Jarren had not even turned to look over his shoulder before Kyrrian kicked the gun out of his hand. It went flying toward the two invalids, too far out reach. Especially considering that a split second later Alpha Kaddian collided with him, knocking him down like a rag doll. He managed to put his hands up, but they did nothing to stop the onslaught. After the fifth fist collided with his face, he met blackness.

Kaddian raised his fist for one more strike but realized the bear had blacked out. He fought the urge to pommel him further. Luckily, his sister's voice convinced him to stand up. He removed his shirt and handed it to Kyrrian, who quickly threw it on and ran to Alpha Scottlin and Sarai. When she knelt by Alpha Scottlin, she reached to feel his pulse. His eyes, which had been closed, opened slowly and he coughed. He pointed toward Sarai with a weak finger. Kyrrian turned to look at her and Sarai whispered "I'm ok. I'm getting movement back. But he's not ok".

Kyrrian looked back to Scottlin Reik and attempted to look at his injury. The bullet had ripped through his chest on his left side, most likely nicking the bottom of his lung. It was bad but if they could get him to a hospital, he would live.

"Kaddian" Kyrrian said, and her brother, who had been examining Liam Redd, came to her side.

"He's dead" Kaddian informed her, referring to Liam Redd.

"I broke his ribs, they probably punctured his lung. Kaddian, Alpha Scottlin needs to get to a hospital" she honestly could care less about Liam Redd.

Kaddian stared at his sister curiously, and reached up to wipe the stray tear she didn't appear to notice that she had shed. Kyrrian looked at Kaddian's finger in confusion. Kaddian chose not to let her dwell on it and bent down to Alpha Scottlin.

"This is going to hurt" he told him, and bent down and lifted the Alpha up to his feet quickly, before he had time to protest.

Alpha Scottlin cried out and his canines extended the exertion of energy and intense pain. He wheezed and panted and held his eyes shut tight but patted Kaddian to let him know he was ready to move.

Kyrrian watched as her brother effortlessly lifted Alpha Scottlin off the ground and made the Alpha use him as a prop. Alpha Scottlin was pale and looked as if he wanted to vomit but he took one hesitant step with her brothers help.

They had only made that one step when they looked up and noticed a partially sitting up Sarai holding the gun, pointed directly at them.

Kaddian growled deep in his chest and Kyrrian stopped on her tracks.

"M-M-" Sarai was panting, like every breath, every second sitting up and holding that gun, was a struggle.

"Sarai" Kyrrian said, holding up her hands.

"Move!" Sarai finally got out. It took Kyrrian a second to realize what Sarai wanted. She didn't even turn to look, but instead dropped to the ground, face first.

Sarai took one shot. Silence followed the loud sound for an instant before the sound of a body hitting the forest floor followed.

Sarai fell back, and let out one loud sob.

She had just killed her mate. Jarren lay on the ground, a pistol a few inches from his open hand where he had dropped. A massive hole was now visible in his chest where his heart used to be.

Kyrrian quickly jumped up and grabbed the crying she-bear. Luckily, she was not heavy. She quickly carried her through the forest to the car and ran back to the forest to help her brother carry Alpha Scottlin. It took them thirty minutes but they were able to get him to the vehicle and to the hospital.

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Kaddian Grayson was grouchy.

Porter thought that since they had found Sarai alive, eliminated the threat, and gotten Alpha Reik the help he needed to live, he would be in a better mood. But he was not. Perhaps he was still bothered by the fact that it had been two of his Sleuth mates that had been the murderers. He honestly wasn't sure, but the man had been short and tense the past few days.

Porter had been the one to primarily take care of Sarai since they brought her back. She had been emotionally wounded by having to shoot Jarren, but once the drugs in her body wore off she began to feel the physical pain of the broken mate bond.

She was sleeping now, and Porter stood in the kitchen drinking tea, watching everyone as they came went. Kaddian was the most frequent traveler, going from office to bedroom, home to hospital, police station to crime scene. But Lizbet would come and go occasionally from the morgue with a new and unexpected follower in tow, Rory Daggart.

Chance Gore was the most stationary of the bears. He patiently waited for his Alpha to heal by resting on the front porch or napping, much like a human man his age would be expected to act, old and at peace. Porter had not seen Kyrrian once since the incident in the forest. Apparently, she had been in the hospital the entire time. She had even missed celebrating her birthday. Her and her brother's.

Perhaps that's why the Alpha was upset.

__________________________________________________________________

Not once. Not once had Kaddian seen Lauren Hale since the incident in the forest.

When he had gone to her room after sending Alpha Scottlin to surgery, he was told he was not allowed in because she was showering. Then police had chosen to detain him and bring him in for questioning about the entire incident. By the time he got out of the station, it was too late for hospital visitors, so he chose to return home and try to get some sleep. A nice dream but that did not happen, between his restless mind and the occasional cries of Sarai downstairs, he slept for perhaps two hours. That did not add to his already low mood.

Kaddian got out of bed and made his way to his office. He didn't necessarily want to do work on pack logistics but he needed something to distract him until the hospital allowed visitors, which wasn't for another three hours. Kaddian worked for a sum whole of thirty minutes before he leaned back in his chair and rested his eyes.

Kaddian woke up with a jolt and sat up straight in his chair. It was eight in the morning... On Saturday.

He had slept for twenty-four hours and his neck felt it. He stood up and stretched out, hissing as every sore muscle pulled and tightened.

He sighed as he looked at his phone and saw a missed phone call from the police. They needed all of the Redd family history and they needed him to organize burial information once they were done with the autopsies.

He definitely did not want to deal with this. But he knew he had to.

He drove to Sheriff Hale's home and found the door unlocked. He shook his head in disappointment and went in. The place had a subtle smell of her in it, but not enough to indicate that she really even lived here. The box of files on the Redd's was on the table, so he grabbed it and headed out, making sure to grab the house keys by the door and lock it when he left. He returned to the station and dropped off the files, then made the arrangements to have the Redd's cremated once the police were done.

"What I got to ask is why did a grown man name you the proprietor of his life possessions?" one of the officers asked Kaddian as he was leaving.

Kaddian did not have the time, patience, or understanding to listen to curious humans who might want to snoop into the unique living situation of his Sleuth. "Respect" was Kaddian's only response before walking outside and getting into his SUV. He was about to drive to the Hospital when his sister called.

"Kaddian, hospital food tastes disgusting. Can you make some food and bring it to the hospital?"

"Kyrrian, I-" he began with a sigh but Kyrrian interrupted him.

"Lauren says she would love that" She added. Kaddian immediately heard mumbling that was without a doubt Lauren Hale contradicting the lie that Kyrrian just told, but at that point, it was too late. Kaddian had already made up his mind.

"I'll be there in an hour" he growled before hanging up.

Which is how he ended up in the kitchen of the house making grilled cheese and tomato soup. After loading the sandwiches onto a platter and separating the soup into bowls with lids, he loaded everything into an ice chest and headed to the car.