The Tiger Within 327 Missunderstandings Unraveled

"No, she isn't but she is one of her word." Kan replied nodding at him and Kyera. "I will let the pair of you settle this." he bowed more in her direction than his, and turned to walk away. Clovis went to stop him but Kyera grabbed his hand.

"He is right, I am the one who should explain." Kyera spoke carefully, because in all honesty she didn't believe she had done anything wrong, but nor had he. Clovis looked down at her for a long moment and nodded gently nudging her toward the seat. Obediently, Kyera took the offered chair and Clovis took the other, sitting across from her.

"I will hear you out, My Lady. Go for it." his words were a bit cold and his eyes showed some expectancy. It wasn't like he was waiting for something he expected to be true but as though he expected her to lie. Kyera sighed wondering who had hurt him so much that he couldn't trust his bride.

"There is and Never will be anything between Kan and I. He asked to talk about what happened in the forest and clear his name." Kyera explained, choosing not to comment on Clovis' manner. It was best to prove herself rather than try and fight it.

"Okay, then why was he hugging you like that?" he asked still not showing any signs of believing her. She nodded knowing that he had seem it.

"Kan was trying to comfort me. It is normal among my people when friends cry. I will admit between Kan and I it was strange." Kyera admitted honestly ashamed for having allowed him to hug her at all. It would make her seem weak among her clan. She had nor forgiven him but, she had still been immersed in his memory when he had. By the time she came out she was just glad for the touch.

"Strange? Why would that be?" Clovis asked in a slightly sing song voice. He was obviously pretending to be curious. Afterall, she was his wife to be and hugging another man was strange and grossly inappropriate.

"Because Kan tried to kill me." Kyera replied softly, looking down at the table. There was a vulnerableness to her eyes that made him wonder for a moment why he had doubted her. "He succeeded in killing my brothers."

That was all it took to wipe the doubt from his mind completely. Clovis looked a bit embarra.s.sed as he raised a hand to rub the back of his neck. "I am sorry, Kyera I didn't realize… why did he want to see you?" Clovis asked finally, giving up on finis.h.i.+ng his apology. There was no good way to finish that statement.

"He wanted to prove he didn't kill Verone. The Darkness did. I can't prove it yet, but one day I will have my revenge for my people and Verone." Kyera whispered softly. She looked at Clovis, his eyes warm and sad again. He nodded.

"What of revenge for your brothers?" Clovis asked looking in the direction Kan had gone.

"My brothers, especially Keenan would not have wanted me to seek revenge, but to seek understanding. They would have wanted me to move forward and try to understand why. It's the same reason I have restrained myself from killing Akira." Kyera admitted with sadness in her eyes. "I would do anything for my brothers. That includes refraining from revenging them so I don't dip their memories in blood." she added looking over at him with a soft smile.

"Isn't Akira my Grandmother's maid?" Clovis asked now confused and lost. "The one she sent to keep an eye on you when you were sick."

"Yes, but Akira Mei is also my mother, a white tigress s.h.i.+fter you also know as Grace." Kyera replied, there was no use in hiding it now. They would be family soon enough.

"Grace is your… no wonder the pair of you seemed to hate each other." Clovis chuckled as the realization hit him. Kyera nodded.

"It is one sided. She never hated me, I just can't forgive her. My brother's blood is just as much on her paws as Kan's." Kyera replied and Clovis frowned.

"Kyera, will you tell me one day? What happened the night you lost your brothers?" Clovis asked quietly, his hand covering hers on the table. His warm palm covering her delicate hand. She looked back at him with a sad smile.