𝙴𝚌𝚕𝚒𝚙𝚜𝚎𝚍

Chapter Nine

Just before I had fallen asleep, a hardly audible knock on my door jostled me from my drowsiness.

"For the Goddess' sake, will no one allow me to sleep for longer than a few minutes?" I snatched the covers off me, then stomped my way over to the door and shouted through it, "What?!"

I angrily ripped the door open, ready to give whoever it had been a piece of my mind, when I saw Katie's little blue and brown eyes staring back at me.

"N-never mind. . ." She started to turn around to leave, but I gently grabbed her by the arm.

"No, little bug. . . I did not mean to yell at you." I instantly felt horrible for allowing my anger to get the better of me. "You are no bother to me, I promise."

"Did I wake you?" She softly muttered while looking at her feet, "I'm sorry."

"No," I shook my head, "you didn't, I was just about to get into bed, in fact. Is there something you need?"

She stood there silently for a moment, as if she were mustering up the courage to speak her mind, "Can. . . can I sleep with you tonight?"

A huge wave of guilt washed over me after hearing the sadness in her voice, which made me feel even worse about yelling at her. "Of course you can." I stepped aside then motioned for her to enter, "Come on."

I closed the door behind her, then walked back over to my bed. "You can have the left side. I'll take the right." I specifically preferred to sleep on the right side of any bed if I had to choose something other than the center, otherwise I'd be unable to sleep at all.

She quietly made her way to the left side, then pulled back the covers and crawled in. I too did the same on mine, trying to get back into the same comfortable position that I had been in before I had to leave it. But, of course, I had completely lost it. So, I laid there, trying not to toss and turn too much, that way I did not make Katie feel as if I were uncomfortable.

"I'm scared." She whispered. I could hear the tears caught in her throat as she did her best to suppress them. "Father said that they did not make a decision on my punishment today, and I would have to wait until tomorrow to find out."

It felt like a heavy load had been lifted from my shoulders. Father had not told Katie the truth, like I had asked. Which meant he must not have been as angry with me as I had thought.

"It will all be okay." I tried to reassure her. "They did not seem too mad during the talk we all had today."

"W-what if they are mad?" Her breaths started to catch as she started to break down, "I heard t-the maids t-talking, they s-said the A-alpha was angry."

I pulled her into me, trying to calm her down, "I was there, little bug, they are not going to punish you. I promise."

"I d-don't want to g-get beaten. . ." She sobbed, tears dripping onto my skin.

It was hard having to comfort someone about something I was about to experience for myself. But what was worse, was having to hold back my own tears and hide my own terror when I was slowly being consumed by it.

However, Katie did not know the truth about the matter, and I could not blame her for being so scared. She was unaware that I was the one who was going to get the beating she feared, and I was glad for it. Because I would have preferred she not know anything at all. That way, she would not have had to live with the guilt that came with knowing someone she loved had to take the punishment for her, to keep her from suffering.

"Hush now," I cooed, trying to keep my voice even, "All will be fine, the Goddess will keep you safe, you'll see. Now go to sleep."

"I love you, Elizie." She whispered.