Alliance of Shadows, Book 4: DRESON

Timely Intervention

We fell into a comfortable silence for a few minutes. When Kaden still didn't come back, I started to worry.

"Do you think he got lost in that big house of yours again," I asked, ripping a handful of grass out and throwing it into the air. The blades scattered in the breeze, tumbling across the yard before settling near Neil’s feet.

Neil's frown deepened as he watched the green strands fall. "I don't think so. He's not that bad with directions."

We waited a few more minutes, but my brother still didn't come back.

"Pups need to eat a lot," I said quietly. "Maybe he got hungry."

Rising to his feet, Neil brushed the dirt from his clothes and sighed. "Let's go check on your brother. We know he didn't get lost, and it's not snack time yet, but even I'm worried now."

We took off at a run. The wind rushed past us as we raced toward the packhouse, the towering structure seeming even larger as we approached. My heartbeat quickened, my mind replaying the moment I let Kaden go alone. I hadn’t even thought twice about it. He’d been fine all day—happy, excited, eager to prove himself—and I’d convinced myself that he would be okay, that nothing bad would happen.

But now, the realization settled deep in my chest, heavy and suffocating. I should have gone with him. What if something happened to him? What if the other boys finally decided to act while I wasn’t there to protect him? Kaden was strong, stubborn, but he wasn’t ready—and I should have known that.

The thought tightened around me like a vise. I had promised to protect him, yet here I was, running across the yard, panic clawing at my throat, hoping that I hadn’t failed him. The packhouse loomed ahead, massive and unyielding, and for the first time, I hated how big it was. He could be anywhere inside, lost or worse—and all because I had let my guard down for a moment.

I had let him go by himself and hadn’t even thought to offer to go with him. My chest tightened as a wave of panic surged through me, praying that nothing had happened to Kaden.

Rounding the corner by the porch, I spotted the boys and grabbed Neil by the arm. He glared over at them before we both saw what they were doing.

Kaden was on the ground, glaring up at the so-called leader of the little group. My eyes went wide, and I felt angrier than I'd ever been when I saw the thin line of blood running down the side of my brother's face from a cut on his forehead.

"Kaden!" I shouted as I ran over. A few of the boys scattered, their footsteps pounding against the ground as they took off, but two stayed behind, standing their ground as if daring us to intervene.

Neil didn’t hesitate. He lunged at one of the boys, tackling him hard enough to send them both crashing into the dirt. The kid let out a startled grunt, trying to shove Neil off, but Neil was already moving—pinning him down, grabbing the front of his shirt. "You think you're tough picking on a pup?" he growled, his voice sharp with fury.

I turned just in time to see the other boy rush at me. He swung wildly, his fists clenched, aiming straight for my face. Ducking, I dodged the hit and drove my shoulder into his stomach, knocking him back a few steps. He stumbled, eyes narrowing, then lunged again. This time, I caught his wrist, twisting it just enough to throw him off balance before shoving him hard enough that he hit the ground.

Kaden scrambled to his feet, his breath coming in short gasps, eyes darting between us and the remaining boys. His fists were clenched at his sides, the fire in his expression showing he wasn’t afraid—but he was waiting. Watching. Learning.

Neil had his opponent pinned, pressing his knee against his chest while the boy struggled beneath him. "You done yet?" Neil asked, voice calm, but his grip didn’t loosen.

The boy glared, trying one last time to throw Neil off before finally slumping in defeat.

I turned back to Kaden and reached for him. His small hands trembled, but he still looked ready to swing if needed. "Come on, baby brother," I murmured, wiping some of the blood off his forehead. "It’s over."

Neil stood up, brushing dirt off his shirt. "They better think twice before messing with him again."

Suddenly, the door opened with a bang, and Alpha Henry and Beta Jason ran out. I jumped off the kid beneath me and ran over to my brother to check on him.

He was crying, holding the side of his head. Blood trickled over his fingers from the cut that looked more like a small gash. Taking off my shirt, I did what Dad always told me to do if I had a cut.

I pried his fingers away, then pressed the cloth to it.

"It's okay, Kaden. I'm here," I whispered. "I'm sorry. I should have gone with you."

He shoved his face into my shirt and sobbed, "H-he threw a rock at me, a-and it h-hit my h-head. It hurts, Dre."

Beta Jason knelt beside us, his sharp eyes scanning Kaden’s injury. His presence was calming, his voice steady despite the tension in the air. "Let's see that battle wound of yours, Kaden."

"Neil, what happened?" Alpha Henry’s tone was stern, but there was something else in his expression—pride, maybe, or understanding.

Neil glared at the boy he had been punching as he got to his feet. His fists were still clenched, his breathing slightly ragged. "We were playing in the backyard, 'cause it's quieter there, and Kaden needed to use the bathroom. He was taking a long time, so we came to find him and found Austin and his friends hurting Kaden. So we started beating them up."

Jason lifted my brother into his arms with careful ease, supporting Kaden’s head as he examined the wound more closely. "Alpha, Kaden needs stitches," he said, his voice serious. "They got him pretty good with this rock."

He handed over a small but sharp-looking stone, its edges jagged, smeared faintly with blood. Henry turned it over in his hands before slowly looking down at the boy called Austin. His gaze was heavy, unyielding.

"Ah, now, that’s a fine mess you’ve gone and made, lad," Henry said, his voice carrying the unmistakable lilt of his Irish roots, tempered by the firm resolve of a leader. "Throwin’ stones at a packmate? That’s not just foolish—it’s downright disgraceful."

Looking over at me, he seemed to be gauging my reactions a little more closely than his own son’s. Maybe it was because he’d never actually seen me fight before or he’d expected it of Neil, but not me. Whatever it was, I wasn’t backing down now that adults were here.

No, it only made me more defensive.

He let out a slow breath, shaking his head as he turned the rock between his fingers. "I'll be havin’ a word with your father about this, Pierce. These children are guests in our pack, and young Kaden’s one of your own. You ought to know better than to let this sort of thing happen under your watch."

Austin stiffened under his glare, his bravado fading as Henry’s words settled over him like a weight.

Turning to Neil, he said, "I want you and Dreson to come inside with me, boys. Jason, call in Phillip and ring up Rowan so he can come fetch his youngest."

Jason was already pulling out his phone, his jaw tight with tension as he stepped a few feet away from the group. I could hear the sharp edge to his voice as he spoke, his words measured but urgent.

"Phillip, I need you at the packhouse now. Kaden’s got a nasty gash on his forehead—looks deep enough to need stitches," he said, pacing slightly as he listened to the response on the other end. His eyes flicked toward Kaden, then to the small, bloodstained rock Henry still held in his hand.

A pause. Then Jason added, "No, he’s conscious, but he’s panicked, and the bleeding hasn’t slowed much." He ran a hand through his hair, exhaling hard. "I’m getting him inside now—how soon can you be here?"

Henry glanced at Jason as he spoke, his expression unreadable, but I knew from the way his grip tightened around the rock that he was anything but indifferent.

"N-no, no," Kaden cried harder, his natural stutter showing in his obvious separation anxiety when he understood they were sending him home. He reached for me, "Dreson!"

I clenched my teeth, "Alpha Henry, wait! Please, don't call my dad. We only have the rest of this week, then we're going home anyway."

"Ah, now, Dreson, your wee brother’s had a rough go of it today. He’ll need to take it easy the next few days," Henry told me.

Neil grabbed his father's hand, "Please, Daddy? We can stay inside and keep Kaden company the whole time, okay?"

Alpha Henry knelt down. He brushed the black hair back from Neil's face and sighed, "You’ve gone and taken quite a liking to these two, haven’t ya?"

Looking over at us, Neil nodded. "They're my friends, Daddy."

Jason turned back toward us, slipping his phone into his pocket as he gave Henry a quick nod. "Phillip’s on his way—shouldn’t be more than ten minutes."

Henry’s lips pressed into a thin line, his expression caught between stern leadership and quiet fondness. "That’s grand, lad," he said after a pause, looking each of us over. "But ye and Dreson have to keep your word—no leavin’ Kaden’s side, ya hear me? I still have to let their father and mother know what’s happened, but I’ll tell ya this—" he exhaled through his nose, pride flickering in his gaze. "I’m proud of both of ya for how you handled it."