Tangled Hearts - The Alpha's Baby Mama-Chapter 299: Finding the Fates...

Selene POV

The air in the safe house felt unnerving still as I paced back and forth, my thoughts tangled with anger and uncertainty. Belinda lay unconscious on the floor, her figure lifeless apart from the faint rise and fall of her chest. My power had lashed out, something I barely understood myself, and yet it had rendered her powerless in an instant.

I glanced over at the guards standing at attention near the doorway, their expressions stoic but laced with unease. They didn’t question me when I spoke, even though my words carried more determination than I felt.

"Pour water over her," I instructed. "Wake her up. I have questions that need answering."

One of the guards stepped forward with a bucket, his movements careful yet swift. He doused her with water, and I watched as the liquid splashed over her face and soaked her clothes. Belinda jolted awake with a gasp, sputtering and flailing slightly before realizing her hands were bound.

"Ugh," she groaned, blinking rapidly and shaking her head. Her gaze darted around, confusion quickly replaced by a sharp glare when her eyes landed on me. "Really, Selene? You couldn’t just slap me awake like a normal person?"

I crossed my arms, ignoring her sarcasm. "You’re lucky I didn’t do worse."

She scoffed, shifting uncomfortably against the ropes binding her. "What do you want, Selene? If this is your idea of revenge, I’m not impressed."

I crouched down in front of her, close enough that she could see the steel in my eyes.

"I’m going to ask you something," I say coldly, leaning close to her. "And I expect the truth. Only the truth."

Her smirk faltered slightly, though she tried to cover it with a defiant tilt of her chin. "And if I don’t?"

My voice was colder than I intended. "Then I’ll make sure you regret it."

Her lips pressed into a thin line, her defiance waning under the weight of my stare. The silence stretched between us, tense and unyielding. Finally, I spoke again, my words deliberate and slow.

"You know you don’t want to mess with me, Belinda... we have bad blood between us and I’m trying not to be revengeful. So, listen carefully and answer my question truthfully."

Belinda tries to laugh, but it comes out more like a strangled cough. "And what makes you think I’ll tell you anything?"

I don’t rise to her bait. Instead, I lean in closer, my voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "I want to know how to find the Fates." freēwēbnovel.com

Her eyes widen almost imperceptibly—a tell that confirms she knows something. "The Fates?" she echoes, trying to sound casual.

"Don’t play games with me, Belinda," I warn. "You came here on a mission from Jared. You know something about this prophecy, about my supposed power. Now tell me how to find the Fates."

A flicker of fear passes across her face before she masks it with her typical arrogance. "Why would you want to find them? They’re not something you just... look up in a directory."

I’m growing impatient. "Answer. The. Question."

Belinda studies me, weighing her options. I can see the calculation happening behind her eyes—how much to reveal, how much to hide. "The Fates aren’t just found," she says finally. "They choose when to be discovered. They exist between realms, in spaces that most supernatural beings can’t even comprehend."

"How do I contact them?" I press.

She lets out a bitter laugh. "Contact? You don’t contact the Fates. They contact you. They appear when they determine the moment is right. When the cosmic balance requires their intervention."

"Answer the question," I snapped. "Do you know how to find them or not?"

She tilted her head, studying me with an unsettling intensity. "Why would you even want to find them? Do you have any idea what they are? What they’ll do to you if you get anywhere near them?"

"That’s none of your concern," I said firmly. "Just tell me what you know."

Belinda sighed, her shoulders slumping slightly. "You really are something, Selene. Always so stubborn, always thinking you can handle things on your own. But the Fates... they’re not something you can just confront."

I leaned closer, my patience wearing thin. "I’m not asking for your opinion, Belinda. I’m asking for information. Do you have it or not?"

She hesitated, her eyes flickering with something I couldn’t quite place—fear, perhaps, or maybe pity. "Fine," she said finally. "I know a way. But it’s not simple, and it’s not safe."

I grab her chin, forcing her to look directly at me. "There must be a way. A ritual, a location, something."

Belinda’s resolve seems to crack slightly. "There are... whispers. Ancient texts speak of a convergence point. A place where multiple supernatural ley lines intersect. Where the veil between worlds is thinnest. But it’s not a simple journey."

"Tell me," I demand.

"The Northern Mountain Range," she says quietly. "Where the three peaks meet. But it’s not just about location. You need a specific constellation alignment and a precise magical resonance. And even then, there’s no guarantee they’ll appear."

I’m about to ask more when suddenly Belinda’s demeanour shifts. The fear is replaced by something else—a strange, knowing smile that sends chills down my spine.

"Why do you want to find them?" she asks. "What could you possibly hope to accomplish?"

Before I can respond, she continues, "Be careful what you wish for, Selene. The Fates are not kind. They don’t care about individual desires. They care about the grand design, the cosmic balance."

"Also," She glanced around the room, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "There’s an ancient grove, deep in the heart of the Shadow Forest. That’s where the Fates are said to reside, where their power is strongest. But getting there... it’s not just a matter of finding the place. The grove is protected by barriers, by magic older than anything you’ve ever encountered."

I frowned, her words sinking in like lead. "And how do I get past these barriers?"

Belinda smirked, a hint of her usual arrogance returning. "That’s the part you’re not going to like. The only way past the barriers is to prove yourself worthy in their eyes. And let me tell you, they don’t make it easy."

"Worthy how?" I pressed.

Her smirk faded, replaced by a grim expression. "You’ll have to show them that you’re willing to sacrifice everything—your power, your freedom, maybe even your life. The Fates don’t deal with half-measures. They’ll test you, Selene, in ways you can’t even imagine. And if you fail..." She trailed off, letting the implication hang in the air.

I release her, my mind spinning with this new information. The Northern Mountain Range. Three peaks. A specific alignment.

But something tells me finding the Fates won’t be as simple as following a map.

"What aren’t you telling me?" I ask, sensing there’s more beneath the surface.