Lydia's Call š±š
The phone nearly slipped from Lydia's hand when she ended Nova's tearful call. Her pulse raced as though she'd just sprinted a mile. For a moment, she stood frozen in the hallway, back pressed against the wall, clutching her phone like it might vanish.
Nova's voice still rang in her earsāpanicked, broken, pleading. Nova never let herself sound that way, not even in battle. The Alpha in her usually kept everything in control, steady, unshakable. But tonight? Tonight, she had sounded like a girl who had finally broken.
Lydia forced her breathing calm, dialing with trembling fingers. There wasn't even a thought about who to callāHope was the only choice. Every ring thudded in Lydia's chest. When the line clicked, Lydia didn't waste a second.
"Hope," she said, her voice sharp, fast. "It's Nova. Allison and Scott showed upāthey broke into your room. She's crying, Hope. We're heading up to her right now, but you need to get back as fast as you can."
Hope's Morning ššļø
Hours earlier, before any of this had spiraled into chaos, Hope woke with the sun barely peeking into their room, Nova stirring beside her. The soft rhythm of Nova's breathing caught, her hand twitching against Hope's side. Hope kissed her temple gently, whispering, "Shh, it's okay. Go back to sleep."
Nova mumbled something about needing her, her voice scratchy with drowsiness. Hope smiled. "I'll be out for just a little while. I promise. I'll bring you something back."
It wasn't easy to slip from her grasp. Nova clung even in sleep, her fingers curling around Hope's wrist like she could anchor her there forever. Hope brushed them free with care, tucking the blanket back over her swollen belly. She bent close one more time, murmuring, "I'll be back before you even notice I'm gone."
But a pang of unease lingered in her chest as she stepped out the door.
Errands with Family šļø
At the baby store, the Mikaelsons had spread like a storm. Rebekah was already elbow-deep in racks of designer baby clothes. "Absolutely not," she said, tossing aside a plain yellow onesie Hope had pulled off the shelf. "Your children are Mikaelsons, Hope. They will be raised with taste, not rags."
Hayley laughed quietly, snagging a pile of soft cotton blankets. "Rebekah, you do realize they're just going to spit up on them, right?"
Rebekah sniffed. "Spit up in Prada, at least."
Freya examined a row of enchanted teething rings, murmuring faint protective spells under her breath. "These charms are shoddy. I'll make better ones when we're home."
Hope tried to keep up, but she couldn't shake the image of Nova back at the school, alone in their room. She imagined Nova sighing when she woke up, finding Hope gone, craving something impossible like strawberries dipped in ranch dressing or garlic knots at three a.m. Hope pressed her lips together, fighting the instinct to call and check in. Nova had been restless lately, clingy in ways that made Hope's heart ache and swell all at once.
Klaus trailed behind them like a shadow, glaring at anyone who glanced too long. A man in a baseball cap dared pause by the aisle, his gaze curious at the strange group, and Klaus's hybrid eyes flashed gold. The man scurried off without a word.
"You're scaring people, Dad," Hope muttered, not even looking up from the set of tiny socks in her hands.
"They should be scared," Klaus said, his voice low and dangerous. "You, Nova, and the little wolves your mate is carrying are the most important things in this world. Anyone who forgets that needs reminding."
Hope didn't argue. Part of her agreed.
The Mystic Grill šš„¤
They ended the errand run at the Mystic Grill. Hope slid into a stool at the bar counter, ordering takeout for Nova. She smiled faintly, imagining the way Nova's eyes would light up when she saw the food. Maybe it would soften the pout she always wore when Hope left her side.
As she waited, Hope scrolled through her phone, stopping at the notes app where she and Nova had been keeping a running list of baby names. Thalia. Grace. Lyra. Spencer. Aria. Lydia had vetoed "Stiles Jr." immediately, Nova was laughing so hard she'd had hiccups for ten minutes straight.
Hope's chest warmed with the memory. She couldn't wait to see her face when she surprised her with the nursery, complete with Freya's enchantments and Rebekah's over-the-top decorations. For once, their fractured family was united, building something instead of breaking it.
The server slid the takeout bag toward her. Hope reached outāthen froze as her phone buzzed violently. Lydia's name lit the screen.
The Call š„
"Hope," Lydia's voice came sharp, urgent, laced with fear. "It's Nova. Allison and Scott showed upāthey broke into your room. She's crying, Hope. We're heading up to her right now, but you need to get back as fast as you can."
For a split second, Hope couldn't breathe. The world went white around the edges, like her body had shut down.
"What?" The word cracked like a whip. "Say that again."
"You heard me," Lydia said, her voice breaking despite her effort to stay calm. "They're there. She called me in tears. She's not okay. We're on our way up to her now, but you need to get here. Now."
Hope's hand tightened so hard on the phone it nearly cracked. Her vision blurred with a mix of fury and terror. "Keep her safe," she ordered, her voice shaking with restrained rage. "Don't let them near her."
"We won't," Lydia promised. "But hurry."
The call ended, and Hope's chest heaved.
They had all been clustered together in the common area, picking at lunch or just hanging out because it was the weekend. The laughter and chatter died in an instant when the supernaturals among them caught Lydia's words through the phone.
Malia's claws flexed against the table, her eyes flashing. "If they hurt her, I'll tear them apart."
Isaac pushed his tray aside, his jaw tightening. "Scott had better pray I don't see him first."
Aiden slammed his fist down, rattling cups. "He's dead if he lays a finger on her." Ethan placed a hand on his twin's shoulder, but his own expression was just as dark.
MG and Kaleb exchanged a grim look, the easy banter gone. Kaleb muttered, "Guess lunch is over."
Only Lizzie, Stiles, Penelope, and Josie were left blinking in confusion, watching the sudden shift in mood. "What's wrong?" Stiles asked, eyes darting between them.
"They're heading to Nova," Derek growled as he rose to his feet, his whole body taut. "Now."
Stiles shoved his hands into his pockets as they all hurried for the stairs. "Everyone's worried about Scott losing it, but maybe we should be more worried about Allison. She's the one who could really set Nova off."
Lizzie snorted. "No kidding. That girl's got daggers in her words."
Malia's eyes flashed. "Then we make sure Nova never has to hear them again."
Josie nodded firmly, quickening her pace. "Let's just get to her before either of them pushes her too far."
The group moved faster, the urgency in their steps only growing.
Family Fury ā”
When she turned, her family already knew. They'd seen her face, heard enough to understand.
Rebekah's eyes blazed. "What did those little traitors do now?"
Hayley's voice was low, lethal. "If they so much as laid a hand on herā"
Freya's magic sparked at her fingertips, dangerous and eager. "They won't survive it."
Klaus stepped forward, gold flaring in his eyes. His hybrid growl carried across the room, silencing the chatter of the Grill. "Tell me," he demanded, "and I will rip them apart before dawn."
Hope's throat burned. "Scott and Allison. They're with Nova. She was crying, Dad."
That was all it took. Rebekah's expression twisted into something vicious, muttering about ripping Allison's throat out. Hayley's nails lengthened into claws, her wolf close to the surface. Freya whispered in Norse, already crafting wards she wanted to carve into the walls of the school.
Klaus smiled, but it was the kind of smile that promised blood. "Say the word, little wolf."
Hope's hands shook as she shoved the untouched food bag onto the counter. She met her father's eyes, all the fury and fear inside her boiling over. "Dad. Vampire speed. Now."
Klaus didn't hesitate. He reached out, gripping her shoulder firmly. "Hold tight."
Hope's last thought before the world blurred was of Novaāalone, scared, her hands trembling over her belly. Hope's jaw clenched. She wasn't going to let this go unanswered.
Back at the School šāāļøšØ
The halls blurred as the pack and super squad thundered toward Nova's room, Lydia leading the charge. The sound of hurried footsteps echoed off the walls, their determination rattling through every heartbeat. Stiles stumbled once trying to keep pace, but none of them slowed. The urgency was too thick, too raw. Nova needed them now.
At the same time, a rush of displaced air and magic swept through the campus as Klaus blurred across town with Hope clutched close, vampire speed eating the distance in seconds. Hope's hair whipped behind her, her chest heaving with dread and fury. Mystic Falls vanished in streaks of color. All she could see in her mind was Nova's tear-streaked face, all she could hear was Lydia's panicked voice.
Hold on, Nova. I'm coming.