The ambulance arrived with its sirens blaring to the desolate street where Dr. Stone ran out to get to Zero. Severin fell back and she was taken from him as a bunch of surgeons huddled around Zero with the great mission to bring life back to her body. He didn't know why they did, because he was the only that could sense his mate and her wolf and it was obvious that they were both gone.

"She's not breathing!" Dr. Stone alarmed. The AED defibrillators were given to her but right there she was losing life. Panic set in and prayer found lips. Only then Dr. Stone found strength through the tears in her own eyes. "Move her now!"

They moved her onto a stretcher and carried her to the ambulance. Severin found strength in his legs ran getting in with them- the others followed in their own cars.

Rushing down the streets and ignoring all traffic rules, they finally reached the hospital, but no one could do anything once all the doctors passed the double doors to the emergency room. Blood trailed behind marking the path they took Zero and for the next three hours, no one heard anything about what was happening inside that room.

Strong, prominent alphas gathered during that quiet but heavy time to give their support, because nothing they'd ever done was ever enough compared to the sacrifice Zero made to protect their kind. No alpha stood on the same ground as Zero, that much Severin knew and so did the entire world that prayed for her.

Dr. Jennifer Avery who was a heart surgeon specialist walked out with dirty scrubs. From her pale skin, sweat beaded on her forehead and surgical cap told Severin all he needed to know.

Marcello shot up out of his seat "How is she, Jennifer?" he asked her.

She spoke like a doctor would, firm but dejected. "Her body's a mess. We need to prepare ourselves for the worst," she warned.

The room and hall went quiet again, their heads fell as did any hope they had in their hearts.

"She can't leave us," Elijah's voice was faint that no one heard him except Severin. "She can't go. I need her. I don't have anyone else to call my own, Severin."

She didn't just leave them, she left the whole world behind. All the people that worshipped her and prayed for her to rescue them, she left all of them.

Tears burned in his eyes and his throat choked the breath out of Severin. His back hit the wall and he sank onto the floor along with Elijah. Both of them lost everything and nothing could bring her back.

The hospital got a lot more crowded as more packs showed and the entire Centauri pack arrived now too. No one said anything though, even nurses and other doctors came to the floor where they knew Zero was fighting for her life.

"What's going to happen now?" someone asked.

"We're on our own," another whispered.

"Be quiet, both of you," the older nurse shushed them.

We are on our own, thought Severin. There was no guardian watching over them.

Hours later, it seemed that the time was up. The heart rate machine failed to pick up the life in Zero and beeped loud enough for the entire hospital to hear. Dr. Stone and her friends tried everything to get some sign of life, but nothing worked.

"She's gone," Dr. Kim held Dr. Stone back. "She's gone."

"No!" Dr. Stone snapped. "She's not dead. I just need to-" her eyes diminished as did her strength. She dropped onto the floor when she realized that it was the end.

"She's dead," cried Dr. Stone, she held her face in her hands as she felt her entire body go numb.

Everyone had started to cry, but Severin just didn't know how to do that when he couldn't feel his heart anymore. There was nothing inside him, it was empty.

"Can I see her?" Severin asked the doctors.

They didn't have time to answer because he was already on his feet walking inside the room. His body went cold as ice and in the dimly-lit room, he saw Zero's body laid out flat on a table. A white cloth clean and fresh was draped over her.

"This is what you were trying to tell me," he said to her, his hand went to his neck where there was no mark of their mating. "You didn't spare me, Zero. I still feel as empty and as dead even without your mark."

They failed her, he thought. This entire world failed her, even Maya.

The sun had risen and the new day had arrived, but there was no celebration or relief that the nightmare had ended, in fact it had just begun.

Emptiness.

A void that seemed to suck the life out of the air bringing time to a halt and the people to its knees.

Zero had died. The news had spread. Who was going to save them now? That was the headline on every tabloid and news channel.

Her funeral stretched on for days. Although, there was no burial for her, nowhere for people to go to her for solace. Zero's ashes were dancing in the air as Severin didn't hold onto her any longer. The last thing Zero would have wanted was to be caged in a bottle or casket. Severin set her free from this world, that showed her nothing but pain and loss.

Severin returned to her house, his clothes dishevelled and he couldn't lift a finger by the end of this all. But he stayed strong for Zero, she would want him to be strong... right?

Severin didn't even think about the loss as he was busy dealing with the funeral, the estate and inheritance she left behind. However, that was difficult since Severin wasn't legally Zero's husband or family. He didn't have any right to speak on her behalf, and it was too late to make it so. Thankfully, Vincent took over and handled it for Severin because he didn't want Zero's house being auctioned off. Severin decided it was best to buy it himself but he kept it under her name.

Severin climbed the stairs of the house that would radiate warmth, not because all the lights were on, but the master of this place had shined her radiance so bright that everyone felt welcomed. Not anymore though. This was an empty vessel without it's master.

Severin knocked on the door. "Elijah," he called out.

"Severin," Tom appeared from the other bedroom. "Dad is here."

Severin tried to show some realization on his face, but nothing came. He just knocked on the door again. "Elijah," he called out strictly.

A pit sank in his gut, he knew that Elijah didn't leave the room since Zero died. Severin grabbed the knob and pushed but it was locked.

Severin throat tightened and he turned cold to the bone. "Elijah!" he yelled.

Tom was fast to see the problem. He didn't waste a second before he kicked down the door with his brother. Both of them toppled into the room and Severin fell in a puddle of something warm, but the rustic odour wasn't pleasant. Severin was soaked crimson once again, but this time it was his from best friend's blood. Elijah sat against the wall with deep gashes at his tough wrists bleeding out rapidly.

"Oh my god," exclaimed Tom. "Elijah!" He felt his neck, relief washed over his face. "He's still has a pulse."

Severin grabbed Elijah's face, the faint life lingered in that kind gaze. "You can't leave me," he cried out. "Not you too." Severin hugged Elijah and didn't let him go until the ambulance arrived and took him.

"Severin, Tom," their father's voice echoed with alarm from seeing all the blood and chaos.

Tom pulled their father away and explained what happened. Severin didn't move from the floor, he couldn't feel anything in his legs anymore. His body gave up, his heart gave up, he was giving up.

"Severin," his dad appeared in front of him, his resilient eyes dismayed too.

"She's gone," Severin couldn't stop his voice from trembling. "They're both gone."

His father enclosed his arms around Severin and he didn't know how to hold back the torrent of angst. The slow ascend of a few tears broke out to gut-wrenching sobbing. Severin held onto his father who also felt the same pain as him when they lost their mom.

"I can't do this anymore," cried Severin.

"Shhh, son, I know, I know how you feel," said his father. "But you can't do this to her memory. You can't give up on her like that."

"What am I supposed to do?" he said as he clutched onto his dad, remembering the scent of his mom.

"You honour her memory by taking care of yourself," said his dad. "She fought so hard for everyone to live safe, free lives. Don't throw it away."

Severin went quiet, like the whole world went quiet from the day Zero died.

"Elijah," he said faintly.

"Tom went with him," said his father.

"I need to go to him," said Severin. "He needs me."

"Let's clean you up first," his dad said calmly. "And then, we'll both go."

Severin didn't remember much after that. He somehow managed to change out of his clothes, bath and look refreshed but definitely didn't feel it at all.

He spent the whole day at the hospital with Elijah. Dr. Stone said that they got lucky that we found him when we had, otherwise it would've been too late. Luckily, Tom had the same blood type, so they were fast to level all the blood loss.

Severin told his father to go rest up at the house, which was so weird how fast that place became home to them. But now, he realized that Zero was home, the building is just a house now. Tom drove their dad back and they rested for night, that seemed like the longest of them all.

The hospital was quiet at night and Severin closed the door behind him before he walked over to Elijah. He sat on the chair at his bedside and saw how dark it was around them.

"Elijah," he whispered. "What are we going to do now that she's gone?"

Elijah didn't say anything, although his eyes were open maybe reliving the memories, like Severin was every day and hour.

"Should I return to London with my brother and dad?" he prompted. "Would you like to come with me?" Elijah still stayed quiet. "Leaving her house doesn't feel right, does it." Severin rested back in the arm chair. "Maybe, dad and Tom can stay with us for a while. We shouldn't be alone right now."

Severin eyed the bandaged wrists. He reached over and locked hands with Elijah, like Zero would do, when suddenly, Elijah responded. His fingers tightened around Severin's hand as his eyes closed. Both of them fell asleep with their eyes wet from tears again.

Elijah was still in hospital recovering from the wounds and Dr. Stone didn't want him home until he was stable.

Every day, Severin would sit at Elijah's bedside and talk about random stuff that the other packs were doing or work. Tom chattered a lot about his books with Elijah, and he stayed back after their dad returned home to London, even though Severin said it was alright now for him to go home. But Elijah was comfortable with Tom, so Severin was happy that both of them were getting along. Tom was proving to be a warmth to Elijah and a way to help him heal.

Tom and Severin only went home to freshen up. But they slept here in the hospital with Elijah and did their work here too.

Slowly, Elijah began to speak again. It was small responses, no smile yet though, no tears either. Plain and blank was his face. He was too tired, weakened but the blood loss to speak or walk yet. And his wolf wasn't helping him heal faster.

Time passed and passed. No one saw where a month went in hospital visits, pack visits and other things. Severin barely understood what was happening, it didn't feel real at all.

How long would this carry on? he wondered. When would it all start to feel real? Severin couldn't fathom that this was his life anymore.

Zero wasn't here with him, but he felt her presence at every moment he took a breath or closed his eyes. She was in the air around him, the moonlight at night reminded him of her fragrance. The warmth of the sun in the morning was her touch and her smile haunted him every time he looked at his reflection.

"Come back to me," Severin whispered that at the end of every night. "I need you, Zero. We need you."

The whole world needs you.