Chapter 38: We Discussed It

The female who accosted Caph was none other than his childhood friend, Nusha. She was badgering him, asking him if he was sure he wanted to do this—marry the Eridanus werewolf his father assigned to him in a bid to make him 'responsible'.
Caph sifted through the buffet meats, looking for Ran's favourite steak. They cooked cow meat differently here so he tried to find one that smelled most like the one she liked.
'I'm your bonded mate, Caph. Are you sure you want to do this?' Nusha leaned her chin on his shoulder.
He shrugged her off and made her hold the plate of steak. 'Ran is my bonded mate. Not you, my friend.' He pinched her nose when she frowned. 'Thanks for worrying about me. I'm fine.'
She continued asking him what changed. Why he was trying to be responsible now. If he really liked Ran.
'I do,' he said, filling up his second plate and taking the first from her. 'I like her a lot.'
Nusha examined the torment in his eyes.
She could only guess what was on his mind. They turned to the brawl that erupted just a distance away. Food flew into the air. Caph dodged a flying custard pie, making his way back to Ran.
Nusha stopped him, clinging onto his arm more intimately then necessary.
He couldn't push her away—he was holding two plates of food.
She pointed out two figures sneaking away from the drunken fight. 'I don't think Ran feels the same, Caph.'
Sure enough, he could make out Ran's dark hair flicking like a tail behind her as a blonde male dragged her to a deserted side of the cave.
Nusha watched Caph's blue eyes carefully.
The tormented look intensified.
She smiled sweetly. 'Your father just announced your betrothal and she's with another man already. She's using you, Caph.'
Caph tore his eyes away from the two figures and focused on Nusha. 'I know. We discussed it.'
Her yellow eyes dilated. Her sweet smile faltered. 'Is that so?'
'Mm. So can you let go of me? I need to get back to our meeting place before she finishes her business with whoever that is.'
After finalising the details of her meeting with Fang, Ran noticed Caph had disappeared from the buffet tables and returned to the stone seat where he had originally told her to wait.
The three women who had been pestering her was now questioning him about the special abilities between bonded mates. Caph smiled when she returned but the smile didn't reach his eyes.
His expression was veiled as he handed her a plate of steak and gravy.
She bit into it distractedly. Fang had talked to her father just before he was killed. What did he tell Fang? How did Fang survive?
Also, Caph was surprisingly restrained tonight. He stood an arm's length from her, seemingly unbothered by the crackling static forcing them closer together.
Why had he suddenly distanced himself from her?
He was telling Yula and Ruby what they wanted to know about bonded mates so that meant he still believed they were meant to be but clearly he had some doubts now.
What doubts did he have about her then?
Ran's initial intention to confess her love to Caph was all but forgotten now.

***

When the Gathering ended and Betas went around gathering their werewolves to begin the journey home, Nusha told Cast she wouldn't be following them back.
She had an errand to run and would return to The Citadel later.
No one else seemed to realise she was absent. Caph was too preoccupied with his thoughts to think of her. Ran was staring at the Ursa Minor werewolves, searching for Fang.
Nusha waited in the shadows for all of them to morph into wolves, watching the appointed patrol clean up the cave and clear the buffet tables.
Soon, they were gone too and she was alone, two yellow orbs staring out of the darkness at moon slowly inching across the hole in the sky.
It was a long time before her sharp werewolf ears picked up the footsteps approaching over the sound of the relentless waterfall.
'You took your time,' she grumbled.
'My bad,' the visitor said unapologetically. 'The petrol station was a more convenient meeting place.'
A lighter clicked and cigarette smoke filled the cave.
Nusha turned to the figure, arms crossed. 'I already told you. There are werewolves everywhere tonight because of the Gathering. This is the safest place.'
He blew the foul residue in her face. 'Yeah, okay. So, what is it?'
She glared at him. 'Your taste in women sucks. Ran is repulsive. She has no redeeming qualities at all.'
Her companion laughed, chocolate brown eyes glinting. 'The woman doesn't matter at all. It's the power I'm interested in.'
Nusha turned to him, yellow eyes flashing. 'Well, your power-hungry mutt is taking advantage of my man. You were late so you didn't hear, Alpha Celphus announced Cassiopeia's alliance with Eridanus tonight. One month is too long, you need to remove her now.'
'You called me all the way to this inaccessible dump just to nag at me?' he drawled.
The end of his cigarette floated in the dark as puffs of smoke drifted from his lips.
Nusha smiled drily. 'You agreed to do the work, Dingo. Since you're the one who will benefit the most.'
Dingo growled and snuffed out his cigarette with his shoe. 'So I did.'
His chocolate eyes examined her fiery yellow ones.
'Let me get this straight, Nusha. Once I start moving, you'll have to do as I command. You won't have a say in the methods I use.'
She raised her chin stubbornly.
'I will do anything so long as it gets Ran out of the way,' she declared.
Dingo pushed off the cave wall he was leaning on and stretched his arms lazily.
'Don't worry. She's mine now.'