As soon as he finished talking, Caleb stalked to the other side of the truck and yanked the door open. He tried to take a minute to calm himself down, but it had little effect.
He was upset that the little wolf was drawing so much attention to him. He was upset that he couldn't approach the local Alpha quietly and peacefully to let him know he was in the area, rather than going through the Alpha's chain of command. Dayle was okay and all, but having one wolf know about a traveling hunter was certainly preferable to having half a pack and anyone with hearing distance know. He was upset the he now had this little barnacle attached to him instead of being free to chat, gather information, and resume his hunt.
He was pissed that the boss made him allow the runt to tag along on his delivery route.
So many things falling out of his control when it was a hunter's job to set things up so that he is always in control. Like getting a job that allowed for flexible hours, and even better, one that allowed him to travel around unsupervised for hours at a time. Like paying for three rooms each in separate hotels and inns around town to allow for mobility and unpredictability. Hunters needed freedom to search and hunt, but also normalcy and the mundane to better camouflage themselves from their prey.
His first mistake was attacking the runt. When moving in supernatural communities, Hunters weren't exactly difficult to spot. But they could be if you didn't give a person any reason to look for one. He shouldn't have exposed himself like that. Shouldn't have dragged so many others into taking sudden interest in him and his presence in New Hope.
Caleb's hands were squeezing the steering wheel tighter than necessary, as if the physical pressure would do something to help alleviate his emotional one. He was preparing himself for the afternoon ahead of him, trying to reign his temper in, searching for any sort of distraction... and was sufficiently distracted when he realized that the runt was still standing outside.
"What the hell are you waiting for?" he demanded, half irritated and half amused at the petrified expression she cast upon the passenger door. "Look, I'm pissed enough, but I'm not going to actually hurt you. Not unless you make me. Get in."
She did, albeit slowly and with far more caution than Caleb thought was necessary to apply to a door. The runt looked terrified, and for a split second he felt a shred of guilt, thinking her fear was directed at him. But she didn't look at him, barely breathed except for her nervous, shallow breaths, and it took him a long moment to piece all the clues together. "Wait, you're not scared of me, are you? What are you scared of?"
His curiosity was getting the better of him, because he honestly couldn't figure out what there was to produce such fear in a creature that was supposed to dish it out on her own. Granted, the blonde hair, small frame and delicate features sort of ruined the image werewolves have unintentionally formed for themselves, but he knew better. And yet, when he looked around, glancing up and down the moreorless empty street, he couldn't figure out what she was reacting to.
"Whatever," he said, dismissing it. He pulled his seatbelt on, more for appearances sake than anything, and told his passenger to do the same. "Yeah, if it ever came down to it, you have a far more likely chance than me of walking away untouched, but it keeps the cops off my back."