Sacrificed To The Triplet Alpha Kings

"I need to find someone," Victoria said slowly.

"Then do it," Selene said. "Fast. Because I’m leaving tomorrow morning with the other Guardians. We’ve stayed as long as we can but we have other duties calling us. Other territories that need protection."

Victoria felt panic spike through her. "You’re leaving? But Lilith..."

"Will be no safer with us here than without us," Selene said gently. "My divine magic bought her time. But I can’t cure her. And staying longer won’t change that." She paused. "But Victoria....before I go, I need to warn you about something."

"What?"

Selene’s expression was grave. "The soul bond means Lilith and the Alphas are connected beyond death. Which means if she dies, if the curse kills her....she won’t just be dead. She’ll be trapped."

Victoria felt her blood run cold. "Trapped where?"

"In the space between life and death," Selene said. "Soul bonds don’t let go. Even when one party dies, the connection persists. It pulls at the deceased, keeps them tethered to the living. Lilith would be stuck in limbo...not alive, not fully dead, just existing in agony while the Alphas slowly go insane feeling her suffering through the bond."

Victoria pressed her hands to her mouth. "How long?"

"Until the Alphas die too," Selene said. "Which, given their curse, would be within a year. And then all four souls would be trapped together in whatever comes after. Still bonded. Still suffering. For eternity."

The horror of it made Victoria’s knees weak.

Not just death. Eternal torment. For Lilith and the three men she loved.

"Unless," Selene continued, "someone intervenes. Someone breaks the soul bond after death. Or someone finds a way to resurrect her before the bond pulls her too deep."

Victoria looked up sharply. "Resurrection?"

"Theoretical," Selene said quickly. "I’ve never seen it done successfully. The magic required would be...." She shook her head. "Dark. Forbidden. The kind of thing that costs more than most people are willing to pay."

"I would pay anything," Victoria said immediately.

"Would you?" Selene challenged. "Even if it meant corrupting your own magic? Even if it meant making deals with entities that would own pieces of your soul? Even if it meant Lilith came back changed...wrong somehow?"

Victoria did not hesitate. "Yes."

Selene studied her for a long moment. Then she nodded slowly. "Then you need to find your expert. Find someone who knows about soul bonds and divine curses and forbidden magic. And you need to do it in the next few hours. Because Victoria..." Her voice softened with sympathy. "That girl is dying. And nothing I can do will stop it."

She turned and walked to the door.

"Wait," Victoria called after her.

Selene paused.

"Thank you," Victoria said quietly. "For saving her. For telling me about the soul bond. For...for everything."

Selene’s expression softened slightly. "I wish I could do more. But some things are beyond even the Moon Temple’s authority." She opened the door. "May the Moon Goddess have mercy on all of you. You’re going to need it."

She left.

Victoria stood alone in her room surrounded by useless books and desperate research.

A soul bond.

Lilith had a soul bond with three Alphas cursed by the Moon Goddess herself.

And Victoria had hours...maybe less, to find someone who could save her before she died and dragged all four souls into eternal suffering.

She looked at the chaos around her and made a decision.

She needed to find the witch.

The witch who had mysteriously given Nicholas a charm powerful enough to slow a divine curse.

Victoria moved to her desk and pulled out the materials she needed for a sacred portal communication, the kind used to contact people across vast distances without revealing their location.

She did not know if it would work. Did not know if the witch would even respond.

But she had to try.

Because the alternative was watching Lilith die.

And Victoria had already lost too much family to death.

She was not losing her niece too.

Not without a fight.

But how do you contact a witch whose name you do not even know?

***

Sebastian’s POV

The chair beside Lilith’s bed had become Sebastian’s entire world.

He had been sitting in it for six hours straight, long past when he was supposed to rotate out with Lucian, long past when his body started protesting the stillness, long past when sitting became physical pain.

He didn’t care.

If Lilith was suffering, he would suffer with her. It was the least he could do.

Day two of the coma.

Forty-eight hours since she had collapsed on the battlefield bleeding from everywhere. Forty-eight hours since Selene had stabilized her with divine magic that was already failing. Forty-eight hours of watching her lie motionless in this bed while the curse slowly killed her.

Sebastian reached out and took her hand for the hundredth time that day.

Her skin was cold. Too cold. Like the warmth of life was already leaking out of her even though her heart still beat.

Through the bond he could feel her, distant and fading like she was standing on the other side of a vast canyon and every hour the canyon grew wider.

"Lilith," Sebastian said quietly. "I know you probably can’t hear me. I know you’re....wherever you are right now. But I need to talk to you anyway. Because if I don’t..." His voice broke. "If I don’t, I think I’m going to lose my mind."

Lilith didn’t respond. Couldn’t respond. Just lay there with her chest rising and falling in shallow breaths.

Sebastian looked at her face, pale and peaceful like she was just sleeping. Like any moment she might open her eyes and smile at him and everything would be okay.

But it wouldn’t be okay.

Nothing would ever be okay again if she did not wake up.

"I’m sorry," Sebastian said, and the words came out raw. "I’m so sorry for all of it. For the lies about your father. For Lucian marking you before you were ready. For not protecting you better. For...." He stopped and pressed his free hand to his eyes. "For loving you so much it destroyed your life."