Chapter 7: First Date

There was silence in the study room. The snide remarks he had been about to make died in his throat.

Caph was impressed. Too bad she was not his bonded mate. Life would be interesting.

'Deal,' he said.

His quick agreement to Ran's proposed arrangement stunned her. She had expected some sort of negotiation or a speech about females making bad Alphas.

But all he did was smile an infuriatingly casual smile at her and ask, 'How in love do we need to be?'

Why couldn't her uncle choose a less irritating male werewolf?

As Ran had predicted, the arrangement the two Alphas made was an arranged marriage. Celphus would return to his pack for the time-being and Caph would train to become the next Alpha of Eridanus as Ran's mate and learn the ropes from Acamar.

And Ran? She would eventually become the Luna and hand over the practical duties of a Beta to someone else—like Nugo.

She would basically spend her life socialising, improving pack relations and choosing what to wear.

Ran had never needed to think about what to wear.

She had seven sets of t-shirts and jeans which she routinely rotated like clockwork.

As Beta, she had a lot of work to do. There had been no need to make life harder for herself by deliberating over fashion as well.

The afternoon after her arranged marriage was announced, however, she was forced to play dress up right away.

'You can't wear that for a date!' her cousin, Cass, had exclaimed when she walked past Ran's room and saw her climbing into the pair of black jeans she wore on every formal occasion.

'Why not?' she had retorted. 'It's my formal clothes.'

And it's only the 100th birthday party for the Alpha of the Phoenix pack her uncle had insisted on hosting.

Ran was dragged into her cousin's room and forced to choose something from the side of Cass's wardrobe that housed dresses.

Ran made a face. 'It'll be hard to run in a dress in an emergency.'

Cass laughed. 'There won't be emergencies. Come on, this is not work.'

'It is,' she almost said. She swallowed the words.

Only two people needed to know this date was just another job she needed to do.

Her cousin wasn't one of them.

'Try this one.' Cass thrust a dress at her. Then another. And one more.

Aftering trying on three dresses in various shades of blue, she was ready to combust.

'Why does it have to match his eyes? Mine are black!'

When she reached the restaurant, the celebratory meal had already begun. Caph walked over to greet her as she burst through the door awkwardly.

He bent down to give her a hug and whispered into her ear, 'You're late.'

She smiled the calmest smile she could master and said through gritted teeth, 'Did you wait long?'

Caph pulled back. 'Yes,' he replied. 'Your uncle almost sent me to pick you up.'

Initially, the plan was for her to introduce Caph as her boyfriend to the werewolves from the other packs but because she was late, Caph had introduced himself without her. He followed her now to greet the people he had already met.

'Happy 100th birthday, Alpha Phel.' Ran bowed to the old hunch-backed man. He held out his hand, so Ran wriggled the one in Caph's hand to take his.

But Caph squeezed it tight.

She looked at him, pulling harder.

He had more strength than he looked.

'Forgive me, Alpha Phel,' he said to the leader of the Phoenix pack. 'This is the first time she's allowed me to hold her hand so I don't want to let go. Do you might shaking her other hand?'

The old man guffawed and made a comment about young people these days.

Ran took the old man's other hand. His grip was firm, authoritative despite his age.

'I hope the both of you will be very happy,' he said.

Ran bowed once more. 'I wish you a healthy and prosperous long life.'

Phel patted Ran's shoulder. Then, he took Caph's hand.

A knowing look passed between the two of them. For a moment, Caph looked at Phel like he was his own grandfather.

'She's good,' the Alpha said to him.

Caph smiled. 'I'll take good care of her.'

They greeted Acamar last so that he watched them sit together at the back of the restaurant.

He nodded approvingly at Ran.

She smiled at Caph and leaned to whisper in his ear for her uncle to see.

'What were you and Phel talking about?'

Caph smiled back, his blue eyes flickering over to the Alpha of Eridanus.

He leaned over to whisper back, 'Nothing.'

When Acamar turned away, Ran scowled. 'You weren't insinuating anything?'

Caph blinked innocently. 'What?'

Ran shook her head. 'You act really well,' she grumbled brusquely. 'Too well.'

He couldn't believe she just praised him.

'You too,' he said and smiled indulgently for good measure. 'If you keep making such advances, I'll be seduced for real.'

The Beta of Eridanus leaned away from him and frowned.

'Just reminding you that I will consider every interaction between us a part of our arrangement. Don't get involved with me. I don't like men like you.'

Caph examined the serious expression on her face and fell into the endless depths of her dark gaze.

He reached out one hand to tuck a strand of black hair behind her ear.

Where his fingers touched her skin, it burned. Static jolted up his hand and hummed within his body. Instinctively, he found himself leaning towards her.

She leaned as far back as she could.

'Aren't you the one who's getting confused?'