"Grandpa!" he whined. "Why do we have to drive there?! It would be faster if we just ran!"

"Patience, Shiro," his grandfather chuckled. "We wouldn't be able to carry all that's in this truck if we simply ran all the way here."

"I could!" He puffed up his chest.

"Now, now, Shiro," the man patted his knee. "It's not wise to have that great of pride."

"I thought you said that it was good to have pride?"

"Not when it blinds you from the reality," he told him. "That's where humility comes in. It balances pride. If you can master the art of pride and humility, then you will be a great leader."

"You say that about every lesson."

"It's all true, Shiro," his grandfather laughed again. It was great seeing him laugh. He had the happiness that spread to everyone else. "These are lessons that I had to learn to be a good leader."

They turned the bend of the dirt path, dark trees all around them. Many people in the city feared them because of how dark they were and how eerie the forest was. But he considered it his friend. For only the forest could help him sneak up on his friends and scare them.

"Are we there yet?"

"Almost."

"What's almost?"

"It's just right around the corner there," his grandfather pointed to another curve in the road. "Alpha Young is waiting for us right out front."

He bounced in his seat. He never had the chance to see another pack house. Not this one, at least. Alpha Roger's house was cool and looked like a big boat. He loved hiding around the building. But his grandfather always knew how to find him. He didn't know how he did it.

"Hey, Grandpa?" all of this had got him thinking.

"Yes, Shiro?"

"Why do we help other packs?" he asked. "I read in other places the packs fight with each other."

"Oh, there was plenty of that here," he told him. "Wars ravaged through this forest many times in the past. But, if there's one thing that you should know, it's that peace is always better than war. Allies are better than enemies."

"Why?" he asked. "What if we're stronger than them?"

"Because there's going to be a point where we need help," his grandfather explained. "Just like they need help right now. Whether it be supplies, or assistance with an enemy, kindness and generosity goes a long way. For it is something that may never be forgotten."

These were the same dirt roads that he was traveling. It was dark outside, and there wasn't any light other than the headlights that shined down, but he could recognize it easily. The trees had grown taller, but they were the same ones that he had looked at so long ago. He hadn't gone this way since his grandfather had brought him there. It almost felt as if he was brought back in time.

"Shiro," Jett's voice pulled him away from his vivid memories. "Are you okay?" He was racing through the dirt paths. Shiro was sure that he had been driving down them his whole life.

"Yes," he told him. "Just worried." He rarely told anyone when he was feeling a negative emotion, or any emotion at all for that matter. But he trusted Jett with this secret at least. And he was only getting weaker with the silver in him.

"Alex is backing up Geo and the rest of your warriors," Jett said. "Noble and Dynamic warriors are there as well. It'll be okay."

"This will be the first time my warriors don't have me to lead them," he admitted.

"How long have you lead them for?"

"Five years."

"You were leading a group of warriors when you were thirteen?!" Jett asked. "That's absurd! Do you realize how crazy that sounds?"

"I guess very," he sighed and looked down at Ava. She was still unconscious. And it looked like those burns weren't healing either.

"We'll get her fixed up," Jett assured him. He looked up to see those orange eyes on his for a second or two. It was the only comfort he had at the moment.

"What about the kids and wives that Manny and Blake had with them?" That was another thing he worried about. There were so many people who were as innocent as Ava. He didn't want any of them getting hurt.

"They got to Manny's bar," Jett told him. "They're my defense when battling, so I ordered them to simply defend the neighborhood they're in at the moment."

That was a good strategy. Even though attackers were important in a battle, an army is nothing without defense.

"Here we are," Jett parked near the entrance. The front of the packhouse was just as he remembered it too. It had large flowers leading to the front door, and a big grassy front yard. He remembered wanting to roll in the grass when he first saw it, just because it looked so soft.

The first person to greet them was a woman with a short grey bob and a lab coat on.

"What happened?" the woman asked. She was quick to see the small clump of blankets that he was holding. "How bad is it?"

"Hunters chained her up," Jett quickly explained. "She's been unconscious ever since we found her."

"I'm afraid we don't have time for formalities, Alpha," the woman looked at him. "Let me show you to the infirmary."

He just nodded his head and followed her. He wasn't going to get offended by a doctor trying to do her job.

"Jett!" a male voice called from inside the house. "What the Hell is going on?!"

"Not now, Dad!" he called. Shiro looked in the direction of the voice to see a man that he recognized from a long time ago...

"Why can't I go?" he bounced in his seat some more. "I just want to run in the grass!"

"This is too important for that, Shiro," his grandfather ruffled his hair. "I promise, we'll visit some other time and you'll get to play."

"Munni!" a bulky man with curly black hair smiled at his grandfather. He stood up tall and straight. He might have even been taller than his grandpa. But all Shiro could do was stare in awe at the bright orange eyes that he had. They practically glowed.

"Alpha Young!" his grandfather held his arms out to him. They hugged in a familiar way, as if they had known each other for years. "It's good to see you again!"

If he had known this Alpha for years, Shiro was going to be mad. It wasn't fair that he didn't meet him with his grandfather. That meant that his grandfather had gone somewhere without him. And that was the same as breaking a rule.

At least, to him it was.

"Oh, please, Munni!" the man laughed. He had a hearty laugh. It reminded him of his grandfather's laugh. "Call me Henry. We've known each other long enough."

"Don't be ridiculous," the old man shook his head. "I wouldn't dream of calling you such a thing in front of your pack."

So, they had known each other for a long time. Shiro frowned. He wanted to meet him. But he was told to stay put while his grandfather got out the supplies. So, he merely watched from the car window. It never took long until someone noticed him anyway. They always seemed to see him, even if he was being quiet and behaving.

"Who's this little fellow?" the Alpha asked. Shiro smiled at him from the other side of the glass, knowing full well that his grandfather had been trying to avoid this.

"I'm Shiro!" he rolled down the window. His grandfather rolled his eyes playfully and opened the door.

"My apologies, Alpha Young," his grandfather said. "I couldn't seem to get my grandson to stay put at home. He shouldn't be a bother to us."

"Oh, it's not a problem," the Alpha looked at him with sparkling eyes. "It's nice to meet you, Shiro." He held out his hand.

"Are you Alpha Young, or Henry?" Shiro asked, shaking his hand. It was so much greater than his own.

"Well," the man laughed. "It seems we have a bright young fellow here! You know what, Shiro? How about you call me Henry, alright?"

"But grandfather doesn't want to."

"Well, that's because he's a bit more stuck in the past," he told him.

"Does this mean we're friends?" he asked him.

"Of course, it does!" he said. "Any friend of Munni's is a friend of mine. That goes for grandchildren as well."

"Right this way, Alpha," the doctor led him down the many halls that the building had. He had let his body take the lead as his mind was distracted. Leave it to him to be stuck thinking about the past while he was supposed to be focused on the present. At least he still had control over his wounds. He doubted that anyone could tell that he even had them at the moment.

He set her down on the hospital bed and started to gently take the blanket off her. She looked much more pale than before.

"Do you have any basic information on her?" the doctor asked. She was already cutting away at her clothing.

"She's seventeen," Shiro started. "Her name is Ava. She's prone to getting colds when the fog gets too thick. I can make a phone call to have her medical records transferred over to here if you need."

"That would be great," she nodded. "You said that she's underage?"

"Yes."

"Is there a possibility to get her parent or guardian on the phone?"

"Yes," he nodded. "I'll call up her father before requesting the medical documents. I'm sure you're going to need to speak with him."

He turned around to see Jett and Alpha Young at the entrance. He hadn't seen Alpha Young since that day when he was little. It felt strange to call him Henry, even in his mind. They hadn't seen each other for many years. They were merely strangers.

His eyes were just like Jett's, though. But he had a wiser look to him. He looked at him with curiosity. It seemed like he was trying to figure something out, but Shiro didn't know what. He didn't have time to think about it. He needed to help the doctor as much as he could.

He carefully pulled out his phone from his pocket. It was on his right side, which was also the one that had been hurt by one of the bullets. He had to seem normal, or else they would suspect that something was wrong.

It was easy to find Nikita's number. He answered on the first ring, worried about what had happened. Someone had spread the word to him that his daughter had gotten hurt by the hunters. But Shiro told him not to try and come all the way there. There were still hunters in the city, potentially the woods, and he didn't need another person getting hurt by those fiends.

"May I use the office phone?" Shiro asked Jett. There was a landline on the wall of the infirmary room. "I can call my doctor to send the records while Nikita is talking to your doctor."

"Yeah," Jett moved away from it. "Go ahead."

"Hold on," Alpha Young stopped him. Those eyes looked soft, but precise. "Shiro, right?"

"Yes," he bowed a little in respect. He needed to get over to the phone.

"I think we can leave Bree to the phone calls, Shiro," he said. "Dr. Bailey," he looked at the old woman. "You need to check up on him as well."

How did he know? Shiro wasn't trying to hide his wounds forever. He just wanted to make sure that Ava was stable before he focused on himself.

"It's just one phone call, sir," he said. "I need to make sure my pack member is going to be alright."

"You're just like Munni," he smiled. There were more wrinkles around his eyes as he smiled than he remembered, but it still reminded him of the first time he met him. "You know that, Shiro?"

"People tell me that a lot," he nodded. He was getting light headed. He didn't like this. He didn't want this to happen right then. He needed to stay strong so that he could make sure that everyone was going to be okay.

"You know I fought alongside him once," the man said. "It was a brutal fight, one that we came out on the winning side of. But Munni was a stubborn old man. He never liked to show when he was hurt."

"Hurt?" Jett looked at him. It only took a second for him to finally catch the smell of blood on him. "Did they get you?"

"Ava's more important," Shiro shook his head. "She's in more of a critical condition than I am."

"Again, just like your grandfather," Alpha Young sighed. "Always putting others first before themselves." Then he went by a bed and patted it. "Come on, Shiro. You need to get checked up on."

He was going to argue, but Jett was now working with his father. He put an arm around him to support him and led him to the infirmary bed. Only then did they see past the dark colored clothing that he had on to witness the blood that had been oozing out of him the whole car ride.

"Shit," Jett said. "Dr. Bailey! He's bleeding!"

"Almost done," the woman said. She had just finished up putting ointment on Ava. Once she had finished, she went to one of her nurses. "Wrap her up quickly. She should be okay by morning."

Shiro sighed at that. He was so glad that she was going to be okay. He swore he would never let her out of his sight again for the rest of his life.

As soon as that wave of relieve hit him, so did the fatigue from his wound. He struggled to stay sitting as the room spun around him.

"Shiro!" Jett sounded so worried about him. He felt bad for not telling him that he was wounded before. But he knew that he would try to take care of him first rather than Ava.

"Easy there, son," Alpha Young gently laid him back onto the bed. It wasn't long until he felt cold fingers examining him.

"Holy crap," Dr. Bailey said.

"How bad is it?" Jett asked.

"There's still a silver bullet in his leg," she told them. "That explains why he's lost so much blood."

"How could he still be walking?!"

Did they think he couldn't hear them? Because he could.

"It's not that far in," Shiro told them. "It also didn't hit any arteries."

"If it did, you'd be dead," Dr. Bailey said. "Both wounds are going to be infected if they don't get cleaned up, and the one on your side is going to need to be reopened again to get the infection out." It seemed like she was talking while she was working, because he heard some tools rattling as she talked. "But, right now, I need to get that bullet out of you. And I don't have time to put you to sleep at the moment."

"That's alright," he kept his gaze towards the ceiling, keeping his tone as calm as possible. "Just do it quickly."

The rest of the room was spinning around him. He closed his eyes and focused on his breathing. Normally, he liked to keep his eyes open and focus on a certain object when meditating, but he couldn't do that when he was in this state.

He didn't hear the demands that the doctor was giving her nurses, or the talking between Jett and Alpha Young. He needed something to focus on. Something to center him so that he could manage the pain that he knew was about to come.

Something like the orange eyes that stared at him intensely, and passionately. His whole family seemed to have that as a trait, but only Jett's eyes would look at him like that. They saw him for the person he was inside, even when he had not ever opened up to him. There were so many ways he had trained himself to act, that he wasn't even sure what the real him was anymore. But those orange eyes did. For they saw through all the walls that he had built up.

They centered him.

The pain from the tool going into his wound and grabbing the bullet came like a giant wave of Poseidon's wrath. He let it wash over him, for he knew it wouldn't drown him. Not when he had those orange eyes to guide him back up.

When he opened his eyes, the pain was almost gone. It still hurt, but it wasn't nearly as bad as before. He didn't know why, but he felt compelled to look for Jett. He wanted to see him again.

"How are you feeling?" Jett asked. He was right next to his bed. Shiro wanted to put out his hand for him to hold, but held back for some reason. He didn't know why. He wanted to feel his touch, but he didn't feel like it was an appropriate time.

"Better," Shiro said. He was still dizzy, but he could already feel the wounds healing.

"You're going to have to be specific with your symptoms," Dr. Bailey said. She was wrapping up his wounds at the time being. "It's a good thing we were able to get ahold of your doctor. He's sending both you and Ava's medical records here soon. But I need to know exactly how you're feeling."

"Dizzy," he told her. "Fatigued, and a little hungry and thirsty."

"Well," Dr. Bailey said. "The hungry and thirsty part is good. It means your body knows what it needs to heal. You've lost a lot of blood. I'm going to get an IV hooked up to you with liquids. We'll have someone bring you food right away."

"That's alright," he told her, trying to sit up. "I need to check on my warriors."

"Stay down, Shiro," Alpha Young said. The tone in his voice reminded him of his grandfather. "Now is not the time to be stubborn. Your warriors aren't going to be fine if they lose their Alpha."

"He's got a point," Jett said. He placed a hand on his shoulder to gently push him back down. "You need to rest."

His touch felt so good at that moment. It was warming his soul. He wished he could say that he didn't want him to move away from him, but he stayed silent.

"You seem to have changed quite a lot, young man," Alpha Young said.

"You two know each other?" Jett asked.

"We met once before," Shiro explained. "When my grandfather had dropped off supplies a long time ago."

"Much needed medical supplies at the time," Alpha Young nodded. "He was doing us a favor since we had the most wounded warriors. I'm glad you didn't forget me, Shiro."

"I thought you would have forgotten me," he told him. He would have looked his way, but he was still fairly dizzy.

"No," the man chuckled a bit. "You're not exactly an easy one to forget, young man. Besides, I never forget a friend."

Shiro smiled at that. It was nice of him to say that. But, with all the things that had gone on that day, he felt that all the good things were tainted by the hunters. Worry filled him. This was the one time that neither he nor Hiroko was there to lead them. And, with how dangerous these hunters were, it only made his anxiety about the situation worse.

All he could do was have faith in Geo that it would turn out alright. He was the only other one who could handle something like this. As much as he didn't want to put pressure on him, he hoped that he handled this mission well.

Now all he could do was pray.