Chapter 451: I Miss You

"I know, Nicholas said. And you need to tell them. Calmly. Not in the middle of an argument. Sit them down and explain exactly what you need from them. They’ll listen. They love you. They just need guidance on how to love you without smothering you."

"I miss you," Lilith whispered. "Every second of every day I miss you."

"I miss you too,! Nicholas said. The phantom arms tightened around her. "But Lilith....I need you to understand something. I’m not coming back. This....these moments where I can reach through the bonds and touch you...they’re not permanent. They’re not sustainable. Eventually the connection will fade. And when it does, you need to be okay. You need to be able to keep going without me."

"I don’t want to," Lilith said.

"I know," Nicholas said gently. "But you have to. Because you have a life to live. People who love you. A future worth fighting for. And I need you to promise me something."

"What?" Lilith asked.

"Promise me you’ll fight," Nicholas said. "When Thalia comes. When the threats arrive. When everything seems impossible. Promise me you’ll fight with everything you have. That you won’t give up. That you’ll survive."

"I promise," Lilith whispered.

"Good," Nicholas said. "Because you’re stronger than you think. Braver than you believe. And capable of things that would terrify the people trying to use you. You just need to trust yourself."

The phantom embrace slowly faded.

The cool arms releasing her. The presence withdrawing.

"I love you," Nicholas’s voice echoed one last time. "Always."

Then he was gone.

Lilith sat alone in front of the cairn. The sun fully set now. Darkness settling over the estate.

But she felt.....calmer. Steadier.

Nicholas was right. She needed to talk to Sebastian and Lucian. Explain what she needed. Find a way to work together instead of fighting about protection and control.

And she needed to make decisions about Dorian’s offer. About the second branch. About all the complicated political maneuvering that was coming whether she wanted it or not.

But first....

First she needed to sit here for a little while longer. In the quiet. In the space where Nicholas had reached through death to comfort her.

And she needed to remember that even though he was gone....

He was still here. Still watching. Still loving her from whatever space between life and death he now existed in.

And that had to be enough.

***

Lilith sat at Nicholas’s memorial cairn for almost an hour.

Letting the quiet settle into her bones. Letting Nicholas’s words echo through her mind. Letting herself just....breathe.

Eventually the cold became too much and she stood, wrapping her arms around herself.

She needed to go back. Needed to talk to Sebastian and Lucian. Needed to apologize for exploding at them and find a way to communicate what she needed without pushing them away.

But as Lilith turned toward the estate....

Every hair on her body stood on end.

Wrong. Something felt profoundly wrong.

The air tasted different. Sharp. Metallic. Like the moment before lightning struck.

Through the bonds she felt Sebastian and Lucian’s sudden alert readiness. That particular edge that came when Alphas sensed incoming threat.

And then.....

The screaming started.

Not human screams. Not pack members in distress.

Demonic screeching. High-pitched and absolutely inhuman. The sound of entities that should not exist in the mortal realm announcing their presence.

Lilith ran.

Back toward the estate. Feet pounding against frozen ground. Heart racing.

She burst through the tree line and saw chaos.

The eastern approach to the estate was swarming with demons. Dozens of them. Maybe more. Dark twisted forms that moved wrong....too fast, at angles that defied physics, with limbs that bent in ways flesh should not bend.

Pack warriors were already engaging. Shifted wolves tearing into demonic flesh. Human-form fighters wielding silver weapons. The organized defense of a pack that had trained for supernatural threats.

But there were so many demons.

Too many.

This was not a scouting party or opportunistic attack. This was coordinated assault.

Lilith saw Callum directing warriors from the main courtyard. His voice carrying over the chaos. "HOLD THE LINE! DO NOT LET THEM BREACH THE MAIN BUILDING!"

Agnes was shepherding non-combatants toward the safe rooms. Her face pale but determined. "This way! Quickly! Luna will keep you safe!"

Lilith felt her magic surge in response to the threat.

Dual forces blazing. Life and death answering her fear and fury with raw power.

She ran toward the battle.

A demon spotted her and shrieked. It lunged.....claws extended, mouth opening impossibly wide to reveal rows of teeth.

Lilith raised her hand and unleashed.

Death magic poured from her palm. Black energy that hit the demon mid-leap and aged it instantly. Flesh rotting. Bones crumbling. The creature dissolving to dust before it hit the ground.

Two more demons came at her from the sides.

Life magic this time. Green light exploding outward. Vines erupting from the ground and wrapping around the demons. Squeezing. Crushing. The sound of breaking bones audible even over the battle.

Lilith kept moving. Toward the heaviest fighting. Toward where Sebastian and Lucian would be.

She found them near the main entrance. Both in Alpha mode. Both absolutely devastating.

Sebastian was in half-shift, the hybrid form that gave Alphas their greatest combat advantage. Claws extended. Eyes glowing silver. Moving with supernatural speed and strength as he tore through demons like they were paper.

Lucian was fully shifted. A massive bronze wolf the size of a small horse. Zev in complete control. Jaws closing around a demon’s throat and shaking violently until the creature stopped moving.

Lilith reached them and immediately fell into defensive position at their backs.

"Lilith!" Sebastian snarled. "What are you doing here?! You should be in the safe room!"

"I’m not hiding while you fight!" Lilith shouted back.

She raised both hands and unleashed dual magic simultaneously.

The effect was devastating.

Life and death magic intertwining. Green and black energy pouring from her in a wave that hit a cluster of demons and simply unmade them. Plants growing through their bodies while simultaneously rotting them from the inside.