Acamar raised himself to his full height, his black eyes glowing with dominance. 'Our Beta has spoken,' he declared. 'Leave and do not return.'Dingo took a one step back, then another, his gaze fixed on the current Alpha of Eridanus. The Alpha who had taken his place as soon as he left and rebuilt his old pack into the powerhouse it was today.He regretted his betrayal.He regretted leaving Ran and becoming Alpha of Leo when he saw her again at the Summit.She had grown up well.She was hot.That was the reason he came after her. He wanted to make amends, rebuild ties with his old pack and possibly elevate the status of Leo by becoming close allies with Eridanus.But Ran saw through him in a flash. She humiliated him in front of her pack—retribution for what he had done yesterday. There was no emotion in her black eyes when she called him a traitor. The traces of fury, of betrayal in her eyes at the Summit had vanished.If he could not pander to Ran's emotions, then convincing Acamar
When Caph was first sent to college in Septrion County, he hated it.He wanted to go back to The Citadel in Polemon County where he knew everyone and could get them to do all the annoying chores for him.Now that he was home, sitting around the antique dining table with his parents and three older brothers in the ancient castle that had been passed down about a hundred generations, he wanted to go back to Punggol.To Eridanus.To where Ran was.Where Acamar treated him like a son—ironically.Where Ran would scowl and nag at him because he was late for their evening studies. Again.But he was here in Cassiopeia with his blood family, and he didn't belong anymore.It was dinner time but his oldest brother, the Beta, was discussing disputed Cassiopeia territory with his father and second brother, the pack Delta. His mother, Jelsie, argued with Cam, who was only two years older than he, about whether farmed vegetables was better for purebred wolves than store-bought human-grown vegetables.
Nusha played with a stray thread on Caph's sleeve. 'That's not possible.'She was still smiling, her bright yellow eyes staring at him.He was about to protest and tell her the history of their ancestors and their bonded mates, how they only married the ones they were bonded to, so there should be no reason why he couldn't—'I don't mean bonded mates are not possible, Caph.'He smirked at her, waiting for her dramatic silence to end. 'Then?'She looked away, her long brown lashes fluttering like butterfly wings.Nusha had wavy brown hair that bounced lightly when she moved. Paired with bright yellow eyes and a perpetually cheerful expression, she had a fairy-like appearance.She continued twisting the stray thread on his sleeve.'I've been thinking about it while i was in Middleton. Why you can't find your bonded mate.'Her eyes focused on him again. Her cheerful expression was replaced with a bashful one and the yellow in her eyes seemed to darken in intensity.'I think it's me.'Caph
Ran folded her arms across her chest. She examined Caph's appearance properly for the first time since her outburst.He was drenched from shifting and still panting hard, as though he had run across the continent at record speed. (She really guessed it randomly.)There was a frantic light in his eyes, a wild fear, a startling insecurity and uncertainty.What happened? Had she really been so preoccupied analysing Dingo's intentions all week that she missed some incident happening in her own pack?'Did something happen? Where have you been?'Caph took another step forward, lowering his head to rest it on her shoulder.He was really going to hug her. He wasn't joking.She let him.His sticky arms encircled her and she was enveloped in an uncomfortable heat.She let him because of the tired energy he exuded.The playful blue light she had gotten used to seeing had darkened, deepened into an abyss of despair. Ran could also feel frustration and anguish radiating from him in waves.Tentative
By the time they had spoken to all the pack elders, it was already past midday.Ran was frustrated.Usually, she was much quicker—she had to be, if she wanted to visit every member of her pack.But this time, Caph was with her and he didn't just tag along like she hoped he would. He tried to strike up conversations with the pack elders as well.The Eridanus elders were very curious about him. They had heard about his college shenanigans and wanted to know more about it.Ran was perturbed by how comfortable he was sharing such an embarrassing story.Then again, she thought, he probably did worse things back home to have gotten himself sent here in the first place.This made her pissed.Like Caph pointed out, it was a Sunday. Most packs no longer practised this kind of greeting anymore.Yet he came along so willingly.He mimicked her perfectly.He knew exactly what to say to cajole her pack elders into finding him respectable.He was good with words.No wonder even his father couldn't co
Caph was stunned.How did she reach that conclusion?'I'm not pandering,' Caph began. 'You said Acamar asked me—'Ran let out a burst of mocking laughter.'Ah, so you came because I said Acamar asked. If I had asked—'Caph interrupted. 'I would have come as well.'She glared at him, coal eyes hard. 'Even though you didn't sleep the night before? Even though you've never done menial tasks like this ever in your life? Yeah, right. Our arrangement was to go against Acamar, not to accept every request he gives you with your tail between your legs.'Ran strode up to the house and rang the doorbell. He had no choice but to follow with the corresponding box from the truck.'The arrangement was to fake our engagement,' Caph pointed out.The door opened and he had to stop talking. A pleasant expression had replaced the fury on her face.Ran greeted the pack member at the door, 'Good afternoon, Winnie. How are you?'Caph realised he was dealing with a fearsome person.When they returned to the t
At last, they reached the last house.The sun had begun to set.This was the house Caph was most curious about.He carried the final few grocery bags. 'Did you know there was dog food on their list?''There should be,' Ran said and rang the doorbell.'What kind of werewolves keep dogs?' he asked.She glared at him.The door burst open.A frantic and dishevelled woman appeared, staring at them with wild unseeing eyes. 'What is it?'Then, she seemed to notice Ran.'Oh. Beta Ran! You're here. Thank God!'Ran frowned. 'What's wrong?'The woman led them inside the wooden house, babbling, 'Liam brough Vicky to the workshop with him on Friday because I was on patrol duty all day but he couldn't find her when it was time to go home.''Is Vicky the dog?' Caph whisper-asked.Ran nodded.'I mean, she sometimes goes off wandering on her own so he didn't worry too much. She'd come back when she got hungry. But she didn't come home that night. He went back to look for her on Saturday but she wasn't
Ran drove through the quiet outskirts of Punggol and onto the country road that curled around the unnamed mountain. Every now and then, she'd glance at Caph whose head lolled as the truck swayed.He slept with his lips slightly parted. His eyelashes were long.Her eyes flickered back to the dark road lit only by the flickering headlamps of the truck.His eyelashes had nothing to do with her.She thought about what Caph said about power.She was genuinely surprised that he understood what responsibility was—given his character and reputation.He was more mature than she gave him credit for.Ran had thought he would be like most other Alpha children, especially since he was raised in a purebred pack, where telling others what to do and being at the centre of attention was their everyday experience. She had been the same way until her parents died and she became powerless, subject to the Regent's whims.Caph would never understand, she thought.The fourth son of the ancient purebred Cassi