6

Nin rummages around in her pockets—she's wearing cargo shorts under her shirt—and pulls out her Massachusetts state ID: Ashley Nin.

"My mentor, she helped me become a Child of Gaia, and she liked Anaïs Nin, who was a writer," Nin says. "That was my only name for my first few years, and before I—before everyone died—I didn't speak very well. I had to learn once I was on my own but then Trevor—from Saint Homunculus—and his girlfriend helped me get an ID, and we made up a first name. His girlfriend is nice."

"Were both of your parents wolves?" you ask, flipping through her albums.

"Yes," Nin says. "I've asked Elton about looking further back but records are spotty before 1988 when Wolf Hollow opened in Ipswich. Elton mentioned once that my human ancestors are probably Indigenous people from around New England but I don't know if there are any of them left or if I just carry old genes from people who died centuries ago." Nin shrugs.

"So you're not named after Nine Inch Nails?" you ask, stopping at Pretty Hate Machine on vinyl.

Nin bursts out laughing.

"The fake band from Twin Peaks?" she asks. "No, Stonegrowl, of course not."

You're about to clarify your thoughts when your reconnected phone starts buzzing.

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