“Yeah, these kids don’t know how lucky they are to have a pool to learn in.” He smirked. “Back in my day, we only had muddy ponds.”
I shook my head as I headed into the hall. “Kids these days.”
His chuckle reached me before I peeked into the next room. The gaming center was typically full with the older kids around this time. Derek sat at a desk next to a girl who arrived last week with her mom and stepbrother. She was quiet. I’d only heard her say please and thank you so far, but she was chatting away with my nerd while playing a video game I didn’t recognize. The other kids spread out at the other computers and TVs, and three were on bean bags in the corner, reading.
All was calm, so I didn’t interrupt and headed downstairs. I waved to the women standing just inside the entrance of my favorite room, the library.
“Hi, Melanie!” one called.
“Hey, Meg.” I grinned as I rounded the staircase to the back of the house and jogged across the yard, past the pool and soccer field, to the building we called the barn. It didn’t look like one at all. It was a simple rectangle with walls painted the same colors as the main house, a steel roof, and two large garage doors we opened when the weather was nice.
We had it built after we bought the property so we could have a full gym with enough empty space to hold training classes. I pulled open the glass door and stepped into a surprisingly full room, with Javi at the front speaking to two women. I waved to him, and he returned the gesture without breaking from their conversation.
There’d been an influx of arrivals in the past few weeks. The Council let us know to expect more a few months ago, but we were reaching capacity. Our sanctuary in the middle of the rolling hills and forests of northeastern Italy was set up to home about forty people. I was relieved we could help so many, but knowing why they were here dimmed the joy.
Although the Council had increased their outspoken support of hybrid individuals over the last decade, there was a rise in intolerance. A group was calling for a return to allowing only same-species breeding.
It was disgusting, and still a minority opinion, but the group caused enough issues that people were fleeing their homes, seeking refuge. Finding us.
That wasn’t the case for everyone here. There were survivors of all types who came to us after reaching out to the Council for help.
We gave them a safe space to rest, regroup, and plan their next steps. We offered classes and training they could use to get jobs. We had teachers for the children so they didn’t fall behind.
It wasn’t exactly what the five of us expected for our future when we first arrived in Italy. It was so much more. After surviving the Pack and getting out, living a life free of their control, and being able to be ourselves for the first time, we realized how incredibly lucky we were.
We discussed options for months, but in the end, Javi came up with the idea of combining our passions and helping others like us. It took about a year to renovate the estate and build out the land to suit our needs, but with the support of the Council, we made it come to life.
Five assassins, trained killers with body counts in the hundreds, running a safe house for supernaturals. It was insane.
It was our purpose.
The door swung open behind me, and I turned. A frantic Marco scanned the room. I hurried over, and he sighed. “We’ve got new arrivals.”
I furrowed my brow. “The last update was to expect two adults next Monday.”
“It was an emergency. Three teenagers.” He blew out a breath. “Can Johnny handle this class? I need your help getting them sorted.”
I spun, and Javi was already watching us. He gave a thumbs-up before clapping and calling the attention of the room.
“Let’s go.” I took Marco’s hand and returned to the house.
