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136- Cheeks and cheating
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Ten minutes later, I find myself walking outside with my arm looped loosely around Aaron’s. It has been a little overcast all day, but it’s like the universe is sensing my mood and doing it’s best to combat it because the clouds cleared up practically the moment we stepped outside and now it’s pleasantly sunny. Although I am starting to wish I had a pair of sunglasses with me. Aaron is wearing some and I’m kind of jealous. I’m still mad at Bellamy, but going for a walk was definitely the right choice. I’ve been cooped up for nearly two weeks and the fresh air is everything I didn’t know I've been missing. We stay within the boundaries of the Shifter compound, I’m exercising my independence, not trying to get myself killed. We wander aimlessly, often passing Shifters, some of whom wave at me or greet us. I vaguely remember meeting some of them during my tour of the compound with Megan and while we’ve been hanging out. From my understanding, not all the feline Shifters live here, but
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Strings of Fate 137- Responsible and ready
“I swear I can explain and that wasn’t how it looked.” He blurts out in one panicked breath. He continues before I get a chance to answer. “I would never be unfaithful, I promise and I can explain everything. I know we fought and you were angry but I need you to believe me. I didn’t know she was going to do that and I would have stopped her if I did. Her father died last year and her mother was friends with my mother and she asked me as a favour to escort her daughter to get some test results because she’s worried about the murders recently and it seemed harmless, I didn’t realise Lovetta had other intentions. I was just taking her home, and she was clinging onto my arm but I was thinking about what you said about my being too harsh sometimes so I was trying to think of a… nice way to get her off. Then suddenly she was asking if I was single and I must have taken too long to answer.” He pauses and takes a quick breath then continues as if worried that he might explode if he doe
Strings of Fate 138- Passion and personal space
“So what I am supposed to take from this is basically, I’m not the boss of you and if I want your help in the future I have to remember to ask before doing things. Also that I definitely shouldn’t bring up any objection I have about seeing you outside of the house earlier because that will one hundred percent backfire on me.” he sums up and I let out a small smile.“Yeah that would be wise. But yes that just about covers it.” I hold out a hand and when he takes it I give him a tug prompting him to stand up. He stands in front of me with his arms crossed over his chest. You would think that having resolved our argument he would be happy, and he definitely looks less anxious, but he still seems a little put out, his brow furrowed like he’s thinking about something irritating.“What is it?” I ask and he groans.“You’re going to think I’m crazy.” He complains. I roll my eyes. “Bellamy, I already know you’re crazy. Just tell me.” I lean back with my hands on the bed behi
Strings of Fate 139- Seduce and shrug-off
Apparently I was wrong. I’ve been walking around Bellamy’s room for the last five minutes wearing his shirt and the smallest shorts I could find among my stuff, barely more than underwear, and he hasn’t given me more than a passing glance. Seriously, how is this not enough of a hint for him? What else am I supposed to do? Make a banner? Rent a blimp? Tattoo it across my forehead? Bellamy is just casually leaning back against the headboard of the bed, legs crossed over each other, the blankets pulled up over his legs, reading. I’ve wandered around, brushed my teeth, combed out my hair. I even spent an unnecessary amount of time fussing with some of my pillows, like I care if they’re all straight when they’re scattered all over the bed anyway. But he remains focussed on his book. Well it had better be damn interesting because my legs are freezing walking around like this. I eventually give up before I make a total fool of myself and climb into bed. Maybe I’ll read an ebook on my phone o
Strings of Fate 140- Sugar and spoons
Sometimes I hate being right. When the dream-vision thing starts, I expect it to be much like all the others. I watch Kiara cry herself to sleep, or lie there in a zombie-like state. Occasionally she wakes up and moves around, but not a lot changes. I thought the fact that things rarely changed was a bad thing, but now I’m starting to think I should have prayed for things to stay how they were for as long as possible. Kiara is curled up on herself clearly trying to block everything out, then I see her get yanked up by her right arm, yet again interacting with invisible people. She begins shaking her head, her hair flicking around her ears as much as it can given how matted it's gotten. I can see tears running down her face. Her mouth is moving and given the amount of energy she’s putting behind her movements, she’s yelling. Damn it I wish I could read lips. I can make out one word though. ‘NO’ She is yelling and arguing against something. Someone is pulling her by the arm and she is p
Strings of Fate 141- Wake-up and wittness
“Oh shit Bellamy I’m so sorry. Was the woman a feline Shifter? It was a woman again, right?” I confirm. Bellamy gives a solemn nod. “Was she someone you knew well?” I ask, almost afraid to hear the answer. Bellamy shrugs.“I’ve met her, I’ve met most of the local feline Shifters. She didn’t live here in the compound. She has a large family and they run a moving company on the other side of town. They live down that way. I think the last time I saw her would have been Megan’s engagement party, and I don’t think I said more than two words to her.” Bellamy looks guilty. Clearly he is blaming himself for something. “This isn’t your fault, you know.” I tell him, running a hand over his arm in an attempt to soothe him. Bellamy shakes his head.“I’m Alpha, so I’m responsible for her safety, even if she doesn’t choose to live here. I should have made sure all women who are the killer's target type came to the compound, or assigned them guards, or SOMETHING.” He reasons. I
Strings of Fate 142- Shampoo and spending
I keep myself angled to the wall, my back to Bellamy. Okay so showering in underwear might be a little weird, but it lets me feel a little less exposed while still attempting to be brave. Not that I’m particularly aiming for anything intimate right now. Nope, not at all. I feel dreadful and miserable. But I want to be clean and I want Bellamy with me. Okay, maybe I also want a distraction. Nervous and overly self conscious might not be the best feeling, but it’s better than the alternative. Bellamy seems kind of speechless, which is funny since he was the one who started trying to undress me in the first place. I glance back over my shoulder and find that he is staring a hole through my back. “Uh, Bellamy?” I ask hoarsely. Turns out vomiting is hell on your throat. Actually my mouth tastes awful. “I’m not totally sure what I’m supposed to be doing. Well, I don’t know what you want.” He admits. “Well, right this second, I’d like you to pass me the mouthwash.” I answer,
Strings of Fate 143- Moving and managing
I scroll through my contacts, dial Maggie’s number, then wait anxiously for her to answer. It rings so long that for a moment I think she isn’t going to pick up and I’ll have to try again later, but in what I imagine is probably the last ring before it goes to voicemail, she answers just in the nick of time. “Hello dear, I’m just working on a new scone recipe. So let me know if you can’t hear me well. I’ve got you on speaker. But there’s no one else here so you can speak freely.” She says cheerfully. “Oh, cool. Your scones are always amazing. Actually everything you make is amazing. Before I get into the reason I called, how are you? How have you been?” I don’t want her thinking that I only call because I need to know something, she is my friend after all. “Oh sweetie, I’ve been alright. Logan is having a few issues at school though.” She adds. I frown. “How can he be having issues? He is so smart and well behaved, honestly he is practically the perfect child.” I
Strings of Fate 144- Celebrate and catch-up
“Okay.” I answer simply.“Okay?” He asks.“As in you’ll quit your job and work here instead?” he clarifies. I nod firmly. My decision made. Bellamy picks me up by the waist and swings me around. I squeal in shock. “Bellamy!” I laugh. He places me back on my feet and leans in to give me a quick kiss.“Thank you.” he says sincerely. “You don’t need to thank me. You offered a fair compromise that we can both live with. All I did was meet you halfway.” I remind him. He shakes his head stubbornly. “No, you can argue all you like but we both know that realistically I am the one getting everything I want. I’m not giving up anything.” He points out. I shrug. “I can’t promise this arrangement will last forever. Once the killer is caught I will in all likelihood want to get another job. I’m still not sure I feel right living off your income. But if I were to go to work, I suspect you would send so many guards that paying them would cost several times more than
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“Well, I think that it might actually be nice having an extra person around the house. Extra security and company. Besides, you spend most of your time here anyway. Might as well save you the commute. That is, as long as no one else has any objection?” I say pointedly looking at Megan. Sure, Bellamy could object but I already know that he won’t. Megan briefly makes eye contact with me, gives a slight nod, then finds something to stare at on the ceiling. She is clearly trying to look like she doesn’t care but she is blushing bright red. True to form, Darrien is watching her closely trying to work out how she really feels about my suggestion. Realising that she isn’t going to provide any input, he decides to push it a little. “Megan? I would like to hear your opinion. I am still courting you and I don’t want to screw anything up by making a decision like this without your input.” Darrien says clearly. His voice is mostly calm with just the slightest hint of anxiety as he monitors her r
Strings of Fate 202- Calories and clothing
I wake up late in the morning, it might even be early afternoon. I wriggle around a little which prompts Bellamy to do the same, he is apparently already awake. He raises a finger to his lips to shush me before I speak and I can see why. Kiara is still sleeping, lying in the bed between us. She is still loosely holding onto my arm, even in sleep. I slowly disentangle myself from her light grip and slide out of bed. Bellamy follows, clearly doing his best not to jostle her and wake her up. She definitely needs the sleep. She was restless for a good part of the night and almost definitely was having nightmares, but she seems like she’s sleeping soundly now. My own sleep was blissfully quiet. No visions or anything thank goodness. I’m looking forward to having several weeks of steady sleep and so help me if anything tragic or dramatic happens for the next few weeks then whoever is responsible should probably be terrified of me. We step into the hallway to talk without disturbing Kiara.
Strings of Fate 201- Touch and trust
I cross my arms in irritation. “Kiara would never! How would she even do that? She’s just a kid!” I object. Dr Dae rolls her eyes at me.“Oh calm yourself girl. I’m not saying she chose to murder anyone. I assume that she was forced to comply somehow. You’ll have to ask the girl when she’s ready to talk. As for the how, the child is a Reaper.” She says it as if it’s obvious but it really isn’t. I know that Reapers exist, but they’re the kind of Magic that most people have heard of but no one has ever met. I suppose Kiara’s dad must have been a Reaper too and why the MRO was so secretive about her markings. Most people are kind of scared of Reapers, they’re kind of the boogeymen of our society. Mostly because they can kill on a whim. All it takes is one touch and they can free your soul from your body. Obviously with no soul you die, and I guess your soul moves on to wherever souls go when you pass on. I suppose that a Reaper would make sense for the representative of Atropos. Her add
Strings of Fate 200- Healing and hunger
Since Kiara probably isn’t up to braving the stairs and she really doesn’t want to be carried around everywhere, we decide to ask Dr Dae to come up to the bedroom. It’s actually kind of weird having so many people in here. Bellamy is a fairly private person, he doesn’t generally invite people to hang out in his… our room. Dr Dae shuffles in clutching her usual bag. I’m surprised that Bellamy isn’t carrying it for her because it looks kind of heavy, but I suspect that she wouldn’t hand it over anyway. I immediately greet her.“Thank you so much for your help. Your contact has become a great friend and she’s a huge part of the reason we were able to find Kiara here.” I nudge Kiara gently with my elbow and give her a little smile. She looks very small and delicate in the oversized, mismatched clothes with her hair dripping down her shoulders. She’s so pale that the bruises on her skin stand out and look even worse than they actually are. Dr Dae gives me a half nod of acknowledgement then
Strings of Fate 199- Clean and covered
We all turn to face Alex in confusion. I glance up at Bellamy to see if he has any idea what’s going on but he looks just as lost as the rest of us. I continue to stroke Kiara’s hair trying to keep her calm. “Explain.” Bellamy says firmly. Alex flushes red under the attention of everyone in the room. “Uh, well. I assisted Miss Gale in updating her registration with the MRO, and uh, since her position is one of… well almost authority, over the fate’s representatives the updated registration reflects this. So she should be able to make decisions about Kiara’s care like an Alpha would for their Shifters or like a Coven leader would for their Witches. Admittedly it’s a very small group of Magics, but according to the Magic Registration Office, she is in charge of it.” He explains, his voice starts off weak but gets stronger as he becomes more confident in what he’s saying. The police seem a little stunned but I guess Alex isn’t technically wrong. If Kiara were a Shifter, her Alpha would
Strings of Fate 198- Stolen and sure
When we pull up to the house, there’s a police car waiting. There are two cops standing by it, one looks bored and irritated and the other has a fake ‘customer service’ type smile plastered on his face that I know well from experience. Yeah neither of these guys want to be here. They’re probably pissed that we made them come down here. Not to mention uncomfortable being in the Shifter compound. Non-Shifters aren’t invited here often, although I suppose that isn’t exactly true anymore with all our new friends stopping by regularly. Standing beside them looking awkward and uncomfortable is Alex. I bet they’ve been taking their impatience out on him. I narrow my eyes at them and prepare myself. One snotty comment and I am going to tear into them, it’s been a long night. Bellamy parks the car and I wait for him to get out. He speaks with the police briefly and Alex escorts them inside the house. Bellamy returns and opens the door next to Kiara. “Hey, can I help you get inside? The police
Strings of Fate 197- Leaving and leaning
As we step outside, I’m confused to find that I actually have no idea where we are. I really was just running and following the tracking spell. I don’t know how far I ran. It’s a good thing the others are here to bring back the cars because I would be wandering all night trying to find my way back. I’m also fairly sure that I left my phone in the car when I jumped out in a hurry. Kiara clutches my hand tightly as the cars pull up on the street in front of us. “Megan, Darrien. You stay here and speak to the police when they arrive. Direct further questions to me. Shaun, you stay with them too.” Bellamy directs as Shaun hops out the car. At Megan’s insistence he stays a good couple of metres away from us.“Yes Alpha Kane.” He responds cheerfully. Aaron and Rio also climb out of the vehicles. Rio stops to chat with one of the other Shifters whose name I still don’t know. Aaron immediately approaches me. Actually a better way to phrase it is that he storms over. He looks almost angry. Or
Strings of Fate 196- Rescue and retreat
Darrien is the closest to her and he sees her at the same time I do. He takes a step towards her and she whimpers in fear. He freezes and backs away slowly, trying not to startle her. I gesture for everyone else to stay back and take a few steps closer. I stop a good metre away from the little table and then slowly lower myself to the floor. Kneeling down so that I can see her properly. Kiara is covered in soot and I can see little trails of tears smudging around on her face. She is still crying and whimpering. I am careful to keep my voice gentle and calm. “Kiara?” I call her name. She doesn’t answer or look up, but her whimpering quiets a little and I can see her tensing up like she’s listening carefully. “Kiara sweetheart. You’re safe now. You can come out. We can get some something to eat, you can have a nice bath and some clean clothes. How does that sound?” I try to sound soothing. Her crying stops and she looks up at me with wide, teary, red-rimmed eyes. She doesn’t
Strings of Fate 195- Smoke and smothering
Look, I’m no fighter and the Shifters move way faster than I can even properly process in this stressful situation. I watched the Shifter woman leap towards the redhead (I have got to learn these people’s names!) and the next thing I know, both women are screaming and the living room is lit up with blue flames that are steadily growing. I watch as Shaun and Darrien leap at the Shifter woman and help her tear off her burning shirt. Bellamy takes the chance to shift and a few moments later his large black cat form is launching towards the Witch in an attempt to knock her down. He pulls back at the last second as flames light up in front of him, spreading and essentially splitting the room in half with us on one side and the Witch on the other. She’s completely trapped, both by us and the fire which is steadily going out of control. There is smoke in the air making it hard to see what’s going on and the smoke in the air is making it difficult to breathe. My throat is so dry and my lung
