Chapter 90: On the court
Kaden folded his arms across his chest, the corner of his mouth lifting into a cocky smirk. "That’s rich coming from Doctor Ravencourt." His grin widened. "If memory serves me correctly... you’ve never beaten me."
Kieran merely arched an eyebrow. Without saying a word, he bounced the basketball once against the polished court. The ball thudded sharply before returning neatly to his palm.
Then, from where he stood, he casually flicked his wrist. The ball sailed in a smooth arc across the court.
Swish.
The clean sound echoed through the quiet evening. Kaden blinked before letting out a low whistle.
Kieran caught the ball as it bounced back toward him and shrugged innocently. "Actions speak louder than words."
A laugh escaped Kaden, amusement gleaming in his eyes. "Is that a challenge?"
A familiar excitement stirred in his chest. It had been years since they had stood on the same court like this. Somewhere between responsibilities, Alpha duties, hospital shifts, and endless meetings, moments like these had quietly disappeared.
Kieran spun the basketball lazily on one finger. "Who knows?" he replied with a teasing smile. "Wouldn’t it be embarrassing if a doctor beat a former state junior basketball champion?"
Kaden’s lips twitched. Back in secondary school, he had dominated the junior league. His trophies still sat somewhere inside the Alpha residence, collecting dust.
He rolled his shoulders before walking toward Kieran. "Fine then." He stretched out his hand. "Let’s ball."
A grin spread across Kieran’s face as he tossed him the ball.
The game began immediately.
Kaden dribbled low, his trainers squeaking against the smooth court as he drove forward. Sweat already clung to his temples from the workout he’d been doing before Kieran arrived.
Kieran slid sideways to block him. His movements weren’t nearly as rusty as Kaden remembered, even though he was still in his corporate clothes.
"You’ve improved," Kaden admitted with a chuckle.
"I know," Kieran chimed as he stole the ball cleanly.
He sprinted down the court with surprising speed despite still wearing his office clothes. His rolled sleeves fluttered slightly with every stride.
Kaden burst into pursuit. "You’ve got to be kidding me."
Kieran feinted left before cutting sharply right. The sudden change almost made Kaden overstep. "Still got it," Kieran laughed.
He jumped. The ball left his fingertips.
Swish.
Another perfect shot. He landed with a satisfied grin while Kaden caught the rebound. "Oops." Kieran spread his hands dramatically. "Looks like somebody’s skills are getting rusty."
Kaden rolled his eyes. "Keep talking." The next possession became faster. Kaden lowered his centre of gravity and exploded forward.
This time he powered straight through Kieran’s defence before leaping toward the hoop.
The basketball slammed cleanly through the rim.
Swish.
"There." Kaden caught the ball one-handed. "That’s more like it."
They continued playing for several more minutes. Neither of them was taking it too seriously.
Kieran was still dressed in his trousers and rolled-up dress shirt, while Kaden had already worked up a decent sweat beneath his black tank top.
Their breathing gradually became heavier. The evening breeze drifted across the court, cooling the sweat on their skin.
For the first time in weeks...
Kaden genuinely laughed.
After another round, he jogged toward the bench beside the court. "Time out," he announced.
He grabbed the sports bag resting underneath the seat and pulled out a bottle of cold water. Twisting the cap open, he took several long gulps.
"So..." he said between breaths, wiping the sweat from his forehead with the back of his wrist. "Why did sports suddenly become your thing?"
Kieran walked over, slightly winded himself. A few loose strands of hair had fallen over his forehead. He shrugged. "Studying wasn’t the only thing I did at Xyrus University."
He wiped a bead of sweat from his brow before continuing. "I actually started enjoying sports once I stopped getting completely dominated every single game."
Kaden laughed loudly. "You make it sound like I bullied you," he said.
Kieran slowly turned toward him, his expression completely deadpan. "You and Killian bullied me."
Kaden nearly choked on his water.
"I’m serious," Kieran continued. "It turns out I wasn’t terrible at sports." He folded his arms. "My teammates were simply unfair."
That only made Kaden laugh harder. "I’ll take that as a compliment," he said smugly.
"It wasn’t." Kieran sneered. Despite his words, his lips curved into a small smile. He stepped closer. "You got another bottle?"
Kaden reached into the sports bag and tossed one over. Kieran caught it effortlessly. He twisted the cap loose before taking a long drink.
Cold water rolled down his throat as he exhaled quietly. Only then did he glance sideways at Kaden. "You seem distracted," he mentioned, lowering the bottle.
"I’ve improved, yes." A small smile crossed his face. "But there’s still no way I should’ve been dominating you this easily."
Kaden stared silently at the basketball resting near his feet.
Until finally, he sighed. "Let’s just say my mind’s somewhere else," he admitted.
"I figured." Kieran leaned lightly against the bench. "I was actually expecting to see Xavier here."
His voice carried quiet nostalgia. "He practically became your shadow after Uncle started training you."
A faint smile crossed his lips as he remembered the past. "Killian used to tease you both. He kept calling Xavier your little brother."
Kaden’s grip tightened around his bottle until the plastic crinkled beneath his fingers. Kieran noticed immediately. This definitely had something to do with Xavier.
"So..." His voice softened. "What did Xavier do?" he pried.
"He didn’t do anything," Kaden snapped. The answer came far too quickly. Its sharpness made Kieran sigh.
"It doesn’t sound like nothing," Kieran stated. He studied Kaden carefully. "Does this have something to do with Yuki?"
Kaden froze. Kieran didn’t miss it. He had already felt traces of pain through the mate bond earlier that afternoon. "It seems she got into a fight today."
Silence stretched. Kaden looked away. That silence alone answered the question. Kieran rubbed the back of his neck.
"Don’t tell me you actually fought Xavier," he said with a frown.
Kaden scoffed. "Like hell I’d fight Xavier because of Yuki."
Yet the image refused to leave his mind: Yuki wrapped around Xavier’s back, her arms around his shoulders, the way she felt comfortable with him. Every single image replayed itself.
Kieran watched the emotions flicker across his brother’s face. "You brutalised someone because of her during the Coming of Age Ceremony."
Kaden’s jaw tightened immediately. "I wasn’t in my right mind," he barked. His eyes flashed molten gold for a split second. "Our wolves acted on instinct."
Kieran remained completely unmoved. "That’s exactly my point. Our wolves have minds of their own." His voice stayed calm. He paused. "And that won’t be the last time they interfere."
The breeze swept across the court. Somewhere beyond the training grounds, crickets had begun singing as daylight faded completely.
Kaden raked both hands through his damp hair before letting out a long, exhausted breath.
"I don’t know, Kieran." His shoulders sagged. "I feel suffocated."
There was no anger in his voice anymore, only exhaustion. He stared at the basketball lying near the free throw line.
"Earlier today..." He swallowed, recalling everything. "Yuki got paired against Eloise during the combat assessment."
Kieran listened quietly.
"As expected, Eloise completely overwhelmed her." Kaden rubbed the back of his neck. "Then I had the urge to step in. When Eloise was about to deliver what would’ve been a fatal blow, something changed."
His brows knitted together. "Just before Eloise landed what would’ve been a fatal strike, something happened."
Kieran straightened, sensing the severity of the situation. "I felt my strength being pulled away."
He looked directly at his brother. "It was like someone was draining me." His voice had become almost a whisper.
"And seconds later, Yuki defeated Eloise."
Kieran simply stared. For several seconds he forgot about the bottle in his hand. Water dripped onto the concrete while his mind tried to process what Kaden had just said. "What?" he blurted.
"Not only that." Kaden’s expression turned increasingly troubled. "Every move she used... was my exact technique—the same footwork, same counters, same finishing sequence."
He shook his head slowly as horror filled his eyes. "It wasn’t just imitation. It was like I was the one fighting Eloise."
Kieran went completely silent. *That should’ve been impossible.* "Are you sure?" he asked quietly.
Kaden gave a humourless laugh.
"Ask Xavier and the Head of Department. They all saw it." He rubbed a tired hand over his face. "This is the same girl who nearly passed out after jogging."
His voice became heavier. "And suddenly she fought like she’d spent decades on the battlefield."
The air between them grew noticeably heavier. Neither brother spoke, because they both understood the implication. If a mate could borrow strength, could she borrow something else?
"Did you feel weaker after it happened?" A third voice suddenly broke the silence. Both brothers turned sharply. Killian stood at the edge of the basketball court.
His hands rested inside his trouser pockets.
The evening breeze stirred the front of his light blue dress shirt, now missing both his suit jacket and tie after leaving the office.
His expression was calm as his sapphire eyes rested squarely on Kaden. "Answer me." His voice carried an unfamiliar seriousness.
"When your strength was taken..." He stepped onto the court. "...did it leave you weaker?"