Chapter 20: He's Different Now

When Caph was first sent to college in Septrion County, he hated it.

He wanted to go back to The Citadel in Polemon County where he knew everyone and could get them to do all the annoying chores for him.

Now that he was home, sitting around the antique dining table with his parents and three older brothers in the ancient castle that had been passed down about a hundred generations, he wanted to go back to Punggol.

To Eridanus.

To where Ran was.

Where Acamar treated him like a son—ironically.

Where Ran would scowl and nag at him because he was late for their evening studies. Again.

But he was here in Cassiopeia with his blood family, and he didn't belong anymore.

It was dinner time but his oldest brother, the Beta, was discussing disputed Cassiopeia territory with his father and second brother, the pack Delta. His mother, Jelsie, argued with Cam, who was only two years older than he, about whether farmed vegetables was better for purebred wolves than store-bought human-grown vegetables.

It was like he had no place here anymore.

He had been ejected.

Handed him over to Eridanus like giving away a problem child, to make him 'responsible' and take his duties seriously.

They even forgot to take out an extra set of utensils for him. (He had to get it for himself.)

It's not a big deal, he told himself.

He hadn't been home for quite some time. It was natural to feel out of place.

But he felt strange, a little bit lonely.

Caph never felt lonely before.

He made friends easily just by looking people (usually females) in the eye.

He was at home everywhere in Cassiopeia. He came and went as he pleased, publicly shirking his responsibilities and chores to go hunting for his bonded mate instead.

If anything, he had sometimes thought it would be good if his parents would somehow forget they had a fourth son and stop complaining about what he did and the way he d.

He smirked to himself. He got what he wanted.

And he also found his bonded mate.

She was 12 hours across the continent.

He had to leave her to come to this stuffy old castle because his father had commanded (at the Red Moon Summit) that he give a complete report of his activities with Eridanus.

He thought about what else he could possibly say. He had already conveyed the important part about Dingo.

Surely Celphus wasn't interested in all the little flirty details.

After dinner, Celphus, his Beta oldest brother, Covi—even Cam—left to deal with the territory dispute he knew nothing about. Jelsie left to placate some pack elders. He was all alone in the castle, staring at the ceiling of his old bedroom.

No one bothered explaining to him what was going on.

Or asked for his help.

Did they think he wouldn't care?

The old him certainly wouldn't. The Caph who had no interest in pack politics or power marriages.

But he had changed.

Living under the same roof as Ran had changed him.

Finding his bonded mate had given him a new perspective.

He was different now.

Caph smiled to himself, thinking of Ran as he fell asleep.

He dreamt of her. They were sparring together in the garden behind the manor, making bets, drinking cow's blood to prove they had more stamina than the other.

He lunged at her.

She was too slow and they fell together, tumbling across the grass.

When he opened his eyes, her bright yellow eyes smiled at him from above in the dark.

Yellow eyes?

He blinked sleep from his eyes.

A grin bloomed on the beautiful female face in front of him.

'Good morning, Caph. I'm back.'

Not Ran. Her voice was different.

Also, Ran would never smile seductively at him like that. Not even if they were pretending.

The young female leaned closer and whispered into his ear, 'Do you need a hint?'

Caph smiled at her.

'No need,' he said, sitting up away from her, flicking on the light switch. 'Welcome home, Nusha. It's been a while.'

She flung herself at him.

Usually, he'd let her.

She was a very affectionate person by nature. He was used to it.

But this time, Ran's face flashed through his mind. He crossed his arms in an 'x'.

'Nope. I have a girlfriend now.'

Nusha's bright yellow eyes flickered. Her cheerful expression faltered for a moment but her sweet smile returned almost immediately.

'Who is it this time?' she asked. Nusha sat down next to him.

Well, next to him is putting it nicely.

She practically forced herself into his lap, one hand draped over his shoulder, head tilted to examine his face.

'Some Septrion County girl you met at college? Is she cute? When will you break up?'

Caph stared into Nusha's eyes, trying to understand what she was thinking.

He saw affection in her eyes.

Affection for him.

She was his oldest friend after all. She knew him best, her eyes said.

She knew it wouldn't last.

His relationships never did.

She was his only constant friend.

The one who never hated him no matter what, who stayed by his side no matter who his latest conquest was.

She was sure this time too, that this new girl had an expiry date.

Caph took a deep breath.

He said, 'She's my bonded mate.'