Fallen Angel [Bellamy Blake]

Chapter 13: Shelter

You will not always be strong, but you can always be brave -- Beau Taplin.

"KATHERINE." A VOICE INTERRUPTS MY attempt at peaceful sleep. I groan internally, keeping my eyes closed in hopes that he would go away. "I know you're awake," Bellamy says, voice slightly irritated.

"Ugh," I prop myself on my elbows. "What do you want?"

Bellamy hovers next to the entrance of my tent, his eyes darting to my leg. "Is your leg good enough to walk on?"

"Yes," I say quickly, sounding more defensive than I intended.

"Alright then, let's go."

"Huh?"

"We're going hunting. If you're up to it."

I narrow my eyes at him. He was really asking me to join them hunting? Did I hit my head that hard on the tree branch earlier? "Uh, why me?"

He groans, obviously not wanting to explain himself. "Do you have to question everything?" I give him a fixed stare. "You're pretty good at throwing knives. We could use you. If you want to come."

I sit up, grabbing my jacket and my pack. "Don't choke on the compliment now, Blake."

He rolls his eyes and walks out of my tent. I smile to myself. I had been itching for an escape from this place, even if it is with my least favorite person in this camp. I haven't gotten the chance to explore Earth, and with the threat of Grounders lurking in the woods, I thought I never would.

Plus, I get to throw more knives.

The group gathers around a boar, who snorts loudly oblivious to our slow advances. I stalk forward, wanting to be ahead of the group to be the one to make the kill. Bellamy holds out his hand to stop me. "She's mine."

"Hell no," I scoff.

Bellamy gives me a look, but before either one of us could make an attempt to kill the boar or each other, a twig snaps behind us.

Bellamy and I react instinctively by throwing our weapons, they narrowly miss a young wide-eyed girl's head, striking the tree on either side of her. The commotion had spooked the boar unfortunately. The rest of the hunting group takes off running after the wild animal.

I let out a breath I hadn't realize I was holding. We just almost killed a girl.

"Who the hell are you?" Bellamy booms, his threatening voice carries through the woods.

"Charlotte." The girl timidly replies. She seems a little shaken up by the fact that she almost getting her head torn off but then again who wouldn't.

I cautiously walk up to her, holding my hands up to show her that she can trust me. "We almost killed you. You can't sneak up on people with weapons, Charlotte."— I bend down to her eye level— "Why are you even out here?"

"There's Grounders out here. It's too dangerous for a little girl." Atom tells her sternly.

"She's not little."

"I'm not little."

Bellamy looks at me and then at Charlotte, a small genuine smile on his lips. He nods. "Okay then.." he pulls out a small knife and hands it to her. "But you can't hunt without a weapon. Ever killed something before?"

Charlotte shakes her head "no" in response.

"Who knows? Maybe you're good at it." Bellamy acknowledges.

We continue through the forest looking for a new kill. The other group had lost the boar and rejoined us a few minutes later. I walk beside Charlotte, teaching her how to hold her knife correctly and the motion she wants to make when she throws it. She makes small, uncertain movements at first.