She Quit Her Family and Found Herself novel Chapter 231

Kit shook her head.

Seeing those injuries, Hulda Atherton softened her touch, handling the girl with utmost care. Naturally, this meant bath time took a bit longer than expected.

Once she was clean, Hulda realized she hadn't brought any spare clothes into the bathroom, and putting the child back into her filthy rags was out of the question. Wrapping her snugly in a large bath towel, Hulda carried her out.

Stepping into the main room, she was surprised to find that Caleb Warren wasn't alone; the rest of the institute's team had gathered there, too.

Seeing Hulda emerge with the bundled-up child, Abby Corbett was the first to approach. "Director, that was quite the long bath."

Hulda glanced at Caleb. "Sorry, I think I used up all your hot water."

Caleb waved it off. "No worries, we can always boil more. It's just..." He looked at Kit. "I have to admit, scrubbed clean, the little rascal actually looks pretty delicate. Like a proper little girl."

"She is a little girl," Hulda clarified.

"What? Director, are you telling me this dirty little wolf cub is a girl?" Abby gasped, utterly in disbelief.

"Seriously, who raises a little girl like this? If she were my daughter, my heart would break," Dr. Lynch chimed in. He had a daughter of his own—a late-in-life blessing he spoiled rotten, to the point where her picture was his phone's lock screen.

"No kidding. And who names a sweet little girl something wild like 'Kit'?" Caleb, though unmarried, found it equally baffling.

Little Kit had lost all the feral aggression she’d shown when ripping out Caleb's hair. Now, she was as docile as an angel in Hulda's arms. The tiny hands that had previously hovered in the air finally dared to rest gently on Hulda's shoulders.

"You love your grandma very much?" Hulda asked as she helped the girl dress.

Kit nodded without a second of hesitation. "Grandma raises me."

Hearing the child's simple devotion made Hulda's eyes sting. "You go ahead and eat these. I have more. You can take those back for Grandma, okay?"

Kit looked at her, shook her head again, and fell silent. She carefully tucked the crackers into her small pocket, steadfastly refusing to accept the extra ones Hulda tried to offer.

When Hulda carried Kit back to the local schoolhouse, Desmond happened to be standing outside. Seeing Hulda approach with an unfamiliar child, he blinked in surprise. "Whose kid is this? You know, looking at her features, she actually bears a striking resemblance to you, Ms. Atherton."

Standing nearby, Zane looked from Kit to Hulda and nodded in agreement. "She really does. They both have those striking, deep-set eyes and thick brows."