(BL) Hunting The Field Guide novel Chapter 204

Chapter 204: I don’t want to do this again

Kellen had a hard time remembering what happened after that. As soon as his Mother arrived, Kellen was shifted over so that he was out of the way. Kellen would never deny his Mother the right to be beside her imprint, but Kellen needed to be close enough to continue to give him blood.

Kellen barely remembered them hoisting his Father up, or following them in the same car, his arm still hooked up to his Father.

What he did remember was that Rhys was with him the whole time. Holding him, keeping him upright and moving. He knew at one point Rhys was carrying him, but he didn’t care. He could not have his Father out of his line of sight.

It wasn’t until Kellen woke up in a hospital bed, the soft sound of beeping filling his ears, that he really took in what had happened.

Kellen felt his face crumple as he began to sob. Tears ran down his face as his emotions ate him alive.

His Dad had almost died. Someone had tried to kill him. What kind of monster could do that? His Dad was such a good man, and he only hurt people who attacked him first.

Who could do something like this?

Sobbing, Kellen raised his hands and covered his face. His whole body shook. Why was he the one in a hospital bed? Where was his Dad? Had he managed to save him? It was such a deep wound.

And there had been so much blood. So fucking much blood.

Kellen had never been so scared in his whole fucking life. Not even for himself. It had felt like his heart had stopped. As soon as the bullet had grazed his Father, he knew he couldn’t let go of the wound. His Dad would have bled out almost immediately. It was only because of Kellen’s training as a Field Guide that he knew how to hold the wound properly.

Kellen shook with his sobs, anxiety, anger, concern fueling each sound.

He couldn’t stop even as he heard the door open.

"Oh Sweetheart." Rhys’ soft voice only made Kellen cry harder. The bed sank as Rhys crawled into it, shifting Kellen until he was lying back against Rhys’ chest, in between his legs and flipped over. Rhys wrapped his arms around him, holding him so that Kellen could cry into Rhys’ chest.

The warmth from his arms only made Kellen comfortable enough that his whole body quaked as he cried. Rhys held him, not saying anything, as Kellen got everything out.

It felt like forever, but slowly, Kellen’s sobs became quieter, and they didn’t shake him as violently. Rhys’ grip on him was strong, firm, and comforting enough that Kellen didn’t want to leave it.

"D-Dad?" Kellen asked, his voice raspy and rough. Rhys’ grip tightened on him slightly, his hands resting on his lower back.

"Safe. Very safe. Not in danger in the slightest." Rhys assured him, and Kellen pressed his face against his chest. The spot he’d created was damp, and warm. He felt bad, but not bad enough to move, or mention it.

"G-Good." Kellen rasped, holding onto the man below him. Rhys’ shoulders shook slightly, and Kellen glanced up at him. Rhys’ eyes were fever yellow, so bright that they burned, and worry coated every inch of his expression. He was laughing, but Kellen did not find it funny.

"You had no idea, did you?" Kellen stared at him blankly, and that only made Rhys’ shoulders shake more. "Kellen. You were shot too." Kellen blinked. Rhys shook his head, raising his hand to Kellen’s head and pushing it against his chest. "Gods, I can’t even look at you right now. You are going to suck away my anger." He muttered quietly, and Kellen laid there, unsure what that meant.

They didn’t say anything, just laid there in each other’s company for a long, long time. Kellen, now that he had cried everything out, felt his eyes droop again, but was fighting for his life against it. He had no idea what time it was, what day it was, and where he was.

He had a guess he was at the Guild, but there was so much to do. He could not be lying down at a time like this. Even if he had been shot, it was clearly not fatal like his Fathers.

"Sweetheart, don’t fight it. Get some more rest. Your body needs it." Rhys told him, and Kellen shook his head.

"N-No. There is too much to do." Kellen protested, and Rhys pulled him back, holding him so that he could stare down at him grimly.

"There is too much to do?" He whispered tensely. "Kellen, you were just shot. Your Father almost lost his life. Nothing, and I do mean nothing is more important to me than you. Everything else can wait. The press can wait, the people can wait, the Guild can wait, and so can the Gate. I don’t give a rat’s ass if the world is swallowed up as long as you are by my side. Am I clear? So get some damn rest." Kellen blinked as the Captain held him in place.

What on earth had happened? Kellen knew that everything was foggy, which made sense if he had been injured, but there was no reason for the Captain to react this way? He hadn’t been on death’s door.