(Author’s POV)
"What are you doing here?" Nathan’s perplexing voice erupted behind the two men who were busy fighting.
Noah and Caiten both turned their heads to the side to see the source of the voice.
Caiten was stunned to see Nathan. After just a brief second, he remembered how Nathan had also sided with Noah and didn’t say anything when he was getting dragged out of the hospital. He even supported, him getting locked up. The mere thought of that, angered him as he saw Noah getting distracted. He charged forward with the metal rod in his hands.
When Nathan saw Caiten pouncing at Noah from behind, he roared, his voice ringing inside the quiet forest, "Noah, careful ..."
Noah, although was distracted at first by Nathan’s sudden arrival, but he sensed Caiten coming for him. With the help of his reflexes, he shifted to the side. But, Caiten was brutal with his attacks and somehow managed to smack Noah’s shoulder. This pissed Noah off a little bit and he started fighting back.
Nathan was about to intervene and put a stop to it all but the group of Lucius, Keith, Hanson and Hayden came from behind him.
The scene in front of them was what they didn’t expect. Caiten and Noah were tussling with each other. In which mostly, Caiten was getting beaten up. Noah was about to unleash his wolf’s power but when he saw his father and grandfather standing there, he aborted his plan and only clashed with his fists. He didn’t wanted them to know about his real powers.
None of the two were in any mood to back down.
Keith got extremely nervous and anxious to see his son’s current state, his heart ached for him. Inwardly, he was cursing at Caiten’s stupidity, ’What did you do Caiten? You should have just escaped from this place.’
But right now, if he didn’t do something, Caiten would die, that was the only thought that came to his mind.
On his left was Lucius, who was watching the whole scene with not much interest although his own son was involved. And on his right, Hanson was standing with an annoyed expression. He looked at his surroundings and saw a revolver stuck in the holster attached to Hanson’s pants.
Hanson had a habit of keeping a revolver loaded with silver bullets for emergencies.
Without thinking much, Keith, suing his Alpha abilities, snatched the gun from Hanson very easily and shoved him to the side. Then he distanced himself away from the group and aimed the gun at Noah. But as his son and Noah were fighting and all tangled up, it was difficult to take a shot for him.
Nathan shouted, "What are you doing, Keith? Stop that thought right now."
Lucius too became slightly tensed, his forehead muscles tightened, but he didn’t said anything. His emotions were rather complicated.
Keith fired a shot in the air and yelled, "So, that he can kill Caiten. I won’t allow that. I told you~, I told you I would punish him for his wrongdoings but you didn’t listen. You know Caiten is the only family I have, Nathan. He cannot die, Nathan."
"HE TRIED TO KILL MY DAUGHTER, Keith. For moon goddess’s sake, enough with this stupidity," Nathan reproached him. "You are not that kind of person, I know you. Don’t do anything, you would regret. Just stop."
But Keith wasn’t listening. His entire focus was on the two people locking horns with one another. For him, this was the only thing he could think of right now. He aimed at the gun and fired a shot. The roaring sound echoed through the forest but it was eventually a missed shot.
Lucius gritted his teeth, "Keith Snow, are you insane? This is Moon Shine Pack. Your actions will have consequences."
"Yes, I am insane," he fired another shot in quick succession but that too missed the target, although this time the distance was marginal. The bullet has brushed off Noah’s clothes.
Keith cursed, "Damnit."
Seeing that it was nearly impossible to make Keith understand anything at the moment, Nathan ran towards him, in order to snatch the gun. But Keith had already seen him coming.
"Nooooo, my son his absolutely fine. You all are lying," Keith cried his voice filled with suffering. He carried Caiten in his arms and ran towards the hospital.
Noah and Nathan followed him behind, their faces were tensed. Lucius stood his ground for a while. His face was etched with indecipherable expression. Hanson didn’t follow them as well. He stayed behind with his Alpha.
"Alpha Lucius, what will we do now? Will the werewolf council and the elders understand?" Hanson questioned. He was too tensed by the consequences. After all, he was deeply involved in this case.
Lucius didn’t reply for a good minute or two, then he turned his head and looked at Hanson with an inscrutable face, "Why won’t they? Did I or you or anyone from our pack fired the bullet on him? No. So, don’t make a fuss, Gilbert." He shrugged the matter off and walked lazily back to the hospital.
Hanson wasn’t satisfied by Lucius’s answer, but what could he do. He was sweating profusely. Nevertheless, he followed his Alpha behind, quietly, his hands clenched tightly on his side.
At the Moon Shine Pack’s hospital, Keith brought a lifeless Caiten to the emergency room. He was nervous all the way and kept on repeating, "Nothing has happened to you. You are okay, son."
Noah had already mind linked Steven and Greg about Caiten as they rushed to the emergency room. As soon as, Keith placed him on the bed, Steven checked his pulse like Noah’s had done earlier. There was no sign.
Then he placed his index finger near his nose to check if he was breathing. Still, there wasn’t any sign. He pursed his lips as Keith was eyeing him with hopeful expression. He sighed deeply, raised his head and told him the truth, "Alpha Keith, I am sorry for your loss."
Sara, who didn’t know about this entire ordeal, came to see where Noah had gone to. When she came to the ground floor, she saw Nathan and Noah going somewhere, their faces were pale.
She followed them and when she reached the ER, Steven’s words of condolences reached her ears.
To Be Continued . . . . . . . .

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