Chapter 39: Infidelity!

'Where are you going?' Caph asked drowsily.
Ran, who had done up her hair in a braid and was dressed in her favourite jeans, was trying to sneak out of the castle unseen.
She had forgotten that this gentlemanly werewolf who gave her his bedroom was sleeping on the sofa in the main hall. 'Eh...' She wrecked her head for the appropriate response. 'I'm going for a walk.'
Caph blinked sleep from his eyes.
It refused to leave.
'Okay, take care.' Her lame response was accepted. He burrowed into the sofa again and let his eyelids win the battle.
Ran waited until his breathing slowed and his heartbeat turned constant before she pried the thick wooden front door open and slipped through.
Why did she feel like a cheating girlfriend?
Fang was ten years older than her!
And, she was only going to meet him because he had a message from her father!
During the entire bus ride to New City Central, Ran kept her face pressed against the window, gaping at the people and skyscrapers that touched the sky around her.
Lights flashed from the side of buildings, playing videos that featured some product or other. Occasionally, there would be mechanical structures between buildings that moved and changed shapes just for show.
No one stopped to look at it though. People walked by with their heads down, eyes focused on their phones.
This human city was like the futuristic version of Middleton.
Ran had no idea such a place existed in the same country she lived in.
And to think werewolves could be walking among the people she saw!
It was such a contrast to the ancient castle that housed the Alpha of Cassiopeia.
New City Central was a big place. If Fang had not mentioned specifically to meet under the giant metal tower that stood out from the shiny glass buildings around it, she would not have known which part of the square to go looking for him.
He was already waiting for her, in a sleeveless top that showed off his bulging arm muscles and a pair of jeans that clung to his large thighs. A denim jacket was draped over his arm. 'You look all grown up,' he said approvingly, his dark grey eyes filling with pride.
Ran blushed without meaning to.
She tried to rememeber the last time they interacted.
It was over ten years ago. She had been a kid then.
Fang took her to an air-conditioned cafe named Starbucks. Her jaw dropped when he asked her to choose a coffee.
'There's so many?'
He smirked at her. 'You've never been to a Starbucks before?'
Caph was better at smirking, she thought. She shook her head. 'No. I'll just get whatever you recommend.'
He ordered for both of them. Some iced salted caramel mocha coffee frappuccino thing.
She asked him what all that meant.
'It's the flavour of the coffee,' he replied.
She wrinkled her nose. 'Why is it so complicated?'
Fang laughed. 'You sound like a country bumpkin! Have you never had flavoured coffee before?'
She stared into his deep grey eyes. 'The past ten years haven't been easy for Eridanus.'
His face became serious.
The cashier leaned forward. 'Excuse me, may I have your names please?'
Ran frowned at her. 'Why do you need to know that? We're just buying coffee.'
The cashier took a step back, dumbfounded. 'Eh—'
'Black,' Fang interrupted. 'I'm Black Smith.' He gestured at Ran. 'This is my ignorant sister, Silver Smith.'
The cashier stared at Ran who was the one with black hair and Fang who had dyed his hair blonde. Then she smiled. 'Nice to meet you,' she said and wrote their names on plastic cups.
Ran elbowed Fang. 'Are you crazy? Black Smith? Silver Smith? Those are obviously fake names!' she hissed. 'Why do they need our names?'
Fang laughed. 'Oh Ran, I forgot how seriously funny you are.' He hugged her suddenly. 'I'm so glad I can see you again,' he whispered into her ear.
Ran breathed in the artificial flower smell he spritzed on himself and stifled a sneeze. 'Uhm, me too.'
His natural wolfy scent was better. She hugged him back hard, genuinely glad to see him alive and well though.
They picked up their coffee cups and found a seat in the middle of the cafe, among the uniformed men discussing business and casually dressed students with their books strewn across the tiny tables. 'The best place to hide a tree is in the forest,' he explained.
Ran stirred the cream on top of her coffee viciously. 'So how did my parents die?'
She looked up to meet his wary gaze.
He was startled that she wanted to start with this.
'You saw them. We found your blood and signs of a scuffle.'
Fang pressed both his hands into the cold surface of his plastic cup, grey eyes fixed on her determined black ones. He took a deep breath. 'First, I need to know why Eridanus has decided to ally with Cassiopeia.'
Ran's brows furrowed. 'My uncle, Acamar, is Regent Alpha for now—you've heard of this. He wants me to hand over the pack to him or to a suitable male. The suitable male that appeared in front of him just happened to be Caph of Cassiopeia. He would have allied with Leo if it meant he could get rid of me. Did you know Dingo is Alpha now?'
Fang's eyes widened.
'So I don't think there's any deep reason behind it.'
Fang's grey eyes darkened.'You're wrong, Ran. You're dead wrong,' he growled. 'Because Alpha Celphus was among the wolves who killed your parents.'