Crescent (Tribes, Book 1) [completed]

Chapter 14

Liana looked up as soon as the door shut behind Conner's father. "You saved me tonight, didn't you? They were going to shoot me and you kept me safe."

All she could think about was the day in the square. The day that scarred her with its noises and the smell of blood in the hot, thick air. Tonight could have been like that again, but this time she had Conner to keep her safe. This time she didn't have to force herself to move, because Conner did it for her.

Conner returned to her side so he could stroke his thumbs over her cheeks. Apparently he couldn't stop touching her. "I won't let anything hurt you. Not ever."

Liana didn't understand why that was so encouraging, but she couldn't help but relax. Something in her believed Conner really would keep her safe. It was a dangerous part of herself, hidden deep inside. She couldn't fall for him. Not this quickly and not this hard. She had a life to get back to. Thirty days. That's all she promised. She had never played with a man's heart and she didn't intend to start now.

But he was so warm and so close. He protected her from bullets and an angry shifter. She couldn't ignore that. "You... don't have to sleep on the couch." It was the most she could offer him.

Conner frowned at her and shook his head, an action that seemed almost regal in its authority. "You're not sleeping on the couch."

"I know." Liana scuffed a toe against the floor, her eyes dropping to watch it. "We can... build a wall of pillows or something."

"No." Conner shook his head again.

Liana looked up with a frown similar to his. "Why not? It's a perfectly good solution and besides you're too big to sleep on the couch all night. You'll be sore tomorrow."

"I don't get sore."

"It's still not right. You saved me. You shouldn't sleep on the couch. It's... disrespectful. Just sleep in the dumb bed it's not like I'm going to jump you or anything—"

"-I can smell you." Conner groaned.

Liana paused and tipped her head in confusion. She didn't understand that either. Why was it such a bad thing? "Do I... is it bad?" Her cheeks flushed pink in embarrassment.

"No. Just the opposite." Conner sighed and reached out to brush a large hand over her hair. "It makes me want more of you than I can have. If it gets too overwhelming, I won't be able to hold the wolf back. He isn't used to being denied."

"Oh." Liana felt her cheeks get hotter, no doubt from the racy thoughts that Conner's words inspired in her head. She pressed her palms against her face. "What can we do about it?"

"I'll sleep on the couch. You take the bed."

Liana sighed and wrapped her arms around her torso. She would have to admit why she really wanted him to sleep close to her. It wasn't a pleasant thing to talk about, but he left little choice. "I'd feel safer if you slept closer than the couch." She looked away. "I don't want my nightmares to start again."

"Again?" Conner let his hands rest on her shoulders. A heavy sigh slipped from his lips and breathed warm air against her head. "Because of the rally? Because of what happened?"

Liana blinked and looked up at him. She hadn't expected him to know. "You were there?" It was the only reasonable explanation. He was a shifter, not a mind reader. Unless he did some extensive research on her, that knowledge had to come first-hand.

Conner nodded and reluctantly removed his hands from her. "I was the one who got shot. It's when I first knew you were mine."

"I never saw you." Liana tucked her hair behind one ear. It was so easy for him to claim her. How could he be so confident?

"I know. But Isaw you." Conner sighed softly, his hands raised and then lowered as if he wanted to touch her but didn't dare. "You were scared and all I wanted to do was keep you safe. The wolf and I didn't want to leave you, but we knew you'd be safer without us there. Injured wolves are very unstable."

"Like Konan." Liana finally put those pieces together, what he'd been up to when he tried to corner her.

Conner nodded. "If you really want me near... we can try something."

"What is it?" Liana asked nervously. The way he said it made her fear it wouldn't work very well or she'd be the worse for doing it.

But Conner just grinned and grabbed her hand. "Come with me."

Ten minutes later, Liana lay in bed wrapped in Conner's winter coat, long socks, and two blankets. It wasn't the most becoming, but at least it was comfortable. She looked up as Conner tucked the last strand of her hair into the hood of the coat.

"There." He grinned at her. "That should work for a while at least. As long as you smell like him, I think I can keep the wolf at bay."

"Is that what happens when... you know..." She blushed brightly again. She really had to get over that, especially considering the conversations she'd been hearing around this place.

Conner nodded and smiled before he leaped over the pillow wall to settle on his side of the bed. The whole room shook with the force of his pounce.

Liana squealed. She didn't expect that, but she wasn't particularly opposed to the display of power. At least she knew he could take out anyone trying to get at her. She sighed and snuggled into her blankets.

"You okay?" Conner's head popped up at the top of the pillow wall, his eyes soft and concerned.

Liana nodded and smiled up at him. It seemed to be one of the only ways to relax him once he got paranoid. "I'm fine. Thank you for tonight. It was... it was nice of you to be there."

"I'll always be here, Liana. Until the end of time."

"Even if I choose to go home after thirty days?" Liana looked down guiltily. These shifters, especially Conner, weren't at all what she expected. Why did they have to be so likeable? So real.

He kissed his fingertips and laid them gently against her cheek. "Even if you choose to leave, I will keep watch over you until the day I die. It makes no difference, because I can't look at anyone but you this way."

It shouldn't calm her soul to hear that, but with his gentle kiss and his kind words rattling in her head, Liana slept better that night than she had since the shooting. In fact, she didn't dream of violence at all. Just a beautiful man and a serious, protective wolf.