Two moves in the same day, that had to be a new record.

We didn't even get used to the inn and had to leave it behind. At least Wina took the news with joy, she seemed to be happy that Almec would have some company.

What at first was a mix of surprise and nervousness transformed into positive anxiety. Excitement worked like the engine of my body, perhaps it was Faustina's energy that had stuck to me. It wouldn't be the first time that my sister's happy words and smile changed my mood.

Faustina danced all the way to the mansion. She sang a made-up song about her new home as she led the way. I walked behind her, ignoring the judging gazes that followed us.

"La amo! Can we really live here?" she screamed at the top of her lungs after we crossed the gate. "I've never seen a house this big, can we play hide and seek inside? I'm sure it's super fun with this size. How many rooms do you think it has?"

If Almec had not heard our footsteps, surely after my sister's scream he would have already found out about our arrival. I knocked on the door anyway to not be rude.

"I don't know how many rooms it has, and I'm not sure if you can play inside the mansion, you should ask the owner."

"Who is the owner?" she asked.

"The alpha, I told you before we left the inn but Wina was giving you your cookies at the same time, I guess the food is more important." I smiled at her.

"Are we going to live with the alpha?" Faustina remained with her mouth open for a few seconds. "That's so cool."

"Don't forget to thank him for letting us live with him."

Faustina nodded enthusiastically, jumping up and down.

The door opened. Almec didn't even have time to speak before Faustina pounced on him, giving him a hug.

I looked at them horrified. I didn't know whether to leave them or take my sister away from the alpha.

Touching an alpha without their permission is considered a major offense in most packs, so it was likely the same in Wild Fangs. However, Faustina was a kid and it was clear that she had good intentions.

I hoped Almec wouldn't take it the wrong way.

"Thank you, your house is very nice," said Faustina, without breaking the hug.

Almec didn't say anything. I was about to butt in when he gently patted Faustina's head, ruffling her hair. She let go of him and opened her backpack. With a smile, she took out a box and offered it to Almec.

"I made cookies, I hope you like them."

"Thank you." Almec accepted the gift and moved to the side to give us space. "You can come in, I'll show you your rooms."

I passed by Almec and looked up at him. "Thank you for understanding," I whispered. "She is very happy to be here."

"No problem, she's just a little girl."

Almec took our little luggage and walked to the wooden spiral staircase. Behind him, almost touching his body, was Faustina with her eyes wider than normal and whispering words of admiration. Her fascination with the mansion was adorable, I wished I had a camera to take a photo to remember the moment.

"How many floors does the house have?" Faustina asked as we walked up the stairs.

"Two," Almec answered without looking back. "But we have a spacious attic."

"What is in there?"

"Nothing, is it empty for now."

"Who is the lady in that painting?" Faustina pointed to the painting on the hallway wall.

"She's my mother."

"Can I meet her?" Faustina's questions didn't seem to have an end.

"She died several years ago," Almec answered, turning right at the end of the hallway.

"Oh, that's sad. My mom is in heaven too, maybe she knows yours."

"I'm sorry about your mother." Almec stopped walking and stood in the middle of two doors. "We're here, these are your rooms. You can choose which one you like."

"Thank you," I said. It was the first time I had spoken since our little exchange by the door.

"If you're going to live here you're going to have to follow some rules," Almec said. "Number one, you cannot enter the left wing of the mansion under any circumstances."

"What's there?" Faustina asked.

"My room," Almec replied. "Number two, I hope not to be bothered by unnecessary things. I would like to maintain my peace of mind. You can talk to the people who work in the house, they come in the morning and leave after dinner, but don't interrupt their work."

"How do I know what things are unnecessary?" Faustina interrupted him again.

"Ask your sister when you're not sure about it. Third, hours before leaving the mansion you have to notify me so that I can make the necessary arrangements for your safety. Fourth, you cannot leave your rooms after eleven at night."

"What if I want to go to the bathroom?" my sister asked.

"The rooms have a bathroom, you don't need to go out. Anyway, that's all for now. Did you have dinner yet?"

"Yes, we ate at the inn, Wina insisted," I answered and then I took our luggage from Almec. "Thanks for everything, we'll make sure to follow the rules."

"Yes, they're easy, I can follow them." Faustina smiled at the alpha. "Just curious, what happens if I break a rule? Not that I plan to, but sometimes my mind gets confused."

"You don't have to worry about that if you plan to follow them." Almec took a few steps to the side. "Have a good night. Breakfast should be ready tomorrow starting at seven."

"Can I have breakfast later?" Faustina asked. "I don't get up that early."

"You can eat it any time before lunch," Almec replied and began to walk away.

"Have sweet dreams," Faustina shouted, looking at his back.

The excitement that gripped my sister after the choice of rooms was mentioned collapsed when we discovered that both were identical. With a queen-sized bed, wooden floors, and a large window that led to a small balcony, they were more than enough for the guests.

"Uhg, I wanted mine to be special. Can I add my touch to mine?" she asked, looking at the wall of the second room.

"I guess as long as it's a reversible change it's fine." I placed the backpacks on the floor.

"Is painting the wall lilac okay?"

So that was the reason why she kept looking at the walls. Faustina narrowed her eyes as if she were analyzing something.

"Why don't we make something simpler? You can hang some decorations, or change the lamps," I suggested. "The paint is going to be difficult to change and we don't know how long we will be here."

Faustina looked at me pouting, her technique was almost perfect but I had immunity against her attacks.

"Can't you convince the alpha so we can paint it?"

"I'm not going to fall into your trap," I replied. "Besides, what makes you think that I have a chance of convincing him?"

"You convinced him so we can live here."

I sighed and sat on the bed. "Actually it was the other way around, he convinced me."

Faustina fell on the mattress next to me. "That makes more sense, he has alpha power."

"Yes, alpha power," I whispered.

How could I explain to my little sister that Almec had an influence on me beyond his position as alpha? Not even I could understand the force that was pulling me towards him, I couldn't understand why every time I saw him I wanted more than ever to regain the connection with my wolf.

"Can we sleep together today?" Faustina asked, saving me from my thoughts. "We always sleep close to one another or in the same room, and it's just our first night in the mansion."

That was her way of saying that she was afraid of being alone. And to tell the truth, I also felt more comfortable having her by my side.

I grabbed her hand. "I think it's a great idea." A yawn escaped me before I could finish talking. "After such a long day I'm tired, what do you say we go to sleep early today?"

"I say it's a perfectly splendid idea."

Our backpacks were forgotten while we settled into bed. Every time I went to sleep I remembered that we needed to buy pajamas; my old jeans felt uncomfortable against my skin, but thanks to the comfortable mattress it didn't cause much of a problem.

Faustina grabbed my right arm and forced me to hug her. It was adorable how she used to talk so much but when she felt shy she seemed to forget her words.

"Good night," I said after turning off the lamp on my nightstand.

"Que sueñes con los angelitos," answered Faustina, her little smile visible thanks to the light that came from her lamp. She still remembered the phrase our mother used to use with us.

My fatigue was so excessive that it didn't take me more than five minutes to fall into a deep sleep. I was enveloped in a cloak of darkness that kept me in ignorance until the sound of a howl brought me back to reality.

I opened my eyes, confused by the sound coming from outside the room. I slowly got out of bed to not wake Faustina and glanced at the clock above the door.

The clock hands marked one in the morning, the curfew had already started several hours ago. No matter what I heard outside the room I couldn't go to investigate.

Another piercing howl broke the silence. The cry of the unknown wolf raised a wave of anguish within me. It had been so long since I heard so much suffering in a howl since I witnessed the fall of my pack.

The sound was getting louder, it was as if it were coming from the other side of the wall. A knock on the door confirmed my suspicions. The sound of claws scraping against wood added to the howls.

I should have been afraid. A desperate wolf was trying to enter the room where my sister was sleeping. However, all I felt was pain.

The desire to help the wolf argued in my mind against Almec's order. It was forbidden to open the door, and yet, I removed the key and turned the handle.

Breaking the rules, I opened the door just enough to get out and closed it again behind me.

The wolf was standing in the hallway, it wasn't just any wolf, it was Almec's. A heartbreaking cry left his body as our gazes met. He lowered his head and lay down on the ground.

The gesture of submission coming from the alpha surprised me. I carefully approached him and stretched out my hand. The wolf rubbed his nose against my palm and his crying stopped.

"Are you alright?" I asked him, kneeling in front of him.

In response, the wolf rested his head on my knee.

"Do you want some company?"

With more confidence I began to pet him. Had the wolf taken power over Almec? It wasn't normal for the animal side of a werewolf to act without permission from his human side, but something told me that Almec wouldn't have come to cry in front of my room.

Perhaps Wina was right and he needed some company. Either way, I couldn't leave him alone in a moment like that, the idea of abandoning him made me want to cry.

So I followed my heart and chose to stay next to him.

Ignoring the wolf's complaints, I moved my body and leaned my back against the wall to be more comfortable. Without realizing it, I started humming my favorite lullaby, while still petting him.

Minutes passed, the wolf stopped moving and his breathing calmed down. Little by little my eyes began to feel the weight of time. I did the reckless thing and let myself be carried away by comfort.

Under the dim light of the hallway, the two of us fell under the spell of sleep.