A Tale of the Other Kind: A Therian Novel by Leandi Cameron

you?’ She turned his face towards her, forcing him to look straight at her. 
    He could see she was angry. His resolve crumbled - all he wanted to do was kiss her and hold her. He wanted to tell her that everything was going to be alright. But he was uncertain about his future and didn’t know how to handle his newfound anatomy yet. Every essence of his body was screaming for her. He wanted to make her understand how much she meant to him and that he would never allow anything or anyone to hurt her again, if he could prevent it. 
    'You’re freezing,' he said, changing the subject. He took off his coat and placed it over her shoulders. 
    'I can handle it,' she said tensely. 
    A slight smile pulled at the corner of his mouth, but fell away quickly. Before he could say anything more, she reached up on her toes and kissed him, taking his breath away. With her lips on his, all his objections suddenly melted away. His heart felt like it would jump right out of his chest. His mind was telling him no, but his heart couldn't bear keeping her at arm’s length. He slowly wrapped his arms around her shoulders, pulling her closer into his embrace. Slowly, he pulled away and looked at her. 
    'Do you know how long I’ve waited to be with you. I didn’t leave you, Sienna. I was there the whole time,' he said, kissing her softly on the forehead and closing his eyes. ‘But it’s better for you if I leave it where it ended and stay away from you. Whatever this could have been between us has to end. It’s better that way...’ he trailed off, unconvinced. 
    ‘Kai, don’t. Don’t do this, and what do you mean you were there?’ Tears formed in her crystal blue eyes. 
    ‘It’s for the best,’ he repeated. 
    ‘You don’t know what you’re saying,’ her voice faltering. 
    ‘Yes, I do,’ he breathed, ‘I just don’t have space for this in my life right now.’ 
    ‘What? What can be so difficult that we cannot deal with it together?’ she asked shocked, taking a step back. 
    ‘You need to move on Sienna. Find a guy that doesn’t have issues. I have issues.’ 
    ‘And you think I don’t?’ she asked as tears rolled down her cheeks. 
    The pain he was causing her was tearing him apart. ‘I can’t ... I can’t do this. I’ve to go.’ Shaking his head he tried to convince himself this was the right thing to do. 
    ‘Please don’t go,’ she begged. 
    ‘I have to,’ he said, turning away and heading into the dark alley, leaving her behind. He knew he was walking away from the one true thing that he had in his life. 

CHAPTER 11
    As Kai walked away from Sienna, he could feel her pain radiating through him, mixing with emptiness of the dark alleyway, slowly sucking him in. Her silent tears rang like rain drops hitting a rooftop. He prayed that Sienna wouldn’t try to follow him. There was a new world waiting for him, and he knew he had to go at it alone. Someday she would forget him. He hoped that she would find someone who would take good care of her. Kai would become a distant memory – a faded, ridiculous dream that was more like a fiction novel than reality. 
    Nothing made sense to him and he did not know what to believe anymore - what was real and what was make-believe. His entire life seemed to have turned into a never-ending horror film. The further away he got from the bookstore, the darker the alley became, with only the faint glow of a half-moon illuminating his path. This didn’t bother him, as he suddenly realised that he was able to see like a cat in the dark. He noticed his steps become louder as the darkness and a half-hearted moon became his only companion, but he didn’t care. Nothing mattered anymore. He had to face his reality. The further he stalked into the night, the more pronounced his fingernails became, making him angry. 
    I need to learn how to control thi s, he thought. But the harder he tried, the less he could control his feelings, and the more his new shape and form took