Chapter 121: The Oxygen Police Have Arrived

The healer’s hands found her arm and Nova’s body rejected the contact before her mind could override it. She went stiff against Alpha Thunderfang’s chest.

Alpha Thunderfang’s mouth found the space behind her ear.

"Hey, Nova. Breathe. Match me."

His chest expanded against her back.

She tried. Her first inhale stuttered because her lungs were still learning to trust oxygen and her shoulder was screaming at a pitch that made concentration a negotiation.

"Again. Slower." ℴℴ𝘮

She matched him on the second try. In through the mask. His chest pressed against her back on the inhale, pulling away on the exhale, a tide she could follow without thinking. Her heartbeat started to slow. Not by much. But enough that the edges of her vision stopped flickering and the ringing in her ears dropped half an octave.

"Good. Keep that pace."

One more inhale. One more exhale. The panic receded by an inch. The pain did not, but the panic’s departure meant she could see the pain clearly now instead of through the fog of both, and clarity was a weapon she knew how to use.

Alpha Thunderfang gave Astra a single nod over Nova’s head. Nova closed her eyes.

Astra’s hands moved. Rotation. Pressure. A physics equation executed on a joint that had left its housing and was being returned against its will.

POP.

Nova’s mouth opened behind the oxygen mask and what came out was a sound that lived somewhere below screaming and above silence, a choked, airless thing that her lungs produced from whatever reserves they had left.

Her vision whited out. Every muscle in her body fired at the same time. The spasming that had been absent since the Moonfire returned at full strength.

She squeezed Maria’s hand tighter as her muscles short-circuited.

Alpha Thunderfang didn’t let go. The spasming rolled through her in waves and his arms stayed locked around her through every single one, absorbing the shaking like a man who had decided that holding still was his contribution and the contribution was non-negotiable.

"She’s spasming again, Astra," Alpha Thunderfang gritted.

"I see that," Astra replied, voice calm, as she started wrapping the bandage around Nova’s shoulder. "This is painful. You didn’t cry."

Nova would have let out a laugh if her vocal cords were working because she was absolutely crying. Tears were streaming from both eyes cutting tracks through the ash and dried blood on her face, soaking into the oxygen mask, collecting along her jaw.

"Loudly," Maria said. "She meant you didn’t cry loudly."

"Loudly," Astra amended with a nod. "You didn’t cry loudly. But then again your neck is bruised. You probably couldn’t make noise to cry. So we’ll never know."

"Truth," Maria agreed.

Astra grabbed her injector. Nova was aware it wouldn’t hurt but it still made her stiffen.

"It doesn’t hurt," Alpha Thunderfang said behind her, his voice softer than she had ever heard it. He sounded exactly like Derek when he had told her that.

"This one might sting, actually, because of the bruising," Astra commented. "You can’t scream, on the bright side."

It dawned on Nova that Astra was attempting humor with that. She could appreciate the attempt.

The injector pressed against her neck. The growling started then stopped so fast she wasn’t sure if she heard it again or if she was losing her mind.

A cooling sensation trickled down her body. She relaxed immediately. The pain dulled. The spasms stopped.

The only thing that hurt was Astra touching the bruise. That injector really was a mind over matter thing.

Astra shined her light at Nova’s neck before her eyes flicked to Alpha Thunderfang, who was still behind her.

"Did someone choke you, Nova?" she asked. "The bruising pattern is textbook strangulation."

Nova blinked a few times, surprised by that. Her shoulder had been her focus. But that man had cut off her windpipe before the fire started.

Astra looked up at her waiting for an answer.

"Did that thing do it to you, Nova?" Maria cut in, still holding Nova’s hand.

Nova gave a single, almost imperceptible nod.

"Thing?" Astra repeated.

"Yes. Thing. I smelled it earlier in the quarters she was assigned to," Maria replied. "How did it get past Derek’s guards, Nova? You were back in his quarters, right? That’s what he told Tavian."

If it were just Maria and Nova, Nova would have come clean and told her. She needed to tell someone about the photographs because she was losing her mind and she had zero idea on who the masked bomber was anymore. Her theory on it being Alpha Thunderfang wasn’t making sense anymore.

Alpha Thunderfang, who was still behind her, had a difficult time hearing and was probably not paying attention.

Astra was working on her tablet.

Fuck it.

Nova let go of Maria’s hand and pulled down her oxygen mask.

"There weren’t any guards outside of Derek’s quarters," she rasped.

"Did he go into Derek’s quarters?"

Nova shook her head no. When she opened her mouth to explain, she broke into a coughing fit.

"Derek. I have her. Stay," Alpha Thunderfang called from behind her, voice clipped. Nova glanced up to see Derek had gotten up and was trying to get to her. The oxygen mask that she had just taken off to answer Maria was put back on in the same instant.

"My brother knew exactly where you were and told me to call security," Maria added. "Did you contact him?"

Nova shook her head no at that. She wasn’t sure how Maverick would have known where she was. All she knew was red flame came out of the fire and she hadn’t put two and two together until she saw him on Maria’s holo-band.

"I’ll ask him how he found out." Maria’s eyes landed on Nova’s forearm that had been covered again.

Nova looked down at it too then back at Maria.

Then Tavian hooked Maria around the waist and carried her to the other side of the hover ambulance. The oxygen mask went over her face immediately.

"That stays on. If it comes off again, no Lightning Nectar at brunch."

Maria’s eyes went wide above the mask. The threat had landed in the only place that mattered.

"For either of you," Astra added without looking up from Nova’s chart. "Neither of you are cleared for alcohol. Nova threw up blood a few days ago and Maria inhaled smoke tonight. The next person who mentions a Lightning Nectar in my presence is getting an I.V. instead."

Maria gave Nova a look that communicated they would be getting Lightning Nectar brunch and the gods couldn’t stop them. Nova gave a nod in complete agreement.

Then Maria’s eyes flicked to Tavian who was looking at Alpha Thunderfang. There was clearly a mindlink conversation going on that they weren’t on the need to know list for.

Nova’s eyes found Derek’s. His brows were creased. She wanted to go to him.