141- Wake–up and wittness


    “Oh shit Bemy I’m so sorry. Was the woman a feline Shifter? It was a woman again, right?” I confirm.


    Bemy gives a solemn nod.


    “Was she someone you knew well?” I ask, almost afraid to hear the answer. Bemy shrugs.


    “I’ve met her, I’ve met most of the local feline Shifters. She didn’t live here in thepound. She has a


    large family and they run a movingpany on the other side of town. They live down that way. I think


    thest time I saw her would have been Megan’s engagement party, and I don’t think I said more than


    two words to her.” Bemy looks guilty. Clearly he is ming 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.


    Bemy 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 came to thepound, or assigned them guards,


    or SOMETHING.” He reasons. I shake my head.


    “Bemy 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 me. 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 havee and asked.


    It’s toote 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 time to


    call the other Alphas to a meeting again. They weren’t interested because there


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    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


    comints again.


    Once Bemy 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 Bemy and I on the couch together, his arm practically glued to


    my shoulder.


    “So, tell us what you know.” Megan prompts him. Bemy gives an exhausted sigh.


    “I don’t know a lot yet. Aria was found dead in her family home this morning. Her mother found her


    when she came down 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 some kind. As her Alpha, the police will be keeping me


    updated on all information from the investigation. They don’t know much right now, they’re still


    investigating the scene.” He exins. Megan has a curious look. on her face that I can’t interpret.


    “Bemy, do you know about what time the murder urred?” She asks. Bemy checks his phone.


    “They don’t have an exact time of 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 time did. you wake upst night?” She


    asks me. I frown.


    N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.


    “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 ce around four?” She confirms. I


    nod.


    “Yeah, I guess so.”


    “So at the time of the murder, you were seeing something upset Kiara…” She trails off and I


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    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. Bemy’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 some way.” He sounds pissed off, and Ipletely


    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


    on her face and how she fought at first. My stomach rolls and I rip myself from Bemy’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, Bemy’s warm hands are gathering up


    my hair and holding it out of my face. It might be toote 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 nkly 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.” Bemy answers. Without another word, he kneels beside me and


    scoops me up into his arms. It’s not until he’s holding me steady that I realise I’m shaking badly. He


    kicks open the bathroom door and yet again, carries me up the stairs. This is starting to be a habit


    of his, I note idly, not really taking things in. He carries me into. the ensuite and ces me on 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 to me and 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 rm.


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    “The top has sick on it. It needs toe off.” Bemy answers gently. He holds his hands up in a


    cating 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 Bemy makes me feel safe, and I could use that right now, thatfort. Using one hand, I


    push against Bemy’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 leaving me in


    Bemy’s shirt and my underwear. I step closer to the shower so that Bemy 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.


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