Rise of the Underdogs: (Book 1) COLTON

Chapter 12

Two weeks after Daisy first showed up on her own, I was finally packed and ready to go home with my parents. The hospital room felt stale after everything — too quiet, too clean, and definitely not mine.

By that point, Kaden had returned home — and brought his brother with him. Whatever happened while they were gone wasn’t up for discussion. Everyone zipped their lips like it was classified. But I could read Dre’s body language like a map. His shoulders hunched like he was bracing for a fight. His fingers wouldn’t stay still — twitching, flexing, constantly moving like he was trying to channel a storm that refused to settle.

Gods knew I understood that feeling.

The hospital doors hissed open, and just like that, the last person I expected walked straight into view.

Neil.

He didn’t speak at first. He just knelt down in front of me like a broken dog, his dark eyes drowning in guilt that looked real… but who the hell knew anymore?

“Hey, Colt,” he rasped, voice low and frayed. “Uh, I messed everything up so bad, huh? My father’s furious with me, but I’m sure you already knew that. Daisy’s out in the car waiting.”

I stared at him, unblinking.

“And your point?”

He winced, jaw clenching tight. His eyes dropped, like the weight of what we’d once had finally hit him hard enough to bruise.

Once upon a time, I was begging to be his friend. Fighting to earn his trust. Now? I wasn’t sure he ever deserved it.

“Please, come home, Colt,” Neil whispered. “I miss our fun. I miss messing with Kaden. Nobody in the pack talks to me anymore. I just want to make things right.”

There was regret in his voice. I just didn’t know if it was for the right reasons.

And then I heard her.

“Damn you, Neil! I told you to let me come in alone, but no—you had to be the macho man of the family again.”

That voice. My Daisy. My Mate.

I turned toward her, and the second she stepped into my arms, the static in my chest vanished.

Her warmth. Her scent. Her heartbeat.

Every piece of her was a balm I didn’t know I needed until it was pressed against me. She snuggled closer, arms wrapped tight around me like she was afraid I’d disappear if she let go.

“I understand now, Colton,” she whispered. “I won’t reject you, okay? You can put that fear out of your head, ’cause I’m not going anywhere.”

Thank the Gods.

I held her tighter, my fingers curling into the fabric of her jacket. Pressed a kiss to her hair. “I feel so empty without you. What about your parents?”

Her voice dipped into sadness. “They… They disowned me. I told them the basics, and my father lost it. My mother wanted to ship me off to an all-girls boarding school. My grandparents were just as bad.”

That hit harder than I expected. Like the universe decided to flip the pain I was feeling and hand it right to her. I hadn’t meant to ruin her life just because I couldn’t hold myself together.

“Daisy,” I murmured, throat tightening. “I’m so sorry, baby. I’m so sorry.”

She giggled quietly, brushing her nose against mine. “I’m not. You needed me more than they did, so here I am. Besides, Uncle Henry thinks it’s a great idea if I live with you and your parents for a while. He says it might help boost your healing.”

Long live the Grand Alpha.

“I’d walk the fires of hell to stay with you, Daisy,” I said honestly. “I still can’t believe I missed my own birthday. Are my rents mad?”

She shook her head, her eyes sparkling with amusement. “Your mother and father could care less. Actually, they were the ones who really pushed me to visit. Your mom felt awful about everything that happened with Mira, but she understands now.”

Neil cleared his throat, the sound awkward and brittle. “Guys, I, uh… I need to get back soon. I actually have a Grand Alpha implemented curfew.”

I didn’t even try to hide the venom in my tone. “Good.” The heat flared fast, sharp in my chest. “Serves you right after everything you pulled these last few years.”

His face pinched like I’d just punched him without lifting a finger. That kind of wince didn’t come from pain — it came from guilt.

I let him lead us to the car, even though I wanted to crawl into the back and disappear. As soon as my bag hit the trunk, I climbed into the rear seat with Daisy and pressed myself close. I didn’t care how it looked. I didn’t care what anyone thought. The only thing I cared about was feeling her beside me — having that warmth near enough to reach when the static in my head came roaring back.

Sex wasn’t even a flicker on my mind. In that moment, it couldn’t have been farther away. All I could think was how lucky I was to still have her. How lucky I was that Alpha Henry hadn’t stripped my Beta title out from under me. That despite everything — the breakdown, the blood, the silence — I hadn’t lost my rank.

Apparently, I hadn’t lost my friends either.

We pulled into the circular driveway of the packhouse, and I looked up slowly. My parents were waiting on the steps. Stone still. Like statues carved out of worry and sleepless nights. The sight hit me harder than I expected. My vision blurred. My breath caught.

They hadn’t abandoned me.

Even after everything. Even after I made their home feel like a graveyard of what-if’s. As messed up as I was, my rents were still here — still holding the door open.

“Colton, hey, come back to me,” Daisy whispered beside me, her voice cutting clean through the noise building in my skull. Her fingers touched my face, light but grounding, and just like that — my lungs remembered how to work again.

I stepped out of the car, still shaking, still uncertain, and barely had time to steady myself before my mom rushed forward and wrapped her arms around me. The hug was fierce, wild, and trembling. She clung to me like she could stitch every broken piece back together with just her grip and her tears. Her sobs poured into my shoulder, deep and aching. “Welcome home, Colt.”

I stayed silent. Didn’t speak. But I didn’t pull away either.

My dad stepped forward slowly, his voice coming low and even. “Hi.”

I met his eyes, cautious. There was fatigue in them — more than I’d ever seen. My absence hadn’t just carved a hole in me. It had stretched something thin across all of us.

“Hi,” I whispered, my voice barely holding itself together.

Mom cried harder, her shoulders shaking like aftershocks. “Please, baby… please don’t ever scare us like that again. You’re my only child. I don’t want to bury you before your time.”

Her voice was wrecked. Shaky. Honest. The kind that wrapped around you whether you wanted it to or not.

Instinctively, I reached for Daisy again — like she was oxygen and I’d gone too long without breathing.

She took my hand without hesitation, curling her fingers around mine like she’d done it a thousand times. She didn’t have to ask. She knew what I needed. She understood that staying close kept the shadows from creeping back in. She was part of me now — stitched into the rhythm of my pulse.

“I… I don’t wanna go to the Gathering,” I mumbled, trying to sound composed. “Can I just go home, Alpha Henry?”

Henry’s voice came from behind us, steady and lined with concern. “I get ye, Colt. I do. But I need ye to come inside for a wee chat. Just in my office. Daisy can come too, if that helps settle the nerves.”

He turned to lead the way, but not before glancing back over his shoulder.

His face changed. The softness sharpened into a snarl.

“And that slacker of mine better drag himself in, too,” he growled. “I’m not done givin’ him an earful.”

Neil paled visibly. His shoulders drew in, his stance folding like he wanted to sink through the concrete. He didn’t speak — just nodded slowly, his footsteps dragging behind like every inch of ground was trying to push him backward.