Kaden POV
Kai and I are sitting in my room, glaring at one another. We both said and did things we aren't proud of, but neither of us will apologize. Kai is the king of holding grudges. He likely won't forgive me for months. I know I am going to have to make the first move to resolve things between us.
"I didn't mean to imply that Mom and Dad would be happier with just me for a son," I say in a low voice.
Kai scoffs loudly. "Just because you are sorry doesn't make it any less true. We both know you are the Golden Son. I have been nothing but a letdown."
"Maybe if you would stop being so fucking reckless all the time, they would put more trust in you," I tell him.
"Ha!" He shouts at me. "I knew it. You know you are the favorite."
"I am trying to apologize, and you are just trying to start another fight," I snap at him. "Grow up."
"Shut up," he whispers.
Grabbing a book off my shelf, I flop down on the couch and start to read. I hear Kai making fun of me for reading. He is calling me a nerd and a know it all. I try to tune him out, but his comments continue to get louder. Slamming the book shut, I chuck it at his head.
He rips the book out of the air and flings it back in my direction. Sometimes, I forget how fast he is as the book smashes into my nose. Blood pours from my nose and down the front of my shirt. Kai is chuckling in victory.
My door flings open, and Dad is panting heavily. He must have run from wherever he was. "You are needed downstairs."
"I thought you said for us to stay away from Alpha Kieran," Kai says sarcastically.
"Matters have changed," Dad tells us. "He is demanding to speak with you."
"Fuck him," Kai says loudly. "He fucked my mate. There is no way I am meeting with him face to face. Fang is likely to rip his throat out."
"And you fucked Jessica," I remind him. "Everyone makes mistakes. I will come down."
"Enjoy yourself," he calls out from behind me.
Dad looks me up and down and smacks his hand against his forehead. "Change your shirt."
I look down and see the blood from my nose all over my shirt. Rushing to the bathroom, I splash water on my face and strip off my shirt. Once I am clean and redressed, I head downstairs with Dad.
Before we enter the drawing room, Dad turns to me. "Don't mention Cedric or the bar. We don't want the Luna Queen knowing that we willingly allow our pack members to associate with rogues."
"What happened to 'We are all creatures of the Moon Goddess,'" I mock his words.
"Not a word," he warns me before stepping inside the room.
Alpha Kieran is sitting in the drawing room with Mom. He is wearing a smirk on his lips and Mom is seething with anger. I wonder what was said between the two of them. When I step into the room, Mom hops to her feet but Kieran remains seated, looking bored.
"Where is your brother?" Mom asks through gritted teeth.
"He is refusing to come down," I say honestly.
Mom plasters a fake smile on her lips. "Why?"
"Because Alpha Kieran fucked our mate," I respond, glaring in his direction.
Alpha Kieran smiles for a second, and he chuckles to himself. "I would hardly call it a fucking," he jokes. "But I did have the misfortune of meeting her insides."
Apollo doesn't appreciate his humor, and a growl rumbles in my chest. Dad looks mortified, but Alpha Kieran looks amused.
"I am not here to start a fight," he tells me. "Just tell me where I can find Tish, and I will be on my way."
I glance at Dad, and he shakes his head slightly. "I don't know where she is."
Alpha Kieran sucks air through his teeth. "I don't believe you. When Tish contacted Mae, she was rambling about being in danger and recusants. Not to mention the fact that one of you puts your dick where it doesn't belong, so let's try this again. Where is Tish?"
"I am not the one that betrayed the bond," I try to defend myself, but Kieran holds up his hands.
"You don't understand," he growls. "I don't give a fuck about your mate bond. I don't even like Tish that much, but my mate does. So, I am asking one last time: where is she?"
"Why would we turn her over to someone who has abused her in the past?" I demand to know.
Alpha Kieran cocks his head to the side and looks at me oddly. "Now you are talking like a mate. But I still need to know where she is."
I look back at Dad, and he is refusing to meet my gaze. Mom is still staring daggers at Kieran, and I know I won't be receiving help from either one of them. This is a situation I will have to solve on my own.
"What you have to understand about the South Pack is that we accept everyone," I begin. "And sometimes that involves us being associated with unsavory types. If I tell you where you can find Tish, you have to promise to take me with you and not punish our pack."
"First off, I don't give a fuck how your run your pack. That's my sister's problem. Secondly, why do you need to come along?" Kieran asks.
"Because I haven't fought for her. I have got to tell her I love her, and I will protect her from the recusants," I tell Kieran.
"The recusants are gone," Kieran says cockily. "There is no chance they are returning."
"Tish seems to think otherwise," I reply.
Kieran stares at me. He is trying to decide if he can trust my judgment. "What exactly did Tish tell you?"
"Not me exactly," I keep my head tall. "But to the man she is with. She said that the recusants are just underground. Rebuilding."
"Who is this man?" Alpha Kieran demands to know.
"No one important," my father butts in. "Just a local bar owner."
I roll my eyes at my father angrily. "His name is Cedric, and there are rogues in and out of his bar. It is right on the outside of our territory."
"I guess we should pay this Cedric a visit," Alpha Kieran replies. "But I need to make a call home first."
"You aren't calling your sister, are you?" Dad's voice is trembling.
"If you must know, I am calling my pregnant mate," Kieran snaps.