Fin sprinted back to his room with Nova. He could feel her and knew she wasn't doing well.
"Hang on, baby….almost there." He said, kissing her head.
His mind was racing with everything he had just heard. Did her wolf know something they didn't? There were so many questions coming to his mind but he was glad Seraphine channeled that to him. Nova was his to protect and share her burdens.
Once they were back in his quarters, the second he put Nova down, she sprinted to their large bathing room. He followed her. She tried to push him away, not wanting him to see her throw up.
"I am not going anywhere. Sorry there's no way in hell."
Before she could respond she turned and threw up into the toilet. All red. Blood. Fin's stomach twisted. She kept throwing up blood for at least ten minutes.
Jax knocked on the door, telling Marra he'd be right back. No answer. He could hear Nova throwing up through the door. He mindlinked Elias.
Jax: Can you bring Nova a tonic for nausea? She must have eaten something bad.
Elias: Yes, where is she? I thought I saw her dry heave for a second.
Jax: She is with Fin.
He wanted to go in there and hold her while she threw up. But he held off. He would have to wait for Nova to call that meeting. He sighed as he walked down to his quarters to Marra.
When Nova was done throwing up she still felt nauseous.
Fin filled their giant bath with hot water.
"It'll be okay. I'm here, baby. Let me help you out of this dress." He hugged her and kissed her neck. Her smell drove him crazy. He kissed her mark and tasted her sweat, and she moaned. He wanted to be inside of her. His eyes were feral.
"T-thank y-you." She said stuttering which broke Fin out of his trance hearing her stutter. She was rattled by that. Who wouldn't be. No warning. Why her? Why not him too? So many questions bubbled in his mind.
He attempted to unhook, unbutton, untie, and unzip her beautiful, complicated dress. Frustrated, he decided he was just going to rip it. She grabbed his hand in horror.
"No don't! I love it. Don't rip it. I'll call Elle." She said. Fin felt warmth again, she loved what he got her. He started to kiss her neck, then up her face to her lips.
"Fin I just threw up, d-don't kiss me on the l-lips." She was trying to protest but Fin wouldn't have it and started making out with her. Her mouth tasted like blood which got him out of the trance he was in again.
Damn. What is wrong with me? He thought.
He tried unhooking the dress for another minute, when Elle knocked on the door. Nova must have mindlinked her.
Elle came into the bathroom.
"You look like you're not feeling well, Nova." She said coming over to take over getting her out of the dress.
"I'm g-gross just a heads up." Nova said, to Fin's annoyance. She was not gross at all to him and she shouldn't say that.
"You feel like you were just in a sauna. Damn." Elle laughed.
"So that was insane. Just so you're aware. Most epic Luna ceremony in the history of ceremonies. I mean—gods—everyone in that hall was dumbstruck. Like, jaws on the floor."
She grinned, eyes sparkling. "Even Cael."
Fin chuckled, "I heard him snort early on and I almost lost it."
"Oh no, you should've. I had to bite my cheek to keep from cackling. Did you see everyone bowing to you two like you were celestial beings just walking through the mortal realm? Literal foreheads to the floor. Elders. Shard."
"I was t-too busy t-trying not to throw up onto that annoying b-basin that explodes f-fire every time I go near it," Nova muttered.
Fin started laughing and pulled her close, kissing the top of her head.
Elle smirked. "You two literally turned gold and lit the room on fire."
Elle then cracked up, nearly doubling over. "Poor Marra. Gods. That girl had no idea what she was walking into."
"R-right?" Nova said, groaning as she leaned forward so Elle could get a better clasp on the dress. "Next time I think I'm having a bad d-day… I'll just thank the g-gods that d-didn't happen to us."
Fin snorted. "Honestly. If that flame had rejected her any harder, it would've filed a restraining order."
Elle laughed, "You're not wrong."
Elle was unfastening the complex parts of the dress and then gasped.
"Nova… oh gods…" She gasped, putting her hand over her mouth in horror.
"What?" Her and Fin spoke at the same time. Fin moved over to where Elle stood. His face changed into a pained expression.
"Does it hurt Nova?" He asked, keeping his voice steady.
"Does what hurt? I'm feeling better. S-still a little queasy." Nova answered.
"It looks like you have gashes on your back like whipped or something." Elle says.
Fin looked at the dress. Nova spoke quickly.
"It's n-not f-from this d-dress. So let's put that thought on hold." She said a little more intensely than she meant to. She loved the dress.
Fin chuckled darkly and shook his head. She was so cute when she was determined like that. But his eyes were still filled with concern.
"I think it was from helping M-Marra. I didn't realize it would show up on my skin though. I'm fine." Nova said.
Fin immediately mindlinked Aeron and Elias, cutting to the chase.
Fin: Nova threw up blood. Her back has gashes all over, still bleeding. Come up to my quarters. Bring a calming tonic.
Aeron and Elias: On it.
Jax tucked Marra in and said he was going to take care of a few things when he left. He was pacing the hallway again, waiting on a mindlink. When he saw Elias run up the spiral stairs to the third floor.
Was he in that big of a hurry for nausea?
A minute later he saw Aeron, looking concerned. He also ran up the spiral stairs.
That was his cue. He already knew Elle had gone up there.
Jax walked into the Alpha's quarters and heard Aeron ask: "Did this happen last time?"
Nova answered, "No."
"How much blood did you throw up?" Elias asked.
"She threw up for 10 minutes. Too much blood. It was all red." Fin said.
"Do you have these anywhere else?" Elias asked.
"Let me get her out of this dress and we'll come out." Elle said.
Aeron and Elias left the bathing chamber, entering the room Jax was in.
Why did he feel like he was intruding? They were mates, living together, in love, and happy less than a week ago. He pushed that thought to the side.
"Is she okay?" He asked.
Elias and Aeron both looked at each other.
"She has gashes all over her back and threw up blood. We're seeing if it's anywhere else." Elias answered.
He had three tonics with him and disinfectant with ointment.
Fin came out of the bathroom. Not shocked to see Jax there concerned.
"It's all over her. She says it doesn't hurt… but I am starting to feel it through our matebond." Fin said, loosening his shirt.
Then Jax noticed red bleeding through his shirt.
"Fin… are you bleeding too?" Jax asked.
Fin looked down to see blood coming through his shirt. "What the…" He pulled it off. It looked like he was whipped all across his back and front.
"Is that what Nova's looks like?" Jax asked darkly, already knowing the answer.
"My guess is she would be way worse, so you took some of the burden from her." Aeron said.
Fin felt sick. He put up a finger signaling he'd be right back and went into the bathing chamber. Everyone heard him puking.
"F-Fin! Are you ok-kay?" Nova's voice was panicked. "What h-happened?!"
Cael then barged in the room. "Where's Elle?" He clearly felt her through their mate bond.
He didn't wait for an answer and ran into the bathing chamber. Nova screamed high pitched.
Cael then screamed at the sight of her and Fin both bleeding.
"Holy shit!" He said, voice still at a scream intensity.
Nova was in a strapless bra so it wasn't a huge deal. Elle burst out laughing.
Fin threw up again.
"Sorry Nova, just was concerned for my mate. But now I'm concerned for you and Fin. What the hell is this?"
Jax was not able to wait any longer. If Cael can go in there, he should be able to as well.
He walked into the chamber to see Fin puking and Nova kneeling next to him concerned. She had a pair of shorts on and a strapless bra and didn't care. For how shy Nova was, that was saying something.
"Fin… tell me this isn't because of m-me." She was trembling. Not sure if she should rub his back because he had gashes everywhere.
Elle went over to Nova and grabbed her thick long hair and put it into a large bun on the top of her head.
Jax then saw everything her hair had been covering. Again he noticed she was much thinner. Wolf whimpered in his mind at this.
She is hurt.
Fin threw up again and nova had tears in her eyes at this. He shook his head and stood up.
"Nova I watch you throw up for gods know how long, and you can't last 60 seconds without crying." He said teasing her, with a laugh.
He added, "No this is not your fault. This is no one's fault. And if I had a choice, I would take all of this and you would have none of it."
He grabbed her chin and repeated himself. "Not your fault, you didn't know this would happen." He kissed her forehead.
It made Jax's blood boil when he saw Fin touch her. He tried to ignore it. If this is how Fin felt every time he saw them together for months, then he understood why he stayed away.
Elle helped Nova put on a short silk robe. She looked so beautiful in whatever she had on it made Jax's stomach flip looking at her.
"Nice to see you're both thriving." Jax said with a nod, when she looked up at him to see him staring. Everyone laughed. He was using humor to cover up the tornado inside his heart.
Cael commented, "Nova almost puked on the basin. Can you imagine the Elders reaction if that would have happened?"
Everyone laughed like old times.
"This happened because you helped Marra. Isn't it Nova?" Jax asked, eyes darkening.
She avoided his eyes and answered, "I don't think so."
Fin then outed her, "It was. I felt it so she can't hide it."
He mindlinked Jax, Aeron, Nova, and Cael.
Fin: Emergency meeting once Elias leaves. Elle shouldn't be here for it.
Nova wondered how he knew and looked at him. He looked at her and she felt his emotions. Like he already knew. She wasn't sure the extent, but was relieved he knew too.