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. | really was just running and following the tracking spell. | don’t know how far | ran. It’s a good thing the others are here to bring back the cars because | would be wandering all night trying to find my way back. I'm also fairly sure that | left my phone in the car when | 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 also climb out of the vehicles. stops to chat with one of the other Shifters whose n| 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 at least as angry as he ever looks. Is he avoiding looking atstraight on? Darn it. He IS upset with me. | guess he didn’t appreciate being ordered out of the room. But the place was on FIRE. There was no point in both of us being there. | expected him to march right up to me, but with a glance at Kiara he stops a fair distance away and then just stands there, ramrod straight back and arms crossed over his chest. Yeah... I'm going to have to do something about him. Megan and Shaun have moved on to comforting the Shifter woman who was being held hostage at the house. | call out to Megan.

“Megs? Make sure she has somewhere safe to stay.” | remind her. Megan gives a casual wave as if she had already considered that. The Shifter woman sends a watery smile my way. She’s not had a great night and now half of her his burned up.

“Kiara? Can | sit you in the back seat of my car so | can get dressed? We can put the heater on for you?” Bellamy suggests gently. She turns to look atand | nod.

“I'll csit with you.” | promise. She nods her consent and Bellamy carefully lowers her into the back seat of the black car. She slides along the seat to ball herself up against the far side car door and | move with her placing myself in the middle seat. Kiara moves from against the car door and instead plasters herself to my side.

Bellamy steps away and grabs something from the boot of the car, new clothes | assume. When he returns, he looks a little odd. His face and arms are absolutely filthy with ash and soot, but his blue shirt and black track pants are immaculately clean. They look very out of place. Ugh, we all need to get cleaned up. Every single one of us is a mess, although Kiara is definitely the worst. She looks like she hasn't gotten to clean herself up since she was taken. She is still wearing her ratty old pyjamas. Bellamy doesn’t get into the car with us, instead he kneels down by the open car door.

“Kiara? | promised we wouldn't take you anywhere without your permission. Would you like to cback to where Ryann and | live? We can get you sfood and a bath. We will probably have to have a quick talk with spolice but we will try and get it over with as soon as possible. He promises. Kiara nods and Bellamy moves into the driver's seat. | assit will just be the three of us going since we're still keeping the others away from Kiara which is why I'm shocked when Aaron climbs into the back seat beside me. Kiara whimpers and moves away fromand Aaron to press her back against the car door.

“Hey, sweetheart, it's okay. This is Aaron, he is my good friend and he also works as my personal b*dyguard. It's his job to keepsafe. He will help keep you safe too. | know he looks kind of big and scary but he’s really not. | trust him completely and totally so you can too.” | do my best to reassure her. She still seems nervous and doesn’t move from her place, but she does relax a little bit. Bellamy starts the car and we start towards home.

The silence in the back seat is painful. Kiara is silent because she isn’t talking. Aaron is usually silent, but this is different to usual. Usually he responds non-verbally and | can see his attentiveness and interest. Right now it feels 1/2 197- Leaving and leaning more like he is pointedly ignoring me.

“Aaron are you okay?” | ask.

“Yes Miss Gale.” he responds coldly. Ouch, yeah he’s pissed.

“You don’t seem okay. You seem kind of angry. Are you mad atAaron?” | demand. Without hesitation he responds.

“Of course Miss Gale.” Darn, of course? Aaron really must be upset with me. Still, like Bellamy, i suspect that he is less angry and more concerned. Aaron really is a giant teddy bear after all. Bellamy glances back from the driver's seat but | give him a smile to show him that I'm handling it. Aaron isn’t doing anything wrong, he’s allowed to be upset with me.

“Are you angry because | made you leave? Or more accurately because | made you leavebehind?” | clarify.

He gives a short nod.

“Right, well would it help if | apologise?” | ask. Aaron turns his head towardsa little and narrows his eyes.

Right... Well, | don’t know what that means, but he still deserves an apology.

“Aaron, | am sorry that | ordered you to leave and made it impossible for you to do your job. | really do appreciate. everything you do forand | will do my best to be more respectful of that in the future. Also | promise not to stay in a burning building without you again, next tyou can totally stay with me. Forgive me?” I wink at him. Aaron considers my face then a small smile creeps across his own. He gives a slight nod. | bump his elbow with my own.

“Thanks Aaron.“l tell him gratefully.

Kiara coughs again which draws my attention back to her. | notice that Kiara has been watching my interactions with Aaron intently. She looks a little confused by it. | wink at her.

“Aaron doesn’t talk much. But it’s fun to try and trick him into it. You should have a try sometime.” | joke. It was the right thing to say. Kiara straightens up and sits in the car seat besideproperly, no longer cowering away from Aaron. | squeeze her hand in encouragement and she givesa small, weak smile. That smile does more for makingfeel better than all the painkillers in the world. She is hurting and scared, but she can still smile.

It’s going to be a long and difficult road to her recovery, but | know that she is going to be okay.

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