Strings of Fate

41- Desert and dancing 1. AM. ABSOLUTELY. FLOORED. This room is stunning. How did Megan get this party put together in so short a time? She should go into event planning. There are round tables all around the edges of the room. Each table has a black table cloth with decorative candle things in the middle. The centre of the room is clear to leave space for dancing and the DJ is set up at the far end of the room. There are servers running around setting up places at the tables and | can smell something amazing coming from somewhere nearby which is makingwish it was tto eat already. To one side of the room | can see large open doors which seem to lead outside. | can’t see much but | know there are sfairy lights twinkling away out there. The opposite side of the room has several large tables pushed up against the wall. These are mostly empty but based on the few things | can see there, it's going to be where the food goes. Buffet style dinner it is, | can’t wait. Megan and Tristan are still over with the DJ, Megan is gesturing animatedly but seems happy enough. Darrien is hovering nearby. Close enough to keep an eye on her but not so close as to be creepy. | guess he knows what he’s going to be doing all evening, perfecting his imitation of Mr Darcy pining after his love. It doesn’t take long for the guests to start arriving and the room quickly fills up. Bellamy gets dragged away by a group of Shifters I've never met and seems incredibly annoyed about it. He eventually escapes them only to be swamped by a pair of women who want to speak to him. Each the escapes a conversation, he seems to be dragged into another one. It becomes clear that he’s too busy to hang out withfor the moment so | set about finding something to eat. The food is amazing and once everyone is about done eating they move on to socialising. Megan is, of course, completely swamped with well wishers and | don’t have much of a chance to talk to her. Darrien is still hovering which doesn’t leave him very open open for conversation either. Other than me, pretty much everyone here is a Shifter. | think | saw a couple of humans for a minute or two. But they seemed to have come, congratulated Megan then left. | think they might be classmates of hers. Oddly enough, There don’t seem to be any guests here to see Tristan. Megan is constantly introducing him to people but | haven't seen him make a single introduction. I find myself sitting at a table pretty much by myself. My solitude doesn’t last long however as Bellamy comes and drops into the seat next to me. He must have finally escaped his fan club, almost all his attention has been from women. Not that I've really been paying attention or anything. He groans.

“They're drivingcrazy. Half these people don’t even want to talk to me, they just feel like they need to because I'm the Alpha. The others are even worse, they hope to get my attention even if | have already made it very clear in the past that | am not going to chose a mate for convenience.” 1/4 Many “Poor thing, too girls fawning over you?” Okay, that cout a little more bitter than | meant it to. Bellamy looks atwith an eyebrow raised. Okay so he noticed my attitude. Let him think it’s because I'm bored.

“Not anymore, | decided to csit with you instead.” | feel instantly lighter. Darn it. He should not have so much control over my mood. It would make sense if | loved him, but | barely know him so it can’t be that... right? “I wouldn't be so sure about that.” | flick my eyes over his shoulder. He turns to see two girls who are hovering behind him. They both seem to lookover and after they realise I'm not a Shifter, they conclude I'm no threat.

“Good evening Alpha Kane. We wondered if we could get you anything from the dessert table.” One of the girls offers. The other nods enthusiastically. Bellamy shakes his head and answers firmly but politely.

“No thank you ladies. If you'll excuse me, I'm talking with Ryann at the moment.” The girls eyes shift back and forth between us in a combination of confusion and irritation as they excuse themselves. | watch as they rejoin a group of girls in the corner of the room and they all seem to be talking at once as they ask for information. | can see them all looking sideways at us. They aren't terribly subtle. | make eye contact with one who looks away immediately but seems shocked to have done so. The gossiping seems to go on and on. | sigh and look away.

Something else catches my eye. A little boy is over at the dessert table struggling to carry two plates which both have huge slices of chocolate cake on them and pick up spoons. He can’t be more than eight years old. What really gets my attention about him is that there is a red thread streaming from his chest. | follow it to a little blonde girl who is sitting at a table looking lonely. Her mother is chatting with another woman and she looks rather bored. | turn my attention back to the little boy. He eventually gives up on carrying both plates and puts one back on the table and uses his free hand to get a spoon to eat the cake with. | expect him to start eating right away, but with a last glance at the piece of cake he left behind he makes a beeline straight to the little girl.

Her expression brightens when he approaches. He looks incredibly nervous. He hands her the dessert and she accepts it, delighted. He shyly takes the empty seat next to her and watches as she takes the first bite of her cake. She finishes her first bite before offering the spoon to him. He is surprised and excited. | watch as the two of them take turns and share the cake together. I think | might die from the cuteness of it. They are the most adorable thing I've ever seen.

“| take it that they aren’t doomed then?” Bellamy comments. | had almost forgotten he’s here.

2/4 He's followed my gaze and has been watching the scene play out as | have. | nod..

“They're fated to be together. They're lucky to find each other so young. It might just be the sweetest thing I've ever seen.” | gush, Bellamy smiles at me.

“Their names are Jacob and Emiah. Jake has been in love with her pretty much since always. Her parents didn’t really like him hovering around her so much at first, but he’s grown on them. It’s hard not to approve of him when he is so clearly dedicated to her. She is, of course, smitten.” He explains. | sigh happily. They're lucky, they have already found the person who will stand by them forever, and they're young enough to admit it without fuss, without complications or embarrassment. To face any issues as they chead on. A flash of red interrupts my thoughts. Megan dashes through the crowd and heads straight towards Bellamy and 1.

“Hey!” She greets us brightly, her face is flushed and happy.

“What are you both doing hiding over here? You should be dancing! Someone needs to get things started around here and Tristan is a terrible dancer.” She confides. I laugh at her comment.

“We aren't hiding Megs, just sitting, and I'm perfectly happy right here.” | inform her. She rolls her eyes at me. | can hear someone calling her over. She waves at the person to show she’s on her way. She turns to face Bellamy directly.

“Ask the girl to dance Bellamy Kane.” She then whirls around in a glittering tornado of red and gold and rushes away leaving us sitting there awkwardly. Bellamy smiles at her fondly ast she rushes off. He then stands and faces me. He holds out a hand, a clear invitation.

“Dance with me?” I'm not so sure that’s a good idea. It would feel too much like he’s my date. Besides, all the girls here are already glaring atand gossiping. | don’t think | want to risk their wrath. | shake my head at him.

“That's probably not a good idea.” | respond. He looks indignant.

“Why not? You heard my sister. She wants us to dance.” He insists. He is still holding hist hand out to me. | search for a good excuse.

3/4 Emergency calls onlyMu 41- Desert and dancing — D83% 14:29 “My shoes!” | blurt out.

“I'm wearing heels. | don’t want to kill my feet by dancing in them.” | explain. Okay so it’s not a GOOD excuse.

But it'll do. Bellamy finally drops his hand and glances at my feet. | pull up the edge of my skirt to display my glittery black stilettos.

“Why are you wearing high heels? You hate them.” He questions. | shrug.

“I don’t care very much about trying to look good for strangers at work. But tonight, | care... To make Megan happy of course.” | ramble on. Bellamy grins at me.

“You look good, with or without heels.” | blush and look away from his face. My gaze aims somewhere over his right shoulder as | thank him.

“That's very nice of you to say. But it doesn’t change the fact that they aren't exactly great shoes for dancing.

It'll be better if | just stay here.” | decide.