Chapter 19 — Chosen Alpha
The clearing stayed silent for exactly three seconds.
Then Scott made the mistake of opening his mouth.
"You can't seriously be blaming all of this on me."
Thea smiled.
It wasn't warm.
Wasn't amused.
It was the kind of smile that belonged on someone moments before violence.
"Oh, Scott," she said softly, almost mockingly. "I absolutely am."
Scott swallowed.
Derek stepped closer.
Isaac cracked his knuckles once.
Stiles folded his arms.
Ethan and Aiden moved to block the edges of the clearing almost casually, but the meaning behind it was obvious.
Scott wasn't leaving until they were done.
For the first time all night, Scott genuinely looked cornered.
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Thea moved first.
Fast.
Scott barely got half a step backward before Thea hit him.
Hard.
Her fist collided with his jaw with enough force to snap his head sideways, the sound of impact echoing sharply through the clearing.
Scott staggered.
Dazed.
And honestly?
Nobody moved to stop her.
Not one person.
"That," Thea hissed, eyes blazing gold, fury finally bleeding fully into her voice, "was for talking about Nova like she's disposable and for making Nova think I'd ever leave her."
Scott opened his mouth.
Big mistake.
Scott barely had time to recover before Isaac drove a punch directly into his ribs hard enough to fold him slightly.
Isaac growled. "And that was for bringing up Allison, knowing it would hurt Nova."
Scott stumbled again before Derek grabbed him by the front of his shirt and slammed him into another tree.
The impact rattled the branches overhead.
"You don't ever get to talk about my sister like that again." Derek growled.
Scott shoved weakly at him.
Stiles stepped in next.
Not angry in the loud explosive way Derek and Isaac were.
Worse.
Cold.
Hurt.
"You know what really pisses me off?" Stiles asked quietly before punching Scott directly in the mouth. "I defended you for years."
Scott hit the ground hard.
Aiden immediately caught him from behind and slammed him backward again.
"Seriously?" Aiden barked out. "You're still fighting after all that?"
Ethan snorted.
"Honestly, that's kind of impressive at this point."
Scott swung blindly.
Stiles ducked.
Then immediately punched Scott square in the mouth.
Scott froze in shock more than pain.
Because Stiles almost never hit people.
Stiles looked furious.
Actually furious.
"You made my sister cry." he said coldly.
Scott stared at him.
Stiles shoved him backward.
"Again."
Aiden immediately hauled him back upright.
Only for Ethan to hit him next.
Scott groaned loudly.
"Jesus Christ!"
"No," Ethan said flatly. "This is overdue."
Derek grabbed Scott before he could fall.
Not to help him.
To hold him still while Thea punched him again.
Scott groaned loudly.
Blood covered most of his face now from his broken nose and split lip.
One eye was already swelling.
Thea stepped back breathing hard.
Not out of exhaustion.
Out of rage.
By the time they were done, Scott looked wrecked.
And for the first time in a long time—
Alone.
Scott looked around desperately.
At Derek.
At Isaac.
At Stiles.
At Ethan and Aiden.
Nobody looked remotely sympathetic.
Every single one of them glaring at him.
Not one person standing at his side.
And slowly—
Something in Scott's expression cracked.
Not physically.
Emotionally.
Because he finally realized the truth.
He'd already lost them.
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Thea folded her arms tightly across her chest.
Her rage still simmered violently under the surface.
"We're done." she said finally.
Scott blinked.
"What?"
Derek answered instead.
"You're out of the pack."
Scott stared at him.
Then laughed bitterly.
"You can't just decide that yourselves."
"Actually, we can." Isaac snapped immediately.
Derek let go of Scott roughly.
Scott staggered slightly before catching himself.
"You don't get it," Scott muttered bitterly, wiping blood from his mouth. "I'm the alpha."
That made Isaac laugh.
Actually laugh.
Sharp.
Mean.
"No," Isaac said bluntly. "You're an alpha."
Scott frowned.
Isaac stepped closer.
"But you're not ours anymore."
The clearing went still.
Scott blinked.
Slowly.
Disbelieving.
Derek crossed his arms.
Scott looked between all of them.
Disbelief slowly giving way to panic.
Stiles shoved his hands into his pockets.
"The pack only needs one alpha." he said quietly. "And we already chose ours."
That hit Scott harder than any punch had.
Scott's breathing visibly faltered.
Derek's eyes stayed locked on him.
Cold.
Final.
"You and Nova are both True Alphas." Derek continued. "But unlike you, Nova actually protects people without trying to control them."
Aiden shrugged.
"And she doesn't emotionally manipulate everyone when they disagree with her."
Ethan snorted.
"Huge bonus honestly."
Isaac folded his arms.
"Nova actually treats us like family instead of soldiers or lackeys that have to do whatever he says and then gets mad when we point out the issues or flaws."
Scott looked toward Stiles desperately.
Like maybe his best friend would still choose him.
Stiles didn't.
Not this time.
"Lydia agrees." Stiles said quietly. "Malia too."
Isaac crossed his arms.
"Peter would absolutely back this decision."
Derek nodded once.
"Chris too."
Stiles let out a humorless breath.
"My dad and Melissa would understand."
Scott visibly flinched at that.
Because deep down?
He knew they were right.
Melissa would be horrified by what he said to Nova.
Noah would probably help dig the grave.
Scott swallowed hard.
And suddenly the realization truly hit him.
He hadn't just hurt Nova tonight.
He'd destroyed his place in the pack.
And every single one of them had chosen her over him.
Scott's gaze snapped toward Thea.
Like maybe she'd disagree.
Maybe she'd stop this.
Thea looked absolutely disgusted with him.
"You emotionally destroyed the woman I love tonight." she said quietly.
Scott swallowed hard.
Thea stepped closer.
Not loud.
Not explosive.
Worse.
Quietly furious.
"Was it worth it?" she asked softly.
Scott frowned slightly.
Thea laughed once.
Sharp.
Broken.
"Was it worth breaking my girlfriend's heart?" she continued, her voice tightening. "Because that's what you did tonight, Scott."
Scott opened his mouth.
Thea cut him off immediately.
"Nova thought of you as a brother." Thea said quietly, her voice sharp with restrained anger. "And tonight that brother emotionally ripped her heart out right in front of me."
Scott visibly flinched.
Thea laughed bitterly.
"Honestly? I never even liked you that much." she admitted coldly. "Not after seeing the way you talked to Nova sometimes. The way you treated her whenever she didn't fall in line with what you wanted."
Scott stared at her.
Thea's eyes narrowed.
"But Nova cared about you." she continued quietly. "So I kept my mouth shut for her sake."
Scott visibly flinched.
Thea's eyes hardened further.
"So no," she finished coldly. "You're fucking lucky this is all we're doing."
Scott swallowed hard.
Derek's voice dropped lower.
More final.
"You're out of the pack, Scott."
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On the other side of the estate—
The massive Queen mansion glowed warmly against the darkening evening sky as Laurel, Lydia, and Malia slowly guided Nova inside.
Nova looked exhausted.
Emotionally hollowed out.
Her ripped clothes were stained with blood and dirt.
Bruises darkened her skin.
And despite her healing already beginning—
She still looked shattered.
The massive front doors opened just as Lydia, Malia, and Laurel carefully guided Nova inside.
The timing couldn't have been worse.
The front doors had barely closed behind them when another voice cut through the foyer.
"What happened?"
Moira Queen had just stepped inside from town, elegant as always in a dark green dress and heels from some luncheon hosted by one of her friends.
But the second she saw Nova—
Everything else stopped mattering.
Concern immediately flooded her face.
Not just because Nova was Thea's girlfriend.
Not just because she had Moira's grandchild.
But because Moira had known Nova since she was little.
Knew exactly who she was.
Talia Hale's youngest daughter.
The child who survived.
A girl she'd personally watched try to hold herself together after Allison died.
Moira immediately set her purse down and moved toward them immediately.
"Oh sweetheart..." she breathed softly, eyes scanning over Nova's bruised face and torn clothes. "What happened to you?"
Nova looked like she wanted to answer.
But nothing came out.
Alarm flashed openly across her face.
"What happened?" she demanded.
Her gaze snapped between Laurel, Lydia, and Malia before landing back on Nova.
Concern deepened instantly.
Laurel stepped in immediately.
Protective.
Practical.
Calmer than she actually felt.
"Lydia, Malia, take her upstairs." Laurel said gently. "Get her cleaned up."
Her eyes flicked briefly over Nova's injuries.
And she remembered something Nova had once told her.
Wounds from another alpha took longer to heal.
Nova barely reacted.
Just nodded weakly.
Lydia nodded softly and immediately moved closer supportively.
Malia immediately moved closer to Nova's side again, like she was glued protectively against Nova's side.
"Come on." Lydia murmured gently.
Together, the two girls slowly guided her up the grand staircase upstairs toward hers and Thea's room.
Moira watched them go.
Concern only deepening.
Then she looked toward Laurel.
"Laurel."
And her expression hardened, anger growing.
That single word held enough weight to make it very clear Moira expected answers immediately.
"Tell me what happened."
Laurel exhaled slowly.
Then began.
"We were all out on the estate grounds helping train Thea." Laurel explained. "Her new abilities."
Moira nodded once immediately.
Approving.
Honestly relieved Nova hadn't just left Thea alone to figure out being a werelioness by herself.
Laurel continued.
"Everything was fine for a couple hours." she said quietly. "Actually... better than fine. Thea was making really good progress."
The entire pack had helped Thea learn control.
Helped her adapt.
And according to Derek and Isaac especially, Thea had been making incredible progress.
A small smile flickered briefly across Moira's face.
Pride.
Relieved.
Then it vanished again.
"Nova stepped away for a break for a little while and came to sit with me, Lydia, and Stiles while Derek, Isaac, and the others kept helping Thea train." Laurel continued.
Moira listened closely.
Laurel continued.
Her jaw tightened.
"Then Scott asked Nova if they could talk alone."
Moira's expression immediately darkened.
Laurel nodded grimly.
" And Nova agreed because she hoped Scott was finally going to understand that she didn't abuse her power. That turning Thea was something Thea chose for herself."
Laurel crossed her arms tightly.
Moira's expression tightened further.
Laurel sighed.
"But Stiles, Lydia, Ethan, and Aiden didn't trust Scott. So, they followed them without Scott or Nova knowing."
Moira's stomach visibly sank.
Because that alone told her enough.
Already anticipating where this was going.
Laurel continued quietly.
"I stayed with Thea, Derek, Malia, and Isaac while they kept training."
Her expression tightened further.
"Then a little bit later we heard Nova roar."
Moira froze.
Laurel swallowed hard.
"It was angry. Loud. Completely out of control."
A beat.
"So we ran."
Moira stayed silent.
Listening carefully.
Laurel rubbed tiredly at her forehead.
A heavy silence settled briefly.
Then Laurel explained the rest.
How they'd rushed across the woods.
How they found Scott and Nova physically fighting.
"By the time we got there, Nova and Scott were fighting."
Her voice lowered.
"Derek demanded to know what the hell happened. That's when Stiles and Lydia told us what Scott said to Nova."
Moira's face slowly hardened into fury.
Every accusation.
Every guilt trip.
Every cruel comparison to Allison.
Moira's expression slowly shifted from concern into fury.
Real fury.
Laurel's jaw tightened.
And Laurel wasn't even close to done.
"Even after we separated them, Scott kept going." Laurel said bitterly. "He kept emotionally tearing Nova apart until she started questioning everything."
Moira looked horrified.
Laurel swallowed.
Then forced herself to continue.
"He made her question her relationship with Thea." Laurel continued quietly. "Told her Thea was only with her out of pity and because of the baby."
Moira looked genuinely horrified now.
Because she knew.
Peter.
Melissa.
Chris.
Noah.
The adults back in Beacon Hills had already told Moira and Walter what happened to Allison.
How deeply it broke Nova.
Moira still remembered the first time she saw Nova after that loss.
Quiet.
Hollow.
Barely functioning beneath the grief, the guilt.
She remembered herself and Walter gently offering Nova a place with their family.
Remembered how fragile the girl looked accepting it.
The haunted look in her eyes.
The way Nova carried pain like she deserved it.
And now Scott had deliberately weaponized all of that against her again.
Cruelly.
Deliberately.
Moira's eyes flashed with anger.
Cold.
Protective.
Maternal.
"That boy just made a very serious mistake." she said softly.
And somehow?
That calm tone sounded terrifying.
"Where is Scott now?" she asked quietly.
Laurel crossed her arms.
"Still out in the woods with Thea, Derek, Isaac, Stiles, Ethan, and Aiden." she answered carefully. "After Thea told us to bring Nova inside."
Moira's eyes narrowed slightly.
Then after a moment, some of the fury eased just enough for concern to return.
Real concern.
Maternal.
She looked back toward the staircase where Nova had disappeared upstairs.
"How is she really?" Moira asked quietly. "Emotionally and physically."
Laurel's expression softened immediately.
Tired.
Protective.
Sad.
"Physically? She'll heal." Laurel admitted softly. "Slowly because Scott's an alpha too, but she'll heal."
A pause.
Then quieter:
"Emotionally is worse."
Moira's face tightened.
Laurel sighed softly.
"Scott knew exactly where to hurt her." she admitted. "He went after Allison. After her guilt. After her fear of losing people. Then he went after her relationship with Thea and the baby."
Laurel looked genuinely upset now.
"Nova already blames herself for almost everything bad that happens around her." she continued quietly. "Scott basically ripped open every wound she has and poured salt into it."
Moira closed her eyes briefly.
Anger flickered sharply across her face again.
Laurel looked back upstairs.
"She's terrified Thea is going to leave her now." she admitted softly. "Even after everything Thea said to reassure her."
Moira's jaw tightened immediately.
Because that kind of fear didn't come from nowhere.
It came from grief.
From abandonment.
From losing Allison in her arms and never fully recovering from it.
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Upstairs—
Lydia and Malia carefully guided Nova into hers and Thea's shared room.
The room itself was warm.
Soft.
Comfortable.
Usually one of Nova's favorite places in the mansion.
Right now?
She barely seemed to notice it.
Nova stood there quietly while Lydia and Malia gently helped peel away her shredded hoodie first.
Then the bloodstained tank top underneath.
The fabric clung uncomfortably to healing cuts and bruises, forcing Lydia to carefully ease parts of it away from Nova's skin.
Malia quietly helped remove the muddy torn jeans next.
Neither girl made a joke.
Neither pushed.
They just stayed gentle.
Supportive.
Pack.
Nova looked exhausted.
Like holding herself upright was taking actual effort.
Lydia carefully squeezed Nova's hand once.
"Come on." she murmured softly.
Malia nodded toward the massive attached bathroom.
"Bath."
Nova nodded weakly.
The huge marble bathtub was already steaming by the time Lydia helped lower Nova carefully into the hot water.
The second the warmth hit her skin, Nova visibly relaxed slightly for the first time since returning from the woods.
Not fully.
But enough.
Malia sat on the edge of the tub while Lydia carefully cleaned dried blood from Nova's face.
Slowly.
Gently.
Every now and then Nova hissed softly when Lydia cleaned around one of the deeper wounds.
"Sorry," Lydia whispered each time.
Nova just shook her head tiredly.
Some of the injuries had already begun healing.
The deeper injuries from fighting another alpha were healing far slower than normal.
Dark bruises still covered Nova's ribs and jaw.
Deep scratches lingered across her shoulder.
After a while, Lydia finally helped Nova carefully out of the tub.
Water dripped steadily down her skin as exhaustion visibly weighed on her.
Malia immediately grabbed one of the huge soft towels nearby and wrapped it gently around Nova's shoulders.
Lydia grabbed another towel and carefully started drying Nova's hair while Malia gently dried the rest of her off.
Slowly.
Carefully.
Like they were afraid she might shatter if they moved too rough.
Only after Nova was fully dry did Lydia begin carefully bandaging the deeper wounds while Malia handed her supplies silently whenever she needed them.
The entire atmosphere stayed soft.
Quiet.
Protective.
Once they finally got Nova cleaned up and bandaged, Lydia helped her into soft pajamas.
Just loose shorts and one of Thea's oversized tank tops.
Comfort clothes.
Safe clothes.
Nova looked less physically wrecked afterward.
Emotionally though?
Still fragile.
Still hurting.
Then Nova's eyes drifted toward the nursery room just down the short hallway connected to theirs.
Immediately softening.
Without a word, Nova slowly walked down the short hallway toward the nursery.
She pushed the door open quietly before stepping inside.
Warm fairy lights glowed softly around the room, casting everything in a gentle golden haze.
The painted wolves on the nursery walls seemed softer somehow in the low lighting.
Safer.
Nova's expression visibly softened further as she slowly made her way toward the crib.
Baby Allison, Allie, immediately cooed happily the second she saw her mommy.
The sound alone visibly cracked something open inside Nova.
Softly.
Carefully.
Nova lifted Allie into her arms.
Allie immediately curled happily against her chest.
Tiny fingers grabbing at Nova's tank top.
Nova sat down slowly in the rocking chair near the crib and began rocking her gently.
Back.
And forth.
Back.
And forth.
Allie babbled happily.
Completely unaware of the emotional devastation surrounding the day.
Nova pressed a soft kiss against her daughter's hair.
And for the first time all night—
She looked calm.
Lydia and Malia stayed back quietly near the doorway.
Watching.
Protective.
Malia's expression softened slightly.
"Will she be okay?" she asked quietly.
Lydia watched Nova rocking Allie for a long moment before answering.
"In time." Lydia said softly. "And we're going to help her get there."
Her eyes drifted toward Nova.
Gentler now.
"And she has Thea."
Malia nodded slowly.
After a little while, Nova finally stood again.
Carefully carrying Allie into the main bedroom area.
She laid the sleepy baby carefully in the middle of the massive bed before climbing in beside her.
Nova barely made it under the blankets before exhaustion fully caught up with her.
Mental.
Physical.
Emotional.
Lydia quietly walked over and gently tucked the blankets around both Nova and Allie.
Soft.
Careful.
Protective.
Malia watched them for another second.
Then without warning—
She shifted.
Bones cracked softly.
Fur spread quickly.
And seconds later a coyote stood beside the bed.
Malia leapt lightly onto the mattress before circling once carefully and curling protectively around Allie.
The baby immediately snuggled happily into her fur.
Lydia smiled softly.
Honestly?
It was adorable.
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Later—
The front doors downstairs finally opened again.
Thea entered first.
Derek, Isaac, Stiles, Ethan, and Aiden following behind her.
Scott was noticeably absent.
Because they had thrown him off the Queen property.
And made it very clear he wasn't welcome back.
Moira looked up immediately from where she and Laurel were still sitting downstairs.
One look at Thea's face told her enough.
Thea ignored the look entirely.
Didn't stop.
Didn't speak.
She immediately headed upstairs.
Fast.
Desperate to get back to Nova.
Thea quietly pushed open the bedroom door.
And stopped.
Nova was asleep curled protectively around Allie.
And beside them—
A small fluffy coyote Malia slept curled protectively around the baby too.
The sight hit Thea right in the chest.
Soft.
Painful.
Loving.
Thea walked over quietly before leaning down and pressing a soft kiss against Nova's forehead.
Nova shifted slightly in her sleep but didn't wake.
Satisfied, Thea quietly disappeared into the bathroom.
A hot shower later, she emerged dressed in basketball shorts and an oversized graphic t-shirt.
Comfort clothes.
Exhaustion dragged heavily at her body now too.
Carefully—
Trying not to wake Nova—
Thea slowly climbed into bed behind her.
Big spoon.
Nova immediately shifted unconsciously closer in her sleep.
Like her body recognized safety even asleep.
Thea wrapped an arm carefully around Nova's waist and pressed herself close.
Protective.
Loving.
Certain.
Thea closed her eyes briefly.
Because this?
This was exactly where she was supposed to be.
Right here.
With Nova.
With Allie.
Their family safe in her arms.
And for the first time all day, everything finally went quiet.