Nova had not stirred once through the long, grey stretch of the following day. She lay still beneath the heavy blankets, her olive skin pale. A faint rise and fall of her chest was the only proof that life had not abandoned her. The room was thick with the scent of herbs and the oppressive quiet of held breath.
Fin sat slouched in a chair near the bed, elbows on his knees, head in his hands. Jax leaned against the wall, arms crossed, eyes fixed on her as though by watching he could will her heart to keep beating. Fin's eyes were bloodshot red, he hadn't left her side all night and neither had Jax.
Rex had stationed himself near the door, restless and silent, his hands flexing every few minutes as if he might tear the sickness out of her by force if given the chance.
When Elle entered, her expression softened instantly. Cael followed her in, his usual composure subdued, Marra and Aeron trailed behind.
"How's she holding up?" Cael asked, concern etched on his face. He heard it was bad, but she looked worse than what he even imagined.
"She's holding," Elias muttered without looking up from the bedside.
Marra brushed a strand of hair from Nova's damp forehead and frowned. "Her skin's on fire."
"It's been like that for hours," Fin said hoarsely, rubbing at his temple. His voice cracked like he hadn't slept, which he hadn't.
"The dark magic was stronger this time. Whoever did it must have learned from the first time." Elias said.
"It prevented the antidote from working. The poison was in her system for an extended period of time before Hyran intervened. She's lucky to be alive." Elias said, not bothering to cushion the last part.
Cael frowned remembering that Elle and Nova didn't need an IV with extra antidote last time. It was one dose of the antidote and he and Jax gave their blood twice. "How much longer until it starts working?"
Elias gave him a look that was neither cruel nor kind—only bone-deep weary. "It is working, just slower than we'd like. Her body's weak from extreme blood loss. We gave her enough antidote yesterday to treat twenty people. All it managed to do was keep her alive until Hyran burned the corruption out. We can't risk anything stronger until she stabilizes."
By evening, Nova's fever still hadn't broken. Her expression was pained.
When Elias finally stepped back and declared, "Enough. She can take the fever medicine now," all three men sagged with relief they didn't voice.
But then Fin noticed more bruises worse than before. These were dark blotches along her throat, across her collarbone, on her hands, and down her back. They seemed to be spreading.
"Elias… what is this?" Fin called, entire body tense. He was feeling sore all day and sure enough, it was surfacing on her.
"The bruising's from subdermal bleeding — her blood's too thin to clot." Elias explained. Elle and Marra exchanged glaces, horrified expressions.
"Will more of my blood help?" Fin asked, his voice low but unyielding.
Elias didn't even glance up. "You three have already given too much. You need food, sleep—your bodies can't keep this up." He hesitated, then added softly, "She'll still be alive when you come back."
Wrong thing to say.
Fin's chair scraped back as he stood. "Elias, no. Absolutely not." His tone cut through the quiet like steel drawn from a sheath. "That's an order from your Alpha—take my blood and give it to her. Now."
Elias opened his mouth, but Fin didn't give him the chance. "I'm sitting here breathing while she's bruising from the inside out. Don't tell me to rest. I feel it through the bond."
The force behind his words left the room still. Elias met his gaze—saw the wild fury and the hollow exhaustion there—and knew better than to argue. Without another word, he turned to prepare the needle.
"I'm fine as well, Elias," Jax said, tone clipped. "If I wasn't, you'd know. I'm not returning to the summit tomorrow, so take it. Gamma's orders." His jaw flexed as he spoke, frustration bleeding through every word. It was within his right to command it, and everyone in the room knew it. Elias simply pretended not to hear.
"I'm fine too," Rex added, folding his arms. "And I insist. Refuse me and I'll take it as a personal insult—which might just spark a pack conflict."
Cael groaned quietly, burying his face in his hands. "Spirits save me," he muttered.
Elias's patience thinned visibly. He looked at Jax first, irritation simmering behind his tired eyes, then at Rex, who met his stare without flinching. Finally, he exhaled through his nose. "Fine. But listen carefully—Finric's blood will take at least an hour to circulate through her system. We're introducing it gradually so her body can adjust. I'll allow your donations afterward, but you're both going to eat and wash up in the meantime. All three of you, actually. You look like corpses."
Rex stepped closer, tone roughened by worry. "Is there a way to make it work faster? I feel it too. She needs it now, and sitting here doing nothing is killing me."
Fin nodded once, his eyes locked on Elias. "Would it harm her if we got it into her system faster?"
Elias hesitated, weighing his words. "It shouldn't —but there's no way of knowing. It's still a lot of foreign blood. I don't know how her body might react to that much, that quickly."
"Our blood's a perfect match," Rex said flatly. His words were exactly what Fin and Jax were about to say.
Elias sighed, rubbing at his temple. "Then eat something before you collapse. All three of you look half-dead and badly dehydrated." He removed the vial from Fin's hand and attached it to Nova's IV line, adjusting the flow.
They watched in tense silence as the crimson thread slid down into her arm. After several moments, the faintest flush of color began to creep back into her cheeks. It wasn't much—but enough that every one of them saw it. Through the matebond, they felt it too: the sharp edge of her pain easing, the ache in their chests dulling just slightly.
Fin exhaled shakily, pressing his thumbs against the bridge of his nose. "I can feel it working through the bond. If we increase the rate—just a little—we'll see how she handles it. Then adjust." His tone left no room for refusal.
Elias eyed him, lips tightening. "Fine," he said at last, "but only if the three of you go get food and freshen up first. Once you're back, we'll do the others."
He paused, meeting each of their gazes in turn. "And listen to me—this isn't like last time. She was out for what… a day and a half maybe two days? This is different. She's weaker. If you want to help her, you need enough strength left to give her that blood at all."
Jax and Rex exchanged a look, reluctant but resigned. They both knew Elias was right, though neither liked admitting it.
"We'll stay with her, brother," Cael said quietly to Fin.
Fin gave a short nod, his expression unreadable, and turned toward the door. Jax and Rex followed, all three radiating the same silent frustration. None of them blamed Elias, but that didn't make it any easier to walk away.
A few minutes after Fin reached his quarters, Cael mindlinked, looping in Jax.
Cael: The meeting with Bloodmoon is arranged. Redmoon convinced him to come to you, though he didn't say why. Hyran offered to make the portal.
Fin: Good. I'm surprised he agreed to a portal. What time?
Cael: Dawn. He's never used one before, but he'll do anything if it earns him another nod from Redmoon.
Jax: The trial's been set for tomorrow afternoon.
Fin: Perfect. I'll extend the invitation to Bloodmoon.
Cael: Does Rex know?
Fin: Enough of it. He'll want to be there. Notify Redmoon and Hyran—they've got more than enough on their plates, but if they wish to attend, they have every right.
Jax: Good. I've been looking forward to busting that murderous little princess Meredith.
Cael: Subtle, Jax. Very diplomatic.
Jax: Diplomacy's your department. I just want front-row seats when her royal highness realizes crowns don't make good shields.
Fin: Try to restrain yourself. We're not starting another war before breakfast. This is about the Emberhides, not Meredith.
Jax: No promises, Alpha.
Cael: The defense attorney is very good. The best in Varos.
Fin: He better have some compelling evidence that Meredith is to blame. That's the only way those two walk with their heads.
For the first time in two days, a faint smirk tugged at the corner of Fin's mouth. Tomorrow would bring its own battles—but for tonight, Nova was breathing, and that was enough.