Crescent (Tribes, Book 1) [completed]

Chapter 21

If only Liana had known that it didn't take alcohol to feel intoxicated.

Sitting in close proximity to Conner toyed with all of Liana's senses. Incidental touches sparked shivers through her body. And each time Liana forced herself back to her senses, the knot in her heart grew tighter and tighter.

Food gave way to drinking, of which Conner did not participate. Drinking brought about dancing, as a festival should.

Maren rose to dance with her husband, their movements as swift as a bird in flight. Liana couldn't help but watch as the jigs continued, as though everyone knew the same dance. Would she ever fit so fully into a family?

"Would you like to dance?" came a soft, sweet voice from nearby.

Liana looked down into Kat's angelic face, her little hands outstretched as an offer toward Liana.

"I'll teach you," Kat continued.

Liana glanced to Conner, who nodded his consent, although his glare went to the other wolves dancing through the tables.

"I would love to," Liana told Kat, ignoring Conner's discomfort. He deserved it for keeping her in the dark about her own life.

Kat grabbed one of Liana's hands in both of hers and headed for the open floor.

Liana didn't tell the little girl, nor did she admit it to herself, but she could feel the force of Conner's stare at her back. The weightiness of his attention swathed her like a cloak. Surely any other wolf in the room would sense it, as well.

That was the only reason that Liana let her guard down. Because, deep down, she trusted Conner to take care of any situations that arose.

Following Kat around the dance floor brought a momentary ease to the tightness in Liana's chest. The little girl had a way about her, an ability to put others at ease. Liana wondered how Kat survived her household, so far removed from her mother's brash nature.

Yet, Kat twirled and whirled as expertly as the adults around her. Liana followed along, unaware of how her hair flowed wildly or how her dress accented her form.

Faster and faster, Liana twirled and skipped, like a flower child freed in a meadow.

Then the knot tightened.

Liana stopped, mid-stride, her body as frozen as her lungs. Breath neither entered nor fled, merely stood still in her chest. And her heart squeezed. Tighter, tighter, tighter... Until a single stolen gasp sent Liana sinking toward the floor.

Strong arms swept her up before she hit the ground. But Liana remembered nothing more of the Moon Feast after that. Only blackness. 

\/'''''\/

/\,,,,,/\

Everything happened so fast that Conner's head spun. One second, Liana was dancing, enjoying herself alongside little Kat. The next, her face went pale and her lips turned blue. Those gorgeous eyes of hers rolled back in her head. And down she went.

Thankfully, Conner had excellent reflexes. If she had fallen and hit her head, he didn't know what he and the wolf would do. Panic harder than they were already panicking, probably.

She's not okay, the wolf whined in his head. Mate's not okay.

"Shut up, I know," Conner muttered back. He didn't need the reminder, not when the tribe doctor had arrived and promptly kicked Conner out of his own bedroom.

Conner realized the necessity of a thorough checkup, especially when it came to a weak mate, but he didn't like being away from her side while she was sick. He trusted the tribe doctor, but he didn't trust that a mere human like Liana would be able to sustain injuries acquired in the world of wolves.