Chapter 41
1064words
I kept going in and out of consciousness with the kind-hearted nurse who kept answering all my questions and attending to me till I was fit.
I finally remembered what happened.
'But I didn't steal it." I jerked up on remembering the unpleasant memory right in the middle of being attended to.
'The elders will decide." She smiled at me before continuing.
'Nobody is here yet?"
'They were ordered not to." She said simply and avoided my eyes. I got the message, she didn't want to talk much.
Soon, I was fit but I had gotten used to staying in the sick bay without having to face their faces or do things I didn't want to do.
'You are fit enough to leave Moon." The motherly care in her voice endeared me to her; I just wanted to stay and do whatever she wanted, even to my detriment.
'I can run errands for you." I pleaded as hard as I could, but she just paused and gave me a knowing smile before continuing her arrangement.
'Some other time, now off you go."
My welcome back was strange stares; some didn't bother to stare at me for longer than two to three minutes, though.
'Look who's back." Diana stepped out into the hallway, and I paused, not daring to look at her in the face.
'The thief," Lilian replied, making air quotes with her two fingers.
'I didn't steal your diamond pendant, Diana; you have to believe me," I said desperately when I felt more eyes on me.
'Duh, when has a thief ever needed to be believed?" Amira asked, rolling her eyes at me intensely, while Becky kept her eyes glued to the floor; she felt out of place as I walked past them.
'Your punishment has been decided," Amira said loudly, catching my attention.
'You would have to clean the entire pack house every day before you can think of eating." I turned to look at them, but Diana's eyes crossed mine, and I flinched at the coldness in them.
I had wanted to talk, but I swallowed my words; giving a nod, I walked on, looking for my room.
Looking at my still scattered room, tears blurred my eyes and I sniffled. I didn't do it, but who would believe me when I am already being labeled a thief?
How am I sure Diana and her group were just making this up? I mean, I can try proving my innocence.
I focused on putting my room in order, taking my time to pick things up and put them back in their previous position. I took my time because I wasn't ready to be labeled a top-graded thief, and I reduced my already slim chance of being accepted as a normal werewolf just like everyone else.
After placing my bed in its original position, I was about to make it when I heard a knock on my door.
My hands trembled, and memories from several nights before flooded my brain.
When the knock came again, I hurriedly tiptoed towards the door and opened it slightly when I saw a gigantic brown-furred wolf staring back at me.
My heart went down to my tummy at a very fast pace; my knees went weak.
When was the last time I saw one of us in their wolf's form?
My mouth went dry and swallowing was painful, I looked at it in the eye cautious of its next movement, it could be an erratic wolf taking actions before thinking but it just stretched out its right front leg.
My eyes following its movement caught the sight of the letter with a golden seal. A letter from the Alpha.
It became clear, the big brown wolf was one of the King's guards. My lids started shaking this time as I bowed a little.
It looked down at the letter and looked up at me, and I understood its silent language, it was something someone brave could carry out, and I wasn't one. But under its compelling gaze, my shaky hand reached for the floor as I bent slowly, still holding its gaze.
Halfway through picking the letter up, I almost gave in to the compulsion to dump the idea of picking up the letter and run back into my still messy room.
My head played tricks on me. What if he decided to attack me? My nape was bare, what if he bit me there to render me immobile before locking me up in the dungeon?
I secretly applauded myself after I succeeded in picking up the letter. It gave a little bow, and I did the same before it slowly walked away. That was when I noticed the seas of eyes staring right at me and my hand.
I felt hot; my head felt big, and my entire body was light. I had this feeling of floating into the air even when I was still standing there. I was rendered immobile by their questioning stares. I made to move, blink, or do anything at all, but only tears came.
Hot tears left my eyes in a hurry as I kept looking from one pair of eyes to the other; it felt like I could read their thoughts, and it was overwhelming.
What was happening?
I had different voices in my head, somewhere of disgust, hatred, sympathy, accusation, and a few indescribable ones; I was beginning to run mad.
'Are you all right?" I felt a pair of hands grip my light shoulders, finally keeping it in place.
I held on to whomever it was with the last strength in me as he or she blocked my line of vision.
'What are you guys looking at?"
'Haven't you ever seen a thief before? Or has the king's personal guard's visit become so rare that you don't know its meaning?" The voice continued to ask.
I heard a few feet shuffle in the state of my confused mind and a few muted voices before I got pushed back into my room.
I looked up to see the face of my helper, but all I saw were facial features swimming into each other. I almost screamed but I heard my door push open again.
'Don't you dare?" Another voice.
What was going on?
'Ooh, I see…" I blanked out, my mind in a confused and chaotic state.
