Shades of a Warrior's Soul

Ch 10

The moment Dad walked in with clothes, I blinked and I was beside him, tugging the hoodie and jeans from his hands and pulling them. I'd accidentally shredded the undergarments in my haste to get the clothes, and I'd nicked the hoodie. I ran my disappearing claws down the small rip, smiling sheepishly at Dad when I met his gaze.

"What the fuck." I demanded, remembering nothing except the fact that I'd woken up naked in the same room as Thing One and Thing Two, both who were now standing beside me with jeans riding low on their hips. Their parents had joined us, as well. Someone should've offered them shirts, because I found it hard to keep my gaze off their chests.

"Kat, let's get some food in you guys first and then we'll talk, ok?" I allowed Dad to put his arm around my shoulders and follow Mr. and Mrs. Clybourne to their kitchen. It was oddly quiet here. Mrs. Clybourne urged us to sit before she began pulling food from the fridge. She warmed things in increments, both Sebastian and Mikhail rising to help her. I couldn't help myself, I watched them as I ran my fingers down a sensitive spot on my neck. Sebastian twitched and glanced at me, curious, before he and Mikhail shared a look. Mikhail glanced at me, and I felt something there, a nudge of a memory, perhaps.

"You feeling ok, Katherine?" Mr. Clybourne asked suddenly, pulling my attention to him.

"Yes, sir, thank you for asking." I pulled my hair into two parts and wrapped it around itself to make two makeshift buns, watching Sebastian bring a platter of hamburger steaks in gravy to the table, Mikhail following shortly after with a bowl of mashed potatoes. My stomach growled loudly as Sebastian and Mikhail passed around plates.

No one spoke as we sat and began filling our plates. The moment I took a bite of my food, I realized why it seemed so quiet now. My guardian, she was gone.

"Kat?" I glanced at Dad, realized he could see the sadness on my face. I glanced at everyone at the table, before clearing my throat and setting my fork down to reach for my water.

"It's quiet, inside my head. My guardian isn't talking to me anymore." I whispered, taking a few sips of water. Guess it didn't matter to talk about it now that it was gone, right? Still no less of a freak. "This is the first time I've been alone, and it feels odd." They were stunned at my words, confirming what Dad had said when he told me it was unheard of. In the silence that followed, we began eating while they mulled over my words.

"I think we should tell them now." Mrs. Clybourne announced the moment we finished eating. I set my fork down and grabbed my water.

"Kat." I glanced at Dad when he spoke. "You, Sebastian, and Mikhail had to be shot with tranquilizers and brought back here. When we found you, in the woods-"

"We crossed the creek." Sebastian started, cutting Dad off.

"On the other side of the creek, you fell in." I mumbled, Mikhail nodding in agreement.

"After the creek, everything is hazy." Mikhail added, sharing a look with me and then with Sebastian. We all nodded, agreeing that the creek was the last thing we remembered. I rubbed at the marks on my neck, side by side. A feeling of content washed over me, allowing me to relax.

"You can't tell?" I glanced at Mr. Clybourne. He was looking at his sons, glancing between them both. "You know, Sebastian. You can feel it. Mika, you know what it means. She doesn't."

"We marked you." Sebastian confessed when he finally looked at me. "Both of us."

"And you marked us." Mikhail added, rubbing at a spot on his neck. I felt my skin prickle, felt his mind pressing against mine in a brief connection. Only because of the direct connection, it seemed. During the run, I'd sensed their thoughts, like I was hearing them through a bubble. Mikhail's thoughts were loud and clear in that brief moment. It was a tornado of emotion, building – anguish, rage, hope?