Chapter Five

Tab 5: Jack’s POV

“Sorry for scaring you, mate.”

Her breath hitched. Goddess, the way she stared at me like I wasn't supposed to be real. Like I was going to fade if she blinked too hard. Her silver lashes trembled, and I wanted to reach out and steady them. Steady her.

But pain shot down my entire side like lightning dipped in acid and I hissed.

She rushed toward me again, panic clouding her eyes. “You shouldn’t move. Let me, I’ll call the healer.”

“No,” I grunted out, grabbing her wrist before she could pull away. That same bolt of electricity shot up my arm, and her breath stuttered. Mine did too.

Fate. There was no denying it. No escaping it.

Her skin was warm despite the cold air of the infirmary room. Warm andl alive and mine.

My wolf stirred restlessly, pacing inside my mind like a caged beast.

~Mate. Touch mate. Stay. Don’t let go.

I swallowed hard, ignoring the urge to drag her into my arms. “You stayed,” I murmured. “You came back.”

It wasn’t a question, it was awe. Shock. Gratitude. Everything tangled into one.

Her throat bobbed as she swallowed. “I… I shouldn’t be here,” she whispered, voice tiny. “If they find me in this room, they’ll…”

“Let them,” I growled before she could finish.

Her eyes widened, but I didn’t soften it. Couldn’t. My wolf wouldn’t let me. The thought of her being punished, my mate made something primal snap in my chest.

I forced my grip to loosen and exhaled slowly. “You shouldn’t fear your own pack.”

She let out a bitter laugh that punched me harder than any rogue ever could. “I do. Everyone does.”

I blinked, confusion slicing through me. She looked away quickly, but not fast enough to hide the flicker of pain in her eyes.

What happened to her here?

I tried sitting upright again, ignoring the throbbing along my spine. She made a soft panicked sound and held my shoulder gently, like I might break. Funny, I was built to break others.

“Nova,” I said softly. Her name felt right. Natural. “Look at me.”

She swallowed and reluctantly lifted her gaze.

“You saved my life.”

“I couldn’t leave you there.”

“That makes you braver than half the wolves in this kingdom.”

Her lips parted slightly, like she didn’t know how to respond. Her hands shook where she held me, and I wanted to grab them. Steady them. Calm her wolf. Mine pushed hard against my ribcage.

The door creaked distantly in the hallway.

She startled and jerked back. Panic ripped through her scent, sharp and suffocating.

“I have to go,” she whispered. “They’ll punish me if they see me here. Omegas aren’t allowed to…”

“Stop.” My voice came out harsher than intended. She froze. I took a breath, gentling my tone. “Don’t say that like you’re nothing.”

Her eyes burned, and for one terrifying second, I thought she might cry. The idea of anyone making her feel small worthless ignited a rage so sudden I nearly bared my teeth.

“Omega or not,” I said quietly, fiercely, “you are my mate. You are…”

The door handle rattled.

She flinched violently and stepped back so fast I felt the air shift. Jada whimpered in her head I could feel it, the bond humming between us like a live wire.

“Hide,” she begged under her breath.

“Why would I…”

“Just do it,” she snapped in a whisper, panic warping her voice. “Please.”

I didn’t understand, but I obeyed sliding lower on the bed, forcing my body into a position that mimicked unconsciousness. It hurt. Damn, it hurts. But her fear was worse than physical pain.

Her fingers hovered over my arm one last time, a single trembling touch against my skin like she needed to feel me alive before stepping away.

The door swung open.

I stayed still. Breathing slow. Eyes shut. Listening.

Soft footsteps. A familiar dominant aura filled the room like smoke.

“Has he woken?”

Her voice was ice. Female. Authority laced into every syllable.

My heart pulsed once, sharp. Nova’s mother.

Nova’s breath hitched quietly, her voice barely above a whisper. “N-No, Luna Seraphine.”

Luna.

Damn. So she wasn’t just her mother, she was the Luna of this pack. My mind raced, piecing things together.

“Good.” Seraphine’s heels clicked closer. “He will be moved once his identity is confirmed. You should not be anywhere near him.”

“I… I know.”

“Oh do you?” Seraphine’s tone sharpened like a blade. “Because you seem to find trouble as easily as breathing, Nova.”

I felt every bitter word hit Nova like a slap. Rage coiled inside me.

~Protect mate. Break her. Hurt her like she hurts Nova.

Ryder snarled viciously in my mind.

Seraphine sniffed, and I could practically feel the disgust rolling off her. “Your father’s death was already enough disgrace for our name. Don’t make me regret not abandoning you with him.”

Fury burned under my skin. My wolf lunged, but I forced myself still. I couldn’t blow our cover. Not while Nova was trembling like she expected to be hit.

“Yes, Mother.”

Mother. She said it so softly. Like the word itself hurt.

Seraphine exhaled impatiently. “Go to warrior Brian. He is waiting to deal with you for violating pack borders.”

I nearly sat up right then.

Punishment. For saving me. For surviving.

Goddess, what kind of twisted pack

“Yes, Mother,” Nova whispered again. Smaller. Shrinking in front of her Luna. My chest tightened painfully.

The footsteps stopped by my bed.

Seraphine’s voice lowered. “If he wakes and you dare breathe a word of what happened…”

Her tone turned lethal.

“Remember your place.”

The scent of fear spiked in the air hers, not mine. Nova didn’t reply. She didn’t move.

Luna stepped out. Silence followed. A slow, suffocating silence.

I opened my eyes.

Nova stood frozen, pale, staring at the closed door like a trapped animal. Her shoulders shook. She bit her lip hard enough to draw blood.

My wolf howled inside me furious, protective, aching.

“Nova,” I whispered.

Her head snapped to me, eyes wide, breathing uneven. She looked like she wanted to run and stay and break all at once.

“I…” Her voice cracked. “I have to go.”

“Don’t let them touch you.”

A small, broken laugh escaped her. “I don’t get to decide that.”

Yes you do, I wanted to say. You’re mine. You will never bow again.

But I saw the fear. The years of conditioning. The quiet strength bruised under chains.

So instead I whispered, “Come back to me.”

She blinked, eyes shining like moonlight and heartbreak. “If I’m allowed to.”

Her wolf whined softly, a sound only a mate could hear.

She turned away, hands shaking on the doorknob.

“Nova.”

She paused.

“You’re not alone anymore.”

She froze. Not breathing. Not moving. And then she left.

The door clicked shut behind her.

And every instinct in my body screamed to tear it open, drag her back, and never let anything hurt her again.

~Mate in pain. Fix it. Hunt threat.

Not yet, Ryder. But soon.

I wasn't healed. I wasn't strong enough to stand yet.

But the moment I could

This pack, this Luna, this world that dared treat my mate like she was less than divine…

They would all remember my name.

And the Omega at my side.