Rise of the Underdogs: (Book 1) COLTON

Chapter 18

“Colt?”

I felt Daisy’s arms wrap tightly around me from behind. Her body was shaking, gentle tremors rolling through her chest, and I knew without needing to ask that she was crying. The grief was raw. Aunt Gertrude had passed away in her sleep, slipping quietly into the next life just two weeks after she’d arrived. In that short time, she’d bonded deeply with both Daisy and Mom. Her voice had filled the house with old stories and dry humor — now those rooms felt achingly quiet.

I turned my gaze toward Dad. He stood near the pyre with flames casting flickering shadows across his face. His eyes shimmered with unshed tears, but the faint smile curving his lips wasn’t sorrow — it was peace. Peace from knowing he’d had a chance to be with his sister again before she left. I felt it too. She had accepted us without question, without judgment, and for me, that was more than enough.

True to her word, Aunt Gertrude had named my dad her sole beneficiary. The moment the will was finalized, I contacted Henry to sign off. His signature sealed the document, made it official — irrevocable. That act alone made it infinitely harder for Dad’s greedy relatives to try and snatch what was never theirs.

They hated the outcome. Probably even more than they hated my rise.

Not that any of us cared.

Mom stepped forward slowly and folded her arms around Dad’s shoulders. His fragile smile cracked under the pressure of his grief, and a raw sob escaped him as he clutched her waist with trembling hands.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Alpha Jack approaching through the crowd. His expression was misty, tinged with emotion, but steady in its presence. He stopped beside me and spoke with quiet sincerity.

“Colton, I’m sorry for your family’s loss. Please — if there’s anything we can do, just say the word.”

I nodded once. A silent, but unmistakable response.

Behind him, one of my male cousins slinked closer with the subtle menace of a snake. His expression was tight, bitter, every line in his face twisted with resentment. He didn’t need to speak — his intentions screamed loud enough. He was angry that Dad had inherited a fortune. Furious that the grandkids had been named heirs.

“Funny, I always thought you’d be your daddy’s heir,” he sneered. “Such a pretty woman you’ve got there, cousin.”

His eyes locked on Daisy, dripping with sleaze.

My rage snapped to life so fast it made my blood boil.

“If anyone in this family even thinks about messing with me or my Mate,” I growled, stepping toward him, “I’ll gun down the whole lot of you. Not because I outrank you — but because she and my pups are worth more than your life.”

He jerked back slightly, recoiling from my fury. But it wasn’t enough. That sleazy grin twisted toward Daisy again.

“I can do you better,” he muttered.

“I doubt it,” Daisy shot back, her voice hot and unflinching. “Your micro-d**k couldn’t satisfy a—”

The slap came from nowhere. A sharp crack split the air.

I didn’t think. I moved.

Snatching him by the throat, I hauled him across the field and slammed him down near the edge of the pyre. He screamed, the heat licking close enough to curl the ends of his greasy hair.

“You f*****g psycho,” he wheezed, clutching at my wrist.

I bared my teeth, every ounce of restraint stripped from my body. “Oh? And what do I call an abusive piece of s**t who hits pregnant women? You laid hands on my Mate, Thomas. So give me one reason — just one — not to show everyone here exactly what happens when you cross me.”

My father rose from where he’d been sitting. Every step he took carried purpose, fury woven into each stride.

“Shove him in a cell, son,” he said, voice simmering. “Don’t go staining your Aunt’s pyre with his nasty blood. Did I hear you right? He hit Daisy?”

“Yes,” I snapped through gritted teeth. The pressure in my jaw ached as I ground the words out. I shoved Thomas to the ground like the trash he was, then hauled my leg back and kicked him with everything I had.

He flew ten feet across the grass, crashing at his parents’ feet with a wail that sounded more pathetic than tough.

Dad didn’t waste time. He went straight to Daisy — his girl as much as she was mine — and checked her over with careful eyes and gentle hands. She trembled slightly, not from pain, but from the emotional shock of being struck. We’d been together for years, and never — not once — had I laid a finger on her in anger.

Wouldn’t even think of it because that’s not how I was raised.

Then Dad turned, walked to his brother, and socked him square in the face. “Get lost. I don’t want someone like your son breathing near my unborn grandkids. Sean, handle your brat or I’ll let Colton finish what he started. You only came sniffing around to see who inherited Aunt Gert’s wealth, right? Well, surprise—it was me. I’m her chosen heir. Signed and sealed by the Grand Alpha. So take your crew and get out. And stop treating my son like garbage just because he clawed his way out of the Omega pit our family was stuck in.”

I didn’t move. Just watched Dad with something like awe. For the first time, I realized he’d never once laid a hand on me or Mom. Never raised his voice without cause. Lived by his morals like they were law.

I pulled Daisy into my arms, brushing her cheek gently with my thumb. The skin was already turning pale purple where the slap landed, and my gut twisted. Rage shot back through me, but she held my wrist and shook her head.

“Alpha Jack, I want that bastard locked up for hitting my Mate. I don’t care that she’s human. He had no damn right. I’m taking Daisy to the clinic. If this turns out worse than a bruise, I swear I’ll put him in a shallow grave.”

My warning landed. My uncle tried to grab Thomas and bolt. The guards stepped in fast, surrounding them before tearing Thomas from his dad’s arms. He screamed the whole way to the cells, fighting against the orders.

It didn’t matter.

He was done.

Lifting Daisy into my arms, I carried her to the pack’s infirmary. One of the nurses took one look at me and immediately paged our regular doctor. Leah came flying down the hall, sneakers screeching on the linoleum as she burst into the waiting area. “What happened?”

“My cousin hit on her, she clapped back, and then he physically hit her. She's bruising, but I want to make sure that's all it is.”

Leah growled, “Tell me you had him locked up. Beta Daisy is pregnant and human. A slap from a Werewolf could be lethal in her condition.”

I muttered, “I don’t hurt my Mate, and I won’t let anyone else do it either. Pregnant or not, I don’t tolerate abuse. Period.”

She nodded sharply and led us down the hall to a dimly lit exam room. I placed Daisy on the bed gently, her hand gripping mine until I had to let go. Leah moved fast, checking the babies first with practiced motions and careful touches. Satisfied with their vitals, she moved on to Daisy’s cheek.

Leah shone a light into Daisy’s eyes and frowned. “Beta Colton, I’m sorry—there’s blood vessel damage. I want to keep Daisy here for a few nights and monitor both her and the pups. I’ll need you to sign the paperwork handing medical care of your Mate to me and my team.”

I looked to Daisy, my heart pounding in my ears. “Daisy?”

She nodded quietly. “It’s fine. I want to be safe. To make sure our babies are okay. If Leah thinks we need to stay, then we stay.”

“If that’s what you want, I won’t argue.” I stepped toward the door but stopped when Daisy called out softly.

“Colton?”

“Yeah?”

She met my gaze, her eyes dark with a determination that told me she wasn’t letting this go. Her voice shook when she spoke, but with anger rather than fear. “Break him. We’ve been together since we were sixteen, and you’ve always been good to me for the last two and a half years. I want you to make him regret putting his hands on me.”

Leah added, “Beta, I’ll have a full exam report ready in about an hour. If you’re willing to wait, I’ll bring the detailed assessment straight to you once the tests are complete.”

I gave a firm nod. “I’ll wait.”

Then again, if Daisy had asked me to take his head, I would’ve done that too — no hesitation. Yet deep down, I already knew the decision I was about to make would turn everything on its head.

“Daisy,” I said quietly, “I’m not the one who’s going to teach him a lesson.”

“You’re calling him, aren’t you?” my precious woman murmured behind me.

I nodded tightly and caught the flicker of fear in Leah’s eyes as she paled. She swallowed thickly. “Who exactly are you planning on involving, Sir?”

“My cousin,” Daisy whispered softly, her voice steady. “Alpha Prince Neil Dane.”

Leah turned white as a sheet, the scent of anticipation and raw terror curling through the air like smoke. “Good Goddess. You’re His Majesty’s cousin?”

“On his mother’s side,” I replied casually, letting the truth settle like a stone.

Report in hand, I left the infirmary and started toward the packhouse with purpose in my step. Daisy’s bruise had deepened into a full-blown black eye. Her cheek was swollen and discolored, the skin tinged with blue. Leah had administered something for the pain, then ran another round of scans to rule out bone damage.

Thankfully, everything held — but that didn’t soften what he did.