Chapter 48: Plans Change

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 look at her.
'Yes. I left because I wanted—'
'I know. It's not your fault.' This time, it was Ran who looked away. 'Your father had Nusha watch us ever since our engagement was announced. And so...I had to—'
'I know,' Caph whispered, his voice reassuring, but his eyes full of agony. He leaned his head on her shoulder. 'I would have killed her myself. She hurt you.'
Ran rested one hand on the back of his head. 'No,' she objected. She thought about how she let Dingo live. 'You wouldn't have.'
Caph pulled away from her. 'You think I'd let her get away with hurting my bonded mate?'
Ran shook her head, startled. 'No. I just think you'd have been more merciful.'
He pulled her down on the bed, his two hands holding her wrists above her head. 'You think too highly of me.' And then he bent down and kissed her.
She kissed him back.
When he came up for air, he stared at her, contemplating his next move.
Ran wriggled under him. 'Come on. Don't stop now.'
He smiled. 'My father still wants us to get married?'
She sighed. 'Yes. Just kiss me already.'
He frowned. 'What will you do?'
'Aren't you going to kiss me?'
Understanding lit up his eyes. Caph let go of her and backed away. 'No,' he said, voice gruff, hoarse. 'No way. I don't want to.'
Ran was confused. This was the first time she was acknowledging her feelings for Caph and asking for his touch but he was backing up, retreating.
Why?
'No,' Caph said again, his blue eyes gleaming angrily. 'I won't let you. I won't let you cancel our arrangement. We're so close. We can do it. My father might be suspicious now because Nusha acted out but he'll calm down if we play dumb. I won't let you go, Ran. You're my bonded mate. I'll make sure you become Alpha. I'll do anything but let you go.'
Ran climbed off the bed, narrowing her eyes. 'Calm down? He killed my father for trying to communicate with Ursa Minor! Also, our arrangement wasn't supposed to end in marriage anyway. You were supposed to pull out of the engagement at the last minute.'
'Well, plans change, Ran.' He reached out for her hand.
She stepped out of his reach.
'That was before we found out what my father was doing. That was before we fell in love.'
She laughed harshly. 'So that's the reason you've come up with a plan without telling me? I've fallen for you and now you want to be Alpha?'
'Ran, I don't—'
'You think you need to protect me? Because that's the traditional way things are done? Because that's the best way to protect Eridanus? Why should I trust you?'
'Ran, listen—'
'I don't need you to protect me. I can protect my pack on my own. I don't need a mate to lord over me every time something dangerous happens. I've been in worse situations in the ten years before I met you and guess what? I survived! I became stronger. I solved my own problems. I'm going to protect Eridanus myself. I'm going to be Alpha. I won't let you We're not getting married! I'm cancelling this engagement because it's the right thing to do.'
She gulped a deep breath, trying to swallow the fear that was coming through.
Caph stopped trying to interrupt.
Stopped trying to explain himself.
The anguish in his eyes swirled like a dark tornado.
When he spoke, his voice was quiet.
'He threatened you, didn't he?'
'You're just a power-hungry mutt like your father. Keep your claws away from my pack or I'll have to kill you too.'
The hurt in Caph's eyes was palpable.
Ran felt it in her chest too.
The tension was in the air, squeezing breath out of the both of them.
She pulled the door open, blinking through the warm cloudy layer blurring her vision all of a sudden and turned to look at Caph one last time.
'No matter what, don't appear in front of me again. I'll really kill you.'
And she ran.
Out of his room.
Out of the castle.
Shifted into wolf and left Polemon County in the dust before the tears fell.