The statement was simple. Factual. But it carried the weight of everything they’d been waiting for.

Lilith was here.

Lucian stood up immediately.

He moved toward the door with the kind of urgency that suggested he was about to go find her immediately, to go to her, to claim her without waiting for anything or anyone.

"Sit down," Nicholas said.

Two words. Nothing more. But they carried the absolute authority of an alpha giving a command.

Lucian stopped. His body went rigid. For a moment, there was visible internal struggle, Zev fighting against Nicholas’s command, desperate to reach their mate.

Then Lucian sat back down. Hard. The couch creaked under the force of it. His hands clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white. His jaw was locked. His entire body was vibrating with restrained intensity.

Sebastian smirked.

He turned his head slightly to look at Nicholas, and there was dark amusement in his expression.

"Do you know what Nicholas told Garrett before he accepted her assignment to us?" Sebastian asked, his voice carrying the tone of someone who was about to deliver information that would inflame Lucian’s already fragile control.

Lucian looked between his brothers, his gold eyes flashing with impatience.

"Tell me," Lucian said, the words coming out rough. "What did he say?"

Nicholas looked at his youngest brother with the kind of patience that suggested he understood exactly what state Lucian was in.

"I told him you were unstable," Nicholas said calmly. "That we needed a familiar omega so you wouldn’t go on a killing spree and kill off their omegas."

The words hung in the air.

It was a reminder of the threat they’d made. The manipulation that had gotten them what they wanted. The brilliant strategy that had secured Lilith’s assignment without breaking the blood debt agreement or raising immediate suspicion.

Lucian’s lips curved into a smile. But it wasn’t a pleasant smile. It was the smile of a predator recognizing a meal.

"Well, that’s not a lie," Lucian said, his voice dropping to something dangerous. "And since we have established that I am unstable, why don’t I just go through with it? I can go to her room right now and focus on her since we’ve established that I am unstable."

The suggestion was half-joking. But also half true.

Because Zev was screaming inside him. Because the bond was pulling at him with such intensity that it felt like physical chains. Because being this close to their mate and not going to her was becoming nearly impossible.

Nicholas’s expression changed.

His features hardened. His eyes flickered silver as Kael surged forward, recognizing the threat to their plan. The alpha authority that radiated from him suddenly became tangible and suffocating.

When he spoke, his voice was ice.

"You won’t dare do something like that," Nicholas said, his tone brooking no argument. "We already agreed that we would take this slow with her, or else we’re going to lose her. If you go to her now looking like a feral wolf, she’s going to be more scared than she already is. We’re taking this nice and slow."

He stood from his chair and walked toward Lucian, his movements deliberate and controlled. The physical presence of an alpha asserting dominance over another alpha, even thou they were brothers.

"And I will not let you ruin this for us because you cannot control your dick," Nicholas said, his voice cutting like a blade. "Do you understand me?"

Lucian looked at his eldest brother, and for a moment, there was visible struggle. His eyes were completely gold now, Zev showing through, the wolf fighting against Nicholas’s command.

Then Lucian nodded.

It was a gesture of submission. Not because Lucian was weak, but because Nicholas’s authority was absolute. Even the youngest alpha, even with his wolf screaming in desperation, recognized the hierarchy.

"Good," Nicholas said.

He returned to his chair and sat down.

"Now I’m going to call Callum," Nicholas continued. "He’s going to bring her to us, and you’re going to be on your best behavior. I mean both of you."

His eyes moved from Sebastian to Lucian. Both brothers received the warning. Both understood the stakes.

Sebastian straightened slightly on the sofa, his smirk fading as he acknowledged the seriousness of what was about to happen.

"Callum," Nicholas called out.

The beta appeared in the doorway instantly, having waited just outside.

"Bring the omega to my room," Nicholas said, his voice carrying the weight of command. "Then call me when she’s outside the door. And Callum...." He paused, his expression becoming slightly softer. "Be respectful to her. This is important."

"Yes, Alpha," Callum said. He understood. He always understood.

The beta left, and the three brothers were alone again.

The silence that followed was heavy with anticipation.

Nicholas settled back in his chair, his expression composed but his eyes showing the faintest flicker of silver.

Sebastian remained on the sofa, but his body had tensed. The lazy sprawl was gone, replaced by coiled readiness. Rhen was visible in his eyes now, the amber flickering constantly. The wolf recognizing that their mate was about to arrive.

Lucian sat on the edge of the other sofa, his entire body radiating barely contained intensity. His hands were still clenched. His jaw was still locked. His eyes remained gold. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

Zev was vibrating just beneath his skin, desperate and hungry and barely contained.

"Three weeks," Sebastian said quietly, breaking the silence. "Three weeks since we saw her."

"Three weeks of dreams," Lucian added, his voice rough with need.

"Three weeks of knowing she was close but unable to reach her," Nicholas said, his voice steady despite the storm inside him. "Three weeks of the bond pulling at us while we waited for the right moment."

He looked at both of his brothers.

"And now she’s here," Nicholas continued. "In our quarters. Close enough to touch. Close enough to claim. But we do this carefully. We do this strategically. Because if we push too hard, if we move too fast, she’ll run. And I will not lose her."