Crescent (Tribes, Book 1) [completed]

Chapter 15

Liana woke to a soft touch against her back. As quickly as she registered it, it left. Only to rest against her head and stroke down the length of her hair.

"Are you petting me?" Liana grumbled against the pillow. "What about the blanket wall?" She shifted uncomfortably in the large coat still tucked tightly around her.

"They're just pillows. I have long arms." Conner's morning voice was deep and raspy, the sexiest thing Liana ever heard.

She squeezed her eyes shut again, willing this moment to last just a little longer. Willing the grasp of his hands on her heart to loosen or relent. It only squeezed tighter. A frisson of thrill and adventure raced through Liana's spine.

A soft growl emanated from Conner's direction. "Liana, if you keep responding like this I won't be able to hold back."

Liana sighed and forced herself to remain still. "I'm hungry," she managed to say without her voice breaking. Her brain screamed that all she had to do was last twenty-nine more days. Her heart wanted something completely different. And all Conner had done was pet her.

Why was that so alluring?

"I'll be right back." Conner's fingers left her hair. His weight left the bed. His footsteps left the room.

Liana sighed and squirmed out of the giant parka Conner had zipped her into the night before. The fresh morning air felt wonderful against her overheated skin. She let out a long sigh.

What was this feeling stirring in her chest? What was the undeniable attraction she felt to a man she had only known for two days? Brielle was probably right. She probably had a fascination. That's all.

The memory of her dearest friend twisted Liana's gut. How could she stay here with a hunky, sexy wolf-man when Brielle was stuck running the shop alone? It wasn't fair to either of them. All she had to do was stick it out for twenty-nine more days. Make herself unacceptable to the giant wolf in the other room. She was stubborn. She could do it.

But she didn't particularly like the idea.

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Conner could finally breathe once he left her to scurry about the kitchen. Even with Liana wrapped up like a human burrito, and a wall of pillows between them, it had taken all his self-control to stay on his own side of the bed. He only wanted a taste, but he knew that would lead into territory she wasn't ready to face.

As much as he hated it, Conner knew he would have to move slowly with her. She didn't understand how the Res worked. And she sure didn't understand how a mating bond worked. As much as he wanted her, he feared she wouldn't want him. He wouldn't give her any valid reason to terminate the mating contract.

He sensed her before he heard her. His Liana had a way of silence about her when she wanted.

Conner turned to look over his shoulder. His breath caught in his throat. She hadn't changed from last night's clothes, probably because she had none of her own here with her. She had managed to braid her hair over one shoulder, but a Moonflower still hung limp near the back of her head. She looked even more beautiful bleary-eyed.

"I can have someone bring your things to the gates. But you'll have to tell me who to contact." Conner didn't want to admit he had a fairly good guess. He had done his research on his mate, purely to prove to his father that she was all she appeared to be.

"It would be nice to have my clothes and stuff." Liana nibbled at her lip.

Conner wanted nothing more than to snack on the same. He cleared his throat and turned back to the omelette on the stove. "Who should I contact about it?"

"Brielle Lyons." Liana's eyes went wide like she couldn't believe she confessed that. "But tell her I'll only need enough to last the month."

Conner's heart broke a little at the words. She still didn't want to stay past the limits of the trial placement. Had she not felt the connection like he had? Did she not feel the bond as strongly? He supposed he couldn't expect that kind of premonition from a mere human.

He angrily flipped the eggs onto a plate. "I'll have her bring you a suitcase." For now, he wouldn't argue. But when the time came, Liana was in for a rude awakening. He had no intention of letting go.

"Alright, you're being too compliant. What's really going on?"

Conner recognized the indignant tone from the day before. Stubborn, control-freak Liana had come out to play.

He glanced at her and tried not to laugh at her hands-on-hips defiance. Conner set the plate on the counter between them and held out a fork. "Who says anything is going on? Can a man not make a meal for his mate?"

"You're not a man." Liana snatched the fork and dug into the omelette. Her eyes went wide. "This is delicious."

"Thank you." Conner leaned back and folded his own arms. She wanted to be stubborn? He could outdo anyone's stubborn, any day. "And I am a man."

"You're not just a man." Liana corrected herself. "You're a wolf. A shifter. And rumor has it that shifters don't do the romance thing." That didn't stop her from slicing off another heaping bite of breakfast.

"I think we've been grossly misrepresented." Conner frowned. What did the media say about them these days? This was why he wanted the Res borders opened again. To erase all the stigmas. "If anything, shifters are more romantic than your poor human excuses for men."

"Yeah, right. As if." Liana shook her head vehemently. "What is so romantic about claiming a woman and demanding she stay by your side for eternity? What if she didn't want you in the first place?"

"It isn't possible." Conner shook his own head. "Wolves have a sixth sense about these kind of things. A mate is a mate, and deep down she knows it as well."

"Still sounds like gibberish to me." Liana scarfed another bite into her mouth.

She wanted romance? Conner rolled his shoulders. He could show her romance and, when the time came, even more.

Whoa, there, buddy, let's not get ahead of ourselves. She wants to be wooed? Fine. Conner took a step forward and reached out to tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear. He leaned close, inhaling her scent until it was seared into his memory.

His fingers traced her jaw, a soft purr resonating from his chest. "You smell sweeter than a Moonflower. Your skin is softer, too."

Liana's eyes met his. Conner didn't look away, letting her see every spark of heat that ignited his blood. They stood like that for a long moment. Conner thought perhaps Liana had stopped breathing.

Until she choked on her bite of eggs. She sputtered and coughed, the moment broken as she stepped away and tried to hold back the pained tears in her eyes.

Conner leaped over the counter as if he could do something to help her. She merely held up a hand and waited for the coughing fit to end.

"I'm going back to the room." Liana backed away from him as if he carried the black plague. "You... you just stay out here and make your phone calls. Let me know when Brielle says she'll do it... that... what we talked about."

Faster than Conner could disagree, Liana disappeared back into the bedroom. He heard the lock click shut.