A/N: Hey ppl! So I know it's been a (long) while since I last touched this fic, but I was rereading some older stuff of mine and was hit with inspiration to continue this thing. Can't guarantee I'll finish this fic since the last time I touched it was back in 2018, but we'll see what happens. Now because it's been so long, I'd recommend reading Ch 5 just to refresh your memory, but you don't have to. Reviews would be welcomed, but not necessary. Thx and enjoy!

"Are you hungry, sweetie? We can swing by somewhere if you are. Or you can risk trying some of my gourmet spaghetti and meatballs!" She said said with a mock evil glint in her eyes. I only chuckled.

We had just left the orphanage parking lot a few minutes ago. I was sitting in the passenger seat of Martha's white SUV. The soft warm leather felt good against skin. It felt similar to being wrapped up in the warmest hugs imaginable. If that assumption was right, of course. I honestly forgot what those kinds of hugs felt like.

"Could we just go to your place? I'm kinda feeling tired and all." I wasn't kidding either. I had a bad case of mental whiplash from my sudden burst of freedom. I had already accepted my fate at that orphanage a long time ago.

"Oh of course, honey!" Martha gave me one her brightest smiles yet. "Whatever you'd like."

"Thanks," I smiled back at her. I opted to stare out the window for a few minutes in comfortable silence. I watched as we passed the city highlights with all their normal hustle and bustle. It wasn't long before the city slowly started turning more rural until buildings were replaced by wide expanses of forest-y woodland.

"Wow," I found myself whispering in awe. I had never been to the country before. It was certainly a sight to behold. "It's beautiful out here."

"Thank you," Martha approved. "I do hope you'll like it out here."

It was a minute later we pulled into this long curvy driveway surrounded by tall pine trees on either side. A wrought iron fence all the way around it's colossal acreage. Matching gates stopped us about half way up the concrete driveway. Martha fished out a remote from her purse and pressed a button. The giant gates slowly opened for us to reveal a luxurious two story cabin. It had a giant wrap around deck with a spiral stair case leading to the second story. The wood was all stained a golden chestnut color. The deck was illuminated by string lights both on the first floor and the second. Up on the second level, there was another deck, but this one only spread to the expanse of the two doors. On the first story, the cabin had floor to ceiling windows while the upstairs only had them on the front side of the house. A small pathway led up to the front door. Like the driveway, the front of the house was also lined with beautiful mature trees of all different kinds. Off to the side of the house was a separate building that could've been mistaken for another house had the three garage doors not been there.

I was speechless as I tried to take it all in. I heard Martha laugh.

"What's the matter, honey? Cat got your tongue?"

I turned to her with what I knew was a look of pure surprise. "No, I. . . I've just never seen something like this before. You're place is amazing." I could already hear my wolf howl in excitement. No doubt I'd be having lots of fun running in these woods.

"Well, the place was a gift from a friend of mine. He said I've done more than my fair share of favors for him in the past, so he built this place for me. Had I known what exactly he was creating, I would've just settled for a gift card to my favorite place downtown." Martha said laughing a little. She was a pretty humble person, I began to realize. I liked that about her. It was different from what I was used to.

"Shall we go in and get you settled?" The woman asked. I nodded my head and we exited the car to grab my things.

The inside of the house was just as grand as the outside. The cream colored carpet was plush and obviously very well taken care of. (So much so I felt inclined to take my shoes off at the door, even though Martha assured me it was alright.) The tile was a unique cream color that was a different shade to the carpet, but complimented it all the same. As we walked further into the beautiful cabin, the wide stair case greeted us. The railing was stained the same color as the outside and curled all along the wall the same way it did in castles. The kitchen was just as huge as everything else, but I only got a glimpse of it as we began to climb the stairs.

"You'll get a full tour of the place once you're settled in," Martha explained to me over her shoulder. I nodded and continued to look around my new home. Once we reached the top, she led me to a room on the far side of the house. When she opened the door, I couldn't really believe my eyes. The room was a suite with its own fully stocked bathroom and everything. The walls were a peaceful teal color. The bed had a white bed spread with teal accents all throughout. The huge pillows shared the same pattern. Off to the right of the bed was the deck closed off by an slider door. The furniture consisted of a large dresser, two night stands on either side of the bed, a desk with a computer and a trunk. All the pieces were stained the same dark mahogany. To the far side of the room was another closed door that I assumed was the walk in closet.

"This will be your room." She said as she put my things on my bed. "Do you like it, Katie?"

"Like it? I love it! Thank you." I exclaimed. Martha smiled.

"You're welcome. I'm glad you enjoy it so much. Now I'll leave you to unpack your things and rest." Martha told me before making her exit, closing the door behind her.

And thus begins my new life, I mused as I started to unpack my things.