Rise of the Underdogs: KADEN

The Day the Ice Broke

This is it. I’m really doing this.

The decision had been made, and there was no turning back. With each step toward the house, my resolve strengthened. I was determined to walk up the stairs, knock on the door, and confront whatever awaited me inside.

‘You’re losing it if you have to literally talk yourself into approaching a girl.’ Stupid wolf. ‘Not stupid, human.’

Gods, he seriously had an answer for everything! ‘I’m not trying to die, Chite.’

“What are you doing here?”

As I lifted my hand, preparing to knock on the door, a girl's voice suddenly rang out, halting my movement. Startled, I looked up and saw her framed by the bright sunlight, her head outlined in a halo of light. The details were lost to the shadows, except for one striking feature—the vivid streak of white that was her hair. She perched atop the roof with ease, her fingers lightly curled over the edge as she gazed down at me, laughter spilling from her lips.

The snow was melting rapidly from the rooftops and the branches of the trees, landing on the ground below with soft, wet slaps that sounded almost like a warning. All around, the pack lands bore the scars of a harsh winter, the grounds soaked and churned into ruin by the relentless storms that had pounded the area for months. Where the snow retreated, thick, sticky mud emerged—the kind that all the pups relished, rolling and tumbling until they were smeared from head to toe in the mess.

Here and there, remnants of winter clung on in the form of shrinking snow piles and fragile icicles, but even these were losing their grip. Water dripped steadily from the icicles, catching the unwary with cold droplets as they passed beneath, further adding to the sense of a world in transition from winter to the promise of spring.

“I… I…”

I was clearly out of my depth. My nerves showed with every awkward pause, and I could hardly muster a coherent response to her sudden question. Embarrassment and anxiety tangled inside me, making it impossible to hide how flustered I felt in that moment.

Unfazed, she effortlessly swung herself off the roof, landing sure-footed on the chilly, sodden earth below. The sound of her boots meeting the ground—first a muffled thud, then the distinct slurp of mud clinging to her soles—echoed between us, breaking the silence and emphasizing the shift from confrontation to something more tangible and immediate. “I’ve been asking around about you. Shy. False Omega. Pack Interrogator. Druidic royalty. Did I miss anything?”

‘Oh! She showed you up!’

‘Shut up.’ I shot back, unable to keep the irritation from my voice. Her list of labels rattled around in my head—shy, False Omega, Pack Interrogator, Druidic royalty—but she’d overlooked something important. I straightened, forcing myself to meet her gaze. “Actually, you did miss something,” I said, my words tumbling out before I could stop them. “I’m also a Black man standing in a place so overwhelmingly white it’s ridiculous. Honestly, if you counted up all the minorities here, we’d actually outnumber the snowflakes.”

What... the… Did that just come out of me?

‘Oh, Gods…’ my knees went weak when she laughed, soft and low. It sounded like the rumble of distant thunder, not quite close enough to hear clearly, but undeniably present. That laughter didn’t just echo in the air—it reverberated inside me, making my resolve falter and my heart race. There was something about her voice, the way it rolled quietly yet powerfully from her lips, that unsettled me far more than any confrontation ever could. In that fleeting moment, the world seemed to pause, every other sound fading into the background to make room for the gentle strength of her amusement.

She moved before I knew she was near me. Her honey-brown eyes holding a warmth that made me, again, think of my favourite snack. “Did I miss anything else, Mate?”

Dear Gods, she was taunting me. She was actually taunting me.

“I, um…” Eileen said to breathe. I let my eyes close, let the stillness of the earth ground me in the flow of magic while I focused. “I don’t want to piss off your brothers. Mostly because they look like they’d make mincemeat out of me.”

“They won’t,” she said, sitting on the carved steps of the house Colton built for them years ago.

I had already uncovered much about her during the research phase, piecing together details and observations that now shaped my approach. With that knowledge in hand, I shifted my strategy. No longer simply observing, but subtly applying pressure in hopes of drawing her out. My intent was never to manipulate or coerce. Instead, I wanted to create just enough intrigue for her to make the next move. Whether she’d invite me along for a walk, spark a conversation, or simply shut me down outright, I wanted her curiosity to guide her actions rather than force the issue myself.

“You know my name?” I asked, wincing at the insecurity even I could hear in my tone. “Sorry, I just…”

“You have no idea how to talk to me, do you?” She asked, her posture radiating assurance. The arch of her brow suggested curiosity, but it was the brightness in her eyes that held my attention—shimmering, clear, and unwavering. Each subtle movement, from the way she planted her feet to the set of her shoulders, revealed a young woman completely aware of her own value. She did not hesitate, nor did she falter. Instead, she embodied a calm mastery over herself and her choices, projecting an undeniable sense of control with every word and gesture. “Kaden?”

I blinked, feeling an unexpected wave of heat bloom across my cheeks. Was I actually blushing? The realization hit me with a jolt of disbelief—blushing was not something I did. Not even once, not even back when I picked the lock on the bathroom door and barged in on Leif mid-shower. But now, in this moment, I could feel the telltale warmth betraying me, painting my face in shades I’d never thought possible for myself.

My response escaped me before I could stop it, sounding more like a startled squeak than an actual word. “What?” The utterance hung between us, awkward and unsteady, betraying the confusion and surprise that had overtaken me. I could feel the embarrassment prick at my skin, knowing I’d lost whatever composure I’d been grasping at just a moment before.

“My brothers will not harm you, Kaden. They are protective, yes, but they will not risk their positions in the pack for a quick thrill of the hunt.” Her words were delivered with a tone that was dry and edged with dark humour, betraying her amusement at my anxiety. “They’re going to raze you. It’s tradition to raze the new members of the family, but we follow the code our maman drilled into us. Protect each other.”

The implication hung in the air, mixing reassurance with a warning that was difficult to interpret. I hesitated for only a moment before responding, my voice softer and laced with a touch of nervous wit. “I might enjoy their company then,” I said, hoping my attempt at levity would ease the tension between us. Gathering a bit of courage, I gestured to the step just below where she was seated and asked, “May I?”

“Of course,” she answered.

I drew in a heavy breath, searching for the right words to bridge the awkwardness lingering between us. “So, um, yeah,” I began, my voice trembling with the weight of what I needed to say. “I want to apologize for running away from you on Samhain. I know it probably seemed abrupt and confusing, and I regret not handling things better.”

Pausing for a moment, I let my gaze drift to the ground before continuing, “I’m also sorry that it’s taken me so long to reach out and actually talk to you. I should have done it sooner, instead of putting it off.” The uncertainty in my tone was unmistakable as I tried to gather my thoughts.

“And honestly,” I admitted, attempting a self-deprecating smile, “I probably sound like every other clueless guy who doesn’t know what he’s doing. I’m fumbling through all of this, so if you need to, feel free to stop me.” My words hung in the air, a blend of apology and vulnerability, hoping to show her that I was open to whatever response she wanted to give.

“Nah, I’m enjoying watching you stumble. You know I’m only sixteen, right? I turned the age to find my Mate at the turn of the calendar.” She told me.

The… what? Wait, I knew this one! That’s how her people referred to the change of the year.

“And I’m about to turn nineteen in two months,” I confessed. “So, qu-via-suk-vik?”

Oh, yes. That beautiful, make me weak in the knees laughter. Not only was her scent delicious, but her laugh was heavenly!

“You’re trying without me having to ask,” she giggled. “That’s more than I can say for others.”

Tilting my head, I grinned at her. “Are you saying I just butchered that?”

Akita snorted a laugh, her eyes twinkling like pools of gold that seemed to shift depending on the light. “Quviasukvik. Quuh, like the sound at the start of quick. Vee is self-explanatory. Ah needs to be open, soft and gentle. Suhk sounds like suck, but softer around the ‘k’ so that it sounds like ‘h’. The last part is vik – like pick, but without the ‘p’ and ‘c’ with an added ‘v’.”

Repeating it slowly, I let the syllables flow easily. Learning, for practically anyone in my fam-jam, was something we prided ourselves on. Slowly, letting my mouth form the words as she described them, I said, “Quviasukvik.”

Akita beamed, tapping the tips of her boots happily. “Yay! You got it! So, now the hard part.”

“Hard part?”

“Uh-huh,” she grinned, mischief lighting her eyes. “You gotta talk to my Regent. My eldest brother, Jasper. The only brother with more common sense than street sense.”

Ah, shoot. She was right.