The Tiger Within 325 The Hate

The blow shoved Verone back, and as he lunged at Kan, murder in those sapphire eyes, Kan jumped back landing the both in the water. Crimson dripping from Verone's wound and disappearing in the rushing water. "Verone I know where Kyera is." Kan shouted at him and Verone froze, like hitting a switch. There was hatred pouring from his eyes. During the confrontation this had been the first time she had seen his eyes. The pupil was a single slit in the center of a blue ocean. There was a feral quality that made Kyera's heartache. The beast was battling to get free but the human overpowered it and stayed still. It was clearly a struggle he was close to losing even though he shouldn't be.

"What did you do to her?" Verone demanded and Kan flinched. It was barely noticeable unless you could feel him wince from inside.

"I have seen her but she hasn't seen me. I have been living at the palace for years. Someone, something is planning something and I think it has to do with her. We need to rescue her. The Palace will eat her alive. Bad things are happening, the palace isn't safe for her." Kan replied, staying deathly still. Had he moved, the beast would have beat the man in Verone. Seeing her lover so close to beasting was killing her.

"The Palace?" he asked, and it was like a switch flipped. Verone's eyes were his own again, gentle and calm but filled with worry. Kan sighed glad for this.

"Yes, and we need to get her home. The Dark ones are making moves, we need to get her into hiding." he pointed out nearly desperate now that Verone was actually listening.

"Why do you suddenly care?" he demanded and Kan sighed deeply, knowing what this tiger thought of him. For the first time in her life she felt his remorse. It was so deep inside Kan, a black cage around his heart, squeezing it with so much pressure she thought it would burst. She never believed it before, when he said he mourned for her brothers, but now she could feel it. Was it time to let go of the hate? Before she could answer that question, Kan spoke.

"Yes, let's get out of this stream and talk." Kan added walking toward the bank. As he did a smell hit his nose. Strong,Wild, and vaguely of sulfur. He turned toward it to see a man in the undergrowth stand, he raised  palm filled with green energy and before Kan could react he shot it off.

The energy shot past him and Kan turned to follow it with his eyes. There was shock and terror as it struck Verone in the head sending him backward off the waterfall. Kan ran forward knowing there was nothing he could fo. Verone was gone.

Kyera came back to reality with two strong arms wrapped around her. She wasn't even sure when she had started crying. The familiar scent of Kan surrounded her as he tried to sooth the tears. Unlike Kyera, his focus had been on her. He didn't see what she did, he only knew the tears were inevitable.

"Kan… we… can we… try to leave the past where it lays? That hatred in his eyes… my hatred consumed him… I… I can't let it happen to me too. Forgive me but I can't keep living in hate." Kyera whispered as the tears fell from her eyes. "I am sorry I blamed you for Verone…"

He gently pet her hair. "Kyera, you had no reason to believe in me after what I had done to your family. I know the hatred is all consuming, that's why I had to set this straight. I couldn't let more hate build between us. I don't want to be the reason you break."  Kan admitted to her surprise.

"I will always hurt for what you have done. I won't trust you. You have to earn it." Kyera added as he let go. She moved back wiping her eyes with a kerchief.

"I know, and one day I will tell you the truth of that night, but you have had enough my Lady, for one day." he whispered gently, knowing the tears would make her head hurt. He had cried his own fair share. Her words had loosened the bars, given him room to breath and truth be told, he was grateful.