"How do you know him again?" he asked his father. He really didn't want to be that far from Shiro at the moment, but he also needed answers. They were just a few rooms away from the infirmary.

"He came with Elder Munni when he was giving us medical supplies," his father said. "It was when that wave of vampires had come through years ago. He didn't want to bring him in case there were anymore in our territory, but the boy insisted."

Jett vaguely remembered that. He was pretty young, but he remembered still wanting to try and fight them with all the other warriors. His father had to tell him no at least a hundred times. He also threatened to chain him down to his bed if he kept asking.

"Where was I?" Jett frowned. If Shiro had visited their house, he was surprised he didn't see him at all. He was forced to stay in the pack house the whole time they were fighting.

"Probably sleeping," his father said. "Now, why are you so curious about him?"

"Isn't everyone curious about him?" Jett asked. "I mean, I've just met him and everyone else who knew him when he was little has been wondering where he's been the past five years or so."

"And, while I'm sure that Nir's having a blast trying to figure that out," his father looked at him suspiciously, "That doesn't explain why you're so infatuated with him."

"Dad, I'm not-!"

"Jett," his father stopped him. "If you weren't, you would be with your warriors right now instead of just a few doors down from the infirmary."

That reminded him, he still needed to mind link with Alex to get a report of the situation. He had no idea how many hunters there had been in the city. All he knew was that he needed to help Shiro. And, once he found out that he was wounded, it made him panic even more. He couldn't believe that the man had acted so calm with a silver bullet in his leg. He would do anything for that little omega that he carried in. As sweet as that was, Jett worried for him. It was hard to keep him down at the moment just because of how much he wanted to try and go back to his warriors.

"He's your mate," his father broke through the silence. "Isn't he?"

"No, Dad," he said. "He just-!"

"Don't deny it, Jett," his father cut him off again. His face stern as he spoke. "You know the consequences of denying a mate. Munni would be turning in his grave if he heard that you had denied his grandson!"

"I'm not denying him!" Dammit all! His father could read him like a book. "I just didn't want the whole pack knowing just yet!"

He was surprised that his father wasn't the slightest bit shocked by the fact that he was mated to another alpha. He had known that he was gay for a long time now, but being mated to another leader of a pack was a twist that he wasn't expecting.

"When did you find out?"

"During the last Alpha meeting," he explained. "Well, at least that's when I should have found out."

"What do you mean?"

"He hid it from me," he said. "He doesn't want us to mark each other until he gains his title."

His father took in a deep breath. Since him and Elder Munni had been friends for a while, the old man was the only one who had much of any information on the Reverence Pack. And, by the looks of it, it seemed as though he knew that something like this would happen.

"Sakdah," he shook his head. "I had a feeling he would cause an issue. That man would do anything to keep his title."

"You really think so?"

"Munni always kept a watchful eye of him whenever they were in the same area," his father explained. "I always got a bad feeling from him myself, but he never did anything suspicious."

That was interesting. Munni always had a carefree look to him when Jett remembered him. Except when he was helping him train, that was.

"So, you aren't at all weirded out that Shiro's my mate?" he raised an eyebrow at his father. This wasn't normal for him to be this calm about this sort of thing. When Bree found her mate, he just about had a heart attack. He put him through test after test after test to prove his worth to the pack.

"It's not that common for a mating like yours," his father said. "I think it might be a message from the moon, though. Perhaps it will bring us peace and prosperity. After all, if he's your mate, and the leader of another pack, then the bond between our two packs will become as great as the bond that you two share."

That was a great thought. The Reverence Pack was the only one that none of them had really been close to. The past five years had been nothing but silence and excuses from them to not help when they needed them.

"And you aren't mad that I'm waiting to be marked?" he asked.

"If he promised that he would do it as soon as he gains his title," his father answered. "Then I believe he's speaking the truth. Munni seemed to have taught him well, and, if there's one thing that he believed in whole-heartedly, it was soulmates and the happiness they shared with each other."

Jett remembered hearing the old man talk about that one time. As soon as any of the kids or teenagers would ask him about it, those eyes would sparkle and he would go on and on about just how wonderful it was. He kept ahold of that memory whenever he thought about giving up on waiting for a mate.

"I miss him," he sighed.

"He was a good friend of everyone's," his dad patted his shoulder. "But I think Shiro misses him the most. It seems like he's had a lot on his shoulders the past few years."

Jett could see that. Now that he knew that he did all the Luna duties for the pack, as well as training and leading his warriors, and studying for school. It seemed like he had too much on his plate. He wondered if the man even got any sleep with all the things he needed to do.

It made him worried about those wounds of his again. Shiro was too good at hiding things. Jett didn't like that. He wanted him to share everything with him. The good and bad; the happy and sad. He wanted to be that person that he shared everything with. He knew that they had just met, and hadn't really gotten to know each other that well, but he wanted Shiro to at least start being a little more open with him.

He guessed that he would get there soon enough. It seemed like this was all a game of patience. And the more things happened, the less patient he became.

He wanted to tell his dad all of this. So that he could finally get it off his chest to someone. But before he could say anything, his mind was quickly distracted by something that made his heart race.

"Jett. Construction lot...Bombs..."

"Alex?!" he tried to reach out to his beta, but he couldn't after that. Which meant that he wasn't conscious enough to send more messages. Jett didn't have time to freak out about it, though. He needed answers. He stretched out his mind link for all the warriors that were out in the city right then. If anyone would have answers, it would be them.

"Found him," Blake answered. "He got hurt from scrap bombs the hunters had planted."

"Where are you?"

"Downtown, just a few lots down from the community center."

"And how bad is Alex?"

"He's got someone here helping to take the metal out," Blake said. "But we need medics."

"I'll be there in ten minutes."

"You got it, boss."

He raced to the infirmary, now with a new fear rather than his mate. Alex might be an asshole sometimes, but he was still Jett's best friend. They had grown up together. And they always had each other's backs.

And he had just left him there by himself, in the middle of a fight.

He was the worst friend ever.

"Bailey!" he called for the doctor. She had been their head doctor for a long time now. Her specialty was treating wounded warriors in the middle of a battle. It came in handy with a lot of the enemies that liked to come to bother them in this forest. "I need you with me. Bring your medical gear."

"What's going on?" Shiro asked. He was shirtless at the moment as the doctor had been dressing the wound on his side. Jett hadn't seen the man shirtless before then. But, as handsome as he was at that moment, he had to focus on the mission at hand.

"Bailey," he looked back to his doctor. "Go get your things ready, tell me when your set to go."

"Yes, Sir," she ran out of the room. Knowing her, it would only take a second. But that was all he was going to need.

"Shiro," he looked at him. Those dark eyes looked worried. He hadn't seen him look worried in the whole time he met him. "I need you to do me a favor."

"What is it?" he asked. His gaze held so many questions.

Jett quickly closed the distance between them and kissed him. The heat of his lips threatened to keep him there forever, but he put his face in his hands and pulled him away after a second.

"Stay," he told him. It sounded like he was begging at the moment. "Please, Shiro."

"My pack," Shiro said. He seemed so shocked by the kiss, but he still stayed focused on his concern. "I need to make sure they're okay."

"I'll find out for you," he said. "Just, stay. I'll only be a little bit."

He didn't know how he could convince the stubborn Prince. He cared for his people too much when he was wounded himself. But Jett saw something click in those eyes. They softened for the second that he held his face. And then he nodded.

"Alright," he said. "I trust you."

"Thank you," he kissed his forehead. He really wished he didn't have to go at the moment. But he needed to make sure that Alex was okay.

"Ready," Bailey mind linked with him. He quickly pulled away from his mate and started running down the hall.

"Hey, Dad?"

"Yes?"

"I need you to do me a favor."

"I'll make sure he doesn't leave," his dad chuckled.

He would have to thank him later. He ran into Bailey's van and took control of the steering while she set up her tools in the back. It was designed to be as close to an ambulance as possible. They had put quite a lot of money into the vehicle, but it was worth it for how many lives it had saved.

It also had been modified to go really fast if need be. And that was what Jett was using. After he got through all the narrow turns on the dirt road, he zoomed through the city. The streets were empty, which meant that it was really bad. To put the city into lockdown must have meant that there were a ton of those hunters there.

"Blake, report."

"He's awake now," Blake told him. He sighed in relief as soon as he said that. "And he's flirting with someone. I think he'll be alright."

"Who's he flirting with this time?" He smiled and shook his head. Leave it to Alex to be badly beaten up and still have enough energy to flirt with someone.

"Geo, the beta from Reverence Pack."

Of course, the two would wind up bumping into each other. Jett swore that Alex was getting obsessed with the guy. But at the moment, he was simply glad that his best friend was okay. If he was flirting, he knew he could survive. But that didn't mean he wanted to press his luck.

He got to the construction lot in downtown to see about two hundred warriors all there, most of them Reverence by the looks of it. Dead hunters were being picked up and moved to a proper place so that the civilians wouldn't see the blood bath. They were a good bunch it seemed. Jett was enjoying that more were coming out of the woodwork.

In the middle of the dark lot was a flashlight and a small group. Jett didn't need to wait any longer to catch the scent of his beta out there. He grabbed the stretcher with Dr. Bailey and ran over there.

"At least my nipples are okay," he heard Alex say. It was great to hear his voice again.

"You were worried about your nipples?" Geo was sitting next to him with what looked to be a pair of tweezers. "Not the fact that you could have died, but your nipples?"

"I mean," Alex chuckled. "Dying would have definitely sucked. But not having nipples would be weird."

"You have some weird priorities," Geo shook his head. Then he noticed them running up to them and straightened his back. His brown eyes looked at Jett like a General would to a higher-ranking officer. He might have been small, like most of the Reverence pack, but he looked like an experienced warrior when he gave him that look. It threw him off. He was too young to be that experienced. It was just like how Shiro shouldn't have been both the General to the warriors as well as the Luna of the pack.

"Alex!" Jett smiled at him. "I'd hug you if you weren't covered in blood at the moment."

"I was wondering what was making me feel dizzy," Alex said. Blake helped him move him onto the stretcher. "The hunters all got killed at least."

"Alpha Jett," Geo got his attention. "Is Shiro okay?"

"He's getting better," he told him. "He just needs rest."

"So, you were lying about him being fine," Alex looked over to the beta.

Wait. He had a point there.

"How did you know that he was wounded?" he asked as Geo followed them. His hands were covered in Alex's blood. "Did he tell you before he left?

"No," Geo shook his head. "I could smell his blood. Shiro would have prioritized Ava's well-being first, though. I was hoping that you would notice it before he completely passed out from blood loss."

Man, he really did know Shiro. Maybe Jett could ask him some questions sometimes. It seems like Geo might be the best person to talk to about him.

They loaded Alex into the van with Dr. Bailey immediately getting to work. Alpha Nir had been at the lot as well. As soon as he saw the van, he ran over to see who had gotten hurt.

"I don't know how that man could be so brave, yet so dumb at the same time," Nir sighed. "I'm glad he's okay, though. We wouldn't have found the rest of the hunters here without him."

"We're going to have to make a meeting for this soon to debrief each other," Jett told him. "I need to get him back home so he can rest."

"Understood."

"Oh, Geo, right?" he looked at the beta that was still hanging around the area. He looked a bit worried about Alex as he kept tilting his head to try and look in the van.

"Yes, Sir," Geo bowed in respect.

"So, that's your name," Nir looked over to him. "You should have mentioned that there were more over here before running off."

"I didn't want to risk an Alpha getting hurt," Geo shook his head. "After what had happened before I got here, I didn't want the possibility of you risking your life."

A good strategy, even though it was a different one than what he was used to. They keep their leader safe while they fight. It explained why he never saw Sakdah at these battles. But Shiro was always with them. And he was an alpha.

"Come with me," Jett told him. "Shiro needs a report of the battle on your side."

"Shiro?" Nir looked confused. "Why would he go with you if he needed to speak with Shiro?"

"Shiro was the first to find the hunters," Jett told him. "He took a bullet or two to save one of his omegas and our infirmary was closer to where he got injured."

"If that's the case, I'm going with you as well," Nir got in the car. "It seems like we're going to need to hear his side of the story. And I need to thank him for finding these hunters before they hurt anymore people."

Jett just nodded. He never minded when people visited his pack. They were all welcome as long as they asked first.

"You did well in taking out the silver," he heard Dr. Bailey talking to Geo. He had just started driving back to the pack house. "The worst one's are taken care of."

"They might be dirty," Geo told her. "I didn't have anything to clean the wounds with, and we were in nothing but dirt."

"Then you wouldn't mind giving me a hand and cleaning his wounds?"

"Not at all."

"Isn't he adorable when he does this?" Alex popped up in his head.

"Alex, you scared the shit out of me."

"Come on, man. I don't die. That's not my style."

"Get your head out of your ass," he laughed to himself. Alex always knew how to make a dark situation light. "If it weren't for your newest interest, you would have been a goner."

"Then I'm glad I'm a lucky man," Alex told him. "But you have to admit that Geo's adorable when he gets like this."

"I'm not admitting anything."

"Just because you found your mate doesn't mean you can't state a fact."

"That's an opinion."

"With him it's a fact."

"Is this why you aren't talking at the moment?" he looked in the rearview mirror at him and raised an eyebrow. "Because you want to hear him fussing all over you?"

"That and this shit fucking hurts."

"Oww!" Alex groaned, as if on cue. "Bailey, can't you leave all the cleaning to Geo? I think he has a gentler touch."

"That was me, Hound Dog," Geo said. "You can't get better if your wounds aren't clean."

Jett had to suppress another laugh. It was funny just how childish Alex was in comparison to Geo. And Geo was the youngest. Jett was sure that Alex had already gotten used to his new nickname too. Everyone always had a new nickname for him, trying to piss him off. He loved busting their balls by not getting upset by it.

"I liked you better when you were a pillow," Alex muttered.

"A pillow?"

"Yeah," Alex smiled at him. "You have a nice scent, by the way."

Both Jett and Blake laughed as they heard Alex scream in pain from the peroxide. This reminded him of some good times. In battle, there were so many serious things happening that you needed to find some way of finding humor. It helped keep the wounded awake so that they could make it to the infirmary too. Laughter was a good medicine.

He parked the van in the spot right by the door closest to the infirmary. The first person to come out was his father. He helped them as they carried Alex into the house. He already looked five times better than he did when Jett first saw him. It was a good sign.

"He's been worrying about all of you," he told Geo. He walked quickly with him as Jett lead him to Shiro's room.

"As we have been about him," Geo said. His face softened a bit as he looked at the door. "I'm glad you're his mate, Alpha Jett," his voice was but a whisper.

"Really?" he said. "I thought you were going to try and throw me off at the party last weekend."

"That was only if you took things too far," Geo said. "I was under orders to protect him."

"So why are you glad that I'm his mate, then?"

"Because," Geo sighed. "It's rare to find someone we can trust."

Jett had no idea what that meant. But it gave him a heavy feeling in his stomach.

Just what was going on in this pack?