Alliance of Shadows, Book 4: DRESON

Waking to Uncertainty

I woke to a blinding light, realizing that morning had arrived once again. Blinking against the brightness, I pushed myself up on the bed and glanced around my room. Neil lay beside me, his breathing uneven, his expression troubled.

The mansion carried the weight of druidic heritage, but it had been shaped by modern hands. My room was a blend of tradition and childhood, its walls a deep earthy green, trimmed with intricate Celtic knotwork etched in shimmering gold. The protection sigils embedded in the ceiling glistened faintly in the morning sun. Against the elegant backdrop, my personal touch stood out; shelves crammed with books and half-finished sketches, a scattering of stones I swore had magic in them, and a small stuffed wolf sitting near the headboard—a gift from Neil on my eighth birthday.

Gently shaking Neil, I watched as his brown eyes flew open in panic. He recoiled instantly, scooting back against the headboard before a broken sob escaped his lips.

Concern etched into my face, I frowned at him. "Neil, what's wrong?"

He hiccupped, voice shaking. "I—I almost hurt you. I knew who you were, but you smelled different. I couldn't control it. I'm sorry."

The door creaked open, and Alpha Henry strode into my room, his usual steady presence carrying a weight of regret. He moved toward Neil, but I instinctively threw myself between them.

"No, please, Alpha," I begged. "I'm not hurt, I promise."

Henry hesitated, his voice thick with emotion. "Ah, lad, I wish things were different. But we can’t be takin’ any more chances with yer family’s safety. I’d be losin’ me own heart if somethin’ worse happened."

The words struck deep. My throat tightened, and before I could stop them, hot tears spilled down my cheeks. "Please don't take him away. Please? I know he didn't mean it, Sir. We both did something we could get in big trouble for, but we’re not hurt."

Behind me, Neil trembled, his body rigid with fear. “Daddy, I... I didn’t mean to…”

Turning, I reached for him. "Neil, don't cry. It's okay, I promise. I'm still your best friend."

He blinked at me, hope flickering in his tear-filled, red-rimmed eyes. "Really, Dreson? You're not mad at me?"

"Don't be stupid, Stupid," I snorted, forcing a weak grin. "You're my only real friend. I can't talk to the other kids like I can talk to you. I'd be in the nuthouse!"

Henry let out a long sigh, ruffling Neil’s hair with a careful touch before shaking his head. "Ah, come on now, no more tears. There’s a good lad. Neil, calm down now, son. Dre?"

Laughing nervously, Neil shoved me a little. "You're too smart, Dre. I don't think I can be friends with a genius like you."

"Dude, think about that for a second," I replied. "I could be your personal tutor if you need one. You'd never fail!"

His teasing eased some of the tension lingering between us, but as his brown gaze flickered past me, I realized we weren’t alone. I had completely forgotten about his father.

Frowning, I turned my head slightly and found Alpha Henry watching us. His presence carried weight—more than the usual authority of a pack leader. There was something unreadable in his expression, something he wasn’t saying.

He nodded. "I understand, Dreson. I'll be downstairs if ye boys need me."

My little burst of magic had probably gotten me into trouble. Even though my father was the High-Councillor, we were also Druid Royalty, but that didn’t exempt us from those who governed magic itself.

The Sages.

Their judgment was absolute, their neutrality unshaken by rank or bloodline. It didn’t matter how noble or powerful you were—if you were caught wielding magic recklessly or with ill intent, you were subject to the ancient laws that governed every generation that came after the Grandfather of Magic—Merlin himself.

Dark magic use earned people the title of Tainted, a fate worse than exile. Those marked by the Sages were stripped of their magic and memories, erased from the world as they once knew it.

If my father passed his final trials when the time came, he could join the ranks of the Sages or remain as the King of the Druid nation, and I would be his heir. Then again, what if they found out I liked boys?

Would they turn me away from the Coven?

There were stories of people who’d been cast out by their families—wandering, searching for a place to belong. Would I be one of them?

A sudden movement pulled me from my thoughts. Neil was shaking me. I turned to face him, blinking as I tried to focus.

"Did you say something?"

"You looked like your mind was going a mile a minute," he said, stretching his arms over his head with a groan.

My mouth went dry. My palms prickled with sweat.

Neil always moved so easily, without thinking about it—stretching, laughing, shoving me playfully like nothing in the world could ever weigh him down. I wished I could be like that, wished I could ignore the thoughts rattling around in my brain.

His bare stomach caught my gaze—the way his muscles tensed briefly before he lowered his arms again. I knew it was normal, just part of how he moved, but something about it made my heart thump way too hard in my chest.

I forced my eyes away before he could notice me staring.

Neil blinked at me, oblivious, and climbed off the bed. His easy confidence—his lack of hesitation—made me feel weird, like I wasn’t just looking at my best friend but at someone different, someone I wasn’t supposed to notice this way.

Swallowing hard, I took a few slow breaths, willing my heart to steady itself.

"I gotta go use the bathroom," I muttered.

Neil grinned, flashing me that carefree smile. "Don't take too long, Dre. I'm starving!"

"You go down to the dining room without me," I said quickly. "I might be a while."

He shrugged but said nothing more as he walked down the spiral staircase that led to the lower level.

I stepped into my en suite bathroom, closing the door behind me with a quiet click. The silence inside was suffocating, pressing against my chest like a weight I couldn’t shake.

After using the bathroom and washing my hands, I sank to the floor, leaning my back against the door. My arms wrapped around my knees as I stared at the soft glow of the overhead light, its reflection bouncing off the glossy tiles. The warmth of the floor seeped into my skin, grounding me, but it did nothing to quiet the thoughts crashing through my mind.

I was trying not to think about Neil as anything other than my best friend, but the realization had already settled, deep and undeniable. I liked him, yet the thought of saying that out loud felt like a piece of me would be ripped away. Like my friendship would be destroyed if I said anything that remotely gave away the feelings rising inside me.

Torn between what I knew and the socially acceptable stuff I’d always heard about, the truth sat heavy in my gut, twisting something inside me that I didn’t know how to name. My throat burned, my chest squeezed painfully, and before I could stop it, a choked sob escaped. I pressed my forehead against my arms, trying to muffle the sound, trying to keep the flood of emotions contained.

Who could I turn to? Who would understand?

There was no one I could ask without the news somehow reaching my father. Secrets never lasted long in a house like this, where whispers moved through halls faster than the wind through trees. I didn’t want Daddy to know.

I didn’t want to lose my family over this.

Recognizing that I was different was tearing me apart, and I didn’t know how to stop it. There were no clues, no roadmaps, no safe way to ask for advice without drawing attention I wasn’t ready for.

The walls around me felt too close, the silence too sharp, amplifying the mess of thoughts I couldn’t untangle. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to make it all disappear, but the feeling was still there, gnawing at me from the inside.

No matter how much I wished I could push it away, I couldn’t ignore it.

And that terrified me.

"Dreson," Kaden's small voice was muffled by the door. "There's a man downstairs. Daddy said I had to come and get you so they can talk about your powers."

My powers?

I had nearly forgotten, caught up in everything else, that I'd used them to defend myself. It was hard to reconcile the weight of it—the surge of energy, the instinct that had taken over before I knew what I was doing.

I guess I could add that to Dreson's Weird Talents list, right alongside my ability to calm Kaden without much fuss and the way I somehow managed to thrive despite standing out too much for other people’s liking.

Now, with my powers awakening too soon and the unsettling realization about myself settling deeper into my chest, I stood out even more.

"I'll be right down, Kaden," I called out.

My little stunt had probably cost me. If the Sages were involved, I had no choice but to face them. Depending on which Sage had come, I might get lucky. Maybe they’d let me keep my memories of yesterday. Maybe they wouldn’t.

Either way, there was no escaping it now.