Jax pushed open the door to Nova's room.
Empty.
He frowned, stepping further inside. The bed was untouched, the fire low. He stepped back into the hall — just in time to nearly collide with Beta Cael Valehart.
Both froze.
"What are you doing here?" they said in unison.
They stared at each other for a long beat before Cael broke the silence. "You first."
"I was checking on Nova," Jax said, arms crossing.
Cael gave a humorless laugh. "Relax. I might be the only male in this castle not throwing himself at her."
Jax snorted. "Dark joke."
They both wandered down to the courtyard, where frost clung to the railings and their breath puffed like smoke.
Cael broke the silence. "Do you smell cinnamon?"
Jax blinked. "No. But I smell vanilla."
Cale took a breath, clearly wanting to come clean about something. "I smelled it in the battle arena a few days ago. Sweetest thing I've ever caught on the wind. I thought I was losing my mind. Then she shifted to run after Nova and my wolf went crazy. Tracked the scent to a little red wolf. My wolf happily chased her playing and she gave me the slip a few times through the trees. I caught a scent of Alpha Ashbane and immediately tackled her and mindlink commanded she return to the castle. She was not happy with me."
Jax tilted his head surprised.
"Elle," Cael said. "Nova's best friend I'm told. She's my fated mate."
He sighed adding, "But she's seventeen… and she doesn't feel it yet."
A smile spread across Jax's face. He shook his head trying to not laugh.
"I accidentally kissed her." Cael said.
Jax chuckled at that, unable to contain it. "Damn you have it bad."
"She looked scared or shocked," Cael admitted. "Then I ran from her. And here I am. Losing my mind over a feisty little redhead that doesn't know I exist. What is it with this pair of minxes? They're tearing this entire pack inside out."
Jax gave a grim smile, then looked out at the dark. "I kissed Nova."
Cael turned toward him.
"She kissed me, actually," Jax added, quieter now. "And I almost lost control of my wolf. He tried to surface multiple times and he talked through me. Told her she was mine. I never had that with Cira … ever. Even when I left the room, he was fighting me to go back. He tried to take over."
"You didn't though?" Cael asked.
"No. But I almost did." Jax said.
Cael stared. "Did you tell her?"
"I haven't had the chance. I told her I needed to cool off and ran out of the room."
Cael cursed under his breath.
"She doesn't know what I told the counsel… and I don't know if she'd agree or wants to be my mate," Jax muttered. "But either way, I am going to protect her from those senior citizens."
Cael let out a dark laugh. "I know I say this after every council meeting… but that was ridiculous."
Then they both went still.
"So you ran out of the room, right after you kissed her?"
"Yes." Jax said, sighing.
"No question they told each other then." Cael said with a defeated laugh.
"They probably think this pack is nuts." Jax said, now also laughing with his hands in his face.
__________________________________________________________________________-
A familiar scent drifted in. Vanilla and Moonlight.
Nova.
Jax stilled, Cael beside him, both men tensed in the shadow of the archway just off the main hall. And then—male voices.
Of course.
Ash's loud voice broke through first. "Nova, you look like you don't feel very well."
Elle's sharp retort came immediately. "That's because she doesn't, you dimwit. How many times do we have to tell you?"
She stumbled. Nova caught her without even looking. But then stumbled herself for a split second and winced. None of the three boys noticed.
Milo, Rael, and Ash were stumbling alongside them. Laughing. Rael knocked into a suit of armor. Milo shushed him while tripping on his own feet. Ash, dressed in all black with an unbuttoned cloak and leather gloves, looked like he was about to perform a soliloquy on heartbreak.
"Can you three be any louder?" Nova hissed. "You might as well knock on every door and wake the entire castle."
Ash, undeterred, threw his arms across both girls dramatically.
"You two attract so much attention everywhere we go," he moaned. "Those warriors out there? They weren't drooling over me. That one really wanted you, Nova. He was watching you two dance."
From the shadows, Jax felt his insides twist at that. He didn't like it. He saw Nova's expression stay cool.
Nova responded dryly. "Remind me to jump off the roof at the thought of that."
Milo cackled and looped his arm around her shoulders from the other side. "Somebody's cranky today, isn't she?" he cooed, pinching her cheek like a child.
Jax clinched his fists. No one should touch what was his. His jaw ticked. He was fighting the urge to punch Milo and carry her to his room. Where she belonged. Away from these three.
"Don't touch me, Milo." She said annoyed.
Milo clutched his chest. "'Don't touch me, Milo,'" he mimicked in a falsetto, fluttering his lashes like a theater girl. "You wound me."
"Gods help us." Cael muttered under his breath.
"We'll sleep on the floor!" Ash announced suddenly.
"Very good boys," Rael added, mock-saluting. "We've made it into the girls' chambers. We are officially in the girls' chambers in Shadowclaw estate."
Elle and Nova exchanged a look. A look that could've started a rebellion. Like a second moon had appeared in the sky. Confused. Mildly horrified. Too tired to fight laughter.
And something in Jax's chest pulled tight.
He didn't know what it was this time. Jealousy. Concern. Possession. Maybe just exhaustion from all of it and pretending he didn't feel what he felt — for a girl that wasn't his yet.
Cael's fists clenched.
And the corridor suddenly felt colder than the night outside.
Ash was still dramatically gesturing toward Nova's door like a host showing honored guests to their private suite.
Rael was explaining, quite earnestly, how he once made a pillow fort so structurally sound it survived a beta raid.
Milo had taken off one boot for reasons no one could understand.
Elle and Nova looked at them.
Then again at each other.
And then, in perfect sync — without looking at the three boys even once:
"Night."
They turned. Walked into their room.
And shut the door in their faces.
There was a long moment of silence. Milo stared at the door like it had just insulted his entire bloodline.
Ash sighed, adjusting his collar. "I think that was a no."
In the shadows, Jax and Cael remained still. Watching. Listening. Not even bothering to hide their smug expressions.
The scents of their mates lingered. And neither of them said a word.
"Rael had to make things weird. Thanks a lot." Ash said. The boys stumbled down the corridor out of the castle, not noticing their Beta and Gamma 10 feet from them in the shadows.
Cael: This never happened.
Jax: Done. Deleted.