Liana hadn't meant to make matters worse. She wanted only to make a point that she wouldn't be pushed around and run over like she didn't matter. Now she had nothing but confusion on her mind. Liana's plan had originally been to make Conner angry. Long story short, that hadn't happened.
Liana didn't expect Conner to be so secure in his own manhood. It had been years since she met a man who could so control his irritation. Someone who didn't berate her for purposely seducing others. Conner had, instead, only reminded her that she would be going home with only one person. Him.
Truth be told, Liana hadn't thought through her plan very well. Now that she had waltzed in looking as alluring as she could be, Liana didn't like the predatory way that eyes followed her every movement. Maren had tried to warn her, but Liana didn't listen. Now she wished that she had.
This whole world was new to Liana. It still didn't make sense. But one thing she knew for certain: wolves were triggered by scent more than sight.
A look down at her own outfit suddenly made other things click in Liana's mind. Conner hadn't said it, but she was smart enough to figure it out. Too much skin showing. Bare shoulders, bare legs, bare feet. With nothing to cover her scent, it must be everywhere. Maybe she should start listening to the warnings given to her.
As much as Liana didn't want to admit it, Conner knew what he was talking about. After all, he had been living on the Res far longer than she had.
Sadly, it was too late to change her mind about her outfit.
Conner asissted her into a seat at a long banquet table. His fingers glanced against the back of her shoulder, near the spot where he had kissed her skin. Liana could still feel the burning sensation of his lips, the electric sizzle of his words in her ear.
Every pore in Liana's body wanted to be closer to him. Every reminder in her head said she couldn't give in. The torture of the opposite views made her chest hurt so badly that Liana pressed a hand to her heart in hopes of calming the ache.
Conner frowned, stopping halfway into his seat. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing." Liana shook her head. "Just figuring some things out."
"Are you sure? You look pale." Conner pressed a palm to her forehead.
Liana shook him off. "I'm fine. Let's eat."
Though Conner seemed dubious, he didn't question her further. Maybe her ire had convinced him that she meant business. Liana wouldn't be a pushover. Not if she could help it.
"We're going to be here for a while, so take small bites," Conner admonished as he loaded a plate with goodies and set it in front of Liana. "Don't drink alcohol."
"Why not?" Liana refused to mention that she never had a taste for many alcoholic beverages, anyway. Conner couldn't tell her what to do, not when she was supposed to be taking revenge for his lack of communication skills.
But he turned those vibrant eyes to her, gold flashing in their depths. "I don't know your drunken habits."
"What does that have to do with anything?"
"I'll have a hard enough time restraining myself without the influence of alcohol between us." Conner let his gaze peruse her, down to the bare shoulder where he had planted a kiss. "So I suggest we both keep alcohol out of the equation."
How did he manage to make his very gaze burn into her skin like a branding iron? Liana swallowed, her heart clamping tighter as her thoughts raced back and forth.
A nod sufficed to answer Conner. He was right. Alcohol would break down their resolve, and Liana was already having trouble keeping her resolve up. She couldn't chance what would happen if they got drunk.
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.
She shouldn't have passed out like that. As though her entire body and time had stopped. As if she were a robot and someone turned off her power. Conner had never seen the symptoms before. That made it all the harder to remain still and calm while the doctor checked Liana.
Clack. Creak. The bedroom door opened and the tribe doctor stepped out. He closed the door again behind himself.
"What's wrong with her?" Conner tried his hardest to keep the angry alpha tone out of his voice. It wouldn't help this situation. Conner's desire to keep his mate safe wouldn't change the doctor's ability. Nor would it change the diagnosis. Better to listen objectively and come up with a plan rationally.
The tribe doctor clasped both hands around the medical box he toted everywhere. "I revived her and gave her a sedative to calm her anxiety. She'll be asleep for quite a while, I'd wager."
"But what's wrong with her?"
"Has she expressed any depression or withdrawal from reality?"
Conner narrowed his eyes at the usually trustworthy doctor. "No. Tell me what's wrong, doc."
"It's the formation of your bond with her." The tribe doctor heaved a sigh. "There's a disconnect between the bond in her head and the bond in her heart. It's not a rejection, but... it's causing problems."
A disconnect? Conner stared past the doctor to the closed door. Just beyond, he could hear Liana's soft breathing, her sleepy sighs. She had been fine hours ago. Why, now, would she develop such symptoms?
"How do I fix it?" Conner demanded to know.
The doctor gave Conner a wry smile, his old wrinkled face a mask of professionalism. "I think you'll need to have a talk with your mate. If her head keeps rejecting this, it won't be good for the remainder of the forming period. She has to accept that there's a connection between you two logically as well as emotionally. You'll need to explain once she's awake, or I'm afraid..."
Conner nodded, his attention snapping back to the man before him. The doctor needn't say more. Conner understood the connotations of the speech. Somehow, he would find a way to get through Liana's stubborn head.
"Spend more time with her, in the meantime. Hopefully that will keep her symptoms at bay until she heals."
"Thank you, doc." Conner said the words with all the sincerity within him. If not for the tribe doctor, Conner would have had a much harder time identifying the issue and finding the root cause.
Spending more time with Liana? Conner could make it happen. He would find ways to make sure she stayed healthy. He wouldn't lose Liana like he had lost his mother, like the clan had lost so many of their women and children. Another loss of that magnitude would drive him insane. Conner had no intention of facing insanity again.
The tribe doctor patted a hand against Conner's shoulder, a move that most other wolves on the res wouldn't have dared. The tribe doctor had a special identity among the clan.
Conner accepted the comfort for what it was. The doc left without much ado, but that's how he handled everything. With absolute calmness. Conner wished he had that ability, especially now.
Morning would dawn any time now. The sun would rise, but Conner doubted his spirits would rise with it. His sole focus concentrated on the center of the closed bedroom door. Every instinct in his body demanded he go in, lay down, and hold Liana in his arms.
Conner refused to listen. In this state, he wasn't sure if he could maintain his control. He had made Liana a promise. He had to keep it, to prove that he was better than she thought.
But first, he had to save Liana's life. Disconnects rarely happened during the formation of a bond, but he and Liana's bond had certain restrictions. Not to mention, she had said that her father didn't like shifters. She had probably learned to be wary of shifters since her childhood. Their circumstances made the perfect incubation for such an illness.
Whether or not it was his fault in the first place, Conner knew only one thing. He had to fix the problem for his mate to survive. To disconnect only halfway from a bond was far more dangerous than an outright rejection.
For hours, Conner stood still, orchestrating a perfect discussion in his head. His wolf, on high alert lest something else happen to their mate, wouldn't have moved even if Conner willed it. Guarding Liana while she slept took precedence over anything else he could be doing. When she slept, she was even more vulnerable. Humans were fragile, and in sleep they could be destroyed without a whisper or a clue.
The sun rose higher and higher in the sky and still Conner stood sentry. Liana didn't stir, but she kept breathing. Muttering in her sleep. Only when the sun began its afternoon descent did the sounds from within the bedroom change.
Liana heaved a deep breath. The bedsheets stirred as if she would rise.
And Conner forced himself to remain calm as he reached to open the door.