Chapter 61: Come And Fucking Get It Then

"I SAID PUT IT DOWN, 7709."

Nova didn’t move. She was at her limit of having fucks left to give. There was no universe where she was dropping the thing keeping Kai on the ground.

"A slave attacking their master is the death penalty," he added. "You are defying a direct command on top of that. The longer this goes, the more painful your death will be. Submit now and it won’t be as bad."

He said it like that was supposed to be motivating.

"Come take it," Nova replied lightly.

"This isn’t funny! There’s no universe where you walk away unharmed."

The clearing was silent behind her, which Nova took as this interaction being more interesting than the blade standoff.

"Disarm me then, Kai."

This was a bluff. A big one. He looked up at her, brows knit, like he was seriously wondering if she knew how to fight. That was funny. That was worth the death penalty.

"I am ordering you to drop the weapon," he tried again. "Now. Before I call father."

"And I’m ordering you to come get it."

"You can’t order me. You’re a slave."

"And you’re on the ground. We’re both having an off night."

The only sound that could be heard was rain. Then Derek Thunderfang opened his mouth, still holding a blade to Maverick’s throat.

"I’m sorry. What the hell am I watching?"

He looked at the Emberclaw Gamma, who shrugged, still holding a blade to Landon’s throat.

"Call your father. Please. I’m begging you, Kai," Derek said. "Call him over here right now. I want to watch."

No one argued. Everyone waited.

"Nova, honey. Let’s hold off starting any more wars. Come back over to Emberclaw," Maverick beckoned after waiting thirty seconds, which was probably because he too wanted to see Kai call his father over. Nova couldn’t be sure.

"You heard him. Drop it, 7709. This is your last chance," Kai warned.

Maverick hadn’t said ’drop it’ but correcting a prince who was lying in the mud felt like overkill.

"Your execution will already be painful. I promise you that, 7709. How painful depends on what you do right here," Kai added.

"Come get it, Kai. I dare you."

Kai looked at her like she had just slapped him. His mouth opened. Closed. Opened again.

"When I get up, I’m going to—"

"Nova," Landon cut him off. "You’ve got every right to stand there. But I need you walking towards the Thunderfang side of this field in the next two minutes or I will be carrying you."

Two minutes was a long time. Not ten seconds. Two minutes.

"Yes, Alpha Thunderfang," Nova replied, voice calm. "He’s also welcome to come take it from me. Whichever works."

Behind her, Landon made a face when she called him ’Alpha Thunderfang’ that Derek mentally printed, framed, and hung in the hallway of his brain.

"Let me talk in slow words," Kai stated, like he was trying to explain common sense to the elders. "Slave point sword at Alpha. That makes Alpha angry. 7709, what happens when Alpha is angry?"

"Based on tonight? He falls down, Your Highness."

"No," Kai corrected. "You did this. Bad. Now you fix it."

"Kai, what is the holdup," Alpha Starborne’s voice carried from the far side of the field, where the entire Starborne pack had positioned themselves at a comfortable distance from the two-pack sword tangle they wanted no part of.

He crossed the field at Alpha speed and stopped like he’d hit a wall. His gaze swung from Kai to Nova to Kai, while his face went on a journey.

"The plasma is working for her, father," Kai gritted, from the ground still glaring daggers at Nova. "And apparently we teach our slaves how to fight."

"Kai. Get up. Take your blade back from the slave and let’s be done with this," Starborne stated.

Kai didn’t move. Starborne dragged a hand down his face then turned towards Nova.

"7709, why do you have a blade to my son’s throat?" he asked, like he genuinely was baffled by it.

Truthfully, Nova was as well. But here they were.

"He tripped, Alpha, and I caught it on accident," she replied with zero hesitation because that was the truth.

"SHE LIES," Kai snapped. "SHE BURNED MY HAND WITH HER SILVER. SHE TRIPPED ME. AND ACTIVATED THE PLASMA. THAT SHOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE."

"Both of those things were an accident, too. Apologies about all of that."

"Apologies?" Kai repeated, flabbergasted.

"Yes, Your Highness."

Without taking his eyes off of her, Alpha Starborne called across the field. "Thunderfang, do you still want her?"

"Yes, Starborne. Your son’s evening doesn’t affect my offer," Derek replied.

"Right now, she is committing treason which is the death penalty in Starborne. I suggest you pay for her or get her out of my face before I enforce it."

Nova looked up at Alpha Starborne. "With respect, Your Majesty, I have been trying to give it back to him. He won’t take it."

It was not strategic. Yes, she was speaking out of turn. Yes, it was funny. She had more loaded in her mouth and was ready to machine-gun smart-assery.

"Ten seconds, Thunderfang," Starborne stated.

There was movement behind her. Before she could fire off another rebellious statement, she found herself horizontal with a plasma blade still in her hand and Derek Thunderfang carrying her.

"Starborne, pleasure. Kai, ice your hand. Nova, stop pissing off Alphas. In that order," Derek said.

Nova blinked a few times. Then she saw Maverick’s face and her heart broke in half.

He had been coming for her. Nova could see the math of it in the mud. His bootprints told the story. He had launched from where he’d been standing, crossed half the distance, and stopped.

Because Derek was already there. Because Derek had her. And Maverick was left standing in his own wake, chest heaving, fists open, watching a man carry her away. His jaw was working. His throat was moving. And nothing was coming out, because what do you say when your chest is caving in.