Chapter 28: The Fast and Accurate Way

They found Vicky almost immediately.
She was barking frantically inside one of the cars on the car hauler parked next to the building. Still alive thanks to the misaligned windows. As soon as Ran had the dog in her arms, Caph pulled her under the shelter of the garage eaves, out of the rain.
The storm had rendered her flashlight useless. The beam didn't light up much.
But even without the light, Caph had circumvented the metal front of the squat wooden building and found an open door. 'In here,' he called and disappeared inside.
With a click, the light bulb flickered and blinked on.
It was dim but dry, better than standing outside in the rain.
The building was a messy garage office. Papers were strewn over an overladen table. Tools and mechanical equipment lined the walls but there was enough floor space inside for the whole car hauler to fit. Ran closed the door behind her and set Vicky down.
The sound of cheerful barking drowned out the rain. She snatched Ran's flashlight away from her.
Caph sat down and patted the empty space next to him.
'Come here, Ran,' he said.
She frowned. 'The dog's name is Vicky.'
He smirked. 'I'm calling for you.'
Ran didn't know how to respond.
Then she decided it didn't matter.
Waiting the rain out with Caph in this garage space—just the two of them—didn't seem like such a good idea.
She eyed him suspiciously.
He leaned against the metal cupboard behind him and patted the empty space next to him again,.
'The fast and accurate way worked this time, didn't it?' he said.
Under the dim yellow light, Caph's eyes shone green like they did the night of the Full Moon Gathering when they first met.
'It did,' she admitted. She had been genuinely impressed by his deduction earlier on.
If she was perfectly honest with herself, she had also been amazed with his reasoning about her father's notes previously. He would have found them before she did, but she had a headstart.
He deduced earlier that since Phraya said the scrapyard man went to Liam's workshop on Friday evening, he would have returned to the scrapyard really late and wouldn't have had time that night to unload the cars or decide what to do with them.
So they made a beeline for the car hauler next to the only building in the scrapyard.
Caph grinned boyishly at her, looking very pleased with himself.
Ran found herself moving closer towards him, crouching to sit where he had pointed.
He took her hands in his.
Instinctively, she tried to wriggle free.
He held on tight.
'Your hands are cold.'
She stared at him. 'They're not. I'm a werewolf. I don't get cold.'
His green eyes darkened. 'Just play along. You said this arrangement isn't uncomfortable.'
She had.
And she also needed to give him an answer, his gaze reminded her.
Ran relaxed her hands, letting the static of his touch flow through the rest of her body. She could feel his pulse around her fingers and her heart sychronised with his unconsciously.
She wasn't afraid of what he could do to her. She was stronger than he, she was sure of that. But that wasn't it.
Somehow, she knew he would respect her. If not because he cared about her, than because she was Beta.
'Friends,' she blurted out.
Caph raised an eyebrow. 'Hmm?' His voice came out lower and deeper than she expected.
His gaze was curious and warm.
She couldn't look away. He was holding her captive with just his eyes.
'I want us to be friends,' her voice sounded distant, even to herself. 'Husband is a bit much right now.'
Abruptly, the spell broke.
He looked away first. 'What does that mean?'
She had not expected him to react badly. Somehow, she wanted him to look at her again.
'For the last ten years, I've been working hard to become Alpha,' she explained hastily, 'to become strong enough to protect my pack and my people from anyone who dares to hurt them. I didn't have time to make friends.'
Suddenly, she was conscious of the silence, punctuated only by Vicky's occasional elated bark and the muted pouring rain. Caph was still as a rock next to her. A still, warm rock.
A handsome rock.
The tips of her ears were burning. She could feel them tingling.
'Hey,' she said, coal eyes flickering awkwardly. 'Say something. You're not offended that I'm rejecting you, are you?'
The handsome rock stared at her. He turned his torso and crouched in front of her, backing her against a metal cupboard, putting his hands on either side of her.
This close up, the blue of his eyes were visible again, clear as day, glowing darkly and captivatingly deep. He leaned closer to speak, even though he was so close she could hear his heart beating.
'You can't reject me, Ran.' His voice was raspy, full of need. 'We're bonded. Also, you said it was a bit much right now so I'm not offended at all. Quite the opposite in fact.'
He ducked his head, almost shyly.
'I want to give you a hug.'
A beautiful half-smile lit up his face.
He looked deep into her coal black eyes.
'Alright,' he said. 'Let's be friends first.' Her head swam as he spoke.
She could hear his heartbeat speed up rapidly.
An electric warmth filled her up even though Caph hadn't touched her yet.
She hadn't noticed but she was leaning forward, into him.
'First?' she asked.
'Mm,' he replied and kissed her.