Wolf Says Mate. Jax Says WAIT.

Jax watched Nova as she exited the field, her expression unreadable. No anger, no pride—just that same quiet, deliberate calm.

Elle was already at her side, talking animatedly, but then paused looking at Nova's face.

"You need to get ice on that, Nova. Damn." Elle said.

"I have a meeting I have to go to," Nova said, "But I will after."

Elle gave her a knowing nod.

"That was bullshit," Ash muttered, shaking his head. "Draven never plays favorites like that. What the hell was that?"

"Nova, do you remember Hunter from when we were at The Hollow Tap?" Rael asked, glancing at her sideways.

Nova blinked. "Have I met him before?"

"No," Rael said. "He was there. Staring at you the entire time but with another woman. I suppose you're used to ignoring that at this point."

"Gods, can you be any more crass?" Milo cut in. "People stare at her AND Elle. Not just Nova."

Ash busted out laughing.

"Are you two still getting those notes?" Rael asked, his brows creasing as he looked at Elle.

"Yes," Elle said flatly.

No one asked what they said. They already knew.

Their conversation trailed off down the hall, voices fading into the hum of the castle corridors. Jax lingered, eyes narrowing slightly as Nova turned the corner alone.

He wondered what meeting she had to rush off to.

Possessiveness surged in Jax like a lightning bolt.

Strong and out of nowhere. Nova out at speakeasies, surrounded by strangers, unprotected—it made his jaw clench.

The thought of other men looking at her, trying to touch her filled him with a quiet, burning rage.

And today—watching her get slammed into the ground, and manhandled was wrong.

No one should touch her. She didn't belong in anyone's arms but his. She was his.

He felt it with every instinct, every breath. But then he exhaled hard and shook his head, forcing himself to calm whatever storm was happening inside.

He had no right to feel like this. She wasn't his mate. But his wolf was now agreeing with him.

Talon: She is ours. Mate.

Jax: Where was that three months ago?

Talon: She should be our mate. You know it and I do too. Mark her.

He followed her from a distance. He considered running into her, starting a conversation. But she seemed to be in a hurry, so he tailed her instead.

When she turned down the corridor leading to Aeron's wing, something in him tightened.

Of course. She was meeting with Aeron.

But why now?

Didn't Aeron know she'd been training all day? Didn't he care?

A dull ache pressed in his chest—hers, not his. What Nova was feeling... he couldn't quite name. Was it defeat?

Or something worse—acceptance. As if life's unfairness was something she'd grown used to, something she expected.

As if, on some level, she believed she deserved what happened to her. The weight of it settled like a stone in his gut.

All of it felt wrong. Every part of it scraped at him like a blade under the skin.

He watched as she stepped into Aeron's study. The door didn't shut behind her—it hung open just slightly.

Jax moved up beside the wall, silent as breath.

And he listened.

"You're late."

"Apologies, Aeron. I hope you weren't waiting long." She said, not having the energy to say more.

"You look like someone who just got their ass kicked."

She laughed, shaking her head. "Best day of my life, honestly. Can't wait to do it again."

Did you win?" he asked, a smile creeping on his lips.

"Yes."

"Did you fight clean?"

"If you mean no magic, then yes."

"I mean in general."

She hesitated for a few seconds.

"No," she admitted with a sigh. "I kicked him at the end."

"You kicked him," Aeron said flatly.

"Yes."

"Interesting choice. Continue."

"He grabbed my neck and I reacted before I realized."

Aeron's eyes narrowed. "Who did?"

"The captain I was sparring with."

"You're telling me he grabbed your neck and Draven didn't blow the whistle?" His voice sharpened, disbelief cutting through the air.

She didn't respond. Just swallowed.

A beat passed.

"Why were you sparring against a captain?" Aeron asked, quieter now. "You've had three months of training."

Nova let out a slow breath, not sure what to say—and not trusting herself not to get upset if she tried.

"Never mind. I know why," Aeron said after a pause. "Because you're a quick study. If you're even half as fast out there as you are in here, I'd have thrown you in too."

"Thanks, Aeron," Nova murmured, swallowing hard.

"Let's just do a few rounds of it tonight, and then you can go," he said, already shifting to the task.

She nodded silently.

Aeron began chanting—low and precise. From where Jax stood, pressed to the wall outside, he saw the flicker of light spill across the floor. It pulsed once, then grew brighter, rhythmic, layered.

Then it stopped.

Suddenly, Jax felt her and something was wrong.

Without thinking, Jax burst through the door.

She was on her knees, hands trembling, blood dripping from her nose. Her eyes glazed, unfocused—and then she collapsed forward onto the floor.

"Nova!" Jax shouted, dropping to her side and pulling her into his arms. Her skin was cold. Too cold.

He glared up at Aeron, eyes burning, voice like gravel. "What the fuck did you do?"

Aeron exhaled sharply, shaking his head. "First the Alpha, and now you..." he muttered. "Unbelievable."

"I didn't do anything to her. I'm teaching her how to manage power. It's hard for every magic user. She's fine. She'll come back in ten, maybe fifteen minutes—depending on how drained she was coming in."

Jax stared at him like he'd grown another head. "What do you mean? You've done this before?"

"Yes," Aeron replied evenly. "Every night. For a few weeks now."

"You know she's been training since dawn?" Jax asked, voice tight.

"I'm aware," Aeron said without flinching.

Jax's jaw ticked, fists clenched at his sides.

"I don't like this," he muttered at last.

"She'll be fine," Aeron said again.

Reluctantly, Jax took a breath and stood, reminding himself—Nova wasn't his. He had no claim, no right to dictate her choices. Still, the tightness in his chest didn't ease.

"I want updates. Weekly," he said flatly.

Aeron gave a curt nod. "I care for her too, Jax. I'm trying to protect her. There are people that aren't happy she's here. They don't know her but that's beside the point. If she loses control, even once, on instinct or emotion... she'd be dealt with."

This made Jax's insides twist even tighter. His wolf snarled in the back of his mind, the voice rising clear and feral:

Talon: Claim her as ours and let's be done with this.

Jax exhaled through his nose, jaw clenched. He shoved the thought down.

"I didn't realize Draven was having her spar with trained warriors. I will be monitoring that moving forward. Starting tomorrow." Aeron said, then added, "I don't want her to accidentally use magic in defense. If she's getting her neck grabbed."

Jax took a breath to calm himself.

Aeron continued, "She's not going to be a soldier on the frontlines. That would be a waste of her mind."

Jax nodded, feeling better that he wasn't the only person thinking that she shouldn't be doing that. "I don't like her sparring to that degree either. I'll keep a closer eye on it too."

He looked down at her one last time—still unconscious, breathing steady in Aeron's study—and every part of him rebelled against walking away.

But he did.

He left, dragging himself out the door and down the corridor, against every instinct screaming inside him. He wanted to bring her to his quarters and make sure she was taken care of.

He wanted to claim her as his own. But he wasn't sure if she'd want that or even feel the same way.

The uncertainty was eating him alive.