Chapter 407: Farewells

Nicholas sat behind his desk and waited for his brothers to arrive.

The office looked the same as it always had. Dark wood furniture. Bookshelves lined with pack records and territorial maps. Windows overlooking the estate grounds. Everything exactly as it had been for the fifteen years Nicholas had served as Alpha Prime.

But it felt different now.

Because this was the last time he would sit in this chair.

The last time he would look out these windows.

The last time he would exist in this space as a living person.

Tomorrow night, he would walk into the Veil.

And he would never come back.

The door opened.

Sebastian and Lucian entered slowly. Both of them looked destroyed. Sebastian’s eyes were red and swollen, Lucian’s hands were clenched into fists like he was physically restraining himself from breaking everything in the room.

They stood in front of the desk and looked at Nicholas like they were seeing a ghost.

"Sit." Nicholas said quietly.

They sat, and the silence stretched.

Nicholas looked at his brothers, his brothers who he had shared a womb with, who he had grown up beside, who he had fought and laughed and lived with all his life....and felt his chest tighten.

This was going to be the hardest conversation of his life.

"I’m not changing my mind," Nicholas said. "So if you came here to argue, to try to convince me to let one of you be the anchor instead, save your breath. My decision is final."

"Nicholas...." Sebastian started.

"No," Nicholas interrupted. "Listen to me. Both of you. I don’t have much time and there are things that need to be said. Things that need to be handled before tomorrow night."

He pulled out a stack of documents from his desk drawer. Pack records. Territory agreements. Alliance contracts. Everything that made the Blackwood pack function.

"Sebastian," Nicholas said. "You’re taking over as Alpha Prime."

Sebastian’s face went pale. "What? No. I can’t....I’m not...."

"You can and you will," Nicholas said firmly. "You’re the most level-headed of the three of us. The most diplomatic. The pack trusts you. The allied Alphas respect you. You’re the right choice."

"But why can’t it be Lucian," Sebastian protested.

"Lucian is too volatile right now," Nicholas said, looking at his youngest brother. "No offense."

"None taken," Lucian said quietly. "He’s right. I’d burn everything down in the first week."

"You’re not taking over pack leadership," Nicholas continued, looking at Lucian. "But you’re Sebastian’s enforcer. His second. When he needs someone to handle threats, you do it. When he needs someone to be the bad Alpha, that’s you. You balance him."

Lucian nodded slowly.

Nicholas turned back to Sebastian. "These documents contain everything you need to know. Territory boundaries. Alliance terms. Pack protocols. Financial records. I’ve been keeping detailed notes for years. Everything is organized. Everything is clear."

He slid the stack across the desk.

Sebastian stared at it like it was a death sentence.

"I can’t do this without you," Sebastian whispered.

"Yes, you can," Nicholas said. "You’re stronger than you think, Sebastian. You always have been. You just let me and Lucian take the lead because it was easier. But you’re capable of being Alpha Prime. More than capable."

"What about when I fail?" Sebastian asked. "What about when I make the wrong decision? When I....."

"Then you learn from it," Nicholas interrupted. "The same way I learned. The same way every Alpha learns. You make mistakes. You fix them. You keep going. And you have Lucian beside you. And the Betas. And the pack. You won’t be alone."

Sebastian’s face crumpled. "But you won’t be there."

"No," Nicholas said quietly. "I won’t. And I’m sorry for that. I’m sorry I’m leaving you with this responsibility. I’m sorry I won’t be there to help you navigate it. But Sebastian, you don’t need me. You never really did. You’re going to be a better Alpha Prime than I ever was."

"That’s not true," Sebastian replied.

"It is," Nicholas insisted. "You lead with compassion. With understanding. With the ability to see multiple perspectives. Those are gifts I never had. The pack will thrive under your leadership."

He pulled out another document. "This is the official transfer of Alpha Prime authority. I’ve already signed it. You just need to accept it and the pack bonds will shift to recognize you as Prime."

Sebastian took the document with shaking hands.

"There’s one more thing," Nicholas said. He looked at both his brothers. "When Lilith comes back....and she will come back, she’s going to need you. Both of you. Victoria said resurrection will change her. Mark her. She’ll be different from the girl we knew. And she’s going to wake up and find out I’m gone. That I traded my life for hers."

His voice caught slightly.

"She’s going to blame herself," Nicholas continued. "She’s going to think it’s her fault. That she should have stayed dead rather than let me sacrifice myself. You cannot let her think that. You have to make her understand that this was my choice. That I wanted this. That saving her was worth everything."

"How?" Lucian asked, his voice rough. "How do we make her understand that when we don’t understand it ourselves?"

"You tell her the truth," Nicholas said. "That I loved her more than I feared death. That getting to know her, to bond with her, to love her, even for the short time we had, was worth more than a thousand years of living without her. That she gave me purpose and joy and something worth dying for."

He looked down at his hands.

"And you tell her that my last thought.....my last conscious act before letting go in the Veil, will be making sure she gets to live. That’s what I want. That’s what matters. Not my survival. Hers."

The office was silent except for Sebastian’s uneven breathing.

Lucian’s jaw was clenched so tight Nicholas could see the muscles jumping. His eyes were wet but he was refusing to let the tears fall.