Chapter 120: The Stand-In Needs A Stand-In

Astra didn’t move, her eyes still on Celeste. Hell of a workday. A princess dying while you are trying to treat her will do that every time.

"IT’S THE SLAVE. SHE CURSED THE LUNA." An omega pointed at Nova. "MURDERER!"

Nova blinked a few times, very confused about what the hell was happening. Also very numb to the accusation. It was low on the totem pole of her priorities list.

"ARREST THE SLAVE. ARREST HER NOW."

"GET HER AWAY FROM THE ALPHA. SHE’S DANGEROUS."

Nova leaned forward again for Alpha Thunderfang to get up. He did not move.

"SHE KNOWS DARK MAGIC. THE SLAVE MADE THE PRIESTESS TAKE HER CLOTHES OFF."

"I HEARD THREE ALPHAS FOUGHT OVER HER. SHE CURSED THEM."

"Why are the late Luna’s eyes open?" an omega asked, tilting her head.

The courtyard stopped.

"The soul hasn’t left yet," a warrior explained with full authority. "It takes a minute."

"A minute?"

"Yes. Give or take."

"Should we... close them?"

"Don’t touch the body. You might be tampering with evidence."

Then an omega next to Celeste’s body leaped backwards and let out a scream that hit a frequency that rivaled Tavian during a bomb disposal.

"SHE BLINKED!"

A chorus of screams followed because they had just seen a head move around and now they were seeing this.

"SHE’S TURNING."

"PUT HER WITH THE OTHER HEAD."

"GET BACK. GET BACK. GET BACK."

The crowd backed away. Guards formed a wall in front of the pups with their weapons drawn.

A medic knelt next to Celeste’s body. New guy. First week. The other medics nodded at him encouragingly. From a safe distance.

He reached out his hand to check her pulse.

Ten seconds went by.

"She’s alive," he called, standing slowly.

The energy in the courtyard collapsed. Wolves who had been screaming about murder and dark magic and arrest warrants were now standing in the snow looking depressed.

The warrior who had checked her pulse originally raised his hand. "My bad. Sorry about that, Alpha."

Alpha Thunderfang did not react to this.

There was one final exhale of collective disappointment across the courtyard who had been robbed of a murder.

"That’s not a faint. That’s a seizure."

"It’s not a seizure either."

"How do you know?"

"Because she’s glaring at us. Seizure patients don’t glare."

"That’s her face, jackass. That’s how she looks normally."

CLANG.

An omega, who had been trying to fan her, accidentally smacked her with the tray instead. The metal connected with her forehead. The sound echoed. The omega froze.

Celeste’s eyes went from empty to homicidal in under a second. The omega picked up his tray.

"I FAINTED AND YOUR SOLUTION WAS TO HIT ME IN THE HEAD."

The omega scrambled away. Tripped. Got back up. Kept going.

Then Celeste started coughing violently. The cough sounded bad but no one was moving or reacting or offering her oxygen.

"Someone. Help me," she wheezed on the ground, lifting a hand towards Astra.

Astra didn’t move.

The courtyard doors opened and the High Luna’s voice cut through the chaos.

"WHAT IS HAPPENING IN MY COURTYARD?"

Every omega and guard straightened. Then the High Luna zeroed in on Celeste who was still coughing on the cobblestones, reaching for something.

"Princess!" The High Luna rushed over to her.

"Help me, High Luna," Celeste rasped.

"Where is my grandson? Landon!" the High Luna called.

Alpha Thunderfang’s arms loosened. Then he carefully maneuvered out of his position behind Nova.

"I have her, Gran. It’s too cold out here for you," Alpha Thunderfang said as he closed the distance.

He picked Celeste up bridal style.

The High Luna gave a nod, satisfied with what she was seeing, and turned on her heel.

Celeste continued to full-body cough in Alpha Thunderfang’s arms. He glanced down at her, looking genuinely confused. Her coughs grew louder.

Maria and Tavian had been watching this whole scene unfold with identical expressions on their faces, both jaws agape. Then Maria’s eyes snapped to the left.

"Tav. Derek."

Tavian’s head whipped. Derek was pushing himself up. One arm. Then two. The man who had been ordered to stay was not staying. The man who had been told his brother would handle it had watched his brother leave Nova and was done with the arrangement.

"Derek. Stay down. I’ll stand in," Tavian called to him, already moving towards Nova.

Tavian pointed at the nearest medic. "You. With me. Now."

The medic gave a nod and followed him.

Maria crossed to Nova’s front. Knelt. Grabbed Nova’s good hand.

"Don’t worry, Nova. You can hold my hand. Just know if you scream, I will scream, and Tavian will scream too."

Nova gave a nod and didn’t wait, already squeezing Maria’s hand, eyes welling, because of the anticipation building in her chest.

"I think Celeste fake fainted and forgot to shut her eyes," Maria said flatly, not bothering to lower her voice.

Tavian gave Maria a look.

"What? I’m distracting Nova, Tav." Maria looked at Nova. "You get a Lightning Nectar after this. Brunch. Sound good?"

Nova gave a nod because that did sound nice.

"Done," Maria said.

"No one is doing anything," Tavian cut in. "Maria, you are supposed to be under that oxygen mask."

Maria grinned. "I think Tavian is saying we should make those doubles. That’s what I heard there."

"Maria, I am begging you. Put the mask on. Stop planning brunch. Stop corrupting my Alpha’s mate—er Derek’s mate. Fuck. One of their mates. It’s been a night. Both of you are bad influences on each other."

"Do you want to come with us, Tav?" Maria asked.

Tavian’s jaw worked once. "Yes."

A young medic stepped into the hover ambulance, hands already gloved. "I’ll go ahead and pop that shoulder back."

Astra’s voice filled the courtyard. "Do not touch 7709’s shoulder. I will be the one—"

Celeste’s shrieks covered whatever else Astra was going to say.

"UNHAND ME. RIGHT NOW! LANDON! I AM—"

Nova wasn’t sure what was happening. All she knew was everyone froze. When she looked up, she saw Alpha Thunderfang shutting the doors of a hover ambulance. He tapped the metal twice with his palm.

"Take her to the emergency room. Now."

"Yes, Alpha."

The hover ambulance lifted and pulled away from the keep. Then Alpha Thunderfang moved. Fast. Faster than Nova could process. His chest materialized against her back out of thin air. His legs bracketed hers. His arms locked into the same hold. Same position. Same brace. Like hitting resume on a task.

Tavian blinked once. Stepped back.

Maria stayed put, holding Nova’s good hand.

Astra moved to stand in front of Nova.

"Nobody moves. Nobody speaks. Nobody coughs. Nobody faints. Nobody develops a sudden injury. The next person who interrupts me will be sedated," she stated to the courtyard at large.