NICHOLAS (old version)

chapter nine: afraid

I sat in the bedroom for hours. There was no clock, and I'd begun to measure the passing of time by the movements of the sun. The window's were East facing, and I begun my counting the moment the sun began to creep out of the treeline. 

I had to figure out a plan. I wasn't sure when the trial would be, and I wasn't sure how it would go. How harsh Nick would be. But I had to plan for the worst. Punishments in packs like these, hard packs, weren't easy. You weren't given kitchen duty or put into your room for a week. These were the places where you were cut and lashed. It wasn't punishment, it was torture, and I wasn't going to put my mother through that.

I'd take her place, I decided. I'd demand that I be punished, because everything she's done was for me. She wasn't in her right mind, she was a parent protecting her pup. Nick would have to punish me. He either wouldn't, or, the more likely scenario, he would. I'd prove to the pack that I wasn't weak, I'd be strong, and I'd gain some respect.

As I sat there, making my plan, there was a quiet knock on the door. Glancing upwards, it opened slowly, and Minnie's head appeared, smiling warmly at me. 

"Hey there sweetie. The trial starts in an hour, I thought you'd want to get ready. Look nice, since you'll be up front with Nick." She explained, moving in and shutting the door behind her. I swore her stomach had gotten bigger since yesterday. I rubbed my eyes, thoroughly exhausted, but smiled at her and nodded.

"Thanks." I said, contemplating revealing my master plan to Minnie, but ultimately deciding against it. I trusted her, considering she was one of the few to show any semblance of kindness and acceptance, but I didn't know her well enough to judge her reaction. To see if she'd try to talk me out of it, or rat me out to keep me safe. It was exactly why I had no intention on telling my siblings. 

If Nick knew ahead of time, he'd be able to do something to stop me. But in front of his people, he'd be forced to treat me same as everyone else. It was genius. Right? Right.

I eyed the mass of clothes in her arms, and the duffel bag slung over her shoulder. She looked prepared for a total makeover, and I was baffled by the idea that I was supposed to dress up this much for a trial. I'd never attended one before; they were for the members of the pack house, the heads of each family, and those tied to the incident. It was bizarre, that anyone would dress up for something like this. But I'd comply; I didn't mind dressing up, quite liked it actually, and I wanted things to go smoothly until the trial. That was when shit would fly.

I sat down on the bed, and found myself subconsciously tuning out Minnie as she ruffled through the clothes, holding them against me before dropping them in the pile. She kept talking about style and curves and coloring, and I nodded along, though didn't listen. I was terrified by the idea of what would go down in an hour.

"Darcy." 

My name pulled me out of my trance and I glanced at Minnie, wide-eyed, spooked. I quickly realized that this wasn't the first time she'd tried to get my attention, and she held out a mass of clothing and a few shower items.

"Here." She said, her eyes full of concern but her smile soft. "Nick had me go out and get some clothes for you last night - all of these, they're yours. I have a few more bags too, I'll put them away while you're in the shower."

This, this was exactly what I wanted. I wanted a mate who, when he realized I didn't have clothes, got me some. I wanted a mate who'd show my own mother some mercy. Someone who would sweep me off of my feet and come back at night. It wasn't much, making sure I wasn't naked or wearing the same outfit for the rest of my life, but it was a start. I was sure that I'd begun unlocking the good, the gold, within him. I just had to dig a little more.