Strings of Fate

86- Puppies and pregnancies | decide to drop the topic and cback to it another twhen i've had a chance to think of sdecent answers. It’s hard to argue with someone who won't stop complimenting you. I'm saved from the conversation | started when the waitress comes back to check on us.

“Hi, is everything going alright? Do you need any drinks or anything?” she notices Bellamy’s untouched plate and frowns slightly.

“Is there something wrong with the steak?” She asks very politely. | shake my head. immediately.

“No, not at all. He just got called away to an urgent meeting. Actually, would it be possible to get a takeout container or something so | can take it to him afterwards?” She smiles atand agrees, she even takes his plate and moves it into a container for(which | appreciate because | am fairly sure that | would have made a mess of it.) Darrien, Megan and | finish eating as the waitress returns and handsBellamy’s takeout meal.

“Thanks so much, | really appreciate it.” “No problem. Do you guys want anything else?” she offers cheerfully. | shake my head then glance over at Darrien. He immediately turns to Megan.

“Can | get you anything else Megan, a drink or dessert?” He offers meaningfully. | actually blush, why do | suddenly feel like a major third wheel. Should | be excusing myself to the bathroom or something? | pull out my phone and pretend to answer non-existent text. messages. Actually, what am | doing? | have real actual friends.

| can send a real text. message. | decide to message Harry.

Ryann- OMG Harry guess what! Megan stammers out a reply saying she doesn’t need anything else right now and the waitress heads off. We all get up and | follow the pair of them to Darrien’s car, still hanging back a little. Although he is still keeping a good eye onsince Bellamy would kill him if | got hurt or something. | insist Megan takes the passenger seat and | sit in the back by myself. She is a little reluctant but agrees anyway. Harry answers my message.

1/4 86- Puppies and pregnancies Harry-You adopted a puppy? Harry- You inherited a million dollars? Harry- You're PREGNANT??? Ryann- Uhm. No.

Harry- What? You did say to guess XD Ryann- Okay, well | was actually going to tell you that Darrien, Megan's guard, finally made a move on her today! And she DIDN'T totally shut him down!!! Harry-0000H exciting. Wait, we are excited right? Is he cute? Do we ship this? Ryann- LOL Yes. The two of them are the cutest, we totally ship this! | sneakily take a photo from the back seat just as Megan reaches over to adjust the radio. From my seat | manage to get them both in the picture and because the universe loves me, he just happens to be glancing over at her at the t(although he does that so much it would be more unlikely for him to be looking away.) The picture is pretty cute. | send it to Harry.

Harry- Awwwwww that’s adorable. Do we get to tease her about this? Ryann- Gently maybe. She’s had a hard tlately, | don’t want to screw this up for them.

Harry- Got it. Light mocking only.

He follows up the message with a thumbs up.

Harry- Keepupdated! This t| send a thumbs up. We arrive at our destination and Darrien heads off once we're safely inside, although | do notice that he lingers a while when saying goodbye. | send him a text before putting my phone away.

2/4 86- Puppies and pregnancies Ryann- !!! Megan apologises as she has sassignments to work on for a class and | wasn’t meant to be hanging out with her this afternoon so she really has to finish them before her class tomorrow. | wave her off as | put Bellamy’s take out into the fridge.

“Don’t mind me. I'll sit and read until Bellamy is free to hang out. | doubt he will be too long.

right?” Megan shrugs.

“Hard to say, the Alphas can make these meetings drag out forever.” Hmm...

“Oh, maybe | should have asked Darrien to takehinstead. But Bellamy did say forto cover so he must not be intending for the meeting to take too long. | guess | can just wait.” Megan agrees and makes sure I'm comfortable in the living room before heading. upstairs to work on her assignment. | sit for about thirty minutes reading on my phone before. | start getting impatient. Maybe | can just sneak up and listen at the door a bit? | might be able to get sidea of how long the meeting is going to take.

I do my best to creep quietly down the hall towards his office. The door isn’t closed the whole way and | can listen in fairly easily.

“You can’t deny that your sister killed a man.” | hear the obnoxious canine Alpha saying.

“It was self defence though.” a calm voice says. I'm fairly sure that’s Alpha Kohan Aspen, the Bear Shifter Alpha that | met last time. | appreciate him trying to help.

“So you say. But this meeting has been called because one of YOUR Shifters has complained publicly about your sister murdering her son unjustly. She claims that after leaving him at the altar and breaking his heart, she overreacted and killed him when he becunderstandabl upset. Miss Gale wasn't alone, she had her guard there and dozens of other Shifters. Surely killing him couldn't have been her only choice.” The canine Alpha argues. What a jerk! Is he seriously trying to put all this back on Megan? When Bellamy answers his tone is very calm and controlled, but even | can tell he isn’t happy.

“As you said, she wasn’t alone. There are witnesses who saw Tristain attack my sister. She did what she had to-" The Canine Alpha cuts Bellamy off with a snort.

3/4 86- Puppies and pregnancies “Witnesses! Hah, all the witnesses that you have provided are YOUR Shifters. Of course they would lie for you.” he argues. Okay, that’s it. Before | even realise what I'm doing, | knock on the office door and push it open further so that everyone in the room can see me. Bellamy is sitting at his desk, Alpha Kohen is sitting in my recliner spot. The Avian Alpha is leaning against a wall looking bored, his arms crossed over his chest. The Canine Alpha is standing over Bellamy’s desk, his posture is far more aggressive than | appreciate.

“Hi, you might you might remember me. I'm Ryann Gale. Sorry, | was heading to the kitchen and | couldn’t help but overhear your conversation. You are yelling by the way, did you know that?” | pause and take a deep breath, then adjust my braid a little, is there a hair that's pulled just a little bit too tight somewhere? Ugh | hate that.

“Well, anyway. | was at the almost-wedding and | saw what happened to Tristain. I'm not a Shifter at all, nor am | on Bellamy’s payroll. What Megan did was definitely self-defence.

Besides that, there's no way that Tristain was ‘heart broken’ like his mother claims. He even said himself that he was planning to use Megan to get to Bellamy, | mean, Alpha Kane. Also he was with someone else the entire time.” | point out. The Canine Alpha turns onand takes a step closer which causes Bellamy to rise from his seat. | make eye contact with him and shake my head. The Canine Alpha isn’t going to try and hurthere. Not in front of all the other Alphas, no matter how annoying | am.