“I only talk to you,” she whispered as she watched him walk away. Kiara assumed that the male would be going off to shift and possibly never come back, but she hoped. She didn’t go after him, but she hoped that he would come back anyways. Letting him go was the natural thing to do. She had no idea who he was or why he affected her. The more he was around, the more confused she became. The young woman was already having self-identity issues, and now with everything that had happened… well she just didn’t need complications in her life. Not any more, that was. Her fingers grazed the mark on her thigh and she pushed the pang that she felt deep behind the wall where she could pretend it had never existed.

It was a few minutes later that she found herself back in the room with everyone else. She was probably the only shifter that was not set on edge by this man, only because she had already had a new encounter today. Besides, weren’t they all outsiders now? Lone wolves? Or were they a pack? It was hard to decide. Of course, they wanted to be a pack with Jaii as their alpha, but Kiara had no idea how the logistics actually worked. She had been born into Claymore, not sworn in. Because of this, she had no memory of what had bound her to Luke. Was it just a subconscious loyalty? Was it a choice? Was it something formal that had been performed for her by her parents?

Thinking of her parents made the shifter homesick once more, and she tried her best to find the reason why she had left. Her eyes scanned the room, and finally fell on Jaii. He was a good man, and a good leader, and had been put through hell by an alpha who did not deserve the title. He had been forced away from his home for protecting his people. They had been friends once, Jaii and Kiara, as all children were. She remembered when he was sent away, remembered how different he’d been when he’d returned. Kiara looked at Jaii and knew he had been the reason she’d left. Dakeyras had taken her away, but the bond to her pack had been severed even before that. She had left for a reason, a good reason. Though she had help, Kiara had finally stood up for something she’d believed in. Yes, she’d never said as much, but she was here. That was proof. As long as she remembered that, she would be fine.

Kiara looked at Jaii and felt hope.