Aiden POV

Finding the ingredients for a simple ham and cheese sandwich, I quickly put together two before making my way back to the bedroom door. Opening it as quietly as I could, I shifted back to my wolf form before entering. The shift was a precaution just in case my movement woke her up. I was still unsure if she was a deep sleeper or not.

Making my way into the bedroom, I paused on her side of the bed and watched her full lips twitch in her sleep.

Beautiful.

When we had first made eye contact, her eyes-- a light brown with speckles of green in the light-- were such a beautiful color that I had felt my breath catch.

As I stood there, her scent drifted toward me and I felt my heart skip a beat. She smelled like jasmine and lavender. I inched closer and inhaled the intoxicating scent before coming to my senses and quickly backing away. Being in my wolf form so many days in a row must be making me more prone to my animal instincts.

Quickly turning from her, I made my way to the other side of the bed and gently nudged my brother. Leon stirred slightly before opening his eyes, revealing irises identical to my own. Telling him to stay quiet through the connection, I gestured to the door with my head and we quickly exited the room.

As soon as we were in the living room, I reverted to my human form and quietly shut the door. Holding my finger to my lips to warn Leon to be quiet, I gestured for him to shift back as well. In a matter of moments, the tiny wolf pup was gone and in its place was a short five-year-old boy with dimples, shaggy dark brown hair, and a smile that lit up my whole life.

"Den-den! We have a home!" Leon quietly exclaimed while holding up his hands and running around in circles. Grinning at my little brother's antics, I scooped him up and planted a kiss on his squishy cheek. I could not express the relief I felt that his radiant joy and energy hadn't been crushed by our life falling apart overnight; his youth saving him from the harsh reality that our lives would never be the same again.

"That we do. And we also have a midnight snack before you go back to bed," I responded as I carried him to the kitchen where the two sandwiches awaited us.

Leon let out a little shriek of excitement at the sight of the sandwiches but quickly clapped his hands over his mouth. We both stood deadly still as we listened for any movement in the bedroom indicating that we had woken her up. After a minute of silence, I set Leon down and handed him his sandwich while holding a finger to my lips.

As we ate, I went over the rules we had to follow while staying at the apartment of the girl whose name I still did not know.

"Remember, NEVER transform into your human form while she's home or when I'm not with you," I re-iterated for what felt like the hundredth time. Leon was smart, but he was still young, and I was worried he would slip up and we'd have to leave. At the unpleasant thought, I turned to the door and tried telling myself it was unpleasant only because it would be a hassle to find another home again, not because I was intrigued by the girl who had taken us in.

Finishing up our meal, Leon let out a yawn and his eyelids began to close.

"It's bedtime again for you, buddy" I said as I pat my brother's head. "Time to shift and then go back to bed."

We both promptly shifted and Leon returned to his spot on the bed, passing out within seconds. Content with the day's events, I returned to my spot next to the bed and got as comfortable as I could. I couldn't sleep on the bed without feeling I was taking advantage of her. Well... more advantage than what was necessary to survive. Plus, even laying on the hard floor, I was more comfortable and relaxed than I had been for the past two weeks.

As I drifted off to sleep, I thought of the nicknames she had given us and how shocked I had been at the one she had picked for me.

Alpha.

What had been stolen from me had been in some way given back with her choice of name. I then thought back to the events leading up to my nickname and fell asleep feeling a mix of embarrassment, mortification, and for the first time in the past two weeks.... a sense of hope.