Strings of Fate by Kit Bryan
Chapter 246

Strings of Fate

Cam 3- Felines and favours

I’m in the back room of Witches Booze sorting inventory and working out if I need to do an order this week or if it can wait another few days. It’s a monotonous task but one I’ve never really minded doing. It’s sort of relaxing, organising, ordering, sorting. It’s simple. There’s a wrong answer and a right answer. If I have enough of something I put it away and if I don’t then I add it to the order list. I could delegate this task to one of my employees but I prefer to do it myself so that I can be confident it’s done exactly how I want it. I have a battery powered speaker which I hacked with magic to have a stupidly long battery life and I am humming along to my playlist while having slices of the pizza I ordered for dinner. It’s late, the bar has already closed for the night, but sometimes after work I’m a little amped up and not ready to go home so I like to stay and get things done. Cleaning, ordering, finances. Basically anything that means I can take a morning off and sleep in. Plus it’s always so peaceful at night when the customers are gone and I can just relax here alone. Even better, this late at night there’s no chance of my family trying to call and harass me about my life. choices. My confidence that it won’t be my mother calling me is the only reason I answer my phone without checking the caller I.D.

“Hello?” I answer, the room feeling oddly silent since the music stopped when I picked up the call. I switch it to speakerphone and drop it on my work table so that I can keep sorting my

inventory.

“Hello Camille.” A grumpy sounding voice greets me and I can’t help but grin.

“Hey Ella. Why are you calling so late?” I ask. Ella is a Shifter and a doctor. She helps me with some of my more experimental potions and in exchange I keep her stocked with healing potions, numbing spells, stuff like that. Sadly it isn’t as simple as just a one size fits all heals everything potion. Different races need different mixes just like they do with alcohol and different spells will heal different things. There are potions for replenishing blood, ones that are like antibiotics, ones to reduce pain, close wounds, help bruising heal faster. Some can be mixed together and others can’t. So making them and administering them is a difficult and detailed task. I could never decide what the best potion is to give someone who is in need of medical assistance and Ella would have no idea how to mix the potions. So we work together

and we both learn.

“I’m calling to ask you a favour, or rather I’m asking a favor on behalf of my Alpha’s mate who will eventually also be Alpha. If you want to refuse I wouldn’t hold it against you and I

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Cam 3- Felines and favours

did warn them that I will not pressure you to help. I’m only calling so late because… Well the Alpha’s mate… She’s not what I expected. I want to help her and I think that she’s in something of a hurry.” She explains. Oh? That’s interesting. Ella is well known for disliking everyone and everything. She’s grumpy and pessimistic. For her to say she likes someone is a big deal.

“What’s the favour?” I prompt..

“They need to ask questions about Witches and details about a few specific spells. You know it’s hard to replace Witches willing to share. She grumbles. It’s a common complaint of hers How advanced medical care could be if people would just work together and not be so

secretive.

“That’s true, but I could get in a lot of trouble if it gets around that I’m sharing secrets.” I remind her, a little concerned but not really. If Ella likes someone, that’s really enough for me. She doesn’t trust easily. It’s surprising enough that she told these people about me, but I guess she can’t really keep secrets from her Alpha. Although we’ve been running our experiments for over a year now and he’s never wanted to talk to me before now. I didn’t even

realise he knew I existed.

“Don’t go worrying now girl. I didn’t tell anyone. That new girl of his is sharp. She figured I had to have a contact if I had access to as many potions as I do. She asked after you.” Ella sounds both impressed and pissed off that this woman is competent. I can’t help but laugh.

She reminds me of my own grandmother. Or at least how my grandmother seemed to me when I was a kid and completely unaware of politics, bloodlines and power. Just a cranky old woman with a bit of a sweet spot that shows in how she acts rather than how she speaks. It makes me miss my grandmother. Actually no, I don’t miss her, I miss the person I thought she was and I miss believing that she cared about my happiness more than what I can do for *her. I’d never admit it to her, but I’m lonely without my family and Ella… well she fills that

void in a way. Which is why there really isn’t any favour I wouldn’t grant her.

“I’m not worried. I trust you. If you think I can help your Alpha and his mate then I’m happy to talk to them. How’s tomorrow night? They could stop by the bar. I’ll ask Cora to pick up an extra shift so I can be free to talk out the back, she’s trying to save for a new car so I’m pretty sure she will say yes.” I answer, already planning out my evening for tomorrow.

“Perfect. Eight O, Clock?” She confirms.

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Cam 3- Felines and favours

“Sounds great.” I agree.

“Good. The Feline Shifter Alphas will both be coming I assume. Alpha Kane isn’t letting her out of his sight right now if he can help it.” She talks about her Alpha the same way she always does. With reluctant admiration. I can’t help but giggle.

“Oh don’t you start with me girl.” She grumbles.

* bet you know how it goes.” I promise.”

“You don’t need to report back to me…” She pauses before continuing.

*Til expect an update, not tomorrow night though. That’s far too late. I’m only up now as a favour. You can text me.” She declares, then as is her way she hangs up on me without warning. It’s silent for half a second before my music resumes. I turn it down, it’s almost

Innoyingly loud after the quiet phone call. Now that was interesting. I’m actually kind of excited to replace out what the Feline Alphas might want to ask me about, and if it means sharing Witchy secrets or ruining my parent’s sales, then even better. I would feel bad about it, but really nothing I do is going to even make a dent in their bottom line and even if it did. they can more than afford it. Plus they deserve it after trying to spell me the way they did. Still, I’m excited. I finish up the inventory stuff and set a reminder in my phone to call Cora first thing to ask her to pick up the shift. I head home to get some sleep, but sleep comes slow because I’m busy trying to decide what drink I should make the Alphas. I’ve been making a lot of interesting drinks lately. It’s actually been pretty fun, even if I have been making them all for one overly friendly Incubus.

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