Chapter 180: Cuddling For Medical Reasons

The High Luna’s clapping stopped as suddenly as it had started.

Every eye at the table came to rest on Nova, who did not quite follow what was happening.

The High Luna’s head whipped towards Freya. "When did you say Nancy’s date of birth was?"

"October 31st, during a Celestial Blue Moon," Freya replied.

The High Luna did not look at Nova. "Lies. Her date of birth is the 31st of December."

Nova hadn’t lied about that. Nova did not believe the birth date herself.

"That is because she was found as an infant, Elizabeth." Freya’s voice came softer, slower. "A slave’s birthday is set to the last day of the year in situations like that."

"Oh, and now you’re the expert."

"Nova explained it to us, actually," Dante answered.

The High Luna’s mouth opened again but Alpha Thunderfang cut her off before another round was fired.

"Gran. I asked you to apologize tonight because what happened to Nova was wrong, and every person at this table knows it. Instead you are defending a woman who carried a banned substance into my chambers, one that could have killed me or Nova, and we still don’t know which of us it was meant for. And you are calling Nova a liar. Again. First about her shoulder, now about her birthday. She has not lied once this entire evening. Apologize for that, and for the rest of it, or I’m leaving this table."

The High Luna’s head came around towards her grandson. They looked at one another. Her grandson won.

She placed a hand over her heart and looked at Nova.

"I, Elizabeth Thunderfang, High Luna of Thunderfang, do humbly and sincerely apologize for suggesting you lied about your birthday and your shoulder. You are not a liar. You are a great many unanswered questions. But you are not, it would seem, a liar. Enjoy your vindication, dear. It pairs beautifully with the wine."

Nobody spoke.

Alpha Thunderfang returned to his plate. The ultimatum had done its work. Nova inclined her head, a precise and gracious amount, and took a sip of her wine.

It should have ended there.

But it did not end there.

The High Luna set her glass down and her attention landed on Tavian. "You."

Tavian pointed at himself. "Me?"

"Yes, you. Apologize."

Tavian pressed a hand to his chest, wounded to his core. "High Luna, I am deeply sorry that you found out about everything slightly after everyone else did."

"Acceptable." Her gaze slid onward. "Maria."

Maria didn’t lift her eyes from her plate. "I’m sorry I knew things as well."

"That is not an apology."

"It’s an honest one."

The High Luna weighed this, found it structurally sound, and moved along. "Freya."

"I’m sorry, Elizabeth. Truly." Freya swirled her wine. "It must be exhausting, being the last to know everything in a house you believe you run."

"That was an insult wearing an apology’s coat."

"Yes." Freya took a sip. "You taught me the technique, dear. I’m complimenting you."

Dante made a small sound into his glass. The High Luna rounded on him before it finished traveling.

"Dante."

Dante set down his fork with the gravity of a worshipper approaching an altar. "High Luna. I am sorry. I have been having the finest evening of my recent life, entirely at the expense of your composure, and I would not trade a single moment of it. That is my confession. I feel lighter already."

"That was not an apology either."

"It was not," Dante agreed, and resumed eating.

Nova watched the apologies travel down the table like a collection plate.

The High Luna arrived, at last, at Alpha Thunderfang.

He didn’t make her ask. "I am sorry for not informing you that Nova was attacked this morning, and that the attacker is behind bars."

"That is not what I’m referring to. Keep your little secret, dear. I already have it because I FEEL IT, dear. I’ve been feeling it from across this table all night."

???

THUNDERFANG KEEP — LIGHTNING LOUNGE

"I have to head back to Emberclaw tonight."

Maverick said it quietly, just to her, over by the window where the city glowed below them, and something in Nova’s chest cracked clean down the middle.

It was a disproportionate reaction. She knew that even as it was happening. She had known this man for a handful of days. But she had grown so fond of him so fast, and the thought of a room without him hollowed her out in a way she wasn’t prepared for.

Her eyes burned before she could stop them.

"Hey." Maverick turned to face her fully and caught a tear with his thumb before it finished falling, then the other side, unhurried. "None of that. I’ll be back before you’ve had a chance to miss me."

"I’m already missing you," Nova whispered.

He pulled her into a hug, both arms, and she pressed her face into his chest and let herself have it for a moment. When he drew back, he didn’t let go and pressed his forehead to hers, breathing the same air.

"Behave while I’m gone." His voice dropped. "And if you can manage it, try very hard not to get arrested. I only have so many favors with that correctional center and you’ve used a concerning number of them already."

A wet laugh escaped her.

"I mean it, Nova. Zero arrests. That’s the whole list. Everything else is negotiable. There’s something else I should probably—"

"Don’t be a stranger, Emberclaw," Alpha Thunderfang called, crossing the room. He stopped next to them and held out his hand.

Maverick took it.

The two of them shook hands, firm and brief, two Alphas who had drawn blades across a sacred clearing a week ago and had now built a friendship and mutual respect.

Then Alpha Thunderfang handed Maverick a gift bag. "Two bottles in there for you. The reserve."

"Appreciate it, Thunderfang." Maverick slung the gift bag over one shoulder and gave Nova a look of pure, unrepentant mischief. "Take care of Nancy for me. She answers to it now, apparently. Fought it for a while, gave up around the third course."

???

ALPHA THUNDERFANG’S CHAMBERS

Nova held it together through the goodbyes. But she did not hold it together once she and Alpha Thunderfang were back in his chambers and the quiet closed in around her.

He crossed to her without a word and pulled her into him, holding her for a full minute. She had to admit it made her feel much better.

Then he ran her another blue bath like this was the most obvious thing to do.

"You needn’t go to this trouble on my account, Alpha," she managed after a moment.

He caught her chin, thumb resting just beneath it, and held her gaze. "I want to. Let me."

Nova had no answer for that. This Alpha was very caring towards her when he didn’t have to be.

"Thank you," she whispered.

That night, she woke in Alpha Thunderfang’s bed again, her back against his chest, after she had fallen asleep on the couch.

When she tried to move, his arms locked around her, pulling her back against him. Then he put an icepack on her shoulder, like he had been waiting for exactly that.

"Stay here. You need it."

His leg remained over her, while he held the ice on her.

Nova genuinely wondered if he was fully awake, and if so, if he realized that icing horizontal was basically cuddling because that was exactly what was happening. But based on his lap track record, her guess was no.

Her eyes felt heavy and arguing with Alpha Thunderfang when it came to icing her shoulder would get her exactly nowhere.

She woke the next morning to the cold press of ice against her shoulder because he’d never stopped through the night.

Packs had surrendered on weaker resolve than the Alpha of Thunderfang brought to her inflammation. Through hell or high water, her shoulder would be iced.