Hearthway Hollow

Emmett

Female Reader x Male Monster

Going back to Hearthway Hollow is something you have tried to avoid. Growing up there, it had been the best place in the world. Your family wasn't big, but you were very close to your cousin Shauna, and the two of you were inseparable.

In high school, things changed. A feral werewolf had come into Hearthway Hollow, and unfortunately you got in its way. The feral creature attacked you, taking part of your left hand and leaving you with scars all over your face and body. You became a recluse, fearing the very town you loved. Your family decided it was best to move away.

Now, your cousin Shauna is asking you to come home. She is getting married, and since your family is even smaller than before, she needs you at the event. The two of you haven't seen each other in ages, but you've kept in constant contact since you moved away.

"I promise, Beau and I will do whatever you need to make you feel safe," Shauna assures you before you leave. "We have a room all ready for you, and Remi will protect you."

"Remi is a goat," you scoff.

"Yeah, and he's scary as hell to the wrong people." You can hear the smile in Shauna's voice, and that's a comfort.

Meeting her and her fiance at the airport is a relief as well. Coming back into North Carolina is a trial on its own. Shauna hasn't changed in all these years except by filling out a bit taking on a more womanly and supple shape. There is also a luminous glow about her that radiates a beauty you've not seen in her before. Then again, she is getting married.

Beau is like looking into a mirror - a giant hairy mirror, but still. He has scars all over as well. Shauna has explained Beau's past, and how horribly he had been treated in his youth. His abuse had led him to Hearthway Hollow rather than away. Beau is a werewolf, and despite how much Shauna brags about how gentle and loving he is, you can only bid him hello.

"Don't worry about a thing," Beau says to you. "Shauna explained everything, and if I bother you at all-"

"Don't worry about it, Beau," you cut him off. "It's... weird, but if Shauna loves you that's enough for me."

You rub at your hand, where the feral werewolf had bitten clean through. A diagonal slice of the hand is missing, from your middle finger to the outside of your palm. You used to tease yourself, saying you had a bird foot for a hand as a way to cope. Sometimes, even though it has been healed for years, your hand still hurts.

Shauna and Beau live on Hyacinth Farm, a sprawling property where they raise all sorts of animals and crops. Beau allows farmers and those who just want to garden to have plots of their own. Beau also has a business in town selling yarn and craft supplies, including his own home-spun alpaca hair and wool. Shauna had broken down all the details of the farm, but you never quite grasped it until seeing it with your own eyes.

"How did you get this place?" you ask as you drive through the gated entrance.

"I used to work for the Mrs. Hyacinth who owned it," Beau answers. "After I came here, Billy got me set up with her. She was a widow trying to run the farm on her own, and we sort of took care of each other. She became my mom, and when she died, she left me everything, including the shop."

"Oh wow," you murmur.

"Shauna has really helped though," Beau adds. "She's the one who convinced me to hire extra staff, and lease unused plots to people who want to garden."

"Just utilizing what we have. Need to make extra money before-" Shauna stops herself for a moment, then chuckles. "You know how winter is! I mean, sure, the yarn shop is booming, but other than that..." She bites her lip and glances out the window.