Wolf Child - HAITUS

Chapter One: Grouchy

It is a baby's crying that shocks her from her slumber. Isabella grinds her hands against her eyes, muttering about late nights and strange dreams. Whoever that boy was, ought to never see her again. She's had enough worries without him confusing her about some Leo and people trying to hurt her.

Isabella slips off her bed- pushing bare feet into bedroom slippers. It's old and worn, and she wishes the front wouldn't split open like a goblin monster devouring the dust. On she trudges to tend to the wolf she's adopted- wait.

Isabella's head shoots up- eyes wide, "Is that a..."

The wail shatters her thoughts- and she's left shell-shocked for the better half of a minute. What are the chances that a neighbor left a child on her doorstep? Isabella pales, her tough act fading the closer she steps across the room. What if... the wolf has multiplied? What if this house is haunted with a ghost child? Maybe that's why she was terrified last night and why she had that strange dream and why...

There's a naked baby on her floor. 

Isabella stares- while the babe screams. Isabella stares, because this has to be a dream. She looks left, and right- subconsciously keeping her face straight in the event of this being an elaborate prank from an eccentric neighbor. 

It isn't until the baby starts to wheeze does Isabella make a move, scooping the infant up and rocking her. Isabella nearly drops the child as it arches its back, screaming bloody murder for her to know its displeasure.

"Food, sleep or poop." Isabella says to herself, but how can a baby be changed when it's naked? And why would it need to sleep when it's just woken up?

Isabella uses both hands to steady the little girl, and she waddles across her make-shift bedroom in the center of the house to scavenge for food. What are the chances of a baby eating noodles?

Isabella plops down on her couch, holding the child close, "This is unexpected- you shouldn't be here..."

"Eclipse."

"Great," Isabella's face falls, "I don't know how- but apparently werewolves exist now."

And if she knows anything about wolves- which is as much as the next random guy, it's that they live in packs. Isabella frowns at her responsibility, "You wouldn't cause trouble, would you Wolf Child?"

Of course Eclipse doesn't answer- she's a baby. But Isabella lifts herself to her feet, and put the child on the couch- she pulls on a bathrobe, eyes never leaving the wiggling infant, and picks her up again.

It's by pure luck she remembers the milkman- one of the delivery men mentioned that he delivers, and they pay at the end of the week. Isabella's face brightens up, and she takes large steps to the door. One lock, two locks, three locks, four locks opened, and Isabella peeps through the cracked door. Eclipse has the decency to still while Isabella drops to her knees, and grabs the bottle outside.

She feels triumphant, but not Eclipse. Eclipse only feels hungry.

"I hear you," sighs Isabella, and she finds out that she can hold the infant in one hand, and warm milk in another. Does it need to be pasteurized? Did the milkman deliver fresh milk? She wishes she had paid closer attention to the gentleman yesterday.

Isabella uses a plastic spoon to feed the child, the only issues being Isabella running out of patience, Eclipse running out of patience, and the bottle running out of milk.

It wasn't a clean experience- and two grouchy females are left glaring at each other. 

Isabella puts the child down, and finally takes the time to look at her- last night was far more comfortable when the infant was a wolf, she didn't scream at her, and didn't protest when she wiped her down with a warm cloth. But now, as a human? Eclipse was still bloody, and covered in some sort of slime. 

Isabella dreads the moment she has to clean her- which is now. Eclipse glares at her in all her baby glory- eyes wide and accusing, as if Isabella is the reason for all her issues.

The woman puts her hand on her hips, and says, "Do not look at me like that young lady... er... wolf? Wolf Child!"

Isabella stared once more- and uses her hand to brush away dark hair from the baby's face. Honestly, with hair so dark, it looked near vanta-black. The child is pale too- she looks less wolf and more ghost. Isabella pulls back, and wonders what are the chances of this being a ghost-child after all. But looking at the pout- there's that legendary wolf passion Isabella's read about in teen novels.

"Don't tell me you're about to make my life a teen drama story," she waves a finger in front the child- successfully gaining her attention, "I'd hate to be the damsel in distress who gets bullied by the alpha or something. Or worse- your father."

Isabella shivers, and her face falls, "Your mother... She..."

"Change of topic!" the girl announces quickly enough to jump the baby into another crying fit.

Isabella scoops her up, holding her sticky, milky, slimy wolf-baby near to less-than-fresh self. She twirls, and coos, and the baby stares up at her, eyes never leaving her, until it closes. Isabella feels accomplished- she put a wolf-child to sleep. That should be a superpower.