Awakening (Book 2 in the Original BOC Series) ✔

Chapter Thirty-Nine

"What is this?"

Porcali stared at the white manila envelope placed in front of him on the Henrys' dining table. Ben, Rory, and Chambers were standing on either side of him after they had asked to see him alone in their new dining hall that once was known as the Hallden Estate.

A month after the warehouse incident, William Hallden had showed up at the Henrys' small household holding the original seven that lived there, plus Mara and the four USWAT members, handing the key and deed of the Estate over to Mara. She stared at the objects in her hands, looking up at her father who smiled widely telling her that the Estate was quite lonely.

So Mara moved the entire Henry family into her childhood home because Mara said it was too big for her to have just for three people. And that it would feel less lonely with the number of people that would put it to good use.

Ben and Mrs. Henry were given the master bedroom. Ben looked astonished, stumbling for words when he asked Mara if she was sure that they should have the largest room. It was quite grand with its glass windows, walk in closets, beautiful bathroom with a Jacuzzi-tub and a walk-in shower, a king size mattress sitting on the oak wood frame with a red canopy over the top of the large posts that rounded at the base of the bed and thinned out to the top.

Mara only looked around the room that she hadn't entered in since she was five years old, nodding, "Yes. Yes, I'm sure."

Chambers was ecstatic over his new room.

He was at a loss for words when Nathan pushed open the door and crossed his arms, stepping aside to let his seventeen-year-old little brother gawk into it.

All of his belongings from the previous house were placed inside it, but then there were new things that Chambers never fathomed he'd ever be able to get. A stereo system and flat TV screen was on one side of the room and game stations were on the other with a large rounded chair that he could use to play his video games in. His closet was filled with brand new clothes... and that dreaded uniform he hated, but Chambers loved that everything was his.

With Adam and Lily, Adam had followed behind his willow-framed beauty, allowing her to 'memorize' the hall leading to their room on the opposite side of the mansion. Lily kept tilting her head at the different sounds that would clink together when she'd touch vases or the metal frames with no pictures bumped into another. She took about a half hour just savoring the touch of what her fingertips could find.

And Adam leaned against the wall with his arms crossed and a raised brow watching her do so. He just liked watching her period; he still saw her the same beautiful woman he loved even with the long white scar along her cheek. He liked to kiss down the line just to prove to Lily that it was nothing but a beauty mark.

It was during this time of Adam watching her, that Lily had reached what would be their bedroom and had Adam raising his brows slowly; his mouth dropping open slightly with the coy look he received. Lily had batted her eyes prettily over her shoulder and curled her finger at him, asking him to help her memorize the room all while she seductively teased him with lifting the hem of her blouse.

Adam almost fell forward as he was already scrambling to bend over, yanking off his shoes and throwing them over his shoulder before tossing aside his t-shirt and halted at the entrance of room that Lily had disappeared into. Adam grinned, chuckling greedily and slammed the door closed behind him.

Rory had stood in the middle of his room with his chin cupped in one hand, analyzing it. Mara glanced around it with Nathan trailing behind her, and asked him if something was wrong. Rory shook his head, still keeping his pose.

"Then what are you doing?" she asked him, guessing that from the look on his thin face, Rory was trying to find anything out of place.

Rory sighed, dropping his arms and shrugged a shoulder. He pointed lazily in the only corner of the room that was bare and nonchalantly mentioned if Jacee wouldn't mind having such a small space of drawer for her belongs when she stayed over.