more bedrooms and an additional bathroom. There was space for an office, an exercise room, large kitchen, dining room, rec room, and living room. It sat on 20 acres of land that could easily be converted to both farm land and an area for Harper's horses. It also looked like the surround area was up for sale as well, which meant that we could have some forest to shift and run around in. I quickly tallied up the cost of the property and the surrounding land and found it to be well within my means to buy it straight out.
The unfortunate downside is that it butted right up against a pack's territory. We'd have to make sure that we clearly marked the boundary between the two, just so that we wouldn't inadvertently cross into theirs. That didn't seem to be too big of a problem. There was a town nestled further down the mountain that we could easily blend into. Looking at the job postings, I saw that they were in need mechanics, deputies, and various others. We were also close to a liberal arts college that I was sure would appreciate Bellamy's Classical Literature degree. All in all, it was pretty much everything that I'd hoped for.
I immediately put in a call to a property broker and hired them to take a look at the property and have it inspected, as well as speak with the bank that owned it. I informed him that I needed video footage of the house and surrounding land that I wanted to buy. Telling him I was in a rush, he promised that it'd be taken care of in the next few days. I thanked him and headed to my own bank to finalize the sale of my studio.
Two days later, I was the proud owner of a log cabin mansion with 40 acres of land. Now, came the even harder part. With the blueprints firmly in my hand and that of a local architect, I set about converting the cabin to my specifics. The area behind the garage would have the outside wall converted to floor to ceiling windows to catch as much light as possible. Making sure that there were racks built for my canvasses and paints. A couple of huge sinks and hidden speakers throughout the room. I liked to listen to music while I painted. The attic would be converted into four more bedrooms, a bathroom, and still have space to store things. The garage would have a hydraulic lift installed and an air compressor system hooked up. The back area would be split in half. One side for Monty's farm and the other for Harper's horses. Modern day paddock would be built along with a stable and training ring. There would be a greenhouse and large shed built on the other side with enough room to till the rest of the land.
With a plan firmly in place, construction started. Next came the interior designer, whose only job was to outfit the house with furniture in the living areas. I gave her my ideas of what I wanted my bedroom to be like and told her that those that were coming with me would let her know how they wanted their rooms to look like. She assured me that there would be no problem and off she went.
Once more it was Family Dinner Friday and I could have sworn that the house was more crowded than usual. Mom always enjoyed our gatherings, so we always made sure that no matter what we were doing, we showed up every Friday evening with empty stomachs and loud chatter.
Towards the end of the meal, I tapped my glass of wine and the room quieted down. They looked at me expectantly and I allowed a smile to play across my lips.
"Guys, it looks like we have a home," I said proudly. "I've already hired construction crews and an interior designer. I haven't gotten the final cost of everything yet, but I'm hopeful. There is plenty of room for all of us in the house and we have enough property to run around without notice. But, we have to be very careful where we step, the land is butted up against a pack's territory. So, when we get there our first order of business will be to mark the boundaries. I've also looked into the nearby town and I am happy to say that there is available work, so there will be no excuse not to find yourself employed. The construction will probably continue after we arrived, so be mindful of when you take your runs. So, I'd like you all raise your glass and toast to new beginnings!"
Everyone shouted, "New Beginnings," and glasses clinked happily against each other.
After the meal was over, everyone got up and helped clean up. Soon, they left one by one to plan there departure. Only Bellamy and Raven stayed longer and we found ourselves sitting in front of the fire soon after mom had retired for the night.
"So, what's the place like, Clarke," Raven asked.
"Well, let me show you," I replied and got my tablet.
I sat between them on the couch and we went over the sketches and plans that the architect had drawn out.
"Damn," Bellamy said, "This place looks amazing. How many rooms will it have?"
"Ten bedrooms and five bathrooms. I'm having the rooms outfitted with video screens so that we can all have a view of the different entrances. Cameras will be installed in the greenhouse, paddock, stable, and along the the main fence. I'm really loving the design of my new studio."
Raven chuckled, "I'm sure you are, especially with those floor to ceiling windows covering the entire outer wall."
"Well, I'm tricking out the garage, too. They're going to install a hydraulic lift and an air compressor system," I said grinning at her.
"You're shitting me, right," she said, her eyes sparkling in excitement.
"Nope," I replied, "I figured that you'll be our resident mechanic and work on everyone's vehicles."
"And you said that there's an opening for a mechanic in town?"
"Yep, and Bellamy, they have an opening up at the high school, too. There's also a liberal arts college a couple of hours away that you might want to look into."
He nodded, "I'll look into it. I'm planning on putting my two weeks notice in next week. Which means I can start sending out resumes then, too."
"So, what happens now," Raven asked, curiously.
"Now, I stretch these last two weeks out for as long as possible and spend it with my mom," I replied. "On top of getting everything out of the studio and packing."
"That sounds like a very good plan, Clarke," Bellamy said, hugging me tightly. "We should probably get going."
Raven looked at the clock that hung on the fireplace and sighed, "Yeah, we should. I've got three cars I have to get done tomorrow."
We stood up and I walked them to the door. With a final hug, I watched them get in their cars and leave.