25.

It was a grey day. Heavy clouds were blocking the sun light, but not a drop of rain fell.

Amelia was standing a few feet from the cement crypt, using a black dress Taylor lent her. Albert was by her left side, his arm touching hers. And Juliette was on the right, a foot in front of them, but still close to Amelia. The three of them in silence, each one lost in their thoughts.

They were the only people who stayed after the funeral. But it wasn't a surprise to Amelia.

Their 'grandmother' made a brief appearance. She didn't exchange any word with them, didn't even looked into their eyes, but not for the usual pride. The reason now was guilty.

She knew what had happened. Albert and Juliette had listened to the whole discussion that night. When her grandmother showed up demanding to know what happened, Amelia was surprised to see Juliette lose all the composure she always had by shouting every detail and blaming the woman in the end for feeding Naomi's hatred since she was a child.

To say the woman was shocked was an understatement, but the novelty came when she showed repentance. She just murmured an "I am sorry. I never wanted it to come to that" and left.

Amelia didn't care. Not anymore. The only important thing now was her siblings, who had no one but her. And she got one hundred percent into the role of guardian.

While waiting for her siblings to say they goodbyes to Naomi, Amelia remembered the stressful time she had since she entered her old house.

***

When the police arrived at their house, there was no way in hiding she was alive, and she didn't want it anyway. After very long depositions and some truths modified to be more plausible, Amelia's death certificate was withdrawn. The crypt with your name too.

The hunter was arrested for Naomi's murder, being caught red-handed and with several witnesses. It didn't help his case when he screamed that he was doing his job and that he was there to kill a werewolf.

But even if the police didn't buy the 'werewolf' story he told them, there were important details he shared that the detective told Amelia.

That had to be one of the most traumatizing days of her life and she had a fair amount of them.

"You should sit down." Detective Julian advised. He had asked to talk with Amelia alone, much to Ethan's dismay who didn't want to leave her side for more than two minutes.

She sat in the chair in his office, while he sat in front of her. His face showed compassion. He took a deep breath and leaned in his table, intertwining his hands.

"We had a long talk with that man." He knew he didn't need to say a name for Amelia to know who he was talking about, and Amelia was grateful. She didn't want to know his name. "And he gave us some very important details about all the case - he trying to kill you in the forest and this last time in your house." He hesitated. "But I need you to know that those details can be disturbing." Amelia gulped.

Internally she wanted to scream. What more could be for her to know? When she would have peace?

Nodding her head she cleared her throat, trying to sound more confident than she was feeling. "Okay. What is it?"

"Well, you already know about his claims that he is a werewolf hunter, right?" He didn't need an answer. The pause seemed to be an attempt to delay the topic which only made Amelia more nervous. "He told us someone contacted him and revealed that you are a werewolf." He grimaced at his own words. Amelia tensed.

He stared in her eyes and after taking another breath he blurted the words he was meant to say. "Naomi paid him to kill you, Amelia."

It felt like all the air was punched out of Amelia, making her gasp, trying to catch her breath. Suddenly, the room seemed out of oxygen.

Would Naomi's evil never cease to perplex her?

She gripped the edge of the table, her fingers pale with the force that was clenching the wood. She could feel the detective's eyes on her but she couldn't bring herself to look at him. It was way worse than anything she could have imagined.

"I know this is shocking. And terrible." He added under his breath, not knowing that Amelia could hear it just as clear. "Normally this information would be suspicious, but he gave us some details that prove his statement."

Amelia was only partially listening to what he was saying. "According to his confession, he should wait near the forest, where it meets the road. You were supposed to go down the road, so it took him some time to find you in the woods. But Naomi had already warned him about this possibility, and said she would give you a red cloak, so it would be easier to locate." Amelia closed her eyes tightly at this. Shaking her head.

It was all planned, calculated. Amelia felt goosebumps in her arms and shuddered in horror.

"I am sorry for telling you this. I know you had been through a lot lately." Amelia interrupted him.

"So what happened exactly the night he killed her?" She needed to understand all of it. To put the puzzle together.

"Naomi sent him a text message telling him you were there..." He kept talking, but Amelia blocked him out.

That night, Naomi called him there. All of that, all she said, was a distraction. Putting Amelia exactly where she needed to be a good target. Amelia shivered, disgusted.

After leaving the office, she hid in the bathroom for a few minutes, washing her face and splashing water on the back of her neck trying to calm down. Staring at her reflection in the mirror she whispered that it didn't matter anymore. It was over. But deep down she knew it made all the difference.

She told Ethan and Taylor about the conversation, but besides them, no one else knew, and she wanted it that way.

Her siblings already had too much to bear to need to live with the fact that their mother was, basically, an assassin.

That afternoon, after recovering from the news, she made the request to be the legal guardian of her siblings.

Though things were working out, none of them had the illusion that all was well. They still had a foggy path ahead and a very uncertain future.

***

Amelia held the hands of the two teenagers, calling their attention, who diverted their sad eyes at her. "Let's go?" She asked calmly, showing it was fine if they wanted to stay a little more. Albert nodded his head. Juliette turned to the crypt one last time, and squeezing Amelia's hand, she turned to her sister again, looking more confident.

"Let's go."

They walked slowly to the iron gates. Delaying the exit. All of them silently knowing that getting out of there was a solid way out of their (old) life, and as much as it wasn't the ideal life, it was all they knew.

Amelia held their hands all the way. Swearing to herself she would do for them what the pack did for her. Show them there was a whole world outside the walls of their house. That there was more than what Naomi let them see.

Ethan was there, wearing a black coat over his work clothes. Waiting for them and giving them space in this intimate moment. He opened the door for the kids to get in the car, and as Amelia circled behind the car to get into the passenger seat, Ethan stopped her and hugged her tightly. Making Amelia let out a breath, feeling tons lighter.

They didn't say anything for a while, and Amelia was grateful for it. She didn't know what to say.

Ethan kissed the top of her head and broke the embrace holding her face in both of his hands. He looked in her honey-colored eyes, his own holding so many emotions it was hard for Amelia to name all of them.

"You are so strong." He whispered in awe, planting a kiss on her forehead. Amelia closed her eyes during the kiss, and when she opened them again, they were overflowing love.

"Thank you." She whispered the words she knew she could never say as much as Ethan deserved to hear and Ethan knew she wasn't thanking the compliment. He smiled at her, his hands falling from her face and hold one of her hands.

He directed her to the passenger side, opening the door for her. After he got in his seat, they drove to Amelia's old house.

Ethan left them there and went to the clinic, on the other side of the street, promising he would take them away if it got too much.

The siblings spent the rest of the day clearing their things, putting clothes and objects in boxes, throwing away what was broken and putting on a 'to donate' box what they wouldn't need.

Amelia had talked with Ethan about it. Her siblings needed some time to adjust with the idea that werewolves weren't evil as Naomi had taught them. And to live with a bunch of wolves would not help. Ethan understood it. And Amelia would not let her siblings alone at that moment. Ethan understood it too, even with the tightness in his heart.

They had decided that Amelia would stay with her siblings, but not in her old house. They needed a new place, without the bad memories of a past of abuse, Ethan's words.

The three of them stayed in a hostel, close enough to the clinic. The pack offered immediately to pay for their bills until they could go to another place. But Amelia didn't want them to do everything for her, so after a short discussion with Ethan - short because he can't say no to her - he offered her a job at the clinic. This way he would be sure she was fine, and she would be able to support herself.

The salary offered - Amelia was sure - came with the 'mate' bonus. Because it was way above what an assistant of a secretary would earn. Especially when said secretary did not even need assistance, but Amelia did her best to help in everything possible. She didn't want to feel like her job wasn't need there, so she was twice as hardworking as they asked her to be.

Taylor was being the best friend Amelia could ask for. Supporting her in the new direction her life abruptly had turned. Giving her advice on how to deal with teenagers - even if Amelia already took care of them since they came to her life, it was different, now they were newly freed teens who just got to see the world for the first time.

Things were progressing. Slowly but always. 'Baby steps', Amelia kept repeating to herself. 'Baby steps'.

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A/n: the  a n g s t !!!!

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