Caph stepped backwards. 'Not now, Nusha. I'm busy.'She stepped up to him firmly. 'I dropped out of Middleton University.'He stuffed his hands into his jean pockets and let out a sigh. 'I guessed that much. You're here in the middle of the semester after all.'Middleton University was a prestigious one, difficult for humans to get into—even worse for werewolves.'What did your parents say?' he asked. Nusha shook her head and stepped forward again, snaking her arms around his neck. 'That doesn't matter, Caph. I'm telling you that I'm home for good. I quit school so that I can be by your side.' She hugged him tight and whispered, 'Will Ran do that for you?'Caph unravelled her arms and put them back by her side. 'She doesn't have to. You don't have to either.'Nusha interlaced her fingers with his, her yellow eyes running across his skin sensuously. 'I know I don't. But I did it because that's how much I want you. I will wait for you, Caph.' She tilted her head. 'I will always be be he

When Ran opened her eyes; every part of her body had gone numb. Her hands were chained behind her back with silver handcuffs. When she moved, the silver burned her skin. The rest of her was tied down to a chair—a surprisingly comfy one.Her head throbbed.This was a weird situation to be in.Her captor reclined on the large bed that took up much of the hotel room. He held a remote control in one hand, his eyes fixed on the large TV screen behind her. Heavy curtains decorated one wall and soft yellow light glowed from hidden crevices in the ceiling and furniture.They were in a hotel room.As Ran surveyed her surroundings, Dingo turned to look at her.'We're still in New City,' he told her. 'For now.'She shot him a death glare. He smirked and shuffled to the edge of the bed.Ran tried to wrench her leg from its bonds to kick him. The rope didn't even budge.He clucked disapprovingly, then said to himself, 'Well I suppose you don't like me very much anymore.' Dingo turned her chair arou

'I'll cooperate,' Ran repeated to a dumbfounded Dingo.She frowned at him when he didn't respond. She jangled her bonds. The silver burned her wrists, making her wince.'Hello? Dingo? Are you there? I said I'll cooperate, so tell me about Caph.'A sinister smile stretched across his handsome face. 'Ah, I've hit the sweet spot, haven't I? I was right,' he mused to himself. 'You don't really like Caph after all.'Ran shrugged. 'Like you said, I'll do anything to achieve my goal. If Caph is behind my parents' death, then I will kill him myself.' The look she gave Dingo made his hackles rise. She meant it.He smiled again. 'Good. We have a deal then.'Slipping on a pair of gloves, he unlocked the silver handcuffs and began to undo the many knots tying Ran down to the arms and legs of the chair.She watched him warily. 'How much do you know about what Cassiopeia has done?'He glanced up at her and went back to work on the knots. 'I'm not telling you anything until you pledge to become my mi

When Ran returned to Caph's room, he had fallen asleep on top of the blanket. She sat next to him and watched him breathe. His red-brown hair was still damp and messy around his face, his lips slightly parted.Ran leaned close to him, parting her own lips.He opened his eyes.'You'll fall sick if you sleep with wet hair,' she whispered.The blue in his eyes were like swirling galaxies, swallowing her whole.He reached out his hand and played with a strand of her hair.'What did my father say?'She shook her head. 'Nothing good.'Caph continued to examine her veiled expression. She met his gaze without flinching.Finally, he sat up and wrapped his arms around her waist.'I know about what my father did to your parents.' He looked away. 'I followed you to New City and overheard your conversation with the ex-Eridanus werewolf.'Ran carefully tilted his head back so the blue galaxies enveloped her again. 'And Nusha followed you?'He looked away again.She cupped his face and forced him to

Cass knocked on the door of Ran's bedroom even though the door was not closed.'What is it?' Ran asked tiredly without turning around.Since dawn, she had been forced to wash her face three times, sit in a bathtub full of milk and have her leg hair ripped off her skin because apparently all brides do that.She managed to avoid everyone for the past three days and locked herself up in her room, refusing to eat or get some sun. Cursa tried suggesting she should do her Beta rounds one last time, accept everyone's congratulations, and smooth things over with the pack after that disastrous and confusing gathering.Ran had told her to piss off quite unpolitely.She heard Acamar march up to her room once, ready to barge in and order her out but he had been accosted by Cass who said that her hunger strike had a plus side—that usually brides went on a diet before their wedding but Ran's had been announced too late for her to do that.Her uncle grumbled about her not needing a diet anyway but so