Chapter 3: A Battle That Has Nothing To Do With Physical Strength

Caph's quick agreement to Ran's proposed arrangement stunned her. She had expected some resistance or some sort of negotiation.

But all he did was smile an infuriatingly casual smile and ask, 'How in love do we need to be?' His blue eyes had turned green in the yellow tint of the bonfire, his chiselled jaw sharper in the shadows of the night. She could smell his wolfy scent this close up.

Her uncle should have at least chosen a less irritating werewolf!

Ran pushed him away with her hands on his chest, saying, 'Not so much. Just enough to convince my uncle.'

She felt his heartbeat quicken through her fingers, his body warmer than she expected. His loose white t-shirt was draped over him in a way that revealed the lean muscles along his arms and chest, barely separating them from each other. An electric shock jolted through her palms until she was heating up with heat that did not come from the bonfire.

It was a bizarre sensation she had never felt before with anyone—not once during her ten years of combat training grabbing male werewolves by the scruff of their shirts and flinging them to the ground.

He was aroused, she realised.

She pulled her hands away from him, eyes widening, the tips of her ears blushing.

Caph was surprised too.

Ran saw it in his eyes. 'How did she know that?' he was asking himself.

'I don't know,' her shocked dark gaze replied.

Then, as if this silent conversation never happened, his eyes were veiled and smiling. He reached his hand out to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her warm ears, to test the waters.

She prepared a fist to punch him.

So he pulled her skewer towards the bonfire, toasting the marshmallows on it.

Static cracked in the air between them. Sparks flew—probably from the bonfire.

Caph leaned his skewer into the towering fire as well, whispering, 'Twelve 'o clock. Your uncle is watching. Be convincing.'

Ran glanced briefly through the flames of the bonfire and saw the Regent Alpha of Eridanus standing together with the other Alphas, talking, pointing at Caph when they thought he was only looking at her. She tensed up right away.

Even though she told Caph they didn't need to act deeply in love, it had to be convincing at least, so her uncle would think she wasn't planning anything behind his back. Faking their arrangement would be harder than she anticipated.

Ran didn't have the slighteest idea how to be in love.

Caph laughed, his voice low and light. 'Don't look so stressed. I'll lead, you just need to follow me.'

She eyed him suspiciously. 'Why are you okay with this fake arrangement anyway? It will be more beneficial for you to agree with my uncle and force me to make you Alpha of Eridanus.'

'Hm...' His eyebrows furrowed for a moment. His green eyes glowed. 'I like being in charge but I don't like doing the work.'

'Just like all the other power-hungry males,' Ran muttered.

Caph shrugged. 'Becoming a pack Alpha won't suit me. I prefer a...different kind of dominance.' He leaned closer to Ran, his voice charged with excitement, 'A more subtle kind of power, you know?'

She stared at him. 'No. What's subtle power supposed to be? Every male werewolf wants to be Alpha. It's the only ambition they ever have.'

Caph half-smirked, green eyes lighted up with understanding. 'Is that why you didn't give Neil a chance? Because you think he's not interested in you; he just wants to become Alpha?'

Ran frowned. 'Who's Neil?'

His half-smirk became a boyish grin. His eyes were laughing at her now. 'He said the Beta of Eridanus kicked him when he tried to introduce himself.'

'Ah, the 'manly' werewolf from just now. He wasn't introducing himself. He was flirting.'

How did Caph befriend the people from her county so quickly?

'I'm flirting with you right now too,' Caph pointed out. 'Are you going to kick me too?'

Ran pursed her lips. 'I would. If my uncle wasn't watching us like a hawk.'

Caph laughed, a relaxing sound that rippled all his chest muscles.

She forced her gaze from his torso to the blushing marshmallows on the end of her stick.

'Why don't you want to let your uncle continue being Alpha? Isn't he doing a good job? Eridanus practically rose from the ashes in the last ten years since he's taken over.'

Ran curled her lip and gave him a derisive look. 'That's what it looks like from the outside, doesn't it? You obviously don't know what leadership really means.'

He held his skewer out to her. He wanted to feed her his burnt marshmallows. 'Well, I'm not interested in pack politics. There are other ways to get people's attention.'

The marshmallow smelled really sweet and tempting under her nose. She bit into it reluctantly.

It burst like sugary lava in her mouth.

The relief that flooded Caph's gaze seemed to touch her throat.

He ate the next marshmallow on the stick.

Ran swallowed distractedly and said, 'You mean like making out in a lecture theatre while another class is ongoing?'

Caph pretended to think about it, stroking his bare chin. 'Well, that's one way...'

'It won't work on everyone,' she declared.

He leaned close to her again, so close she could smell the marshmallow on his breath. 'Shall we see if that's the truth?' A hot chill ran down her spine. The way he made her feel was terrifying and strange.

He saw it in her eyes before it happened. She slapped him across the face.

Hard.

A few werewolves nearby turned to look.

'Just because you're a werewolf from Cassiopeia and you're an Alpha's son doesn't mean you can do whatever you want. The world doesn't belong to you.'

She stabbed her marshmallow skewer into the ground and stalked away.