Chapter 79: Emotional Support Mate Tossing

"You have tampered with your cuffs, 7709," Celeste announced. "You whored yourself to the Alpha’s brother and he figured out a way to get them off."

Nova didn’t flinch. "There must have been a miscommunication, Princess. The Alpha’s brother is my assigned mate. But he was not involved in the cuff removal. So you need not worry."

"Obviously he’s your mate," Celeste snapped, still holding onto Nova’s wrist. "Are you stupid? I was there. That’s the death penalty. Add that to the fact you have not reported to me since boarding this yacht." ℴ

"My apologies, Princess. There must have been another miscommunication." Nova repeated the phrase like a customer service representative. "I am not medically cleared yet to serve you. I tried to, but was admitted to the infirmary."

Celeste shoved Nova’s wrist to the side so hard that Nova fell to her knees and caught herself with shaking arms.

Nova pushed herself to stand, legs wobbling, probably looking pathetic and she hated that the most because everyone was watching. She was many things, but pathetic wasn’t going to be one of them.

"Bullshit." Celeste gritted the word through teeth that were doing double duty as a pressure valve. "You are mine, 7709. That was the deal. If you are here, I expect you to perform like you would in Starborne or I will notify my father."

"Of course, Your Highness," Nova said, resisting the urge to point out that she was no longer Alpha Starborne’s property and Derek would be the person to report to.

The silence on the receiving deck was the silence of people watching something they could not look away from. Sebastian Stormholt’s jaw was on the platform. Sierra’s hand was over her mouth. Maria was glaring daggers so sharp they could have been forged in Emberclaw fire. Her mouth opened, but Tavian stepped directly into her sightline before any words came.

Alpha Thunderfang was looking in the opposite direction, indifferent. Good for him. He was going to need to keep that spirit if he was going to be Celeste’s mate.

"Get out of my sight. To the back," Celeste ordered. "Not near me or my mate. You irritate him."

"Right away."

Nova turned and moved towards the back, she didn’t need to be told twice. She was well aware she irritated the Alpha.

She made it three steps before she stopped dead, because of Derek’s face.

Every muscle locked. His suit was brighter than she had ever seen it. His eyes were full wolf gold, burning like headlights.

Nova stopped adjacent to him.

"Derek?"

She gave his hand a squeeze. His fingers were trembling against her palm.

He looked down at her and his face relaxed a fraction. One degree.

"You stay up here. I don’t mind." Nova knew he was supposed to walk behind Alpha Thunderfang and in front of the Beta. She didn’t know why exactly or what this procession was, and she was not going to be the reason it got disrupted.

He blinked a few times but did not respond.

She gave his hand one more squeeze and moved, making her way towards the back of the procession.

Sierra’s hand was still covering her mouth. Sebastian’s jaw was still hanging open. Maria peeked around Tavian as Nova passed, finding her eyes. Nova gave her an ’I’m alright’ nod that she hoped would put everyone at ease.

That was nothing compared to Celeste’s usual self.

Nova scanned the line, looking for Astra or someone she knew that she could stand beside. Maybe someone who matched her cloak if they would let her.

She had made it ten steps when an arm hooked around her waist out of nowhere and picked her up.

She squealed in surprise, the sound leaving her mouth before she could stop it. Derek had tossed her in the air and caught her by her thighs, so she was vertical above him, looking down at his face while he looked up at hers. His eyes were somewhere between man and wolf, the gold flickering like a signal that couldn’t decide if it was staying or going.

She thought she had put his mind at ease. She thought the hand squeeze and the soft voice and the "I don’t mind" had been enough.

"Hey, Derek, it’s okay," she said softly, and ran a hand through the side of his hair. The gesture was more intimate than she had been with him before, but it was automatic, the way you touch someone when the touching is for them and the audience is irrelevant.

He didn’t say anything. He looked very upset. His mouth moved once. Nothing came out.

"You can slide in behind us if you’d like," Sierra whispered from three feet away. "I know that’s not customary, but—"

Sebastian gave her a look, cutting her off mid-word. Sierra shot him a look right back.

Nova glanced at Celeste. Her back was turned to them, standing beside Alpha Thunderfang at the front of the formation. She hadn’t specified how far back.

Derek had already made the decision. He stepped into the line behind Sebastian and Sierra without a word, Nova still vertical in his arms.

"Thank you," Nova said softly to Sierra.

"If you’re trying not to draw attention to her, you’re failing," Sebastian commented to Derek. "Are you going to carry her the whole way?"

Derek didn’t respond.

Nova looked down and caught the look he gave the Gamma. It was more wolf than man.

Sebastian raised both arms in surrender. His palms stayed up long enough to communicate that the message had been received, processed, and would be complied with under mild protest.

"Fine. Then I am carrying mine too."

He picked up Sierra with zero warning. Sierra squealed with the same deer-in-headlights surprise as Nova. The flailing was a mirror image, right down to the hand that grabbed the nearest shoulder for structural support.

It looked so familiar that Nova started laughing, the kind that escapes before your face gets the memo that you’re supposed to be maintaining composure.

Derek looked up at her and something behind his eyes shifted. He shook his head once. Blinked a few times. The wolf gold receded, the man came back, and the smirk returned to his face.

"I’ll do one better," he said.

"Wait—"

Derek tossed her again, but higher this time, like she was a ball. She squealed again, the sound ripping out of her throat at a register that startled three wolves in the neighboring section. Her stomach left her body somewhere around the apex and sent a postcard that said not coming back.

"Derek," Nova gasped. "Oh, that is not—"

He caught her and did it again because apparently one wasn’t enough, this time twisting her mid-air so she landed sitting on one of his shoulders.

Derek looked up at her with an expression of pure, uncut innocence. The face of a man who hadn’t the faintest idea what she could possibly be objecting to.