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The guys stared at the ground as the doctor delivered the unfortunate news in the waiting room. He gave us a few encouraging words and then left the room quietly. As a doctor, it must be hard to see a patient die. Someone you tried your best to save. I wondered about the path I'd chosen. Would I have to give a grieving family such heart-breaking news?

Micah was still in the room with Armani. He wanted to be alone. I could almost hear the echoes of his cries through the soundproof doors.

The guys all looked despondent. Jun left the room and Kristof slowly got up and went after him. Jackson documented the incident. I looked up at Ashton, whose eyes burned with anger and at the same time hopelessness and confusion.

The guilt of Armani's death was weighing down on him although it wasn't his fault. When he had sent the escorts to bring Armani back a few days ago, he didn't think something like this would have happened.

It just goes to show how unpredictable life was. Nothing was set in stone.

I went over and hugged him tightly. He hesitantly wrapped his arms around me and rested his forehead on top of my head. I could feel his sadness and his resentment towards his father. This time he had gone too far.

Torturing Ashton and CaVaughn had been low blows, especially when he threatened his wife's kingdom. Armani was really gone. He was dead. No amount of apologies or deals could change that. King Caden was a ruthless, savage man who only cared about fulfilling his own desires at the expense of others.

Never in my life had I disliked someone so much as I did than in that moment. Now Micah was all alone. The kingdom had taken both his parents and his brother. He was the only one left and he was just fourteen.

My heart wept for him as I comforted Ashton. I felt sorry for Jackson, who had lost his soulmate and all the other guys in the room whose ranks weighed on them like a curse. They didn't ask for any of this. Not the Alpha in my arms, not the Betas and not the Omegas.

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I stayed over at the hospital with the guys until the sun started to rise in the sky. I dreamt of Armani gazing up at the sky, longing for a life free from oppression, pain and misery, where his brother could live as an equal. Now he was free. Armani was free.

Loud shouts woke me up from the dream and I rubbed my eyes as I got to my feet. I recognized Micah's voice. They were being pretty loud if I could hear them from here. A small part of me wished for a miracle as I made my way to the hospital room.

Micah's chest heaved as he glared venomously at the doctor. Seeing the vehement emotions swirling in his eyes felt so unnatural. His once soft eyes were as hard as granite and his teeth were gritted with force enough to grind steel into powder. It almost felt as if I was looking at someone else.

"We have to move the body," the doctor explained as calmly as he could. His tone still held its calm professionalism, and he spoke slowly as if to a young child.

"Don't touch him," Micah growled in warning.

The doctor sighed and then looked over at me. "Elizabeth, you're still here?" he asked tiredly.

I nodded and stepped into the room where two men were trying to move Armani's body out of the room. One of them covered Armani's face with a white cloth. I ripped my eyes away and focused on Micah.

"He's not dead," he stated. "He's not dead. Check him again," he demanded.

"Micah, Armani has passed away. We have exhausted all our methods to revive him," the doctor pointed out.

"Do something else! You're a doctor! There has to be something else you can do!" he shouted as tears streamed from his eyes. "Give him my life instead! Take it and just bring him back please!"

"Micah, you know that isn't possible," the doctor sighed running a hand through his thinning hair.

A nurse came in with an injection needle and walked over to Micah with a reassuring smile. "This will just put you to sleep for a little while."

Micah backed away from her.

"Please don't sedate him. I'll talk to him."

I turned to Micah, whose brows were furrowed in sorrow. "Don't let them take him away," he pleaded.

"They have to do that," I said softly. "It's not good for Armani to stay out like this. He needs to rest in peace."

Micah gave me a dejected look and then glanced back at Armani's bed and the glimmer of hope in his eyes disappeared when he realized that Armani really wasn't coming back.

He backed away from us with wide eyes, shaking his head. "No... there's no way."

His tears slipped down to the ground and each one felt like a bullet to my heart.

Micah was hands down the most cheerful person I knew. It really hurt to see someone who was usually so happy look so heartbroken.

He turned and ran out of the room.

"Micah!" I called as I ran after him.

The guys were looking down the corridor in confusion as Micah ran past them. They gave me a worried look as I raced down the corridor after him. In a second they were all running after me.

I was panting as I stood on the front steps of the hospital. A light brown blur dashed down the street and into a forest of trees. His shirt that had been ripped apart by his muscles extending so suddenly, floated to the ground in tatters.

"Micah!" I called and I was about to dash off after him, but an arm circled around my waist, pulling me back.

I threw an exasperated look over my shoulder. Ashton stared at me squarely.

"It's too dangerous to go after him like this."

"Micah won't hurt me," I protested, trying to get out of his grip.

"Ashton's right," Kevin said, appearing beside him. "You don't know what he'll do right now. He's not thinking straight."

"I don't care," I said, struggling in vain against Ashton. "I need to make sure he's okay. He's all alone now. If I don't go after him, who will?"

I caught sight of Jun who walked towards us with his hands in his pockets. He grimaced at my words. "How far are you going to go for the Omega?" he asked in irritation.

"As far as I would go for you or anyone else!" I shouted and looked up at Ashton. "Please, just trust me."

"I trust you. It's him I have to watch out for," he sighed.

"I'll go with her," Jun offered, getting over to us in a second. He was abnormally fast. It must have been the result of the king's training. He'd been holding back all this time. "I can stop him if it gets ugly."

I wasn't so sure if Jun was the best person to come along.

"I'll take you myself," Ashton decided, but Kevin shook his head.

"Leave it to me. If he sensed an Alpha I don't know what he'd do."

Ashton narrowed his eyes at him. "You think I can't handle an Omega?"

"I'm just trying to avoid a fight." He shrugged.

Ashton gave another heated sigh. "If he harms you in even the slightest way..."

"I know," I said, easing myself from his hands. "I'll be careful. But I know Micah won't hurt me."

Ashton still wasn't entirely conciliated as he pondered the possibilty of me getting hurt. His mouth twisted in a distressed frown, but I had to go to Micah.

Kevin and I walked off to go and find Micah. He used his sharp senses to locate him in no time. When we stepped into the forest, Micah's head shot up. His honey smile was now a mask of bitter sadness. The sunny light that illuminated his blue-green eyes had been put out. His eyes held sadness and distrust. His eyes were the same as his brother's.

"He's warning me not to come any closer," Kevin told me. "If you feel even the slightest sense of danger just-"

"I'll be fine."

I walked slowly to Micah, who kept his eyes firmly locked on Kevin in the back. Kevin muttered lowly what sounded like a warning.

"Hi, Micah," I said, sitting on the ground beside him. I nodded at Kevin and he slowly left the forest.

"I know you must be feeling so sad right now," I murmured, stroking his hair. He gave a pitiful sigh.

"I'm right here with you, Micah," I whispered soothingly. "I won't leave you."

He placed his head on my shoulder with another whimper.

"It hurts, doesn't it?" I sighed. "It's really hard to lose the people you care about. My heart aches and I wish I could take away your pain. Armani was a great guy who stood up for himself and others who couldn't stand up for themselves. He was brave and selfless and most of all, he loved you."

I remembered the day I had spent talking to Armani as he gazed at the sky. He was so passionate about wanting everyone to be liberated from the shackles of their ranks.

"Now he's free, just like his name," I whispered. "It's okay to grieve for him. Take as long as you need. But always remember that he isn't gone completely. He's right here in our memories and our hearts."

Micah blinked away the tears as I leaned forward to comfort him as best as I could. Within a few minutes, the exhaustion of the day finally overwhelmed him and he drifted off to sleep.

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"His eyes were the same as his brother's, but where Armani's were cold and distrustful; Micah's were full of pure trust and honesty. The juxtaposition amazed me and made me sad at the same time. If Micah had to endure what Armani did, would his eyes stay the same? Or would they slowly morph into a chasm of hate that I wouldn't recognize?"

- Elizabeth, chapter 102

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