As we approached the house, we heard noises that made us pay more attention to our surroundings. All the adults started to growl, warning the intruders that if they attacked us, they would not sit idly by.

"A fight! Finally, I will stretch my old bones!" Leya starts chanting.

"Leya, stop! I don't feel like being a part of any fight! I don't know how to fight, I don't want to fight and... I'm too young to die!"

"Kiddo, first of all, you're not going to die - I won't allow that - and secondly it's been more than a hundred years since I've been in a fight. And I feel the need to stretch my bones these bones of mine!" Leya said while trying to take control.

"Leya, be patient! We don't know what...."

-Tim? What the hell are you doing here? I heard my mother ask.

At that moment I noticed that, while Leya and I had our little chit-chat, we arrived home, and in front of the house was father with some of his loyal friends and they were all engaged in various repairs: some were repairing the fence, others checked the walls and indicated what needed to be replaced, and others were up on the roof and assessed its condition.

-Tim, I ask once more, what the hell are you doing? asked my mother increasingly nervous.

-Anne, I know I'm a jerk but, at least let me help you make this... a home for you and Alexis. Please!

The tension between them was so palpable, that I was sure that, if I had a knife I could have cut it into slices. They all looked at my mother waiting for her answer.

-Alexis, if you want to finish quickly, we need all the help we can get! Nick said, trying to be the voice of reason.

- This house is a mess! Aragon added.

Mom knew they were right, and she knew it would take us a lot of time to turn it into a home.

-OK, we accept your help. But Tim, she said turning to face my father, that doesn't change a thing between the two of us.

- I didn't expect anything else! Just being near you is enough for me! replied my father, with a glint in his eye.

-Anne, if you already have decided that we will work together, said one of my father's friends, then let's get things rolling, guys!

We all started working on our new house knowing that it was not a one-day job. When darkness fell, everyone retreated to their homes. The only one who remained was father.

-Anne, I want to....

-Tim, don't insist! You start to be quite annoying! said my mother.

"Human, don't screw it up! I want my mate back, and if that means beating your ass, I will!"

"I want to see how you do that!"

-Anne, I just wanted to wish you good night and tell you that we will see each other again tomorrow. Until then, take care of yourselves! he said smiling while shifting into his wolf.

"What does that jerk want?" I heard Leya ask.

"I don't know, Leya! But he looks like my old father, the one you don't know!"

-Honey, let's eat! And then to sleep!

-But mom...

- No but, young lady! Eat, shower, and sleep!

-Aye, aye captain! Your wish is my command! I replied laughing.

A howl was heard in the forest near the house. I would like to say that it was a horrifying howl that would scare me, but no. It was a heartbreaking howl, of a wolf in pain.

-Mom, do you think that...

- Come inside, Alexis! Just enter! said my mother.

When I looked at her, I saw that she had tears in her eyes, and then I realized that the wolf that howled so heartbreakingly was my father's wolf. He was crying for his lost mate, for the family he no longer had. I felt sorry for him, but the past is the past and we couldn't let it interfere with the present.

I woke up early the next day, waiting impatiently to start renovating the garden until our helpers came again.

-Mom, I'm going outside! I said rushing her to the door.

The moment I opened the door, I stopped dead in my tracks. A large wolf was curled up by the door.

-Tim, for real!? I heard my mother say from behind me.

If I could say that wolves can smile sheepishly, then I can say that my father's wolf did this.

-Tim, go home and change! When you will come, if you will come, we must talk! said the mother, trying to sound stern.

However, I could see that he was enjoying the change in his father and the fact that he did not give up on us. I realized then, that her wolf suffers more than it seems, and the proximity of her former mate eases the pain. His wolf bowed his head and ran towards our old house.

"Make sure you don't screw it up, human!"

"I won't, Duncan! I won't!"

When I got home I shifted, quickly took a shower, quickly dressed, and quickly made myself something to eat.

"Anyway, nothing tastes good since they left!" Duncan said.

As soon as I finished eating, I left the door without bothering to close it. I had to get to Alexis and Anne faster.

"Even if it will take my whole life to make them forgive me, I will!" I said to myself as I got behind the wheel of my car.

"I hope you don't want us to come and sleep here" muttered my wolf.

"No, but at least we will have a place to shelter if it rains and a place to leave our clothes when we change!"

I arrived in time to help Anne and Alexis arrange their garden: I planted a lot of vegetables, some of which I didn't even know existed. How do I know that there are Brussels sprouts and several types of zucchini? Seriously, how could I have known these things!? After we finished planting the vegetables, the girls wanted to start arranging the front garden as well. Fortunately, I managed to convince them to leave that arrangement for the end.

"We have to do our front porch! We have to, human! Don't screw it up!" Duncan said menacingly.

The distance his mate put between them and rejection was taking their toll. He was becoming more and more feral, and the only way to calm down and not go completely feral was to be near Selene.

"Calm down Duncan! It doesn't help us at all to be so grumpy and wild! If you had been paying attention, you would have noticed that you are no longer calling us Mr Nomi, but Tim! It's an improvement!"

- Dad! I heard Alexis calling me.

When I heard the word dad, I thought my heart would jump out of my chest.

"Calm down, human! Don't scare them!"

"You speak!"

- Yes, Alexis!

- I would like to build a chicken house for my chickens... Ted will bring them today! When I heard Ted's name coming out of Alexis mouth, I felt a pang of jealousy, but I forced myself to smile at her and said to her:

- Well then, we should make those chickens a house, shouldn't we? An a yard, too! What do you say?

- Yes, and a yard!

I got to work, assisted by Anne and Alexis. I wanted to do as much as possible before the rest of the guys came. At one o'clock, with the precision of a Swiss clock, the others came and we started the most urgent repairs.

In the meantime, the things that the girls ordered started to arrive and I stored them in what was to be the living room so that after finishing the exterior of the house, we would start the repairs on the interior as well. Together with two of my friends, we started to make that porch to the amazement of the girls.

-Alexis must have a swing on the porch, where she can read or relax when it's ugly outside! I said when Anne wanted to ask why we started building a porch.

-In case you forgot, she has wolf gene in her blood! she said laughing but nothing more.

Anne and Alexis cooked us food and for the first time after so many days since I didn't have a proper meal, I felt like I was full again.

The house renovation and the new additions took about a week. On the last day, after we arranged the last room and the front yard, my mother said:

-Honey! We finally have a house we can call home!

I smiled. I was happy, but at the same time, I felt sad, because my father wasn't going to come every day and I would not find his wolf, every morning curled up on our new porch.

"I'll miss him, too!" Leya said. "I'm getting used to this bastard here every morning! And I feel that his presence kept some enemies at bay!"

- What's up honey? my father asked me not to know! I answered trying not to cry.

-Now we have a home, but I don't think that you guys will all come again. You have no reason to!

- Just try to keep me away from you, little girl! said Aragon, but his smile was also directed at my mother.

I heard a low growl coming out of my father, and I saw how his eyes changed color.

-Guys, I think it's time to make that barbecue, which I promised you on the first day! said the mother, trying to dissipate that embarrassing moment.

- You too, Tim! Behave yourself! he said laughing.

-I'll try! he said loudly.

- But I don't promise! he grumbled slowly. And that's how we spent the first night in our new home.