328 Action was His

Kyera stared into the cup in her hands. She pondered his question, while his hand rested gently on her own. Her heart throbbed as she thought back to that night. She had tried so hard to forget it, that she had never told a soul what had happened in that dark room so close to morning.

"It was my the winter I turned twelve. I had gone to bed like any other night. It was dark out, but nearly dawn. Shifters were strictly night creatures back then it cut down on human exposure." Kyera began, her voice soft and her eyes lost deep inside her memories. "Keenan had put me to bed, like he always did then Kendrick and  Kain would sing their songs till I passed out. I don't know exactly what woke me, but I felt something warm splash my face." her hand raised subconsciously to caress that place on her cheek where the liquid had splashed her fair skin.

"I remembered the smell, strong and metallic. When I opened my eyes I saw him. He was mere inches from my face. I screamed and lashed out slicing his face open. He roared and retreated from me and I looked to my brothers for help. Kain slept closest to me. His chest was clawed open, blood… blood was everywhere. I was frozen on my matt barely protecting me from the blood. I…" Kyera's voice cracked as she laughed darkly at herself. It was almost mockery. Clovis reached for her hand and took it firmly in his, his thumb moving back and forth over the tender skin. She brought his hand to her lips and kissed it gently before continueing.

"I was so young. I tried to convince myself it was water. It couldn't be blood it had to be water reflecting red off something maybe a blanket. I tried so hard to convince myself. I heard Keenan growl and the fighting began. I just wanted the fighting to stop. I ran to the alarm. I pulled it hard over and over. I heard a child screaming, I thought other villagers were in trouble. They weren't. It was my own voice I heard. I don't even know when I started screaming."  Kyera had to take a moment to wipe the tears from her face. Clovis watched quietly, offering her support but no pity. She was too strong a woman to accept pity.