Chapter 11: Tooth & Nail
Moana

“Follow me,” the director of the orphanage, Sophia, said. Her sad expression when I mentioned my identity gave me cause for concern, and as I followed her blonde head of hair up the narrow wooden stairs to her office, I felt my heart start to beat faster than it had been before.

Sophia led me into her office and gestured for me to sit as she closed the door behind us. I sat on the edge of the straight-backed wooden chair across from her desk, clutching my purse nervously in my lap.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about your heritage sooner,” Sophia said as she walked over to one of the tall metal filing cabinets at the back of the room that contained records of current and past children at the orphanage. “It’s our policy to not bring it up, for the sake of the children’s m*ntal health. I hope you understand.”

“Of course,” I replied. I watched as Sophia pulled open one of the drawers and began thumbing through the rows of manila folders. Sophia had been here since I was a child; at the time, she was a spry young woman, around the same age as I was now. Now, as I watched her search for my file, I noticed the slight hunch developing in her aging back, the tufts of gray hair that hadn’t been dyed yet at the nape of her neck, and the subtle wrinkles starting to form on her hands and forearms.

“Let’s see…” she whispered to herself, rifling through the folders until she found one with my name on it. “Here we go.” She pulled it out and walked over to the desk, setting it down in front of me.

I glanced up at her nervously for a moment, waiting for her nod of approval before opening the folder.

Inside of the folder, aside from my basic intake files and other basic information, there was only one thing: a single, sharp canine tooth.

furrowed my brow and picked up the yellowed tooth, turning it over in my hand. There was a distinct cr*ck down the center, but no

I asked, looking back up at

sat down in her chair. “As you know, we get a healthy mix of both human and werewolf children,” she said, leaning back and

“Why?” I asked, feeling the resentment toward werewolves bubble up inside

often be subject to an entire host

any less resentful. If anything, they

because I was born without

best guess.” Sophia said. There was

had no choice, even.” Sophia paused to take a breath, her lips spreading into a gentle smile as she began to reminisce. “I can still picture your

the tooth again; I had been gripping it so hard that it left an imprint in my

you think they left me with this tooth so I could find them?” I

quiet for a few moments before she reached across the table and took my hand,

back down the stairs, I felt Mina’s presence again and asked her in my mind, “Why didn’t you ever show yourself

knew that she was just as confused by her late appearance as

couldn’t help but smile. Even though what I had learned from Sophia made my resentment toward werewolves rise up inside of me, seeing an Alpha werewolf being so kind as to teach orphan children restored my faith once more. Maybe werewolves really weren’t all so bad — and maybe I wasn’t quite as ashamed to be one,

me looking and shot me a bright smile before jumping up and jogging over

he said. “I’d love to see your work. The children talk

felt my face go a bit red at the Alpha’s kind words. “Thank you,” I said, then bit my lip for a moment

Ethan replied, sticking his hands into the pocket of his apron and c*****g his head as he leaned

if so, have you ever heard of those

his face. “I’ve heard of that,” he replied in a hushed tone so that the children couldn’t hear. “But I’ve never heard of the children trying to find their parents. I don’t think most of them would even want to find them once

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