Strings of Fate
159- Lectures and letting go
Bemy answers the door and leads what has to be the smallest Shifter woman I have ever seen,
through to his office. I follow along and make myselffortable in my usual recliner. Bemy sits
behind his desk and gestures for the tiny woman to take a seat across from him. She nces curiously
at me and Bemy notices her eyes drifting towards me.
“Shelly, this is my friend Ryann. Ryann, this is Shelly.” He waits as I give an awkward little wave and
Shelly gives a half smile.
“Ryann is here because it might be a little morefortable for you if there is another woman present
and my sister is currently unavable.” Bemy exins my presence. Shelly’s eyebrows fly up and
she considers me for a moment before turning back to Bemy.
“Thank you Alpha Kane, that’s very… considerate of you.” She turns back to me and gives me
a proper smile this time. Huh, seems like she actually does want me here. Fancy that. I
thought she would be ufortable with a stranger here. Bemy goes to answer the door a second
time, leaving me alone with Shelly for a minute. She watches me curiously and I can
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tell she wants to ask me something, but she keeps her mouth shut and when Bemy returns
it’s toote for me to find out what she wanted to know. The two Shifter men who follow
Bemy into the room are just as big as all the other Shifter men I’ve met so far. At this point
I am fairly convinced all Shifters have a tendency to berge, tall and muscr. Shelly is a
clear exception. Not that she doesn’t look fit. She is just kind ofpact. The two men stand on either
side of Shelly. Bemy also remains standing, apparently unwilling to sit while they stand over him. He
gives them both the same exnation for my presence and introduces them as Rick and Adrian. The
first thing I notice is that neither of the men have a red thread with Shelly, or any thread at all. So not
mates, not that it makes their feelings any less valid now. But it’s useful to know I guess. What is
interesting though is that both men do have a
thread to each other. A blue one. So like Megan and I, they’re meant to be friends. Not that
you would know based on how they’re currently ring at each other.
“Do you
all know why you’ve been called here?” Bemy asks. Adrian nods while Rick gives a nonmittal
half shrug. Both men look kind of pissed off but they turn their focus to Bemy and pay attention.
“Okay, well to make it clear. You have both been courting Shelly and are bing increasingly
aggressive towards each other. It has escted too far and you are here so that I
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can put a stop to it. First, Shelly. Do you have anything you want to say?” Shelly seems to be a rather
timid person and she nces back at me before answering.
“I… just what I wrote to you before. I just want the fighting to stop.” She answers, her voice barely more
than a whisper. Bemy nods and Adrian at least looks a little guilty. Rick just rolls his eyes.
“Thank you Shelly. Now, one at a time. What is going on? Rick, you go
first.” Bemy orders. Rick rolls his shoulders back and from the way he’s standing you would think he
was
preparing to fight.
“I asked Shelly out first and then this bastard started sniffing around her all the time. He’s
constantly getting in my way!” He says aggressively. Bemy doesn’t react, just turns to
Adrian.
“And you?” He prompts. Adrian shrugs.
“She’s single and I’m interested. This prick picks a fight every time I so much as talk to her.” He isn’t as
aggressive, but he doesn’t look happy. If anything I would say he’s just better at controlling his temper,
or hiding it at very least.
“You shouldn’t BE talking to her. You know I’m courting her! Just back the hell off!” He
growls.
“Make me.” Adrian taunts. Rick takes a step towards him and Bemy intervenes.
“Enough!” He doesn’t raise his voice, but there is no questioning his authority. Both men freeze and
move back to their original positions on either side of Shelly.
“I don’t care who saw her first or who asked her out first or anything like that. It is no excuse to start
fights. I expect more control than that.” Bemy keeps his voice controlled but I can tell he’s getting
annoyed. I can’t me him. These two grown men are acting like children. fighting over a toy in the
yground.
“It ends now.” Bemy orders. Both men reluctantly nod, but I can see that they are even
more pissed off than they were when they got here. I think Shelly sees it too because her shoulders
slump forwards. Something about how hopeless she looks triggers my temper and I
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159- Lectures and letting go
push my way up out of the recliner.
“May 1?” I ask Bemy, gesturing at the two men. He raises an eyebrow curiously and gives a single
nod.
“Thanks.” I turn to Shelly first.
“Shelly, do you want to date Rick?” I bluntly ask. She shakes her head.
“No.” She answers quietly but firmly.
“Do you want to date Adrian?” I follow up.
“No.” She repeats, sounding a little more confident. I turn to the men.
“Well, that’s that then. You are bothpeting for a prize that neither of you are even in the running to
win. You need to get it through your heads. Shelly isn’t interested in you. She does. not want you to
court her. Your childish attempts to change her mind are not only disrespectful of the choice she has
made, they are going to drive her further away.” I lecture.
“You both need to move on already, you are actually both very simr and if you could stop insulting
each other for five minutes you would probably find that you get along great. Basically what I’m saying
is pull your heads out of your asses and grow up!” I cross my arms over my ch*st and re at them.
Adrian looks contrite but Rick is just ring at me. He opens his mouth to argue but I cut him off.
“No, I don’t want to hear it. There is no good reason to behave the way you’re acting. Do you feel good
about yourself? You are scaring and upsetting the woman you im to care for to the point that she
had to go to her Alpha for help. All you’re doing is hurting her.” I reprimand him. Finally, I see a hint of
shame in his eyes.
“I apologise Shelly. I will do better respecting your boundaries and controlling my temper.” Adrian
apologies. FINALLY, something is getting through to them. Rick follows right away.
“Me too, I’m sorry Shelly. No more fighting. I’ll…leave you be. But if you ever change your mind, let me
know.” He says with a grin. Shelly rolls her eyes.
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159- Lectures and letting go
“Good. Much better, both of you. I suggest you find something else topete over, you
clearly have some aggression andpetitiveness to work out.” I grumble. Bemy nods his
agreement.
“I agree with Ryann. Now, is there anything else we need to discuss?” Bemy demands. All three of
them shake their heads and Bemy dismisses them..
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