CHAPTER FIFTEEN
TINY'S POV
Teresa booted me from the kitchen. I feel lighter as I drag myself up the stairs to the second floor. The old wood creaks softly under my feet as I glide my palm over the railing. Despite the outdated interior, there is nowhere else I would want to call home.
I walk down the narrow hallway before stopping at the end. On each side of the hallway's walls, there's an assortment of portraits littered across its gray surface. The glossy frames are beginning to fade on the delicate images. Under each picture is a name of a fellow orphan. Some are new, but the majority are old. Sweet round faces that belong to now-full-fledged wolves.
The orphanage is a crucial and intricate part of Silver Crest. We wouldn't have a home, warm meals, or a sense of family if it wasn't for Gahiji. Some day, I'll be a den mother like Teresa. I will repay Gahiji's kindness with my hard work. It's the least I can do after everything.
The other apprentice den mothers accompany my bedroom. Our room is small, but we each utilize the space as best as we can. Serene and Tori have their beds pressed against the right wall of the room. While Akila and I share the left side.
I pause at my bedroom door before twisting the knob open. Cool air hits me as I enter. The color of pink stings my eyes. The walls are plastered with posters and printed pictures on Tori and Serene's side. While Akila and I have bare beige walls with a single house plant on a bedside table. Closing the door behind me, I realize I'm alone.
Which isn't unusual. Akila is always on the move with hunting or training. Serene spends most of her time with her mate. And Tori is hardly ever... home.
While they help out around the house, that leaves me with the weight of the orphanage. I can't fight like Akila unless I have the upper hand. Without a wolf or arrows, I am useless. I don't have a mate like Serene or a hobby like Tori. Therefore, I keep myself occupied with night shifts at the cafe and orphanage.
Setting aside my thoughts, I make my way toward my bed. I'm unsure what Gahiji has prepared, but the urgency is clawing at my brain. It can't be good. I reach my closet and begin to sort through the arrangements for formal attire. Slipping off my coat, I stash the bone-fragmented fabric into a garment bag. I'll store it in the woods later tonight after my shift. I pluck a pair of jeans and a red blouse from the closet.
I clutch my clothing pieces to my chest as I head for the shower. A smile erupts from me as the sound of Akila and Serene's quarrel trickles down the hallway. Slipping into the dainty bathroom, I quickly latch the door shut before setting my spare clothes on an empty shelf. The bathroom is usually occupied or fought over in a house overwhelmed by its populace. A shower to myself is a treat, and I plan to dwell in my privacy happily.
...
Wiping the steam from the mirror, I take in my exterior. Splotches of dried blood and patches of leaves stain my hair. I turn the faucet on to wash the dirt off my face and run my fingertips over the leathery crevasse of my face. There was a time when my reflection made me grimace.
But now? I find myself smiling at how far I've come.
I peel the layers of clothes from my body. Tossing the stained and distressed fabrics into a hollow laundry basket by the door. It was going to be a pain removing the stains, but I couldn't be bothered. I just want to melt away with my thoughts in a hot shower.
I turn the faucet to the shower and watch as the water trickles down from the showerhead. The water builds into a steady flow as the fixture sputters until rolls of steam bounce off the wall. I step inside the tub as the hot water washed over me.
Streaks of dirt and blood spill before my feet sulking into the drain. I run my hands through my hair and smile as the water pours over my face. This is a luxury I will never get tired of indulging in.
As I exfoliate, my mind drifts through an endless patch of scattered thoughts. I can't remember a life where I didn't walk among spirits. Out of all the spirits I've encountered, I haven't met my parents. I find myself wondering if they think of me. Maybe they're somewhere in this world finding satisfaction that I couldn't provide. Surely they'd visit me if they passed.
But then again, would they attempt to try to find the daughter they discarded in a fire they created?
The chances of them being alive are dim. I wouldn't remember them anyways if I had seen them before. Truthfully, I doubt they'd recognize me with the kisses of harsh flames slathered on my body. They're as good as dead to me anyhow.
The little girl's spirit comes to mind as I fill my hands with soap. They ripped her future from her chest, yet the child carried the spirit of an alpha. She did not falter at the sight of the beast who fed on her bones.
The little girl was a rare beauty who never got to live her life. But even in death, she was not alone. Another pack like Blackwell was wiped out for greed and hunger.
I shutter in disgust remembering the dead beady gaze that the cold man gave me. We would never be free of rogues until we find their nest. Whatever hellhole they crawl from.
After I settle things with Gahiji, I should check on the rogue's remains. Just to make sure Rosita, the grizzly I named last year, had a sufficient snack.
Rinsing the contents from my body, I turn the water off as it slowly spills to an abrupt stop. I watch as the water spills down my maimed side. The burns from my childhood ooze from my face down to my leg. I remove myself from the shower and dry my body with a plush towel before dressing myself.
The long sleeves of my shirt tug tightly against my skin as I pull myself into a pair of jeans. Using the towel to pat my hair, I unlock the bathroom door. The faint sound of Akila and Serene's conversation drifts as I head to our bedroom.