Benson's POV

　　"Beta, it's with a heavy heart that I am sorry for the loss of your mate. We did everything that we could, but we weren't able to save her" The words I never imagined I would hear someone say to me.

　　Those present in the room were either cleaning up or talking to me, yet I couldn't hear a sound. My entire body felt numb I tried to stand but found myself rooted to the ground. Jake sat beside me a look of sorrow on his face, Angel sitting beside Alice crying. How did this happen? What was meant to be the best day of my life turned out to be the worst.

　　I closed my eyes for a second opening them to find the room dark and empty. All except for Alice who now laid covered on the gurney. I wanted to stand up and cuddle her, to breathe in her scent. I wanted more than anything for her to open those big green eyes and tell me this was all some kind of joke, but she didn't. Rocky was whimpering in my mind he suffered as I did also feeling the same gut-wrenching pain, the pain one only felt when their mate had died. I closed my eyes again only this time when I opened them, I was in a bedroom. It wasn't the room I shared with Alice which hurt me more. Turning on the lamp to the edge of the bed I noticed both Jake and Sid asleep in the armchairs. Had they been with me the entire time and I just didn't realise. Looking around I couldn't see a cot, meaning my pup wasn't here. I felt guilty at the thought of not wanting her near me. It wasn't her fault yet if she hadn't been born, Alice might still be here.

　　"Don't think like that, she needs us to step up. Our mate would hate us if she knew we wasn't with her" Rocky wanted to be near our pup, he wanted to have what was left of Alice. He wanted to protect the only person in this now ugly and lonely world he cared for, I however couldn't bring myself to look at her.

　　"Rocky I need time" I couldn't say anything else, so I blocked him out.

　　With a struggle I stood from the bed, my legs shaking as they debated whether or not to hold me up. Using what strength I could muster I walked to the door twisting the door knob and pushing it open to see I was on the alpha floor. Gently closing the door, I made my way to the beta level, to mine and Alice's room. As grateful as I was that my two best friends wanted to be with me, they weren't what I needed nor wanted. Entering my room, I couldn't help the small smile that formed on my face, my room was a mess. All the clothes that had pissed Alice off just days ago laid scattered over the bed and the floor. Hearing footsteps in the corridor outside a small piece of me hoped it was her about to walk in. The door slowly opened, and Angel walked in, she jumped backwards clutching her chest when she realized I was here. She must have thought I was still upstairs.

　　"Oh my god Benson, you frit me. How long have you been down here" she asked me as she closed the door before taking a seat next to me as I sat on my bed.

　　"About five minutes, it felt wrong not being in here. I just need to be around her scent. Why did this happen Angel, why did the goddess take my Alice?" before I knew it Angel was pulling me into a hug as I broke down in front of her.

　　"Oh honey, I wish I had an answer for you I really do. Alice was the best person I had ever known; I feel blessed that she was my friend and I know she loved you. I promise you we will find out what happened" she replied whilst rubbing my back.

　　"She wasn't sick, she didn't deserve to die. She deserved to know her daughter, to raise her. Aaand and now she never will. Please Angel, please contact the moon goddess. Tell her to bring my mate back and take me instead. She was a good person, much better than me" I struggled to form the words, my grief and heartbreak over running me. I knew I was blubbering in the arms of my Luna but right now I didn't care.

　　**knock knock**

　　Jake and Sid entered the room and after taking one look at my current state they each joined in on the hug. A few minutes went past in which we all sat hugging in silence, the only sound was that of my heavy breathing as I tried desperately to calm myself. I didn't deserve to have such good friends, but it was in moments such as this that I was grateful I had them.

　　"Angel where is the pup" I heard Jake whisper.

　　"She's in our room. She was unsettled so one of the omegas suggested wrapping her in one of Alice's tops, her scent should help calm her"

　　"Angel thank you for taking her" I tell her not able to see her clearly as my eyes were blurry from the tears that currently occupied them.

　　"Don't worry about her, she is healthy and safe. When you're ready let me know and I will have her with you ok. Right, I'm going to leave you guys to it but please Benson, try and get some rest and do not hesitate to let me know if you need anything" I just nodded to her in response.

　　Angels POV

　　I couldn't even begin to imagine how Benson must have been feeling. His mate, his best friend and the mother of his child now gone. Where there was once her bright smile and her dorky laugh that used to ring out through the hallways had now been replaced with complete silence. Even the atmosphere felt cold now that a warm kind soul had been taken from us.

　　The doctors had asked Benson if he wanted to take some time to sit with Alice and say his goodbyes, but he just sat there frozen in place on the surgery floor. I honestly don't think he heard anyone at that moment. Just before it all happened Jake had been busy grilling Sid in the corridor outside about why he wasn't still laying low as instructed yet all he could do was smile and say that if Benson's pup was being born, he wouldn't miss it for the world. Out of nowhere a small sharp pain tore through me and Jake taking our breathes away, shortly followed by a scream from Benson. In that moment we knew what had happened. Being the Alpha and Luna to a pack we would feel it every time a pack member died, though what we felt was only a smidge of how the deceased's mate would feel.

　　As Jake and Sid tried to comfort their shocked and heartbroken friend that say like a statue on the floor I spoke with the doctor. I knew they had done what they could to help Alice as Jake had given them a small Alpha command before they begun. Dr. Jones informed me that the only way to know for sure what had killed Alice would be to do a postpartum examination. I knew this should have been Bensons call to make but using my gift that allowed me to sense how another wolf was feeling, I knew there and then that he not only wanted answers, but he needed them. I told Dr. Jones to do what she needed and that I wanted the answer by first light in the morning.

　　"We need to take care of their pup; he isn't in the right frame of mind to take her. But everyone will need to encourage him to bond with her. I fear if he doesn't that, he will grow to resent her for the death of Alice" Star whined for the loss of our friend, yet she was right. We couldn't leave their pup in the hospital overnight. Alice would have wanted her taken home to where she belonged.

　　Benson had finally let sleep claim him as he became exhausted from the tears he had shed. Jake and Sid both carried him outside putting him into the back of one of the motors that Jake had an omega bring from the pack house. Wrapping their pup into a thick pink blanket to keep her warm I climbed into the passenger seat in the front as Jake took the wheel. As the pup began to stir and opened her eyes, I realized I hadn't actually looked at her properly with all that had gone on. She had jet black hair like Benson, though instead of what little hair she had being straight, there were a few ringlets that sat on her tiny head. Her eyes though held the same mesmerizing shade of emerald green that her mother had.

　　As we arrived at the pack house Jake and Sid took Benson up to the guest room on our floor, we thought that way he could rest and still be close to his daughter. The poor girl wouldn't settle, I had been rocking her for at least an hour. I mind-linked one of the omegas to warm up some formula that the hospital had given us to bring home in the hope that it would work. The omega then suggested wrapping her in one of her mother's tops, that their scent is most likely what they needed to settle. I don't know why I had never though of it, the pup needed the closeness of her mum. Something that now seemed obvious.

　　After going down to Alice's room I had expected it to be empty, yet I was given a shock when I opened the door to find Benson sitting on the bed. We had sat and talked, it was heartbreaking to see Benson in so much pain and nothing I could do about it. It wasn't long before the guys showed up, they obviously knew they would find Benson in here. None of us wanted him to feel like he was on his own, we were all here for him though it was only a small comfort to him. Grabbing one of Alice's tops I left them to it and went back upstairs. I wrapped the pup in the top watching as she inhaled her mums scent falling into a deep sleep. I thanked the omega and dismissed her before putting the pup into the cot we had bought up for her.

　　"She looks so peaceful, I only hope her dad bonds with her soon" Star was worried, it was rare for a wolf to abandon they're young, but it did happen.

　　"We will help him, but I fear it won't be soon. He is hurting, I can feel what he is going through. He doesn't want to live without Alice. I've told Jake and he has promised not to let him out of his sight" With that Star retreated also grieving.

　　I sat beside the cot and before I knew it, I too was a blubbering mess. Alice had been my one and only true friend here at the Moonlight Pack. I was truly going to miss her presence though a part of me knew she would always be with us. All I could hope was that the doctor in the morning tells me her death was natural. If by chance someone did this to her I swore to her pup that I would make that person suffer in ways that would show Jake to be a softy.