As the crimson sun rises, the fighters of Aestas return with the dead fighters of Ignis. Pack Ignis is filled with the cries of those who lost loved ones.
Taehyung watches with immense pain in his heart as the dead are brought home covered in white sheets with Ignis' flame symbol etched onto the sheets. Tears stream down the Luna of Ignis' face as the crimson sunrise stains the white sheets red. He cries as he looks up at the crimson sky and covers his face with his hand. As the Luna of Ignis, he can feel the pack's pain, and as the mate of the Alpha of Ignis, he can feel his mate's pain and guilt.
"What was he doing to them?" Jungkook whispers in horror when he sees the bodies of his fighters.
"He was fighting them like dogs." Somin informs him as the few who were rescued alive are quickly brought to the hospital to be cared for and given emergency treatment.
"Fucking bastard." Jungkook snarls in anger and turns to look at the monster who killed his pack members.
"I am going to kill him." Taehyung hisses as he storms over to the Pack Alpha of Lutium.
Before anyone can stop him, Taehyung digs his claws into the face of the horrified Alpha of Lutium. He does not flinch when the screaming, mutilated alpha's blood splatters on his face. Tears trickle down his bloody face as he looks up at the crimson sky.
Jungkook quickly wraps his enraged mate in his arms and comforts him. As more bodies are brought over the border, the pack is filled with pain and anger. Alpha Jeon quietly cries as he holds his mate in his embrace.
"Get Alpha Jeon and Luna Jeon to the hospital!" Namjoon suddenly shouts when he sees their injuries.
Soon, medics run over to the pair and quickly place them on gurneys then place them into emergency vehicles and bring them to the hospital. Jungkook closes his eyes and listens to his mate's heartbeat over their link as they go to the hospital in different emergency vehicles.
When they arrive at the hospital, many of the pack members have arrived at the hospital to check on their Luna and Alpha. They all gasp in horror when they see the injuries their Luna and Alpha have sustained.
Jungkook weakly reaches his hand out for his mate as they are wheeled into the hospital. When he holds his mate's hand, he smiles and closes his eyes.
"We will treat their wounds together." The doctor informs the nurses when he sees the pair holding hands.
While their wounds are treated, the two mates look at each other and smile. Tears trickle down Jungkook's face as he looks at his injured mate.
"I am sorry." Jungkook tightens his grip around Taehyung's hand.
"There is nothing to apologize for. I willingly fight by your side." Taehyung smiles at his crying mate.
"So many died."
"I know. It is okay to cry. You are in pain." Taehyung gently rubs his thumb on top of his mate's hand.
"I don't have any right to cry. I did not protect them."
"You have spilled your blood time and time again to protect Ignis. Trust me, no one blames you for anything." A tear trickles down Taehyung's cheek when he hears his mate's pain.
"I should have protected them."
"You have protected them and are still protecting them."
"I love you." Jungkook sniffles as he looks into his mate's honey-golden eyes.
"I love you too." Taehyung whispers with a soft smile on his face.
"Luna, it will hurt, so I am going to give you a shot to numb the pain." The doctor tells Taehyung as he examines the gruesome wound on his right shoulder.
"Okay." Taehyung responds without taking his eyes off of his mate.
When Jungkook sees Taehyung's torn shoulder, he whimpers in worry. "Don't worry about me. You should see yourself." Taehyung tells his mate as he looks at the large wound on Jungkook's side.
"It's not too horrible." Jungkook mutters when he sees his wound.
"We'll have to properly hide our wounds from Wookie. I should probably tell Eomma not to bring him here to see us. He will cry." Taehyung mumbles as he thinks about their oldest pup.
"That is a good idea. I don't want him to be scared." Jungkook responds and watches as the nurses set up a curtain to block his view of his injured abdomen.
"It's to keep you from going into shock from seeing your body being cut into." Taehyung tells his mate as Jungkook looks at the curtain in confusion.
"I feel like seeing the wound is worse than them cutting into me." Jungkook mumbles and looks back at his mate. "It's even worse seeing you injured."
"I am okay." Taehyung chuckles as the doctor stitches up his injury.
The doctors finish tending to Taehyung's wound first, so he patiently waits for his mate to be taken care of. Once both of their injuries are taken care of, they are wheeled to a VIP room to rest together.
After everyone leaves the room, Taehyung sneakily gets out of his bed and crawls into his mate's bed. Jungkook sleepily smiles and carefully wraps his arm around his mate and holds him.
"Eomma! Appa!" Jaewook sobs and runs into the VIP room.
"Wookie!" Taehyung responds in surprise when he sees his sobbing pup.
"Why are you hurt?!" The pup cries and runs over to his parents.
"We are okay. I promise." Taehyung softly tells his pup who looks up at him with teary eyes.
"I am so sorry. He ran before I could stop him. I think he could smell your blood." Jin apologizes as he runs into the room with several bags in his arms.
"It's okay, Eomma. How is Hyung?" Taehyung smiles at his mother.
"He only hurt his leg, and the injury wasn't bad. So, he will be fine. Plus, he has Jimin fretting over him right now." Jin responds and walks over to his son and son-in-law. "I am pretty sure that you are supposed to be in this bed." He chuckles and sits on the empty bed then lifts Jaewook in his arms.
"The pups can sleep in the empty bed." Taehyung smiles as Jungkook sleepily snuggles his face in between his shoulder blades.
"Is Appa okay?" Jaewook sniffles as he tries to look at his father.
"Appa is sleepy because the doctors gave him something to help him sleep." Taehyung answers and softly smiles at his sleepy pup. "I promise that Appa will wake up in a little bit."
"Okay." Jaewook mutters and snuggles into Jin's arms. "Eomma and Appa brave." He hums as he looks at his parents. Wookie will be brave like Eomma and Appa.
When Namjoon walks into the room with the twins in their baby carriers, he sees his mate sleeping on the empty bed with Jaewook in his arms while Jungkook lovingly wraps Taehyung in his embrace.
"Stay quiet for your Eomma and Appa." Namjoon whispers to the twins as he sets the carriers next to their parents' bed, so they will be comforted by their parents' scents.
"Joonie." Jin hums when he opens his eyes and sees his mate in the room.
"Yes, Darling?" Namjoon smiles and walks over to his mate.
"Is everything okay now?" Jin asks and motions for his mate to lie down on the bed next to him.
"I believe so. Siwon and Minho are taking care of everything." Namjoon answers and lies down next to his mate.
"Good." Jin hums and snuggles next to his mate.
Wanting to check on his younger brother, Yoongi has a nurse find him a wheelchair then wheels himself into Taehyung's and Jungkook's room as his mate frets over him. When he sees his family sleeping in the same room, he softly smiles and pulls his startled mate into his lap.
"Everyone that I love is safe in this room." Yoongi softly whispers as he kisses his mate's cheek and places his hand on Jimin's swollen belly.
Jimin blushes when he hears his mate's loving and warm words. "I love you too." He whispers back and snuggles up in Yoongi's arms.
Yoongi smiles when he hears his mate then wheels himself and his mate over to the couch and carefully gets onto the couch and lies down with his precious mate in his arms. He lovingly curls up around his mate and falls asleep.
When Jungkook wakes up, he sleepily looks around the room and sees everyone sleeping in the same room. He softly smiles when he sees his oldest pup snuggled in Jin's arms and the twins sleeping in their carriers next to the bed.
"I need to see my hyungie." Taehyung sleepily mutters when he wakes up.
"I'm here." Yoongi yawns and waves his hand at his younger brother.
"Hyungie, how are you feeling?" Taehyung asks when he sees his older brother's bandaged leg.
"I am okay. The doctor said that I'll heal fine." Yoongi smiles as he gently runs his fingers through Jimin's hair.
"I feel like we need to request another couch or bed." Hoseok mutters as he sits up from the ground with messy hair.
"Hobi hyung!" Taehyung squeaks in shock when he sees Hoseok.
"Hm? What's wrong?" Hoseok asks and looks at his shocked friend.
"Why are you on the floor?" Taehyung asks with big eyes.
"Does it look like there was anywhere else for me to sleep?" Hoseok mutters as he pops his back. "Oof, much better."
"Abeonim, why was Alpha Lim calling you the Leader of the Inter-Pack Council?" Jungkook asks when he looks at Namjoon who has woken up.
"That is because he was appointed the Leader of the Inter-Pack Council after the past leader was found dead." Minho answers as he walks into the room.
"Dead?" Jungkook looks at Minho in shock.
"Someone shot him." Minho hums and looks at his unfazed son.
"With a gun?" Taehyung gasps in surprise. "Aren't they banned?"
"They are, but someone got their hands on one." Minho mutters and leans against the wall as he continues to look at Hoseok.
"That's fine with me." Jungkook mumbles and also looks at Hoseok.
"The bastard deserved more than a bullet." Hoseok hisses with clenched fists. "I will always do whatever I can to protect my family."
"As long as no one finds the culprit or the gun, everything will be okay." Yoongi mutters and shakes his head at his best friend.
"I would have done it too." Taehyung shrugs as he looks at his family.
"Same." Jimin quietly mumbles and hugs his mate. "I would do anything to protect my family."
"Don't worry. I bet that the culprit was smart and got rid of the gun." Hoseok sighs and lies back down on the ground.
"That still doesn't answer how I am the Inter-Pack Leader." Namjoon mutters and looks at Alpha Lim who walks into the room.
"There was an emergency meeting that was held when his body was found. The Pack Alphas and Pack Lunas at the meeting voted on the new Inter-Pack Leader. We all voted on you." Alpha Lim explains and looks at Jungkook, telling him with his eyes that he will never be a danger to him or Ignis.
"So, the Pack Alphas who were attacking Ignis did not attend the emergency meeting meaning they were not able to cast their vote." Taehyung mumbles in understanding.
"Jung Hoseok, it would have been nice to have been told beforehand." Namjoon chuckles as he looks at the kid he helped raise.
"It was an emergency meeting, and you were fighting to protect Ignis. That made it difficult to contact you." Hoseok grins as he looks at the older alpha.
"Minho, you raised a brat." Namjoon chuckles and shakes his head.
"Hey, you helped raise him." Minho grins and proudly looks at his son who thought quickly and handled the dangerous situation.
"Still your kid." Namjoon smiles and proudly looks at Hoseok.
"Wow, this room is filled with many powerful people." Siwon mumbles as he walks into the full room.
"Siwon, when is the funeral?" Jungkook quietly asks when his Beta walks into the room.
"It will be held tomorrow morning at sunrise." Siwon softly answers and watches as tears stream down Jungkook's face.
"We are going." Taehyung tells Siwon as he holds his mate's hand.
"Appa." Jaewook sniffles when he sees his father who has always been strong cry.
"Appa is okay." Jungkook sniffles and smiles at his son through his tears.
"It's okay to be sad, Appa." Jaewook reaches his hands out to his father, so Jin sets Jaewook on the bed with his parents. "It's okay." The pup mumbles and hugs his crying father.
"Appa promises to be stronger to keep my sweet pups safe." Jungkook cries as he wraps his oldest son in his arms.
"Appa has Eomma." Jaewook mutters as his father cries.
"That's right. Appa has Eomma." Jungkook smiles and looks at his mate.
"Appa will always have Eomma." Taehyung hums and hugs his mate and oldest son.
-photo edited by Lily-Sabrina.-