_Kaden’s POV_
I sat on the couch, my head pounding from the punch Liam had landed. My mother was kneeling in front of me, carefully applying ointment to the cut on my lip. Her fingers were gentle, but her words were annoying me.
“Kaden, I raised you better than this,” she said sharply, her eyes narrowing. “You’re the future Alpha. This behavior is unacceptable.”
I stayed silent, clenching my fists on my thighs. The sting from the ointment was nothing compared to the whirlwind of emotions raging inside me.
She continued, her tone growing firmer. “You should know your manners and your limits. Picking fights in my house? Over what? Some petty jealousy?”
“I wasn’t jealous,” I muttered, my voice low.
“Oh, really?” She arched an eyebrow, pulling back to look me directly in the eye. “Then
