She turned back to him, her eyes wide. It wasn’t necessarily because he didn’t want to come to the pack. Even the shifters that loved to be around people avoided Claymore, for good reason. Outsiders were not treated well and those brought up in the pack were taught the same ideals that Luke himself believed in. It was that or leave. What choice did they have? What surprised Kiara was his last statement. She didn’t look him in the eyes, just as she hadn’t this entire time, but she had a feeling he was doing something that made him look ridiculous. 

After a moment’s thought, she walked over to him and looked at his hand as she tried to speak again. “A-Acquainted? Talk..?” She felt the catch that she always did, especially when talking to a male, but she pushed against it as hard as she possibly could and managed to say, “You want me to talk?” [i]Don’t be silly, Kiara. Of course he doesn’t want you to talk. Remember what mother said, and what all the men say. Women aren’t meant to talk. They’re meant for cooking and cleaning and babies.[/i] These thoughts lead to a quiet, “Sorry,” because of course she had heard wrong.

Still… someone wanting to get to know her. Actually wanting to hear what she had to say? Isn’t that what she’d been waiting for all this time. Kiara bit her lip gently and continued to stare at that hand. Should she go home where everyone was probably waiting, or should she take a chance? The answer should have been simple. If she even so much as walked around the city with him, it was likely she would feel the backlash at home, but if she didn’t? What then? If he really wanted to get to know her, what choice did she really have? Tentatively, still unsure, she laid her hand on top of his and nodded.