Sacrificed To The Triplet Alpha Kings

Sebastian blinked.

”Don’t wait,” Nicholas said again. ”She chose. You said it was free. Then stop making her wait, Just be careful with her. She is carrying more than she knows.”

Sebastian nodded.

Once and slowly ”I will,” he said.

Nicholas looked at Lucian.

Lucian was already looking at him.

”Zev?” Nicholas asked silently.

Lucian exhaled slowly. ”Zev says she already knows. That she felt us this morning when she came back. That the bond is already there and we are the ones making her wait for something she has already decided.” He paused. ”He says we keep treating her like she might break.”

”She won’t break,” Sebastian said quietly.

”No,” Lucian said. ”She won’t.”

The three of them stood there.

In the noon light with everything sitting between them....the curse and the thought of Victoria approaching the Blackwood territory.

She is theirs.

Everything else was just time they could not afford to waste.

Nicholas looked at both brothers.

”Six weeks,” he said.

”Six weeks,” Sebastian said.

Lucian nodded once, then said... ”Zev wants to know if six weeks means we start now or we keep sitting in this office.”

Sebastian made a sound that was almost a laugh.

Nicholas turned back to the window.

”Get out of my office,” he said.

He heard both of them walking out of the office, then Lucian stopped at the door.

”She is going to be okay,” he said quietly. ”When we tell her everything. She is going to be furious and she is going to feel betrayed and then she is going to be okay, because she is stronger than all three of us.”

He walked out of the room and the door clicked shut behind him..

Nicholas stood at the window alone.

Felt the warmth that had started blooming since that morning.

He pressed his hand to the glass.

”We will tell her, he said to Kael. When she is protected. When Victoria cannot use it against her. We will tell her everything.”

Kael was quiet for a moment.

”Then Do not make her wait too long. She has been waiting her whole life for things to make sense. Do not be another thing she has to wait for.” Kael said back to him.

Nicholas looked at the forest.

At the dark line of trees at the edge of the territory.

Somewhere out there Victoria is moving toward his pack to demand that he hands over his mate to her.

Six weeks.

He had six weeks to make sure it doesn’t turn out that way.

***

Lilith POV

She heard the car slowed down at the gates.

She checked her phone. 3:47pm. Four minutes early.

That was Wren. Always four minutes early. Some things did not change in ten years.

She was already at the top of the front steps when the gates opened and the small grey car came through.

”Wren.”

The car stopped and there was a long pause before the door was finally pushed opened.

Longer than it should have been.

Lilith watched Wren get out of the car slowly. Watched her straighten up and look at the estate, really look at it and went completely still.

She was not looking at it the way she had described it on the phone after the café.

She was looking at it the way someone looked at something that confirmed their worst fears.

Lilith could see the fear in her eyes as she stared at the Blackwood pack house structure.

Lilith knew that face.

She had worn it herself the first night she was brought here.

”Wren,” she called.

Wren’s eyes found her immediately and she crossed the drive way quickly with her bag over her shoulder.

They met halfway and Lilith pulled her into a tight hug.

When Wren pulled back her eyes went straight to Lilith’s throat.

To the mark.

She looked at it for exactly two seconds.

Then she looked at Lilith’s face.

”Are you okay?” she asked immediately.

”I am okay,” Lilith said.

Wren nodded, then she looked back at the estate over Lilith’s shoulder.

At the towers. The dark stone. The windows that reflected nothing. The sheer scale of a place built by people who had never needed to consider whether they were safe.

”Are they inside?,” Wren asked very carefully.

”Not all of them. Nicholas is in his office. Sebastian is at training. Lucian is....” Lilith paused. ”Somewhere.”

Wren looked back at her.

”Lilith,” she said quietly. ”Those men have a reputation.”

”I know.”

”Not a good one.” Wren said again, as if trying to refresh Lilith’s memory.

”I know.” She replied.

”There was a Beta three territories over.” Wren’s voice was low. ”Two years ago. He challenged the Blackwood borders. They found him three days later. What was left of him.” Her eyes were steady and direct. ”Those are the men you are living with.”

Lilith held her gaze.

”I know what they are,” she said. ”I also know that I am standing here in front of you completely fine. And that my mother’s bills are paid and she is getting the best treatment available and nobody has touched me without my permission.” She paused, taking a deep breath ”I know about their reputation. I know the stories. And I am telling you.....I am safe here.”

Wren looked at her for a long moment.

Then she nodded.

”Okay,” she said. ”I believe you.” She looked back at the estate one more time. ”But I want it on record that I drove four hours through absolutely terrible traffic on the B road because I was afraid my best friend had been eaten by werewolves.”

Lilith almost smiled.

”Nobody has been eaten,” she said.

”Yet,” Wren said.

”Nobody has been eaten yet,” Lilith agreed.

The almost-smile became a real one, and Wren’s eyes softened slightly.

Then she said ”Mike has been calling me.”

The smile on Lilith’s face died.

”What,” she said.

”Three times in the last two weeks.” Wren’s voice was careful. Watching her face. ”He says he is worried about you, he said he just got back to Shadowmare two weeks ago because he had been away for official purpose since your dad died, and when he got back, he found out that you’ve been sent to the Blackwood brothers and he wants to know if you are all right.”