Sacrificed To The Triplet Alpha Kings

The world was ending.

That was Lilith’s first coherent thought as her body started to tear itself apart from the inside out.

And then something inside her chest had snapped.

Not broke. Snapped like a tightly wound spring releasing all at once.

The curse.

It had been growing throughout the entire battle. Had been feeding on her power as she used magic she did not know she possessed. Had been spreading through her body like poison while she fought demons and protected the people she loved.

And now it was done waiting.

It wanted her dead. And it was going to take her.

Lilith felt her knees buckle completely. Felt her body convulse. Felt something hot and wet flood her mouth and realized with distant horror that it was blood.

She was bleeding.

From her mouth. From her eyes. From her ears.

Blood was seeping through her skin like she was sweating it, staining her clothes crimson, dripping onto the ground beneath her.

No, she thought desperately. Not yet. I’m not ready yet.

But her body didn’t care if she was ready.

It seized again, a violent full-body convulsion that sent her pitching forward.

She was going to hit the ground. Was going to crack her head open on the blood-soaked earth.

And then hands caught her.

Strong hands that radiated warmth and power and something that felt like moonlight made solid.

Lilith’s vision was going dark but she could see the woman holding her, silver armor, glowing eyes, the Moon Temple Guardian who had saved her from the demon lord.

”I’ve got you,” the woman said, and her voice was steady despite the horror of what she was holding.

But then Lilith convulsed again and the woman’s grip shifted, trying to keep her from hurting herself as her body thrashed.

***

Sebastian’s POV

Sebastian was running before he even processed what he was seeing.

Lilith. Convulsing. Bleeding from everywhere. Being held by a stranger while her body tore itself apart.

”No no no no...”

Rhen was screaming in his chest, demanding he get to their mate, demanding he protect her, demanding he fix this.

Sebastian skidded to his knees beside the Guardian holding Lilith and reached for her without thinking.

”Give her to me,” he said, his voice coming out rough and desperate.

The Guardian looked at him with eyes that saw too much. ”She’s seizing. If I let go...”

”I don’t care,” Sebastian interrupted. ”She’s MINE. Give her to me.”

The Guardian hesitated for only a second before carefully transferring Lilith into Sebastian’s arms.

The moment Sebastian had her, the moment he felt her weight against his chest, the bonds between them flared so bright it was almost painful. He could feel her through the connection, feel her terror and agony and the curse eating her alive from the inside out.

”Lilith,” Sebastian said, pulling her tighter against him even as she convulsed. ”Lilith, stay with me. Please. Stay with me.”

But she didn’t respond. Couldn’t respond. Her eyes had rolled back in her head and blood was streaming from her nose and ears and seeping through her skin in ways that shouldn’t be possible.

Sebastian looked up desperately and found Nicholas standing three feet away, frozen in absolute horror. Lucian was beside him, his face pale and his hands clenched into fists so tight his knuckles were white.

”DO SOMETHING!” Sebastian screamed at them.

***

Nicholas’s POV

Nicholas could not move.

He stood frozen on the battlefield watching his mate die in his brother’s arms and his body simply wouldn’t respond to the screaming in his head.

Move. Do something. Save her. MOVE.

But he could not.

Because he did not know what to do.

There was no enemy to fight. No threat he could tear apart. No problem he could solve with strategy or strength or sheer force of will.

Lilith was dying and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

Through the bond he could feel her slipping away. Could feel her consciousness fading. Could feel the curse squeezing tighter and tighter around her until there would be nothing left.

”NICHOLAS!”

Victoria’s voice cut through his paralysis like a blade.

Nicholas’s head snapped toward her and saw her running across the battlefield with her robes torn and her face covered in ash and blood and absolute determination.

”Give her to me!” Victoria shouted at Sebastian. ”NOW!”

Sebastian looked up at her with wild eyes. ”No...”

”She’s DYING!” Victoria screamed. ”Give her to me or watch her die in your arms! CHOOSE!”

Lucian moved between Victoria and Sebastian, his body shifting slightly as Zev pushed forward. ”You’re not taking her....”

Victoria’s hand came up and green magic gathered around her fingers....not an attack, but a threat. A promise that she would blast through anyone who stood between her and her niece.

”Victoria,” Nicholas said, and his voice came out surprisingly steady. ”Can you save her?”

Victoria’s eyes snapped to him. ”I can TRY. But not while your brother is holding onto her like she’s already dead.”

Nicholas looked at Sebastian. At Lilith convulsing in his arms. At the blood soaking through Sebastian’s clothes.

”Give her to Victoria,” Nicholas said quietly.

”No,” Sebastian said immediately.

”Sebastian...”

”NO!” Sebastian’s voice broke. ”I can’t...I can’t let her go...”

”You’re killing her by holding on,” Nicholas said, and the words tasted like ash. ”Let Victoria try to save her.”

Sebastian looked down at Lilith. At her pale face and the blood still seeping from her skin and the way her body kept convulsing even as he held her.

Then he looked at Victoria.

”If she dies...” Sebastian started.

”She won’t,” Victoria interrupted. ”Not if you let me work.”

Sebastian’s jaw clenched. Then he carefully...so carefully transferred Lilith from his arms to Victoria’s.

The moment Victoria had her, she dropped to her knees and laid Lilith flat on the ground. Her hands moved over Lilith’s body with practiced efficiency, checking pulse points and magical signatures and the progression of the curse.

”It’s eating her alive,” Victoria said, her voice tight with barely controlled panic. ”The curse is consuming her magic to fuel itself and her body is shutting down in response.”