Rise of the Underdogs: (Book 1) COLTON

Chapter 4

Okay, now it was war.

Two years after I was assigned the never-ending mission of keeping an eye on my Alpha-to-be, I was officially fed up. What started as a simple task — watch Neil, keep him grounded, make sure he didn’t spiral — had turned into a full-time job with zero pay and way too much emotional labor. We were in the graduating class now, all of us sixteen going on seventeen, ready to tear up the world like it was a piñata stuffed with chaos and bad decisions.

And John Sinclair? That guy was the stick in the spokes. He wasn’t just annoying — he was crawling under my skin like poison ivy. His so-called “jokes” weren’t funny. They were disgusting. The way he talked about twelve-year-olds made my stomach turn. It was like he was picking cuts of meat from a butcher window, sizing them up with a grin that made me want to throw hands. I nearly lost my lunch over it more than once.

And Neil? Still sticking around like John wasn’t a walking problem. Like he couldn’t see the red flags waving in his face.

He was going to learn the hard way. That guy wasn’t good for his reputation — especially with Alpha Henry gunning for Commissioner status. Being the son of a police chief already came with enough pressure. Add a pile of bad decisions and one sleazy friend to the mix? Not smart. Not strategic. Not survivable.

But Neil? He never learns until it’s too late.

A solid week after I dropped the warning, Kaden and Dreson rolled into school like a storm cloud and a shadow. They moved through the halls with purpose, but something was off. Both of them had something to hide. Dreson kept shooting laser looks at Kaden — not angry, but sharp, warning glances that said keep your mouth shut without needing words. Whatever it was, the little brother knew too much, and Dre wasn’t about to let him spill it.

Telling Dreson everything? Yeah, not my brightest move. I thought it would help — thought he’d step in and fix things. Instead, it just pissed him off. And have I mentioned that an angry Druid can flatten you?

It’s true. They can.

All it took was for Dreson to see it with his own eyes. That was the trigger. The moment he got visual confirmation of the mess, he flipped. Dre’s the kind of guy who’d throw down everything for his friends — no hesitation, no second-guessing. Everyone in our pack circle knew that Neil and Dreson had a bond no one else could touch. It ran deep, like blood and fire.

“Yo, Cage, wait up!” I shouted as I caught sight of Kaden after the final bell. He was halfway down the hall, moving fast, like he didn’t want to be caught.

He turned, startled, his dark blue eyes wide like I’d hit him with a spotlight. “D-Dre went to spy on John,” he stammered. “He, uh, f-found him in the library… flicking a girl’s bra strap.”

Oh. Hell. No.

“Dude,” I muttered, falling into step beside Kaden. “I can only imagine how well that went over.”

There’s one thing you don’t do around Dreson — and that’s pick on younger people or girls. The subject alone is a landmine. He’s seen too much, lived through too much, and the crap people put his stepmom and little brother through left scars that never really healed.

Kaden’s voice dropped, soft and shaky in a way that made me slow down. “D-Dre asked me something when w-we were kids. Now, I-I’m asking you.”

I glanced over, confused. “What kind of question?”

“Why d-don’t you care that I’m b-black?”

I stopped walking. Blinked at him. “Are you serious?”

He nodded, eyes downcast, shoulders tense.

“If I based my friendships off the color of someone’s skin,” I said, voice low but firm, “my mom would beat me bloody. Look, I don’t give a damn what you look like, Kaden. You’re my friend. That’s all there is to it.”

He gave a half-smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Well, John hates me for it. But what can I do? I can’t change my skin.”

No, he couldn’t. And the fact that he even had to say that made my stomach twist. It wasn’t just unfair — it was infuriating.

We were standing just outside the gym entrance, wedged between rusting bike racks and the overgrown hedges that lined the parking lot. The late afternoon sun cast everything in a weird golden hue, turning the pavement into a shimmering sheet of heat. Most of the school yard was quiet, except for a few seniors chucking a football near the bleachers.

If Dreson found out Neil was letting John harass Kaden, Neil’s role in the pack would vanish. And yeah… mine too. Guilt hit me like a punch to the ribs.

“Your brother is anything but a pushover, Kaden,” I said. “I caved and told him what John’s been doing.”

Kaden’s eyes widened. “Dude, Dre was pissed when he got back to the lunchroom. I was wondering why, but now that you mention it, he did say something about little boys and never growing up.”

Huh. So spilling the truth to Dreson actually worked in my favor. I had backup now — two sets of eyes on a sick freak who didn’t know when to quit.

I just hoped that once Neil met his Mate, John would become a bad memory. Neil wouldn’t have a choice. He’d have to step up and protect whoever she turned out to be.

Then someone stepped onto the path in front of us, emerging from behind the row of lockers that blocked off the back lot. My stomach dropped.

Speak of the devil.

“Oh look,” I muttered. “Talk about devils, and they really do appear.”

Kaden shivered and shifted just off-centre — not because he was scared, but because he knew me. He knew when to back off and let the crazier ones take the lead. And yeah, lucky me — I was one of those.

John Sinclair swaggered into view, smirking like he owned the damn courtyard. “Look what I have here, babe,” he said, reaching into the shadowed edge of the walkway and dragging a girl out like he was showing off a prize he’d stolen.

Her face said everything. Eyes wide. Lips pressed into a tight line. Shoulders locked. Fear. Real fear.

But that wasn’t what knocked me sideways.

Nope.

Of all the messed-up luck in my life, this girl — this terrified, trembling girl — happened to be my Mate. Figures the universe would hand me someone like her while letting that sleazeball touch her first.

My heart did this weird skip thing, then dropped like a stone. My stomach twisted so fast I almost saw lunch again. Rage bubbled under my skin, hot and sharp, ready to explode.

Kaden’s phone rang, slicing through the static in my skull. His ringtone was something annoyingly catchy, but he didn’t let it play. He answered immediately.

“Yeah? Okay, Dre. I’ll tell Colt.” He hung up and turned to me, already grinning like he’d just won the lottery. “Some-body’s in trouble.”

Before I could ask what Dre said, I heard the sound that felt like a win.

Neil’s voice — sharp, pissed, and all bite — snapped across the yard like a whip.

“John, get your hands off my cousin!”

Wait. Hold up. What?!