Sophie collapsed to her knees the moment she saw him. The nurses and doctors had already given up, removing tubs and I.V's calmly and quietly. Delilah was already in tears before Sophie had arrived but she cried even more when she saw the pale look on Sophie's face. Cortez knelt beside his mate and pulled her into him, absorbing all the violent sobs that escaped her.

A doctor tried to talk to her but she couldn't keep her sobs back long enough. He told her the time of death and she denied it over and over again, pushing Cortez away from her and trying to escape. She only marched a couple feet down the hallway before she nearly collapsed again. Cortez was right there, catching her in his arms and holding her against him. She gripped his shirt in her fists and cried into his chest.

Sophie spoke to her grandfathers dead body for awhile, apologizing over and over again. She confessed to him that she loved Cortez. She confessed to him that she was no longer human. She apologized for ever lying to him, even when she was little. She apologized for murdering him and not being there to say goodbye to him before he died. She apologized for not letting him escape to the assisted living place like he wanted too.

Cortez listened to it all, his head in his hands and his heart in his stomach. It was all painful to hear but more painful to say.

She didn't sleep that night, huddled up in the tiny chair beside Henry's empty hospital bed.

The doctors approached Sophie again to talk about cremating or burying. She told them she wanted to burying him beside her grandmother, which brought on a whole new round of tears. Cortez was quick to inform his mother, knowing she knew the way about making that happen. Cortez reluctantly asked Sophie if there was any family that she needed to invite to the funeral.

There were a couple long distance cousins, aunts and uncles, she had to talk to. She'd definitely have to call Mabel and a couple other family friends and neighbors. That's how Sophie spent that entire next day. She called whoever she could think of, did some reminiscing and mourning, and invited them to the funeral. It was a painful experience all the way through.

When Sophie was no longer allowed in Henry's hospital empty room, Cortez brought her home again. She didn't sleep. She simply his in the bathroom and cried. The shower was on to muffle her cries but he could still hear her. Cortez eventually had no choice but to do some more work, leaving Delilah to watch over Sophie. Delilah tried to communicate with her through the door but she got nothing.

But when Delilah brought her food, Sophie finally came out and ate. Afterwards, though, she sat at the edge of the bed and stared at the floor in silence. Occasionally, tears would roll down her face but she didn't cry anymore. Sophie got up to use the bathroom, which saddened Delilah since she assumed she was going to hide away again.

Sophie did return again. But stared at the floor. She was completely trapped in her thoughts. She was broken. Lifeless. A hollow shell of her former self. All Sophie could think about was how many different ways she had wronged her grandfather. And she couldn't even make it up to him or apologize. This as it. This was her life now. Her life without a family.

Cortez dismissed Delilah when he was done working. Before she left, she informed him that Sophie hadn't said a word and barely blinked for hours straight. Cortez sat on the floor, right where Sophie was staring. Her eyes dialed into his but neither of them said anything. The minutes rolled over each other, one after the other, until Cortez caught sight of a gold glint in Sophie's eyes.

"Sophie..?" Cortez's eyebrows furrowed. "Talk to me Sophie."

Sophie shook her head, the movement so weak that he barely noticed. The slightest motion caused a strand of hair to fall in front of her face. Cortez reached up to move the strand away but Sophie leant away from his touch. Cortez froze, feeling the hurt panic set in.

She wasn't blaming him, was she? Just because they were busy when Cortez got the call from Jeremiah? Did she think it was his fault that she didn't get to say goodbye to her grandfather? Maybe she was blaming herself for giving herself to him. That wasn't fair to her. It was bad timing, yes, but it wasn't like either of them would've known that.

"Sophie.. Please tell me you're not blaming me or yourself for this." Cortez whispered.

Sophie didn't say anything. She didn't move. This was worse for Cortez than seeing her stab her thumb with her claw. He was afraid of losing her then and now he worried that he had, in fact, lost her. She hadn't ever been this pale, this lifeless, this gloomy. He had never seen her like this. He wanted to fix it. He wanted to fix everything.

"Sophie, if you talk to me.." Cortez reached for her again, his fingers grazing her knee before she turned away from him once more.

Don't touch me. Sophie growled.

Cortez dropped his hand into his lap and took a deep breath as he brainstormed. He couldn't figure out what to do to get something out of her. But yet again, he thought he maybe shouldn't try. Her grandfather had just died. It was understandable if she just wanted to check out from reality for awhile. As long as she came back, he wouldn't force her to function when she didn't want.

"Will you, at least, get some sleep for me." Cortez whispered as he stared into Sophie's sad, green eyes that were no longer on him. It took a moment but Sophie finally nodded. "Thank you, baby. I love you."

Again, he got nothing. So he left.

~

The day of the funeral. Sophie had to talk more than she wanted to. She spoke to distant family, who continuously asked if she needed a place to stay and what she was going to do. She reassured them that she was fine and taken care of. Cortez mostly stayed in the shadows, watching Sophie from afar as she chatted and cried with her family members. He didn't know if it was alright for him to be comforting her in front of her family.

Nobody knew him, or their relationship, and their age difference was too noticeable for comfort. As much as Cortez wanted to hold Sophie in his arms and comfort her, he let her family do so. During the ceremony, he did sit beside her. He held her hand and rubbed his thumb over her knuckles. When she started crying, blowing snot, and wiping tears, his hand fell to her knee. He wanted her to know that he was there the entire time and soft, gentle touches seemed the easiest.

Sophie spoke at the podium during the ceremony. She tried to hold it together the best she could and she was doing pretty well for a couple minutes. But as her eyes landed on Cortez, her eyes pooled with tears and he could feel her unblock their mind link, which she had blocked since the moment he died.

Cortez held Sophie's stare and gently reassuring her that she was alright and should continue. He couldn't help but anxiously rub his hands together as he nodded at her. Sophie's lip quivered and she shook her head before falling to her knees in sobs. Cortez jumped up to run to her but her second aunt was already beside her and gathering Sophie in her arms.

Cortez fell back into his seat and buried his head in his hands with frustration. He hated everything about this. He never wanted to ever see Sophie this destroyed and trying not to be too attached to her in the presence of humans was beyond frustrating. It was exhausting to fight the urge to comfort his mate in any means necessary. Selfishly, Cortez couldn't wait to bring her home and forever protect her from the world in their pack house.

That's all he wanted.

The sun was beginning to set as everyone made their way to the cemetery. Cortez stayed close this time, carefully watching his mate as they walked through all the tombstones. They all gathered around an open grave that was beside her grandmothers and even her parents. Everyone's eyes seemed to be on their feet or staring at whoever wanted to say some last words. Cortez took the opportunity to let his hand sit the small of Sophie's back.

He just needed to touch her. Cortez couldn't say anything aloud around all these people so the least he could do was give her a simple reassuring touch. Something that said I'm here, Sophie. I'll always be right here. You never have to worry because I will always be beside you. He would mind link her to say all those things but she was actively blocking him out again. Sophie didn't want him in her thoughts, only her grandfather.

Cortez suddenly caught the sound of footsteps rattling through the ground. He turned back, looking over the small crowd surrounding him. At the edge of the woods, a much larger crowd of people that were all dressed in black sorrowfully started towards the burial. Cortez could see his parents and Miguel at the front of the pack, his mother already in tears. It was a bittersweet sight to see his pack approaching to support Sophie during this time.

Gorgeous.. Cortez attempted to get in.

Sophie shook her head. The pack filled in behind Cortez and regretfully hung their heads.

Sophie, look behind you, please.

She was reluctant. Sophie wasn't in the mood to listen to Cortez talk and do anything other than mourn her grandfather. But still, she glanced over her shoulder. Her eyes slightly widened at the crowd behind her. There were so many of them, all dressed in black with frowns on their faces. Sophie's eyes landed on the woman in the front that had tears already painting her cheeks. She could tell it was Cortez's mother.

Cupping her hand over her quivering lips, Sophie leaned into Cortez and silently began to cry again. He shamelessly caught her and hugged her to his chest. She was overwhelmed. And not in a bad way. She didn't expect the entire pack to come to her grandfathers funeral. But they did, all of them. They were there just for her and the feeling of love and belonging overwhelmed her more than she could ever imagine.

After her grandfather was buried and everyone said their goodbye's, the sun had went down. The sky was a dark grey, not yet fully dark yet, but enough for people to start pulling out their flashlights to walk back to their car. Cortez didn't bother to let Sophie go anymore. She had went to him for comfort and he wasn't going to let go until she was all better.

The pack stayed back, allowing Sophie to say goodbye to her distance family members. Maria was nearly cracking at the seams with impatience as she clenched a tissue in her hand. As Sophie said goodbye to the last of them, Cortez led her back through the tombstones to get to her grandfather and the pack waiting nearby. Sophie nervously gulped as her eyes looked over the large crowd of people staring at her.

"Oh, sweetheart, I really must hug you!" Maria bursted and jumped forward, enveloping Sophie's small body in her arms.

Sophie wrapped her arms around the warm woman and inhaled her scent. She smelt like the fall season. Rainy, woodsy, with a little dash of cinnamon and apple.

"Thank you for taking care of everything." Sophie weakly whispered, the woman's arms still attached to her. "I would be so lost if you hadn't."

"Of course, Sugar." Maria pulled away and cupped Sophie's small face in her hands. Sophie noticed just how long and skinny her fingers were as they completely lined the outside of her face. "We will always take care of you, Sophie. Help is never far away. I promise you."

Sophie flashed a sad smile, her eyes glistening with whatever tears her body could muster. "It seems I've lost my family. I hope it's not a burden that you accept me into yours."

"Of course, Sophie."

Maria pulled Sophie into another bone crushing hug and tears rolled down her face. She was crying more than Sophie at this point. Sophie blinked away some tears and swallowed down the lump in her throat. She wanted to stop crying. It was beginning to hurt her eyes and her chest. Her body was weak from all the sobbing, her fingers endlessly trembling.

"Do you mind if I.." Maria asked as she pulled away, wiping tears from her ears. "Go meet your grandfather?"

Sophie shook her head and stepped to the side for Maria to continue towards his grave. Antonio also walked by, putting a hand on her shoulder with a sad, sympathetic frown. He was going to leave it at that. He wasn't a very sentimental man. But as he looked at Sophie, he saw his young daughter in law with a puffy face from crying and trembling hands. It pained his heart greatly to see her like this so he hugged her.

Miguel and Cortez both exchanged shock looks as their father pulled Sophie into a hug. They hadn't been hugged by their father since they were little. Very, very little. But it warmed Cortez's heart to see his father comforting his mate. He wanted them to like her and he wanted them to comfort and take care of her even more so. He was glad they both were doing just that.

Antonio joined his wife at Henry's grave and Sophie turned back to Miguel. She smiled at him, the expression weak but genuine. Miguel reflected the smile and opened his arms, not bothering to move any closer. Sophie stepped into his arms and laid her head against his chest. Miguel hugged his little sister, rubbing her back and resting his head atop of hers. She was so small in his arms, which was kind of shocking. He was smaller than Cortez, after all.

Sophie greeted the others and thanked each and every one. Some handed her flowers, all of which were handpicked. She didn't mind talking to everyone and seeing them cry and give her their condolences, despite the fact that she had been doing that for hours at this point. Sophie still found all of this nice. She knew the pack even less than her distant family but felt surprisingly more comfortable with them. This felt like family.

"You must be hungry and exhausted, Sophie." Cortez whispered as he wrapped his arms around Sophie's shoulders and gently pulled her into him.

Sophie laid her hands on the lapels of his suit jacket, not holding nor pushing him away. Her eyes were still glued to the pack as they stood around her grandfathers grave. "Chief would be so confused as to why all these people are here."

"I bet he would be happy to know they're all here for you and that they'll be taking care of you. I planned on telling him myself, honestly." Cortez admitted with a regretful sigh.

Sophie pulled away, her eyebrows neatly knitted together. "You were going to tell him about the pack?"

"No. I just wanted to let him know that I planned on taking you in. You said he didn't approve of us because he didn't believe I loved you. I wanted him to know I'm not just playing with a high schooler, it's so much more than that."

Sophie nodded, her eyes drifting away from Cortez. She slowly pulled her hands from the lapels of his suit jacket and folded them over her chest. That horrible feeling of guilt was setting in her gut again. Henry didn't want her to be with Cortez. Even if he understood how much they meant to each other, he probably still wouldn't allow it.

Sophie understood why. That was the worst part. She couldn't even be mad at her grandfather for wanting to keep them apart. Sophie had come from a human background so all of this was still very strange. As much as she loved Cortez, she'd never deny how weird this whole werewolf stuff was. She wasn't accustomed to it. Maybe if she was, the age gap wouldn't taunt her as much as it did.

"What?" Cortez spoke softly as he tucked his hands in the pockets of his suit pants. He tilted his head slightly as he watched Sophie drift into thought. "What are you thinking about, Sophie?"

Sophie only slightly lifted her head, looking at Cortez through her eyelashes. She would be spending the rest of her life with Cortez, she already knew that. There was something inside her keeping her from ever even considering the possibility of living without him. But the guilt. When would she get over the guilt? Would it hung over her head forever? She never got to explain anything to her grandfather, all she did was lie to him. It hurt.

"I'm going to be disappointing him for the rest of my life..." Sophie whispered. Her eyes landed on the crowd of wolves stood around her grandfathers grave. "He doesn't want this for me."

Cortez sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He didn't know what to say to that. At this point, she didn't have much of a choice. Henry was gone and she needed a home. Cortez was convinced he was the only good place for her. Even if he did sit down with Henry and have this conversation with him and he refused Cortez, there wasn't anything any of them could do.

Sophie growing up so she got to decide her future for herself. It wasn't Henry's call. But yet again, it was hardly Sophie's call. She had no home and was tied to Cortez by an uncuttable string. She couldn't go far even if she wanted to. And it's not like Cortez could let her. So all of their wants and opinions all landed in the middle. Sophie stayed with Cortez. She stayed with the pack.

"You want to stay longer?" Cortez finally asked through the silence. "Or can I take you home now?"

"Let me say one last goodbye." Sophie said.

Cortez nodded and followed Sophie to Henry's grave. The pack parted so their Luna could stand in front of her grandfathers grave. They all watched, Cortez standing close behind her. She slightly knelt to place a couple flowers that the pack had given her in the little cup in front of his tombstone. Sophie found herself smiling. She'd miss him, no doubt. But she was comforted to know he would always be right here with the rest of her family while she continued forward to build her own.

After Sophie said her last goodbyes, she turned to Cortez, who slipped his hand into hers. He gestured for everyone to go ahead of them, watching his pack members flood around him and Sophie until they were at the back of the pack. Sophie was curious as to why he wanted to be at the back. He was an Alpha, didn't they stand at the front? Wasn't he suppose to lead the way and guide his pack members?

"Alpha's don't walk in the front?" Sophie curiously asked as she followed the pack through the woods.

"No." Cortez answered, looking down at his mate. "Alpha's should stand in the back of the crowd so they can look out for their pack. I can see everyone from here and spot danger from all different angles. If I am in the front, I can not keep track of everyone. I am in control behind my pack more than I am in front."

Sophie nodded, trying her best to absorb that information. She was a Luna, she should know these things. Cortez could tell she was thinking that exact thing as her eyes bounced all over the pack of wolves. He smiled to himself, feeling a bit of pride build in him. He was happy to know that she was eager to do this pack proud and take care of them. There is no way Henry could be disappointed in his granddaughter taking on such a heavy task.

"I say this with the utmost confidence, Sophie." Cortez said as he gently squeezed her hand. Sophie looked up at Cortez, instantly being swallowed in his pitch black eyes. "Henry is proud of you. If he knew what you were, who you truly were, there is no way he wouldn't be."