Chapter 140: She Stiffened. He Didn’t Let Go.

"Charges: breaking and entering a restricted intensive care unit at Stormrest Hospital. Her bail is higher because..." The officer flicked through the record on the holo-display. "Ah, here it is. Pre-existing warrant. The High Luna of Thunderfang filed formal charges against her last night for assault on a member of the royal bloodline resulting in severe bodily harm. The filing classifies it as attempted murder. The breaking and entering charge activated a hold that was already waiting for her. There’s an additional charge that was added during her booking. One count of unauthorized contact with a protected victim under an active criminal investigation."

"As in Derek Thunderfang. A full-grown Alpha. Against a girl who has been in silver since childhood."

"I am not able to see which family member. The family sealed the records."

"Let me clarify, officer. The person she was trying to see in the hospital is her assigned mate. Derek Thunderfang."

The officer looked up. "She does not show up as Prince Derek’s mate in our system. But if she is, she’s now registered as Emberclaw. Are the Thunderfangs aware of this?"

Maverick didn’t so much as blink. "You mean the people pressing charges against her? Derek can fix it when he wakes up and if he chooses to give her his name. Until then, she is Emberclaw. Go back to the charges. What happened to the family member?"

"The charge is attempted murder. The victim’s medical details are sealed," the officer replied.

"Let me make sure I understand. She is being charged with attempted murder, filed by a family member of the victim, and the same family sealed the evidence. Nobody can tell her who she allegedly tried to murder or what condition they’re in. The extent of the information is ’a member of the royal bloodline.’"

"Correct."

"And you don’t see the problem with that."

"I see a sealed medical file and a filed charge. Those are two different departments, sir. I work in one of them."

"So she’s supposed to defend herself against a charge she can’t see."

"That would be a matter for her legal counsel, sir."

Maverick dragged a hand down his face. "You’re joking."

"I wish I was. Off the record, she was the cooperative one of the two brought in today. The redhead told the officers exactly what she thought of them, if you catch my drift."

"I’m covering both bails."

"Yes, Alpha. Processing release now. Give me five minutes."

???

HOLDING CELL 6

"—and the mattress, don’t even get me started. It was a damn slab. My mate is Tavian Voltcrest. You do realize that right? He will be made aware of all of this—"

Maria was mid-sentence when Nova started laughing out of nowhere. She was losing her mind. This was fine.

"What is it?"

"Maria."

"Yes."

"Say the charge out loud."

Maria stopped pacing. "Breaking and entering."

"Now say what we actually did."

"We walked into a hospital."

"Through what kind of door?"

"An unlocked door."

"Did we break anything?"

"No."

"To see who?"

"Your mate."

"And why are we in jail?"

"Because a receptionist hasn’t gotten laid in a long time and was a royal bitch."

"Correct. And who came to the hospital to arrest us, Maria?"

"A literal SWAT team. For two unarmed women."

"Correct. While my mate was right there. Just unconscious. And who was the first person we pinged, Maria?"

"Sierra. Who probably saw a ping from some weird encryption and did not answer. I wouldn’t have answered if I were her."

"She was the one person we could call. You didn’t want to disturb Tavian, who probably would have been asleep. Both of us definitely did not want to contact the Alpha. So who did we contact, Maria?"

"My brother."

"Who is..."

"The goddamn Alpha of another pack."

"We called the Alpha of another pack, who lives on the other side of Helix."

"Yes we did, Nova."

"We called him over our Alpha. Who we live with. One of your mate’s best friends."

"Yes. And now that Alpha is coming to Thunderfang to bail me out of jail. So I can bail you out of jail because we got arrested."

They were both screaming with laughter now. The guard was standing outside pretending he couldn’t hear two women losing their minds over a door.

"We called another Alpha over the High Luna, Nova."

"Don’t forget Luna Thunderfang," Nova wheezed. "We called another ALPHA over three people we live with, Maria."

"I TOLD the officer the door was unlocked," Maria howled. "They were acting like we rappelled through a window. We WALKED IN, NOVA. WE WALKED."

"We opened the door, Maria. And walked in at a normal pace. We were SITTING next to him. I was holding his hand. You were sitting by me. That was what we were doing when a goddamn SWAT team paid us a visit."

Nova was gone. Head back against the wall, tears running, laughing so hard no sound was coming out.

"We started the day as independent women and wound up in jail, Nova."

"And now we’re losing our minds."

They looked at each other and absolutely fell apart.

The cell door slid open with a pressurized hiss.

The slot opened. "Emberclaw. You made bail."

Maria was on her feet before the sentence finished. She turned to Nova. "Don’t worry. Give me twenty minutes. I will get you out. I just need to access my funds and I will be right back for you."

"Ma’am—"

Maria held up one finger at the officer without looking at him. "I am speaking to my friend—"

"Both Emberclaws made bail."

Maria froze. "Both?"

"Yes. You both made bail, Ma’am."

Maria looked at Nova. Nova looked at Maria. They were a matched set and neither was going to question it. Sure, Emberclaw sounded great.

They exited the cell and proceeded down the corridor, walking past the other criminals of Thunderfang.

"The Beta is my mate," Maria stated. "I’m going to need your badge number. And your supervisor’s badge number. And your supervisor’s supervisor’s badge number. And the badge numbers for all the officers who processed us and arrested us—"

The officer behind her wore an expression that very clearly said, thank the gods she is leaving.

Nova walked beside Maria, relieved to be leaving with her.

The next door released with a hiss and sunlight poured through the lobby windows. Nova blinked against it. Maria did the same, one hand shielding her face. They had no concept of how long they’d been in there. No windows in the holding bay. No clock.

Maria was still talking. Nova stopped hearing her.

Maverick Emberclaw was standing at the front desk, looking at her.

The last time she had seen him, he was standing in the rain while Derek carried her away. He had been coming for her but had been too late. That image made her chest hurt then and it made her chest hurt now. He had posted her bail. A woman who wasn’t his. From a jail in a territory that wasn’t his either.

Without looking away from Nova, he pulled Maria into a hug first with one arm. The kind of hug brothers give sisters when the lecture is coming later and the relief is happening now.

Then he hugged Nova, with both arms. She wasn’t ready for it and stiffened in surprise. He didn’t let go. She had to admit, it made her feel much better.

She was relieved. There was no other word. She felt safe with him. Relieved in the way you’re relieved when someone shows up and you didn’t know how badly you needed them to until they did. But she also felt guilty because her mate was in a coma and she wasn’t there. Instead she was getting comforted. Her throat tightened.