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.

over in my hand. There was a distinct cr*ck down the

is this?” I asked, looking back up at

leaning back and clasping her hands together across her stomach. “But what we don’t often disclose is that werewolf parents

eyes widened, and my fingers involuntarily closed around the tooth. “Why?” I asked, feeling the

on her face. “But not always. You see, children without wolves would also often be subject to an entire host of discrimination for their entire

make me feel any less resentful.

me because I was born without

guess.” Sophia said. There was a long pause

was for your own good. Perhaps they 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 chubby little fingers wrapped around that tooth. You wouldn’t let go of it,

my hand and looked down at the tooth again; I had been gripping it so hard that it left an

I could find them?” I asked, my voice barely

table and took my hand, squeezing it gently. “That’s up to you to decide,” she

felt Mina’s presence again and asked

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

and saw Ethan sitting on the floor and helping the children with their papier mache, I couldn’t help but smile. Even though what I had learned from Sophia made my resentment toward werewolves rise up inside of me, seeing

looking and shot me a bright smile before jumping up

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

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

sticking his hands into the pocket of his apron

wolfless children? And if so, have you ever heard of those children finding their parents

was silent for a moment, then nodded with a pained look on 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 they find out, and besides… Most

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