By the time the sun dipped behind the spires of the Shadowclaw Castle, Nova and Elle were barely standing.
Training had been brutal. Drills in full gear, back-to-back rounds of sword work, and a final sprint up the mountain path just for fun. Their bones felt hollow, like everything had been wrung out of them. They stumbled into their shared room, grime-covered and utterly spent.
Elle collapsed face-first onto her bed with a grunt. "I'm ninety percent sure I tore something essential."
Nova flopped back against her own mattress, blinking up at the ceiling. "If we die in our sleep, do we still have to show up to sparring tomorrow?"
"No, but I hear they prop you up in the stands like a scarecrow to encourage the others."
Nova snorted. "Great. I'll be an inspiration."
Elle rolled over and stared at the ceiling. "I feel like death."
Nova raised a limp arm and gave a small wave. "I feel like death got hit by a wagon and dragged for three miles."
Elle burst into laughter, muffled by her pillow.
A knock came from their door.
Without lifting her head, Elle groaned, "No one is home."
The door creaked open anyway.
Elle sighed, peeking one eye open.
Two very familiar figures stepped inside.
"We were in the neighborhood," Cael started casually, then stalled, realizing how absurd that sounded. The Gamma and Beta of Shadowclaw, wandering through the omega quarters on a whim.
"Thought we heard the sound of suffering," Jax added with a playful grin.
Elle lifted a hand in a dramatic sweep of the room. "Behold the battlefield," she said gravely. "Many have perished."
Nova sat up slowly, a small smile tugging at the corner of her mouth despite how sore she was. Jax's eyes found hers instantly. He'd been missing her all day, and the sight of her hit him hard. Her scent wrapped around him, familiar and grounding, and those green eyes undid something in his chest. He forgot how to breathe for a second.
Her face flushed, and he snapped out of it, crossing the room in two strides. He pulled her into his arms and pressed a kiss to her forehead, uncaring that Cael's jaw had dropped somewhere near the floor.
Cael leaned closer to Elle, lowering his voice into a stage whisper that absolutely carried. "I'm calling it now. He doesn't know her favorite food, but he's already prepared to die for her."
Elle started laughing.
The moment softened after that. Whatever edge had been in the room faded, replaced by something easy and familiar. No one moved to leave.
They stayed.
The four of them ended up sprawled around the room. Cael leaned against Elle's bedpost like he owned the place. Elle lay curled sideways across her mattress. Nova sat on the floor beside Jax, close enough that their shoulders touched.
They traded jokes, mocked the instructors mercilessly, and swapped stories about truly miserable training days. Jax found an excuse to touch Nova every time she laughed, a brush of fingers here, a shoulder there, until his arm had slowly settled behind her without either of them acknowledging it. Cael, meanwhile, was far too occupied to notice. He was doing exactly the same thing.
Elle was sharp and unfiltered. Cael matched her wit for wit. Nova laughed harder than she had in weeks.
Jax watched Nova. He noticed the tension she carried from the day melt away as the minutes passed. How easily she teased Cael back, like they'd known each other for years. The way she lit up when she laughed.
He'd never had this before. Not even with his first mate. That bond had been duty. Expectation. Responsibility. This was different. This was joy. Simple and unforced.
He understood, suddenly, how Elle and Nova had become best friends in such a short time. Understood why Elle belonged with Cael. And for the first time, he got to see Nova as herself, without the weight she usually carried. He'd caught glimpses of it from afar when she was with Elle and her friends. He'd wanted to see it up close, for himself. And now he finally was.
She was witty and sharp. More daring than he'd realized. Aeron had called her quiet, but Jax could see now that was only half true. She was respectful, and with authority figures her instinct was to listen first, to speak only when spoken to. But beneath that lived boldness. Playfulness. A spark that refused to stay hidden.
Nova caught him staring and smiled, warm and unguarded.
"You okay?"
He nodded and leaned down to kiss the top of her head before answering softly, "More than okay."
Later, Elle groaned and pushed herself off the bed. "I'm gross. If I don't bathe soon, I'm going to scream."
Cael stood and stretched. "Need help unzipping that mess of a training suit?" he offered with a grin that somehow managed to be innocent and not at all.
"Shut up and yes."
Nova giggled. "You two need a chaperone?"
"Please. You two need one more than we do," Elle teased as she dragged Cael toward the attached bathing chambers. "We're just helping each other not die."
Jax looked over at Nova the moment the door shut. "You're exhausted."
"I feel like I got run over by a bear and then dragged up a hill." She groaned.
He already knew that. He had been feeling her soreness through their matebond.
"Come to my quarters."
She blinked. "Jax—"
"You need a real bath. I already mindlinked an omega to prepare it. It's ready now. Hot. Soaking. Healing salts. Everything." He stood and offered his hand. "Come on. Those quarters are yours too now, you know."
Nova flushed at that thought but let him pull her up. Despite how tired she was, she smiled the entire walk, fingers intertwined with his.
The moment they stepped into his quarters, warmth wrapped around them. A fire blazed in the hearth, casting gold light across the room. Nova sighed softly as she breathed in his scent, shoulders easing. He couldn't help but grin, feeling her relief through the matebond. She was happy it was just them now, alone, and she wanted to be near him.
He led her into his bathing chamber, where a wide marble tub dominated the space. It was at least twice the size of the one in Nova's room. The water was already drawn, steam rising in lazy curls, the air scented faintly with lavender.
Jax unzipped her training suit, and began to peel it off of her.
He paused for a moment before going any further, kissing her shoulder. But, he sensed through their matebond that she wanted him to keep going.
So he unclasped her bra and pulled her thong off. Her face flushed, when his saw her.
His breath caught.
Nothing could have prepared him.
She wasn't just beautiful. She was a vision. The most beautiful woman he had ever seen.
He shook his head slightly, eyes never leaving her, his thoughts racing. Was she real? Was this moment real? Had the gods truly favored him enough to place her in his life, to make her his mate?
He stood there for a heartbeat, unable to move or look away. Unable to breathe.
Her cheeks grew even redder under his gaze. She had never stood bare in front of anyone before, let alone a man.
"You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen," he whispered, pulling her gently into his arms.
Her face flushed deeper at the words, but he didn't see it. His lips were already on hers, and the instant they touched, sparks of lightning jolted through them both.
Without another word, he lifted her easily and carried her to the marble bath, lowering her carefully into the warm water as steam curled around them.
Nova groaned in pleasure, leaning back. "Oh gods. This… this is heaven."
Through the bond, he felt the soreness leave her limbs, the relief in her muscles, the calm settling over her. Her pleasure melted into him like sunlight through clouds.
He stripped quickly and slid in behind her, pulling her against his chest. She sighed and relaxed fully into him. He held her in his arms and breathed in her scent.
They stayed like that for a while.
Jax finally let his instincts take over, not fighting it. He wanted to take care of her.
He washed her hair and every inch of her skin with slow, tender fingers.
She blushed throughout and looked at him with adoring eyes that melted his heart.
He'd never done anything like this before. Not with anyone. But with Nova, it felt like he was becoming the version of himself he was meant to be.
He brushed her hair gently after and kissed her throughout. Her ear, her head, her temple, her cheek. All of her.
When they dried off, he swooped her up before she could protest and carried her to bed.
She curled into him, soft and content, and in that moment he realized something terrifying and true.
He would burn down the entire world to keep her safe.
Long after she had fallen asleep, he remained awake, holding her reverently.
"I love you, Nova," he whispered, knowing she couldn't hear him.