Strings of Fate

7- Demands and denials “Or maybe 1 can just tell my shift manager that | have to leave...” Shaun grabs my hand and places it on his arm.

I want to.

it away but | feel like | probably shouldn’t antagonise this guy, at least not until I'm sure he’s not a threat.

Seeing no real option but to go along with it, I leave my arm there and allow him to leadfrom the restaurant.

There is a black car parked out front. Shaun opens the door forto get in and climbs in beside me. Aaron makes his way to the drivers seat.

| rack my mind to consider why a Shifter Alpha would want to see me. Something to do with. Bellamy of course, but what? Had he made scomplaint about me? Or had he somehow figured out that | was his soul mate and planned to dragkicking and screaming to the Shifter compound? The fact that he has involved his Alpha is hardly promising. I don’t know a lot about Shifter politics and rules, but I do know that, to a Shifter, their Alpha is the highest authority that they answer to.

If am going to be dragged in front of the feline Alpha, | really would have appreciated swarning, maybe a chance to change into something other than my awful work uniform.

The car ride is awkward, but thankfully short. We pull into the feline Shifter compound. I've never been here before, not that | have ever actually wanted to visit or anything. But even if | did, Shifters are rather private and it is rare for them to invite non-Shifters into their gates. | wonder if it's because they have shuge tic secret they're keeping from the rest of the world. Or maybe they just don’t like random people wandering onto their land and trying to snap photos of them in their animal forms.

| know that a few years ago there were a bunch of humans who were arrested for poaching Shifters. They claimed that the fur and scales gathered from Shifters were of higher quality than a normal animal.

1/5 Additionally, Shifter blood and bones are apparemniy qutte unetful in potions and as magical tools for Witches and Sorcerers. | find it all matther creepy. Why would you want to drink a portion with blood in it? Maybe if you were a Vampire quem.

i But I'm getting distracted. | notice my blue and weed heads are visible again, so Bellamy and Megas most both be relatively nearby.

| peer out the window to see what cam off the Helline Sher’s home. They have a huge amount of land and there are tees everywhere. | suppose so they can run and bunt naturally We drive past the trees and cto what is basically a single long street full of houses which | suppose is where all the Shifters live. At the very end of the street is the biggest house of them all and it's very clearly where we are headed. The houses on this street are all quite large and would cost a fortume, apprently Shifters make a lot more money than | had previously assumed. Not that | spend a lot of tconsidering Shifter finanwes, | have my own to worry about after all, but | guess it makes sense considering how much land they oOMMIT).

As | predicted, we stop at the largest house at the very end of the street. Shaun climbs outt the car and offersam am to helpout. | feel a little spiteful comidening that they have basically kidnapped me, so | ignore his arm and get out on my o am | wonder when Bellamy is going to show up. He has obviously got to be the one who started whatever Il a cught up in. It in fair if he gets to avoid everything. Aunom steps around the can to join us and once again Shuun takes my hand and pinces in over hits arm to lendalong I roll my ever and allow it. It’s just not worth the effort to argue. | try and think about what | know of the flShifters Alpha. | think he is an older gentleman. He is pretty will lin and | have never heard any crazy stories about him going on rampages on anything like | have for the canine Alpitu. Hopefully, he wont be too bad.

Suddiemity, | excall another vatory from the news a few months ago. A Shifter Alpim and his wife were both killed in a avfall car accident.

What the tellAlpha? 7- Demands and denials I'm not sure. We walk through the house, we pass a door where my blue thread leads through. Megan must be through there somewhere. Shaun leadsto an ornate looking wooden door at the end of a ridiculously long hallway.

| hear a familiar voice from behind the door and my red thread leads straight to it. So apparently Bellamy is here.

| knew whatever this is was his fault. Shaun opens the door and enters without knocking. | expect to see at least two people in the room and | am surprised to find only Bellamy. He is on the phone but as we enter he apologises to the person on the other end and hangs up. He stands to greet us..

“Alpha Kane. We have bought Ryann Gale here, as you requested.” | try and keep my complete and utter shock and horror from my face.

BELLAMY is the Alpha? Of COURSE he is.

Because if I'm going to have a soul mate, it has to be with the most complicated guy in the immediate area doesn’t it? | sigh internally. | probably need to pay better attention to Shifter politics, | get the feeling | am going to be mixed up in them plenty sometin the future.

Still, Bellamy is the Alpha. Does this mean | should be treating him with more respect or something? I disregard the idea immediately. He isn’t MY Alpha. Besides, he basically just orderedkidnapped. Not cool.

“Thank you Shaun, Aaron. You may leave.” Both men give him a deep nod before turning and leaving the room.

It occurs tothat Aaron literally didn’t speak toat all. He must be a very quiet person, or maybe he’s just shy.

| decide to play it cool for now and to see what Bellamy wants before | chew him out for kidnappingand potentially gettingfired for skipping work.

I put my hands on my hips and stare him down, keeping my face as blank as possible. Bellamy gestures forto take a seat opposite his desk but | shake my head.

“I would rather stand.” | manage to get out without saying anything particularly aggressive to 3/5 Emergency calls only! 7- Demands and denials him. So a win for my self-control | think. Bellamy moves to sit on the comer of his desk.

14:14 “I have decided that if you really have the power you claim to have, then | should use it. You will spend stand confirm the relationship, threads you called them? Between my sister and Tristan. If it is true that he has another soul mate then you will helplocate and identify this person.” He explains.

| stare at him incredulously. Does he honestly think | won't have a problem with his demands, or being kidnapped? He literally just said he wants to use me. I'm not a toy he can pick up and play with! “No.” | state simply. His eyes shoot up to mine, he looks angry. | work not to drop my gaze as | usually do.

“No?” he repeats.

“Exactly. No. Okay, so | planned to hold my temper but I just can’t do it.

“Why on Earth would | do anything you tellto do? You're orderingaround like | should care about what you think. No. | have no intention of listening to anything you have to say. You show up at my hand invite yourself in. Then, when | tell you to leave, you yell at me, and now you have basically kidnapped me! | was at work. | am probably going to lose my job now because | left early. What gives you the right to do any of this?” | demand. Bellamy glares at me.

lam th Alpha here and leading people is my job.” He states boldly. | roll my eyes.

“You aren’t my Alpha and you're definitely no leader. You're only a leader if people choose to follow you, | had no choice in coming here. That makes you less of a leader and more of an asshole.” | explain.

Bellamy stands and steps closer to me, glaring down at me.

“You didn’t exactly leaveany choice. You refused to speak towhen | was at your house.” “Because you pushed your way in and demanded my time. Did it never occur to you to ASK 7- Demands and denials me, or maybe inviteto meet up with you? If you recall | got myself into this mess because | want to protect your sister. I'm not going to suddenly abandon that. | am perfectly willing to help your sister. What | am not willing to do is run around after you and obey your every order like skind of pet.” | expect Bellamy to be fuming by now.

Instead of yelling back at me, he takes a step away and turns away from me. He sighs deeply and begins pacing the room. He walks back and forth at least three times before he turns back to face me.