Accidental Surrogate

Ella

“Cora tell me what happened.” I demand, crossing my skinny arms over my chest. I’m eight years old, glaring down at my surrogate sister with a stern expression. It’s always been this way between us. She’s a year older, but I’ve always had the dominant personality.

“It was nothing.” She insists, averting her gaze from my own.

“You’re lying.” I counter stubbornly. “I can always tell, you know.”

“No, you think you always know.” Cora answers sullenly, though we both know I’m right. I can read my sister like a book.

“Would you just tell me?” I press, sighing with exasperation.

“Fine, it’s not even a big deal, it was just some of the big kids being jerks.” She explains gravely.

“Which ones?” I respond immediately. “Point them out.” It could be anyone, considering the fact that even children our own age tend to be bigger than us. It seems like the orphanage physician labels us undersized and undernourished every year, though nothing ever changes.

Reluctantly, Cora points toward a familiar gang of kids, ranging from age eleven to fourteen. The ringleader is a beefy thirteen year old who always wears a cruel leer, as if he’s ever on the lookout for someone to bully to tears – just for the fun of it. “You see, there’s nothing we can do about it – they run this place.”

“I beg to differ.” I answer, tilting my chin up defiantly. “We don’t have to be bigger than them – just smarter. Now tell me what they said to you?”

Cora’s voice is so low I almost can’t hear her speak. She stares at the ground, her shoulders slumped in defeat. “They called me a worthless gutter rat and said no one would ever adopt me cuz I’m too ugly.”

abandoned child. None of us know what it’s like to be wanted or unconditionally loved, and the only thing that keeps us going is the hope that we might get parents one day. As far as I’m concerned, targeting my sister’s biggest sensitivity deserves a serious punishment. “I’ll kill them.” I seethe, my tiny

argues, completely disheartened. “I mean, maybe they have a point. We’re getting old now, and you know how it is. Parents only ever

just as badly as you do, but I’m not gonna leave you for anything.” I vow. I’d like to see any grown

a way of taking the most skittish and rejected of our peers under my wing,

remind her. “Why else do you think the big kids are so mean. They’re mad that

them off the hook?” She asks, arching a

we’re in this together.” I answer reasonably, trying to calm my own

in a pearly grin. “And

the pants.” I sniff, turning on my heels to march up to the bullies in question. Cora trails along behind me, whispering anxiously about what a bad idea this is. I don’t listen, determined to

on someone your own

spoke. The ringleader rises to

shouldn’t be mean to Cora just cuz you’re unhappy. That isn’t fair and she doesn’t deserve

you gonna do about it, brat?” He stalks forward, looming over my small body with malicious intent. “A scrawny little thing

stumble back, but something is rising up inside me, something powerful and fearless. I snarl and pounce, scrabbling up the older boy’s body and attacking him tooth and nail. He screams and flails his arms. “What – hey! Get her off me! What is this!” I don’t relent. Hands

how strange my behavior had been that day. Normal human girls don’t act like that – do

did that?” Sinclair asks, the

de facto leader of the orphanage, just by being scrappy enough to take on the big kids. When it was over I tended his wounds, and from then on they were all loyal to me. My own little

sink into my mind slowly, but I gradually recognize the truth in them – not only the wolfish group I formed, but the fact I was able to

I mean I’m sure I wouldn’t have been any match for a pup that wasn’t dormant, but the human

a born leader, and that has nothing to do with being a wolf – not alone at least.” He praises, dipping his head to deposit a few lingering