Faye's POV
I looked out of the airplane window. Below the white clouds, the endless coastline sparkled like silk in the sunlight. That's where I was about to land, a warm and leisurely paced city.
Before I departed, the Headmistress of the orphanage told me, "You'll surely love everything about this place, Faye. There's sunshine, a coastline, citrus trees, and most importantly, your mother and her new home."
Indeed, my mother lived here, in the largest werewolf pack in Santan State - the Silver Moon Pack. She was the Luna of the Silver Moon Pack.
While the plane was taxiing down the runway, my heart also surged with emotions. I was about to meet my mother, and nervousness began to creep in.
This was the closest time I had been to the concept of "home" in my 17 years. Although I always referred to the friends and teachers at the orphanage as my family, over the years, my "home" had been constantly changing. When I was young, I witnessed my friends being found by their biological parents, and some were adopted as the "lucky ones" to be taken in by new families, starting their new lives. The teachers who cared for us were also changing - some left the orphanage, others retired due to age. In general, the orphanage was a place of constant change.
The fear and disappointment of change and loss reached a peak this year, the summer before my 18th birthday.
Throughout my academic years, my grades have always been good. This summer, I finally received an offer letter from a university. But there was a problem. I needed money to pay for my tuition. And I didn't have much money. In other words, I was quite poor.
I dug out the piggy bank I had been collecting since childhood, searched through all my physical books, and surprisingly found several bills of varying amounts. I also retrieved all my bank cards from different bags. In the end, I realized my total assets were $3812.68.
And taking into account my daily expenses at college, this money was far from enough. Anxiety and turmoil started to build up within me. On one hand, I wanted to continue my education, but on the other hand, this money was a collection of rewards I received at the orphanage and money I earned from part-time jobs during the holidays. At that moment, I was acting like the miser Harpagon, trying to distribute my entire wealth to maximize its use. Yet, I was still disheartened by the realization that the money just wasn't enough.
My second thought was to seek help from Headmistress Annie. She always told us that we could come to her with any difficulties. I believed she would help me.
I carefully put away my piggy bank, paper money, and bank cards, then went to find Annie in her office.
The office door was ajar. I walked to the entrance and heard someone arguing with Annie.
"Annie, I have three kids to support. The wages here are too low. Can you consider giving me a pay raise?" It was Susan, the teacher in charge of the younger age group!
Annie sighed, and then I heard the sound of her using a calculator.
"Susan, look! These are this month's expenses for the orphanage. The perimeter fence needs repairs, or it could be dangerous. The children's food, clothes, medical checkups, and your salaries... I really don't have much money left..."
Susan's voice sounded angry, disappointed, and mostly resigned. "Well then, Annie, I might have to consider finding a new job. I love the children here, but I can't ignore my own children, sorry."
The office fell into silence. Just as I thought they had noticed me, Annie spoke softly, "Susan, if you've truly made up your mind, I agree to your resignation."
Her voice sounded tired and weary.
I didn't enter the office; instead, I turned back to my dormitory.
I took out my offer letter from the drawer and stared at the thin piece of paper. I don't know how long it took, maybe just a few seconds, but it felt like an eternity of inner struggle.
I made up my mind and started tearing the offer letter up. I tore it in half first, then tore the halves into quarters.
I choked up. In my blurry vision, I saw tears drop onto the torn pieces of my offer letter, and finally, I burst into tears.
Everyone was dealing with their own difficult lives. Susan, Headmistress Annie. They faced challenges, and no one could help me in my life except myself.
Now my offer letter had turned into pieces of scrap paper, which meant I had no university to attend. Well, fuck university! I wiped my tears and, as an almost-adult she-wolf, I had to rely on myself. I believed I could take care of myself. I would work, earn money, and then start my new life with plenty of savings to go back to university.
Now, the first challenge before me wasn't about how to go to university, but rather, how to earn money? Honestly, this wasn't a particularly difficult thing for me, as I had a lot of experience working part-time during summers. However, the point now was that I needed a job that could sustain me in the long term.
I reflected on the part-time jobs I had done in the past few years. Convenience store clerk – oh, that was so boring. Restaurant server – no, there were too many unreasonable customers there! The best option I could think of was to work at Uncle Simon's café. Uncle Simon was a good person. He had been a longtime friend of our orphanage. When I was very young, he cared a lot about us. To earn some pocket money, I used to work at his café frequently. Uncle Simon often praised me for making good coffee and he said having me around saved him from hiring two more part-timers.
When I told him about my decision, he was surprised that I was giving up on going to university. He offered to sponsor me, but I politely declined. Uncle Simon had heart problems, and I knew he spent a lot on medical bills each year. I couldn't add to his burden.
Besides, I didn't tell him that I had torn up my offer letter. I didn't have a second chance unless I managed to earn enough money within a few years. I suggested that I wanted to work at his café. Uncle Simon agreed, and I smoothly became an intern barista at Simon's Café.
The café job was very scheduled, which was relaxing and enjoyable for me. I loved the process of making coffee. Sometimes, I would be happy for half an hour just because I managed to create an intricate pattern on a customer's coffee.
I also had to occasionally organize the shelves, like I was doing now. I was dealing with some expired coffee beans, and then I'd move the fresh ones onto the shelves, and so on. This job is somewhat challenging for me now, as lifting a sack of coffee beans was tough. I didn't have my wolf yet, so my strength wasn't much better than that of a regular human girl.
Apart from me, the other regular baristas were busy at the front counter, and I didn't intend to ask for their help. I first tried to move the bag of coffee beans to beneath the shelf. I exerted all my strength, bent down, and lifted the whole bag of beans off the ground.
It was really heavy, much heavier than I anticipated. It almost slipped from my hands. Quickly, I lifted one leg and used my knee to support the bag, then gritting my teeth, I hoisted the bag up to my chest. I panted, making sure the bag of coffee beans maintained a delicate balance in my hands. I needed to place it on the second shelf.
The second shelf was slightly above my head. Oh god! I was 5.57 inches tall, not short by any means, but who in the world designed shelves like this? I took a deep breath and exerted force again, attempting to lift the bag to the height of my head. Suddenly, the pocket next to my thigh vibrated, emitting an annoying ringing sound. I was startled, and then something unexpected happened.
The bag was about to slam into my face. I was going to be buried in coffee beans.
"Watch out!"
A man's exclamation came from behind me, followed by two strong arms enveloping me from behind, trying to help lift the bag. But it was too late. The bag of coffee beans fiercely collided with me.
I was so frightened that I forgot to scream, and I stumbled backwards. The man moved incredibly fast, turning around to tightly embrace me, using his back to take the weight of the coffee beans.
"Ugh..." I heard a muffled groan.
"Are you okay?" I asked with a trembling voice. Was he hurt?
The man in front of me moved his head slightly to the side, and his coarse hair brushed against my face. Both of our necks were sweaty, and our bodies emitted heat. We were breathing heavily, like two chestnuts roasted in the fire, on the brink of bursting.
Then he lifted his head. I saw a pair of deep blue eyes, captivating and enchanting. His features were as delicate as ancient Greek sculptures. My chest was still heaving heavily, but at that moment, I was captivated.
He gave a slight shake of his head, and I snapped back to reality. "Oh, I'm fine... Are you okay?"
He chuckled lightly, revealing a set of perfectly white teeth. "I'm fine too!"
He was the first to stand up. The warmth that had been above me suddenly disappeared, and I even felt a bit disappointed and regretful, as if the closeness hadn't been enough.
He reached out a hand toward me, who was still lying on the ground, and I placed my hand in his palm, just like holding the hand of a knight who had saved me. His hand was large, almost enveloping mine completely. His palm was dry and warm, his fingers long and calloused.
Using his strength, I managed to stand up and patted the dirt off my clothes. The man said, "Your colleague is coming, so I'll be on my way. Be careful next time, and you can always ask someone for help."
I felt a bit embarrassed and mumbled in a low voice, "I used to handle this on my own."
I didn't want him to think I was weak!
He was about to say something else when Uncle Simon rushed over. "Sweetheart, what happened here? Are you both alright?"
"Uncle Simon, I'm okay. It's just that some coffee beans spilled..."
"Your coworker is here, so I'll leave now. Just be safe during work." The man winked at me and left. I watched his departing figure, regretting not thanking him properly.
Uncle Simon gently scolded me in a mild tone, but he helped me gather the scattered coffee beans and advised me to ask the male baristas for help with moving the coffee beans in the future.
I tidied up the remaining coffee beans. Sitting in a squat made my lower back ache a bit. I rubbed my lower back, stood up with a sigh, and headed to the café entrance for some fresh air.
As I pushed the door open, the man who had rescued me walked past me.
He looked completely different from before. He wasn't wearing sporty casual clothes anymore. Now, he was dressed in a dark suit, emanating an air of dominance and coldness. His hairstyle had changed too, appearing more mature than before.
"Hey, you..."
I couldn't help but call out to him.
The man turned to glance at me from the side. His gaze behind the glasses seemed unfamiliar and quizzical.
I stood there puzzled, not knowing what to say. He didn't pay me any attention, held a cup of coffee, and walked away.
Could they be twins?
