Chapter 220: A favour

Kaden let out a long, lingering breath of pure relief. "Go to bed." The man was completely exhausted.

Yuki parted her lips, about to protest, but he cut her off instantly. "If you open your mouth, you’re going straight back into that cold tub."

She shuddered, the memory of the freezing water making her instantly fall obediently silent. Glaring at him the entire way, Yuki shuffled past him, her oversized joggers dragging along the floor.

She reached the massive king-sized bed and immediately threw herself face-down across the exact middle of it, spreading her arms and legs out like a starfish in a blatant act of defiance, taking up the whole mattress.

Kaden clicked his tongue in exasperation. He walked over, grabbed the keys, and locked both the dressing room and the bathroom doors, making sure she couldn’t wander back in to drown herself. He walked over to the main bedroom door and paused, giving her one last look over his shoulder.

"Go to sleep, Yuki," he said, his voice dropping into a quiet, heavy tone. "Don’t make me regret helping you tonight."

She didn’t even turn around. She just raised her right hand into the air and held up her middle finger. "No one asked you to help."

A vein on Kaden’s temple throbbed violently. God, she is unbearable. Alcohol should be legally banned, he thought, his jaw tight.

Without another word, he stepped out, shut the heavy oak door behind him, and turned the key in the lock. For the hundredth time that night, Kaden let out a long sigh, running his fingers through his damp, dishevelled hair. Still wearing his soaked, clinging clothes from the bathroom brawl, he made his way down the grand staircase and crossed the marble foyer towards the main entrance. He unlatched the heavy front door and pulled it open, welcoming the sharp, biting chill of the early morning air.

His eyes immediately locked onto a tall figure standing in the driveway, leaning casually against the hood of a sleek, dark Bentley, staring up at the villa’s top floor.

"It’s almost dawn," Kaden said, his voice flat as he leaned against the doorframe. "You could have waited until morning."

The figure straightened up, pushing his hands into his coat pockets as he turned around.

"You look like you just barely survived a war," the man replied, his tone smooth and unbothered.

Kaden scoffed, wringing out the wet cuff of his sleeve. "It was worse than a war. What do you want? I’ve had a damn long night."

"It couldn’t wait," the man replied calmly, stepping forward into the faint light of the porch lamp. "I need a favour. And you owe me, if you still consider me your best friend, Kaden."

Kaden let out a dry, humourless laugh. "There is a very fine line between a best friend and an annoying pest I can’t seem to shake off."

Xavier let out a dry, humourless laugh. His relationship with Kaden was built on a foundation as bizarre as it was brutal, a friendship forged through sheer physical endurance and the simple fact that Xavier had been beaten black and blue by Kaden more times than either of them cared to count.

To an outsider, it might have looked like outright bullying. In reality, both of them had been trained in raw combat side by side by the pack’s former Gamma. Despite being younger, Xavier was the only warrior in their circle who could spar against Kaden without immediately collapsing under the weight of an Alpha’s overwhelming physical advantage.

Or perhaps Xavier had simply been punched so many times that he had lost whatever sensible fear he once possessed.

"More like your favourite punching bag," Xavier sneered, his posture straightening as his eyes locked onto Kaden.

Kaden’s lips twitched. "You kept coming back."

"Because I was stupid," Xavier snarled. "Plus, I didn’t have a choice. I was a delusional fool thinking I could beat you."

"Persistent pest, actually," Kaden corrected him.

Xavier slipped his hands into his coat pockets, but his gaze remained fixed on Kaden.

A heavy silence stretched between them, filled with unasked questions Xavier knew better than to voice just yet. Kaden clicked his tongue in mild irritation, watching as Xavier took a few measured steps closer to the porch.

Mid-stride, Xavier’s head snapped back slightly. His nostrils flared as the cool evening breeze delivered a faint, unmistakable scent, a sweet, delicate blend of warm vanilla and spiced rosewood.

Before he could filter his words, Xavier blurted out, "You’re with Yuki."

He recognised that scent instantly. It was impossible to mistake.

Kaden’s expression remained perfectly smooth, not a single muscle twitching. "She is an absolute menace when she’s drunk," he replied flatly, his dark eyes narrowing as he scrutinised his friend. "What is it that couldn’t wait until daylight?"

The cold night air whipped past them, carrying the sharp, ozonic smell of approaching rain. High above, dark clouds rumbled heavily, threatening an imminent downpour.

Xavier raised an eyebrow, casting a meaningful look at the open doorway. "Aren’t you going to invite me in first? Unless you prefer talking out here looking like a drowning rat?"

A sharp, angry laugh escaped Kaden’s throat. "You really have zero fear of my Alpha bloodline, don’t you?"

Yet, as infuriating as it was, that complete disregard for hierarchy was precisely why Kaden tolerated him. Xavier had always been this way, unbothered by rank and completely immune to the primal intimidation that usually forced other werewolves into instinctual submission. At times, Kaden honestly wondered if Xavier possessed some long-forgotten Alpha lineage of his own buried deep in his bloodline.

Xavier’s lips curved into a quiet smirk, his hands slipping deep into the pockets of his tailored coat. "I guess I’ve been punched enough times that I completely lost my fear of you," he drawled.

Kaden clicked his tongue again, stepping back from the threshold. A sharp flash of lightning illuminated the sky, followed almost immediately by a low, vibrating groan of thunder. The rain was closing in fast.

"Just come in," Kaden grunted, swinging the heavy oak door open wider.

Xavier stepped over the threshold and immediately slid his long wool coat off his shoulders, letting the warmth of the foyer wash over him. Almost by reflex, his eyes darted upward towards the shadowy landing of the grand staircase. He could sense her presence and couldn’t help wondering if she had something to do with why Kaden looked like a drowned rat.