Alliance of Shadows, Book 4: DRESON

Instant Karma

What I didn't know was that becoming friends with Colton Brake was going to turn my quiet life upside down and inside out. Over the next few days, he showed up at my house with Neil. The knock on the door came earlier each time, the rhythm of my routine shifting under their persistent presence.

"What are you guys doing here?" I asked as I looked down at the Alpha's car. The vehicle gleamed under the midday sun, the polished surface catching the light. Henry was getting out, talking to someone on one of those new cell phone things I'd been hearing about, his voice a low murmur. The sleek device fit awkwardly in his grip, its presence a quiet reminder that times were changing.

"We came to play," Colt replied, rocking back on his heels with a grin. His energy was impossible to ignore, radiating from every movement like he couldn’t contain it. "Neil told his dad and mine that we were friends now, so I got to tag along. Where's Kaden?" His tone was casual, but the eagerness in his expression gave away how much he had wanted this—belonging, inclusion, something new.

"He's out in the backyard with Mom and Dad. We're building a treehouse," I told them as I stepped aside to let Alpha Henry into the house. He ruffled my hair, his hand briefly lingering like he was measuring me up before he asked where my parents were. There was something weighted in that moment, not just casual affection, but quiet assessment, as if he were taking stock of me in ways I didn’t quite understand.

I pointed toward the back. "I'll take you to them."

Leading them through the house, I caught Neil glancing around, his expression unreadable, like he was assessing my home in some way. His eyes flickered from corner to corner, sweeping over furniture and worn-out edges of the walls, noting things without saying a word. He didn’t speak, but something about the way his gaze lingered felt deliberate, as if he were piecing together a puzzle only he could see.

Outside, the scent of fresh-cut wood and damp earth filled the air as Mom and Dad worked on the half-assembled treehouse, Kaden hammering nails with far too much enthusiasm. His grip was tight on the handle, each swing just a little harder than necessary, sending splinters scattering across the boards. The structure was beginning to take shape, though uneven edges and misplaced nails made it clear this was more passion than precision.

When I turned around, I realized that Colton was nowhere to be seen. Thinking back, I remembered Neil letting him know that there was a bathroom up the stairs and to the right. Had he gotten lost? The sudden emptiness beside me left an odd sensation, a flicker of unease that I couldn’t quite place.

"Mom, I'm going to see where Colt went," I told Celestia as I handed her the hammer she asked me for.

The metal felt warm in my grip, the weight solid and familiar.

"Oh, did he come too? That's nice," she replied, giving the tool to my father without much thought. "The house is pretty big, so you go make sure he doesn't get hurt or lost, okay?"

She barely looked up, her focus locked on the half-assembled treehouse, measuring distances in her mind as Dad took the hammer and shifted his stance.

"Okay, Mom," I said as I ran back inside.

The moment I stepped through the doorway, the warmth of the sun gave way to the cooler air of the house, shadows stretching long across the hallway from the afternoon light.

As soon as I was out of sight, my smile faded. Neil had been playing catch with Kaden, so I knew it was only the two of us in the house now. Colton had a way of making himself comfortable anywhere, yet I still felt uneasy. I didn’t really like him, but I put up with him to keep Neil happy.

A quiet tension settled in my chest, something unspoken pressing down on me.

Walking around downstairs, I looked in all the rooms, checking every closet as I went. Dad's office was always locked unless he opened it, so I knew Colt wasn't in there.

The stillness of each empty room felt eerie, the absence of sound stretching between the walls like something waiting.

Every room was empty.

As I passed through the playroom, I thought I heard something banging upstairs and ran up to check. I got to the top of the spiral staircase, and I could hear the rattling of a doorknob at the other end of the hall.

The noise was sharp, irregular, like the frantic attempts of someone testing a lock they weren’t expecting to hold them in. The room he'd gone into had a broken catch and could only be opened from the outside.

Rather than opening the door for him right away, I hesitated, pretending not to hear him answer me as I called his name a few times. A grin tugged at my lips as I sat down on my bed, listening to the muffled sounds coming from behind the stuck door.

I leaned back against the mattress, letting the moment stretch. Power, control—things I rarely had. Here, for once, I did.

Minutes passed quietly with the distant ticking of the Grandfather clock downstairs. Then, the soft sound of sobbing broke through the silence. My grin vanished instantly as a cold weight settled in my stomach as I realized I was being a bully to someone who dared to call me friend.

The sobbing was fragile, uneven, the kind of sound that stripped away everything else until all that remained was raw emotion. The weight in my stomach grew heavier, pressing down like something impossible to shake.

Running to the door, I said, "Colton, are you in there?"

"Dre? Dreson! Let me out," he cried. "Please let me out. I can't open the door on this side."

I tried the knob and paled. The door wouldn’t budge.

"Colt, I can't open it either," I called back to him, my grip tightening.

He sniffled. "I came in to use the bathroom, but the door slammed shut behind me. Please, Dre, I'm scared of the dark!"

The dark?

The attack had happened at night, so I could understand why he was scared. Reaching over, I flicked the switch, flooding the small, windowless room with light.

"Is that better?" I asked. "I'm going to get one of the adults, okay?"

I heard him sobbing, and regret clawed at my chest. I had left him in there longer than I should have.

"Colt, I'm sorry! I knew you were in there and waited," I admitted. "I didn't mean to scare you or anything, I promise! I didn't know you were afraid of the dark."

He went quiet for a moment before letting out a shaky breath. "I'll get you back for this later, Dre. Please hurry! I don't want to be stuck in here forever. I'd miss dinner!"

Typical Colton, I thought as I ran down the stairs. Always food driven.

Halfway down, my foot snagged on the carpet, and I pitched forward with a startled yelp. Momentum carried me the rest of the way, tumbling down to the bottom with a loud thud and a groan.

"Dreson," I heard Celestia cry out, and she lifted me up. "Are you okay, baby?"

"My arm hurts, Mommy," I whimpered, my voice shaking. "Colton got locked in the bathroom at the end of the hall. I was coming to get someone to help, but I fell."

She tilted her head to the side, her eyes narrowing slightly. "Were you running?"

I nodded as she gently prodded my arm with her fingers, each touch sending sharp pain through me. Between the guilt and the throbbing ache, I broke. "I'm sorry, Mom. I'm sorry! I was mean to Colton. I knew he was in there and waited before helping him. I didn’t mean to scare him, I promise!"

"And this is why your father tells you to watch what you say and do, sweetheart," she murmured, smoothing back my hair. "You're badly hurt, so this is your karma for mistreating a friend."

Dad and Alpha Henry walked in behind her, their worried looks making me feel worse.

"Colt is in the bathroom with the broken latch, and I think Dre broke his arm," Celestia said, her voice laced with worry.

Dad wasted no time, taking the stairs two at a time as he rushed to help Colton while Alpha Henry pulled out his phone, his expression calm but serious as he placed a call. "Phillip, I need ya at Rowan’s house straight away. One of the lads took a tumble an’ got hurt."

A few minutes later, Dad’s firm voice echoed from upstairs. "Colton, get in the tub and stay there!"

Then came the unmistakable sound of splintering wood, loud enough to shake the walls. I winced as Dad carried Colton down the stairs and set him to his feet. Turning a glare in my direction, my father shook his head. Dissatisfaction weighed heavy in his expression, making my stomach twist uncomfortably. "That door can be fixed, but I'm very disappointed in you, Dreson. You bullied a friend, and that's not right. I raised you better than that."

"It's we, not I, Rowan," Celestia snapped, correcting Dad as she extended one claw to cut my shirt off so the doctor could treat my wound better. "He's gotten his due justice, now let it drop. They need to settle things on their own when they can, and Dreson didn't hide the truth. I know you're disappointed, but he's already suffering enough. Oh Goddess, his arm is swelling."

"You got hurt? How?" Colt asked, kneeling beside me, concern shining in his bright blue-green eyes.

Sniffling, I nodded toward the stairs. "I fell when I ran to get help. Mommy said this is my Karma and that I probably hurt my arm badly."