The Little Biter

Abandoned and Cold

A young woman moves through a forest, holding a small basket. In the basket lay a small baby, Finding a spot in front of a tree, she sets the basket down. Taking one last look at the infant's face, she sneered in disgust. Walking away, she paused, hesitating for a second before running away.

Later that evening, the baby awoke to the sound of ruffling leaves and sniffing. Not knowing where his mother went, he began to panic. As he prepared to let out a wail, a pair of soft paws picked him up. In the darkness stood another woman, an expression of horror painted on her face. Cradling the baby, she looked around for something that could tell her what had happened.

The scent was faint, but she could smell the baby's mother and what direction she left in. With a soft sigh, she made her way back home. Her parents were less than thrilled when she brought the baby inside. They skeptical of their daughter's explanation due to her history of theft, but ultimately decided to trust her. Luckily, her own father still had her brother's crib in the attic and went to bring it downstairs.

"So, you just found the baby?" A tall Jackal asked, leaning on her hip with a raised eyebrow. "And you're sure it's mother just set him down in front a tree and ran away?"

"I know it's hard to believe, mama." The younger jackal answered. "And he's a boy."

With thundering footsteps, a much larger jackal came into the room. "You pick out any names, Kelsey? Or was there a note?"

The youngest Jackal, Kelsey, gave her father a quizzical look. "Name? No, once I found him, I came home. I couldn't find a note either."

Kelsey's father sighed. "Then whoever dropped him off didn't want him. Best not to worry about finding his birth mother."

"Jack!" Kelsey's mother exclaimed, surprise etched on her face.

"What? He's better off with us instead of whomever left him out there!" Jack reasoned. "Plus, I know you want grandchildren and this could also teach Kelsey a little responsibility. You get grandkids and Kelsey learns to be a bit more mature. Win-win."

Kelsey's mom growled in annoyance, storming out of the room. Sighing, Jack turned to his daughter. Kelsey looked up at her father and saw the pain in his eyes. "You okay, dad?"

As if stuck in the nothing box, Jack shook his head and focused his eyes. "Yeah...Yeah, I'm fine, kiddo." Watching her father walk out of the room,  she asked, "did your mom do the same thing to you?"

Jack stopped, slumping his shoulders after letting out a sharp breath. Turning to look his daughter in the eye, he gave her a tearful nod. Walking toward him, Kelsey gave her dad a tight hug. "Well, grandma missed out. You're the best dad I ever had."

Jack chuckled. "I'm the only dad you've ever had." Kelsey gave him a playful punch to the rib, getting a light chuckle. "Okay, okay. I love you too, kiddo."

In that moment, a name popped into her head as she looked down at the baby. "How about Y/n?"

Jack raised an eyebrow before offering a warm smile. "A good name. I can only hope he's happy here."

Kelsey smiled. "Me too."