Alliance of Shadows, Book 4: DRESON

The Pain of Loss

The weeks before Neil's birthday party were fun, mostly because he'd begged his dad to let me and Kaden come for sleepovers. He knew leaving my brother behind wasn't an option—not until Kaden understood better. When my brother's and my birthday came, Neil slept at our house, making things even.

Neil's house was huge, way bigger than ours, but that didn’t mean we didn’t turn it into chaos. We built forts out of couch cushions in the living room, stacking pillows until they nearly fell on our heads. Kaden always got distracted halfway through and ran off to climb on Neil’s bed instead, bouncing so high we worried he'd break it. The three of us would end up piled under blankets, whispering about pack stories and making up adventures where we were the fiercest warriors—even though Kaden was convinced that being a Werewolf knight was cooler than being an Alpha.

At our house, things were different. It was smaller, warmer in a way Neil liked. We curled up in my room, sharing the mattress with Kaden as we tried to stay up all night. Neil always swore he wouldn’t fall asleep first, but without fail, he’d be the one knocked out before me or Kaden. We’d poke his face, daring each other to wake him up, but he never stirred until morning.

Having heard what the family was going through from Neil, Alpha Henry offered to take Kaden when school started again. Fortunately, he would be heading off to Kindergarten at the same time Neil and I were starting third grade together. His grandfather didn’t like the idea, but Henry argued that it would help Neil become a better Alpha when he was older.

Knowing I had a friend in my corner now, I felt relieved that no one would be allowed to pick on my baby brother ever again. The order had been passed through the pack, and the name of Kaden Cage was listed as an Untouchable. When I asked Neil what that meant, he told me it meant no one could hurt Kaden anymore because he was completely protected by the royal Werewolf family.

It was comforting to know he wouldn't need me to fight his battles for him anymore. But at the same time, I knew I was going to miss it when he no longer needed his big brother.

Then, just weeks after Neil’s eighth birthday, I heard Celestia scream when I got home from school. My heart pounded as I ran to the kitchen, where I found her crying, gripping the phone in her shaking hands.

"Please, please tell me it isn't true," she begged, her voice breaking between sobs.

I couldn't make out the response from the other person, but whatever they said made her cry harder. Walking over to her, I wrapped my arms around her waist, my small hands pressing against her as if I could somehow ease her pain.

She held me close, fingers curling against my shirt, grounding herself. "Rowan, how is Alpha Henry taking it? Where did they find him? Oh my God, Rowan, is he okay? Thank the Goddess. Okay, I'll let the boys know. I love you, too."

Looking up, I said, "I'll go get Kaden for you, Mom."

She bent down and pulled me into a hug, holding me tightly like she needed me there just as much as I needed her. "Dreson, Neil's not going to be able to play with you two for a little while. There, uh, there was an attack on the pack last night. Luna Andrea, Grand Alpha Kristopher, and several more were... well, they were killed."

"Neil's mom is dead?" I asked, stunned by the weight of the words. My chest tightened as sadness crept in. "I know how he feels. My mom died, too."

Celestia’s sobs deepened, her grip tightening. "Yes, baby. I know that this is a lot to take in right now, but they need a week to clean everything up and prepare for the funerals. Then you can go talk to Neil, okay? You can help him get better."

"It's what friends are for," I told her. I tried to smile but couldn't. My best friend survived an attack but lost his mom and grandfather. He was hurting badly, and I knew it.

I started to walk away when she called out to me again.

"Oh, and Dreson, as a show of respect for Shadow Storm, all Witch and Druid children are staying home for three weeks," she frowned at me. "You're not thinking of bolting... Oh, Goddess, you are. Dreson, he needs time alone to heal right now. You taking off on a whim isn't going to help that."

"But he's my friend. He needs me, Mom," I said. "He was there for Kaden and me, and now we gotta be there for him."

The front door opened and closed, and I heard Dad call out to us. He poked his head into the kitchen and sighed, "Where's Kaden?"

"Taking a nap in his room," Celestia said. "Dreson wants to go to..."

Her voice trailed off, and I saw why. My eyes flicked to the door behind Dad, where Neil stood frozen. His brown eyes were dark, frantic, shifting like he was searching for something he couldn’t find. His face was paler than usual, drained of its usual warmth, and behind him, Alpha Henry looked no better—his shoulders seemed heavy with exhaustion, and lines of strain deepened across his face as he tried to smile.

"Rowan’s assured me that there would be no issue takin’ in a couple of house guests for a few days," he said.

Dad turned his head. "Not here. We have another house on Coven lands. We'll be safer there, Henry."

Alpha Henry nodded.

My eyes locked onto Neil's, and he sneered at me. His expression was tight, guarded, like he was daring me to speak. I didn't hesitate. Walking over, I grabbed his hand and pulled him up to my room. He didn’t resist, but his fingers twitched against mine, tense with something he wasn’t saying. As soon as the door shut behind me, I picked up the picture on my nightstand.

"This is my mom," I said, holding it out to him. "I never got to know her, but people like to call me a Cursed Child."

"Maybe you are," he snapped. "Maybe you're bad luck."

His voice was sharp, but beneath it, I could hear something else—something raw, something breaking.

"Oh well, at least I'm something," I replied.

He was hurting worse than I thought.

Sitting on the floor, I watched him pace around my room. His movements were restless, charged, like he needed to keep moving or else something inside him would shatter. His arms were tense at his sides, his fingers curling like he wanted to grab onto something—anything—to keep himself steady. Without warning, his hand shot out, sending toys crashing to the floor, some bouncing, others lying in a scattered mess. His breath came fast and uneven as he ripped the posters down, each tear sharper than the last.

"Are you done throwing a tantrum?" I asked.

He turned, snarling at me, his chest rising and falling in fast, shallow breaths. "My mommy was killed! You didn't even know yours!"

I flinched. Just for a second. But he saw it. That. Hurt.

"Spoiled little Alpha brat, at least you have memories of her. All I have are pictures from before I was born, and stories from people who barely knew her. Other kids lost their moms and dads, too, you know. You're not the only one hurting!"

Shocked, he stared at me. His eyes darted around the room, searching for a place to hide, but there was nowhere to go. There was no place he could run to that the echo wouldn’t follow him. Nothing could shield him now, not from what had just been said. His breathing hitched, and for the first time, he looked truly lost.

"Neil," I heard Kaden whisper.

Shocked, he stared at me. His eyes darted around the room, flicking from the shelves to the door, searching for a place to hide. But there was nowhere to go—not from this, not from what had just been said. His chest rose and fell in quick, uneven breaths, his fingers twitching like he wanted to grab onto something, to anchor himself against the weight pressing down on him.

"Neil," I heard Kaden whisper.

We both turned toward the door, where my little brother stood hesitantly on the threshold. His lip trembled, a single tear slipping down his cheek. His small hands were clenched into fists like he was trying to be brave, trying to hold himself together the way he thought big kids should. I knew in that moment he’d heard what happened.

Then, without a word, he stepped forward. His arms wrapped tightly around Neil’s waist, his grip firm, steady, like he knew—without needing to be told—that this was what our friend needed.

Neil stiffened, his body rigid against the embrace. His hands hovered at his sides, unsure, hesitant. His gaze flickered between me and Kaden, as if trying to process something too big, too heavy. Then his expression cracked, the fight draining from his features as his breath shuddered in his chest.

His grip tightened, fingers curling into the fabric of Kaden’s shirt, gripping hard like he was afraid to let go. His shoulders shook, his breath hitched, and when he looked at me, his brown eyes were misted over, unfocused.

For the first time since I’d known him, Neil started to cry.