Nora happened to be the one that knocked. I was expecting Caleb to not be as angry since it was his younger sister but he seemed more irritated that it was her. Sibling love, I thought to myself.

Caleb mention to get unpacked awhile as he had to attend to something with Nora. There was a section in his closet that was cleared for my clothes and shoes. He must have told someone to clear space for me in his closet. I guess I should be saying our closet.

Finishing up unpacking Bastet had made herself at home, sun bathing in the window sill. There was even a little cat bed constructed my the window for her. Did he think of everything? I'll give him brownie points for the annotative.

"Come on Bastet, let's go look around." She protested when I went to grab her swatting me away when I picked her up. "Okay, okay fine then. Be boring." I left her be to sunbath.

I guess I was going on an adventure on my own.

I wasn't sure where to start or where I wasn't allowed so I opted to venture down the rest of the hallway. As I walked down the hallway I came to realize that no one seemed to live in any of the empty bedrooms. It was a wing of the house but I found it odd there were numerous rooms with large beds with no one occupying them.

As I traveled back the way I came I continued on to the other side of the mansion. At first it seemed empty but as I walked down people came and went through the bedrooms. They were all occupied with people in their twenties.

When anyone came and went they would take a quick glance at me and just as quickly glance away. I could tell they were curious but they seemed to be cautious when they would acknowledge me. I would smile and try to make myself approachable but it didn't seem to matter how warm I made myself be they all looked like they were scared of me.

I frowned thinking I had done something wrong. Had I?

Pushing the awkward interaction to the back of my mind I moved along going back the same way I came and down the staircase in the middle. The staircase was narrow at the top of the floor but widened as it descended. The stairs looked more extravagant than I first remembered now that I could actually take in the beauty of the place.

"Want me to show you around?" I jumped at the voice and turned around to see Alex leaning against a doorway. The doorway led to the dining hall.

"Are you trying to give me a heart attack sheesh!"

"I'm sorry." He put his hands up in surrender. "I'm used to Weres being able to hear someone. I forget sometimes that you're human." He smiled at me apologetically as he walked closer.

His blonde hair was dry now as he tossed it around with a loss comb through with his fingers. If Caleb wasn't a pure masterpiece I would have thought Alex was breath taking.

"Yea, I'm a weak slash semi-deaf human." I joked though it wasn't much of a joke speaking to a werewolf.

"So... would you like me to show you around?" His gleaming smile and charismatic personality was hard to reject. Smiling back I nodded. "I'm sure you've looked upstairs already." I nodded again. "Half of the pack lives up stairs. The rest live in houses on the estate property about a quarter mile in each direction."

"Why don't they stay here?" I wondered curiosity getting the better of me.

"The ones that start a family or are older move out to have more space. The younger Weres stay in the pack house. It's cheaper living, until they find their mate." He elaborated walking through the dining hall and into the next room that seemed to be a mud room that led to a green house garden.

"This is the garden" Alex moved through the garden smelling a purple blossoming flower sniffing the sweet scent. I followed after him smelling the flower too. The sweet scent captivating me for a moment before he moved along.

"Outside these doors there's a pool." Pulling the mosaic glass doors it revealed the huge pool. I walked closer but not too close as my stomach dropped when I saw the depth of the pool. "You can always take a dip." Alex said elbowing me lightly. I jolted, clutching his elbow terrified I would fall in. "Wow, you good?"

I gulped my fear down nodding to answer his question.

Alex starred at me for a while finding my behavior strange, but said nothing. Had Caleb never tell him about my suicide attempt? The memories of that night played in my head again until Alex broke the silence.

"Come on, let me show you the rest of the estate." He said walking back through the greenhouse and back into the mansion. "The gym is on the ground floor of the pack residents wing. We also have a theatre room in the basement where once a month the pack residence living here get together for movie night."

"That's nice." My stomach grumbled. What time was it? I couldn't be that hungry.

"You hungry?" He asked. I shook my head. Another grumble and we had our answer. "I'll take that as a yes."

Alex didn't take my refusal for food practically dragging me to the kitchen. I used countless excuses, some didn't make sense while others did. Like the fact that I wanted to wait for Caleb to eat with him. Alex just ignored all of my excuses.

Once we were closer to the kitchen my mouth watered at the aroma. Whatever they were cooking was intoxicating to my nose. Taking in a huge breath of air I failed to notice the middle aged woman standing by the counter cutting peppers.

"Hey mom." Alex exclaimed hugging the beautiful woman.

She was stunning with long dark wavy brown hair and brown eyes. Her face was square with a straight nose and a small round chin. Something about her looked oddly familiar.

"What are you cooking today?" Alex reached for a sliced pepper but the lady swatted his hand. He grimaced clutching his hand. "Ouch!"

"You know better than to put your dirty hands in my cooking space." She narrowed her eyes at him daring him to reach again. "Aren't you going to introduce me to you're little friend?" She lifted her nose high catching a scent, her nose scrunched slightly and she locked onto me for a second. My blood turned cold with the icy stare. Alex went to open his mouth but his mother put her hand up to silence him. "You must be Evelyn." A warm and wide smile came across her face.

"It's nice to meet you-" I paused as the lady pulled me into a tight huge. For a middle aged woman her strength was greater than my own. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised, she was probably a werewolf just like them.

"My name is Cora, Cora Pierce." She pulled away to look at me and my stomach dropped. Pierce? As in Caleb Pierce? My face must have shown how dumbstruck I was at the correlation. Cora chuckled as I blinked still stunned. "Caleb is my son and you my beautiful are Evelyn, his human mate aren't you?"

I could only muster up a nod finding myself still stuck in place, unable to find the words to respond.

It all made sense why she looked so familiar. Although Caleb resembled a lot about his mother Nora didn't besides the dark hair and brown eyes.

Cora pulled my hand forcing me to take a seat.

"You are hungry dear I can hear your stomach grumbling before you even walked in the kitchen. I'm glad Alex dragged you in here." The excitement in her voice and face showed just how ecstatic she was to meet me. I felt guilty I wasn't as equally ecstatic. I just felt overwhelmed. Where was Caleb? I couldn't push down the want I felt for his presence.

"She is starving, and don't let her tell you she isn't mom." Alex warned her shaking his head at me.

"Of course not! I don't take no as an answer." She disappeared through some flap doors leaving Alex and I alone for a couple moments.

"Mom?" I questioned him. Alex and Caleb were not related it was clearly evident in the drastic differences in height, hair, eyes, and even personalities.

"It's a long story." He muttered coming over to sit down at the table next to me. His face fell a little as he reminisced on the past. "The Pierce's took me in when I was a child. I wasn't always a werewolf Eve." My eyes widened.

"How is that even poss-"

"The story is too long to tell you now. Cora will literally stab me if I take any time with you away from her." He smiled as he looked over at the flap doors. "She's been dying to meet you. I promise to tell you the full story sometime."

Cora came back with a tray pull of sandwiches and pasta salads. As she placed the tray down on the table I couldn't find a single sandwich that was the same. They were all different and there had to be at least fifteen different sandwiches.

"Take as many as you want dear, before this man tries to take them. And trust me everyone here will eat just about everything in this house if we didn't keep the fridges locked up. The Weres here know that if they want a snack they have to go out and buy their own. The house only provides three meals." She pulled her tick brown hair back and into a high bun smiling so wide her cheeks moved higher on her face. Her hand suddenly jetted out smacking the back of Alex's hand for the second time. "Let the girl eat. I saw you try to sneak a sandwich."

Alex groaned slouching in his seat like a three year old. I couldn't help but giggle. It was a funny sight to see a mid twenty year old pout like a child.

"I just want a bit." He tried to reach again licking his lips in temptation. "Just like... the smallest bite." He pinched his fingers together to show just how small he meant.

Cora reached across the table sliding the tray far from his reach. I wasn't sure what sliding it would do but the intimidating warning growl and the flash of gold that rose in her eyes made Alex retreat further from the table.

"I swear you are worse than Caleb." She was giving him a deathly scowl but behind it was adoration. "Speaking of..." Her eyes flickered to threshold of the kitchen that leads to the dinning hall. In came Caleb looking as perfect as he seemed to always look.

"He can have a sandwich Ma." Was the first thing he said causing Cora to frown. "I never understood why dad always locked up the food in this house." He picked up a sandwich handing it over to Alex. It didn't take Alex a second to snatch it in delight.

"To ensure we don't go flying through food. You know what kind of appetite Weres' have." She gave him a knowing look that only caused Caleb to shake his head, cross his arms and lean against the small table.

"Yes, but I also know that we can easily fund enough food for everyone at anytime and we should."

"And that's why you should rethink your approach, as Alpha." Caleb rolled his eyes exasperated from the sound of the voice.

My head snapped in the direction of the familiar female voice as I took a bite out of my sandwich. Nora walked in her long brown highlighted hair swaying with ever step. Her big brown eyes were looking into the back of her brother. She was annoyed with her brother and I could relate to the sibling relationship as Aurora and I too failed miserably to agree sometimes.

"It's just how I see things. No one should keep food from anyone." He retorted turning around to look at Nora. "If it weren't for Ma, I would have broke every lock. Out of respect and understanding I haven't."

"I'm sure that's the only reason why." Her bitter tone didn't go unnoticed, but Caleb ignored her turning back to his mother and I. He flashed me a quick wink before Cora spoke up. My stomach felt like butterflies were bouncing around.

"Nora, please not now. Your brother just brought his mate home finally to stay." Cora beamed a smile at me putting her hand on mine that rested on the table. "You are staying, right?"

Suddenly my mouth was drier than the Sahara desert. I forced myself to swallow the bite I had just took.

"Umm, I-"

"She's staying for the summer." Caleb finished for me seeing the building anxiety that was forming behind my eyes. "Eve has fall courses she has to attend to in her next semester."

Cora frowned at the mention of my unfinished academics. I dropped my sandwich on the napkin in front of me suddenly not feeling hungry anymore.

"No, please! Finish eating don't let my disappointment ruin your hunger." She forced her self to smile, moving the napkin closer to me, insisting I finish. The hunger had disappeared completely now.

"She's not hungry anymore mother. Can't you see you've upset her." Nora shot at her mother disgusted at her Cora's open disapproval.

Cora's face dropped even more. Remorse was plastered across her face as she rose from her seat. She walked back to the counter picking up where she once left off. Caleb's low rumble of a growl showed how protective he felt over his mother. Even if his little sister was the one to cause her guilt, he didn't let it go unknown.

"Okay..." Alex awkwardly said feeling the suffocating tension growing between them all. "I just remembered-" He shoved the last bite of the sandwich in his mouth continuing with his mouth full. "-I have doors to do."

Doors?

I tilted my head, lines forming between my eyes. Even Nora gave him a weird look.

Alex finished chewing his food a loud gulp heard as he swallowed. "Chores. I have chores to do."

I made an 'oh' with my mouth as he gave me a weak wave hurrying out of the kitchen. Oh, how much I wished he would take me with him. I didn't want to be stuck in the middle of the family argument that felt like it was about to ensue.

Caleb picked up the tray of food. "Come on Eve." Pulling out my chair for me he shot a glare at Nora. "You can finish eating somewhere else."

Following close behind him I was about to cross the threshold of the door when Cora called out.

"It was nice to meet you Evelyn. I am sorry if I upset you." The genuineness in her voice had my heart aching to replace her guilt.

Giving her a smile of my own in reassurance I replied. "No need to apologize. It was nice meeting you too."

Nora huffed under her breath sliding by me as she slipped past Caleb. She snatched a sandwich off the try as she went. Caleb growled at her for snatching it but did nothing else as he waited for me to catch up to him.

We walked in silence. I was thankful honestly as I tried to piece together what the hell just happened. It didn't feel like just a normal family argument. Though, it was mainly about food and the fact I was only here temporary, the root of their bickering felt deeper. It felt raw.

I wondered if Caleb would eventually tell me or if I could ask the question. No, I told myself. That's too personal of a question to ask. It would be wrong of me to pry where I don't belong. I only just met his family I shouldn't be noise all of a sudden. But the urge still sat there in the back of my mind.

Itching away, and away, and away.