Sacrificed To The Triplet Alpha Kings

Chapter 129: Why Are You Really Here, Alpha Nicholas?

She wasn’t moving through the hall like a servant trying to be invisible. She was moving like she was aware of them. Like she was positioning herself so they could see her. When they requested her specifically, and they did, multiple times throughout the evening, she went immediately.

And she didn’t go like she was being forced.

She went like she was eager.

Her breathing would change. Her color would rise. She would move with a kind of anticipation that Garrett recognized immediately. It was the look of someone moving toward something they wanted, not away from something they feared.

Other alphas were watching too.

Garrett noticed the Nightfall alpha observing the dynamic with sharp attention. The Blackpaw alpha seemed to understand something, his expression knowing. The mid-tier alphas whispered among themselves, trying to piece together the puzzle.

Everyone could feel it. The tension. The possession. The way the Blackwood brothers had claimed Lilith’s attention and her service and her....what? Her affection? Her arousal?

Garrett’s hands clenched into fists under the table.

He understood the implications. If the other alphas saw Lilith as belonging to the Blackwoods, they would either try to use her as leverage against them or they would respect the claim and back away. Either way, her status in Shadowmere would fundamentally change.

The formal speeches continued around him.

The Nightfall alpha was discussing territorial boundaries. The Blackpaw alpha was proposing an alliance. A smaller pack was requesting support. And throughout it all, the Blackwood brothers paid attention when it mattered, which was often....but their focus kept drifting back to Lilith.

Hours passed.

The ceremony began to wind down. Alphas were preparing to depart. The evening’s business was essentially concluded. Alliances had been made. Disputes had been negotiated. The third day of the Summit had been productive.

The Blackwood brothers stood in unison.

It was a deliberate gesture, three alphas rising together, indicating the ceremony was reaching its natural conclusion. Other alphas recognized the significance and began to stand as well. The formal gathering was ending.

Nicholas, Sebastian, and Lucian moved toward the exit together, their coordinated movement drawing attention from everyone in the hall.

Garrett stood and moved quickly, timing his approach perfectly. He caught up with them just as they were leaving the main dining area.

"Alpha Nicholas," Garrett called out, his voice carrying the respectful weight of one alpha addressing another. "May I have a word with you?"

Nicholas paused. He turned to face Garrett fully, his silver eyes assessing the Shadowmere alpha in a way that suggested he was evaluating multiple layers of meaning in the simple request.

For a moment, there was only silence.

Then Nicholas smiled, a small expression that might have been satisfaction.

"Yes, of course," he said smoothly, his voice carrying no surprise. Like he’d been expecting this. Like he’d been waiting for it. "Lead the way, Alpha Garrett."

Sebastian and Lucian remained where they stood as Garrett gestured for Nicholas to follow. The brothers didn’t move to accompany them. This was between the two alphas. But both of them watched as Garrett led Nicholas through the corridors and away from the main gathering space.

They walked in silence, moving through the compound toward Garrett’s office.

The walk felt longer than it actually was.

When they reached Garrett’s office, he opened the door and gestured for Nicholas to enter. Nicholas stepped inside the office and Garrett closed the door behind them, creating privacy.

For a moment, neither alpha spoke.

Then Nicholas turned to face Garrett directly, his dark eyes showing the faintest flicker of gold at the edges. Kael was present, aware, interested in what was about to happen.

"I assume this is about Lilith," Nicholas said calmly, making no attempt to pretend he didn’t know exactly why Garrett had requested this conversation.

The directness of it caught Garrett off-guard.

But he recovered quickly. This was an alpha speaking to an alpha. There was no point in dancing around the issue.

"Yes," Garrett said, his own voice steady. "It is about Lilith."

Nicholas inclined his head slightly, acknowledging the confirmation.

"Then," Nicholas said, his voice carrying a kind of patient authority, "I believe we have much to discuss."

Garrett moved slowly to stand behind his desk. It was a subtle assertion of authority in his own space, but it also created distance between them. The distance was deliberate but also necessary. He needed something between them, even if it was just a piece of furniture.

Nicholas noticed the movement but said nothing about it. He simply shifted his weight slightly, his posture remaining relaxed even as his presence radiated an intensity that filled the entire room.

For a long moment, neither alpha spoke.

The weight of the unasked question hung between them like a physical force.

Finally, Garrett broke the silence.

"Why are you really here, Alpha Nicholas?"

His voice was steady, but there was an edge to it. The edge of an alpha who knew something was happening in his pack and needed answers.

"The Summit is one thing," Garrett continued, his hands flat on the desk in front of him. "But your presence here, with both of your brothers....it’s about more than that, isn’t it? More than formal delegation. More than political representation."

Nicholas’s expression didn’t change, But there was something in his silver eyes, the faintest flicker of gold that suggested Kael was listening. The wolf was present. The wolf was interested.

"I’ve been observing your behavior since you arrived," Garrett said, his voice taking on the tone of an alpha delivering facts rather than asking questions. "The way you position yourselves around Lilith. The way you request her specifically to serve. The way you respond when other alphas come near her. That’s not the behavior of alphas with a casual interest in an omega from another pack."

He paused, letting the weight of his observations settle.

"Alpha Lucian’s reaction when you arrived, that wasn’t random," Garrett continued. "That growl in the courtyard. Every alpha present understood what it meant. And the Kieran situation." He shook his head slightly. "That was calculated. It was political maneuvering disguised as protection. You were sending a message. You were marking territory. You were making it clear to every alpha in this realm that Lilith belongs to you in some capacity."

Garrett moved around the desk, closing the distance between them slightly.