Rise of the Underdogs: KADEN

Brotherly Intervention

My brother appeared in the doorway and began, “So…”

I immediately responded, “I don’t want to talk about it, Dre.” I wasn’t ready for the conversation, whatever it was he wanted to discuss.

But he pressed on, his voice quiet but steady. “There’s something you need to know,” he said. Not loudly. He never raised his voice to me unless he absolutely had to.

That was always his way. My older brother was calm, never one to filter his thoughts when he felt it mattered, but always calm. No matter the situation, he delivered his words with a collected composure.

I sat up in the same bed that I’d slept in ever since I was four years old, back when I first arrived at the packhouse. This bed was a tangible link to a time when life was uncomplicated. A time when childhood felt simple and untouched, almost innocent.

As I looked over at my brother, I raised an eyebrow, taking in his appearance. He looked uncharacteristically dishevelled, his eyes roaming the room without settling on anything specific. A telltale sign that something was amiss. It was damning enough to see his eyes like that, but the effect was compounded by his restless movements. He kept putting his hands in and out of his pockets, nervously running them through his hair and over his face. All these signs together told me that something was definitely wrong.

A question flashed through my mind. Had I left the party too early?

Or was something wrong with my responsibility within the pack? My portion of pack care?

Shit. He didn’t figure out that Leif was going to propose tonight had he? That would so ruin the surprise. Just this once, I wanted my brother to squirm under the weight of the unexpected. For once, with something other than me, I wanted to watch him get flustered.

Then I saw his face. That blank look he wore when he was trying to figure out what, or how much, he was willing to destroy to either put the truth front and center or make a point no one would see coming. “Wait, that’s your ‘I’m not sure if you’re going to like what I have to say’ face.”

“Yeah, I know.”

Blunt as ever, but okay. “Explain what’s going on. Why do you look like you found out something potentially disastrous?”

“Because I actually may have additional intel on your prospective Mate.”

The Rubik’s cube in my hands stilled, every twist and click abruptly halting. It was as if the very air had vanished from the room, leaving behind a suffocating silence. My focus, once centred on the familiar pattern of coloured squares, now dissipated completely, overtaken by the weight of my brother’s words and the sudden, uneasy shift in atmosphere. The stillness was absolute, the moment suspended as I waited for him to continue.

A rush of emotions surged through me—fear, anxiety, maybe even a touch of hope—but I didn’t let them take over. Instinctively, I began to process each feeling as it came. Distancing myself from the intensity, I categorized the sensations, and then deliberately setting them aside. It was a coping mechanism I’d practised for years, a way to maintain control when things threatened to spiral.

My thoughts, however, did not fare as well. Any semblance of logical progression shattered; it was as if my mental train had violently come off the rails. Yet through the chaos, Malachite remained by my side, steady and unwavering. His silent presence acted as an anchor, grounding me and preventing me from being completely swept away by uncertainty.

Dreson settled onto the edge of the bed, his posture tense as he clasped his hands together. He took a deep breath, steadying himself for what he was about to reveal. “Kaden,” he began, his voice weighted with significance. “She’s the last Alpha of the Arctic Shield pack. They fell roughly four years ago.”

Oh… not good.

“What about… What about family? Does she have any?” I asked, not sure I wanted to know.

The name of the pack was all too familiar. The stories surrounding it echoed in my mind, etched there by the events that had unfolded nearly five years ago. I had been present on those very pack lands, witnessing the aftermath of a tragedy that would leave a mark on everyone involved.

It was during that time that six children from the Arctic Shield pack were discovered and brought to Shadow Storm. The image of the small girl stood out with vivid clarity. Her eyes wild and untamed, carrying the weight of everything she had endured. Alongside her were five boys, each one fiercely protective, forming a tight circle around her as if she was the very centre of their world.

For the second time that night, a chill washed over me, draining all warmth from my body. It was as if someone had yanked the plug from a bathtub, and every ounce of colour and vitality rapidly ebbed away, leaving me feeling pale and exposed. My skin prickled, a cold sweat forming as the full weight of what Dreson had said began to settle in. The shock of his revelation echoed through me. Hollow and unrelenting. For a moment, it seemed as though time itself had stopped, trapping me in this moment of dreadful realisation.

“Oh… oh no,” I exhaled.

“Oh yes,” he commented, a small smile playing at the edges of his lips. "You're Mated to someone ranked on your level. And you ran?"

“Yeah, I know. Stupid decision.” I said, pulling myself up. Sitting beside him, I sighed heavily. “Give it to me straight.”

He winced, but he knew I wasn’t about to let him dance around the truth of the issue. “She’s got five brothers. Parents were killed in the m******e up north. Jasper, or Jas as his brothers call him, is the lead Warrior right now. He’s also the eldest and holds Regency until his sister removes him from the line of succession.”

Double crap.

She had brothers. Not one. Not two. But five massive, built like brick shithouse men. At least three of which were older than I was.

“My options?” I asked, knowing he’d already mapped ideas for me.

“Jasper Stone is, like I said, the eldest,” he told me, his tone anything but dry. “You’re going to have to talk to him about it, but, the thing is, you deserve a Mate that’s as strong as you. And she’s perfect. Young, but perfect.”

Giving him a sideways glare, I asked, “Young, how? Like inexperienced young? Take your time she’s fragile young? Or lose your balls if you try anything young?”

“Lose your balls,” he said without a thought.

My brother's response was almost automatic. He let slip his initial thought and then immediately regretted it, shifting into a mode that told me he was trying to backtrack. His face said it all. He had spoken without thinking and now he was trying to cover it up, but I was having none of it.

With my heart pounding in my chest, I cut him off before he could start listing reasons why I shouldn't go through with it. "Don’t," I instructed firmly, refusing to let him put limits on me. "Don’t tell me that I can’t. I’d do it anyway to prove a point. Tell me what I can do."

He let out a weary sigh, conceding to my determination. "Talk to Jasper," he advised. "Fill him in, and don’t back down. There’s a gap of about two years. Maybe three." His words made it clear that while there would be challenges ahead, the next step was to confront Jasper directly and stand my ground.

Oh.

Well that just crushed it all.

A whole two to three years between us. Between me and my Mate.

“That’s, um… t-that’s…” Stupid f*****g stutter! Why now of all time did my one insecurity have to rear its ugly as sin head? “D-Dre… I…”

He motioned for me to breathe, to relax, and to really listen. His gestures weren’t just attempts to calm my nerves. They were an invitation for me to consider his solutions and to understand the reasoning behind his involvement. I hadn’t asked for this kind of intervention, but in all honesty, it was something I needed. Even if it felt forceful and came at me whether I wanted it or not.

“Leif got close to her. So did our cousin,” he explained, his words carrying a persuasive charm that was hard to ignore. In that moment, I could sense the force he was drawing on, the underlying power in his presence. “I’m not trying to control you right now, but you already know that.”

I focused on steadying myself, keeping my responses short and clipped—the only way I knew to push through the stutter that always threatened to betray my anxiety. “Calming me,” I muttered, hoping my brevity would mask my true feelings. “I know. It’s okay. Leif…” I drew in a shaky breath, trying to find clarity amidst the rush of emotions. “Leif got close to her?”

Dre’s smile was broad, filled with understanding. “She’s lovely, according to my Sorcerer,” he said. The way he phrased it made it clear how personal and meaningful his endorsement truly was.

And I couldn’t deny it. It was completely true.

I considered Leif a second brother after meeting him and being in his presence for less than an hour. He was good, and he was great for my brother.

“Anything… A-anything else?” I asked, uncertain but hopeful.

“She felt the bond snap into place, but what scared her was how uncertain you looked. As if you were trying to read her without actually talking to her.” He breathed.

Okay. Cool. Now I just had to face her Regent and live to see another sunrise.