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 tI 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 cto the compound, or assigned them guards, or SOMETHING." He reasons. I shake my head.

"Bellamy you can't be everywhere at once, and if it wasn't her, it would have been another woman. The killer is the one to blame. You're only one person, you can't take responsibility for the actions of a psychopath killer. Everyone in the city knows there is a serial killer on the loose targeting young women, if she wanted extra protection she could have cand asked.

It's too late now for you to fix what happened to her." I remind him gently. He scowls.

"Well I have to do something!” He insists loudly.

"I didn't say don't do anything. Send out a message or announcement or whatever offering protection to young women who need it. Obviously if there are too many who need protecting you might need to move them or something, but give them the choice. Tell them what they can do to try and stay safe if they don't want your help." I suggest. He seems interested in my suggestion.

"I'll have to work out the exact mechanics of it all, but you're right. I can do those things. It's also tto call the other Alphas to a meeting again. They weren't interested because there 1/4 141- Wake-up and wittness were no Shifter victims. Well, now there is, so they'll have to take this seriously." He says, determination clear in his tone. I don't think the other Alphas are going to get away with ignoring his complaints again.

Once Bellamy has sufficiently calmed himself, we head downstairs where Megan is waiting in the kitchen with hot drinks for us both. Ugh, she's so perfect sometimes. We all settle into the living room, Megan on the remaining recliner and Bellamy and I on the couch together, his arm practically glued to my shoulder.

"So, tell us what you know." Megan prompts him. Bellamy gives an exhausted sigh.

"I don't know a lot yet. Aria was found dead in her family hthis morning. Her mother found her when she cdown for breakfast. The scene looks like the others, and magic had. to be involved somehow because there were at least five other Shifters in that house and not one of them woke up. Maybe a silencing spell or a sleep spell of skind. As her Alpha, the police will be keepingupdated on all information from the investigation. They don't know much right now, they're still investigating the scene." He explains. Megan has a curious look. on her face that I can't interpret.

"Bellamy, do you know about what tthe murder occurred?" She asks. Bellamy checks his phone.

"They don't have an exact tof death yet, but the preliminary reports say it likely happened around four in the morning. Why do you ask?" He watches her, waiting for a response, but Megan seems to be thinking something through.

"I don't want to jump to any conclusions but... Ryann... What tdid. you wake up last night?" She asks me. I frown.

"I don't know, probably around four thirty or so?" I respond. Where is she going with this? "So your nightmare-vision thing, it's safe to say it took place around four?" She confirms. I nod.

"Yeah, I guess so." "So at the tof the murder, you were seeing something upset Kiara..." She trails off and I 2/4 141- Wake-up and wittness sit there confused until it suddenly clicks. She can't be suggesting....

"No way, they wouldn't bring a child to a murder surely!" I object, but I have a sinking feeling in my stomach and I'm starting to feel kind of ill. Bellamy's expression is dark.

"I think that's exactly what they're doing. We don't know exactly what magical abilities Kiara has, but I'm willing to bet that they're using them in sway." He sounds pissed off, and I completely understand.

"So... that DOOT LE

traumatised little girl is being forced to witness these awful murders." I whisper. I can't seem to say the words at a normal volume. Even saying it quietly just feels awful. I remember the look of fear and horror op her face and how she fought at first. My stomach rolls and I rip myself from Bellamy's arms and run to the downstairs bathroom. I only just make it before I violently throw up everything I've eaten in the last twenty-four hours. Moments after I reach the bathroom, Bellamy's warm hands are gathering up my hair and holding it out of my face. It might be too late though. I can feel strings of vomit on the edge of my face, there's no way it didn't end up in my hair too. Once my stomach is empty, I sit on the floor by the toilet, staring blankly at the wall. It's just too horrible for words. What kind of monsters would do that to a child? I hear Megan's muffled voice on the other side of the door.

"You okay in there?" She calls out, knocking lightly.

"I think she's a little bit in shock." Bellamy answers. Without another word, he kneels besideand scoopsup into his arms. It's not until he's holdingsteady that I realise I'm shaking badly. He kicks open the bathroom door and yet again, carriesup the stairs. This is starting to beca habit of his, I note idly, not really taking things in. He carriesinto. the ensuite and placeson the counter. "Let's get you cleaned up." He says, fiddling with the taps for the shower. Once he's happy with it, he returns toand grabs the edge of his shirt that I'm wearing. He begins to lift it up, my shirt is halfway up my abdomen when my mind catches up. I clutch the top to my chest.

"What are you doing?" I blurt out in alarm.

3/4 141- Wake-up and wittness "The top has sick on it. It needs to coff." Bellamy answers gently. He holds his hands up in a placating gesture.

"I'm just trying to take care of you. If you want, I can leave and you can get cleaned up yourself." He offers. My mind immediately rejects the idea, before I even have a chance to think about it. It might be selfish, but m Bellamy makesfeel safe, and I could use that right now, that comfort. Using one hand, I push against Bellamy's chest until he takes a step backwards. Then I slip off the counter. Trying not to overthink things, I push my tiny pyjama shorts down my legs and kick them to the side leavingin Bellamy's shirt and my underwear. I step closer to the shower so that Bellamy is positioned behind me, and keeping my back to him, I pull off the shirt, throw it to the floor and step into the warm shower. Chapter Comments