Northstar Vale i'll just have to learn greek.

Liffey's mind began to race almost immediately. Or maybe it had never stopped? Probably the latter as her curious, imaginative mind was rarely ever given a break. It was constantly plagued with questions, concerns and an endless stream of consciousness about any myriad of things always centered on one topic at a time with laser focus. Now was no exception; all of her rampant thoughts were focussed on Rannoch - and not for the first time.

This, however, was definitely a first time. As the handsome alpha stepped hesitantly forward, Liffey's mind was oddly still. My mindfulness meditations refer to this as being "in the moment", but this would be lost entirely on the young Blackthorn who had a boy coming very, very close to her for the first (technically second) time in her life. She didn't know she was holding her breath, nor that she had gone very, very still as though she could shift her weight and Rannoch would burst like a ballon before her. She knew only that he was so close.

Rannoch's touch was unexpectedly... not electric. Which isn't to say that it was bad - not at all. Every moment with him leading up to this had been overwhelmingly electric, and this final culmination in their courtship was expected to be some kind of explosion. But instead, it was a quietly, massively, soothing relief. Liffey closed her eyes to lean into his touch and fall effortlessly into his embrace. She turned her head to nuzzle into the soft fur at his neck, breathing deeply in that spiced, wintery scent that made her heart pound.

It was more comforting than anything she'd ever known, and so Liffey found herself laughing gently against him after a few, sweet seconds. It was all suddenly quite funny - to think that she had once believed this would be the moment in which her heart would no longer be able to take the emotion and she would literally explode, only to find herself completely and perfectly calm with happiness. How ridiculous romance was.