Auri's brows furrowed as she contemplated her answer.

"I did go back. Last year," she admitted, sinking deeper into her hand. "It had been so long, and I... had a bad breakup and everything. I thought that maybe it was time to go back. But... I was wrong. The house, my family, it's still a chaotic mess. Nobody seemed to have cared that I left. Everything felt... the same, as though I never left, as though they never realized I left. I felt as though I just... traveled back in time. I don't know. It was a very strange experience. I... didn't enjoy it."

There was a pause as I attempted to think of something to say. "Maybe... they were too busy?"

"Too busy?" A soft, wry laugh escaped her throat. "Don't get me wrong, I appreciated going back. I was glad to have a chance to connect with some of my siblings again. But for the six years that I've been here, I've been trying to get them to come here, to check out the new life I built for myself, to check this place out." She gestured her hands around. "They know how much this means to me, and yet, for six whole years, I was the one who visited them. They never visited."

She let out a sigh before standing up and marching over to the wall. She pressed a button, and my jaw dropped. A small part of the wall opened up and a giant bed—giant, even by my standards—glided out.

"Huge, right?" Auri noticed my expression and laughed. "Back home, we slept in small bunk beds due to space constraints. I never got to see any of my siblings' faces as we chatted to sleep. So, I built this bed for them. I thought that when they visit, we can sleep here, side-by-side, as we talk. I thought it'll be fun, I thought they'll love it."

She lowered her head. "But... they never visited."

Silence fell between us. I walked over next to her and placed a tentative hand on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Auri," I muttered. "Your family is missing out. This is a good bed. It's a good size."

Auri chuckled. "The perfect size for you. What's your plan for the night, Bodie? Wanna sleepover?"

My cheeks heated. The tone of her voice suggested that this might be a joke, but I wished it wasn't.

I scratched my head. "Can I? I... I got thrown out of the pack so I, uh, do need a place to stay in..."

Auri blinked, blood draining from her face. "T- Thrown out?" She blinked a little more, and tears started to form in her eyes. "Oh no... It's... It's my fault, isn't it?"

"What? No, no, definitely not." I shook my head so vigorously that I was beginning to see stars. "No, no, Auri, it's not your fault. My father had an issue with me. It's not anyone's fault."

The petite woman burst into tears and I melted into a puddle of worry.

"D- Don't cry, Auri, it's not... it's not your fault..."

My voice was as frantic as my hands, trembling and waving around Auri's body. What should I do? What was one supposed to do when a girl was crying? Should I hug her? Pat her? Or should I just leave her be?

Then, Auri leaned forward and slumped her body onto my stomach. I froze.

"It was my fault," she said, her voice muffled in my shirt. "I knew it was almost impossible, and yet... I pushed you... I pushed you to help me..."

I let my hands fall gently on her back. "You didn't push me, Auri. I wanted to help you."

"And I should've stopped that. I've worked for the government long enough, Bodie, long enough to know that some wereanimals would never budge for us rabbits, especially not... not..."

She sniffed and continued, "But I- I thought it might be different with you. You were so sweet, so nice, so helpful, and I thought things might be different if a werewolf stood up for us. But I should've known... I knew how impossible it would be... And yet I... And now you're... you're kicked out of your pack because of me..."

Lifting her head, her large, round eyes met mine. "I'm sorry, Bodie."

The patch on my shirt was wet and cold, but I felt nothing except for the crumbling of my heart. I clenched my jaw as I wiped the tears away from her eyes and cheeks.

"Trust me, Auri, it's not your fault. It's my father. He's... an asshole. He was being unreasonable. He didn't need to force you all to stop burrowing. He was wrong, but I have no power against him." The thought of this made my blood boil once again.

A small smile crept up Auri's lips. "Thank you," she whispered. "I barely knew you, and yet you helped me so much. More than what anybody else in my life has done for me. So... thank you, Bodie, really."

"It was the right thing to do."

Her grin widened and she wiped the rest of her tears away. "Come on, forget about your pack or my family. We have this paradise to ourselves now. Let's clean up, and then we can watch a movie together till we fall asleep. What do you think?"

And so, Auri was back to her usual, cheerful self. My heart fluttered in my chest.

"Sounds great."