When Nova's eyes blinked open, her body felt heavy — like she'd run for miles and hadn't stopped. Her throat was dry, her skin warm. For a moment, she didn't remember where she was.
Then she felt him.
Jax's weight, solid and unmoving, pressed against her. His arm was draped over her waist, his face buried in the crook of her neck — but something was wrong. He wasn't breathing evenly.
She glanced toward the window. The sun was setting. They'd gotten back late last night. Had she slept through the entire day?
"Jax?" she whispered, turning toward him.
No answer. She gave him a gentle shake. Nothing.
Her stomach dropped.
Maybe he was just tired. Right? The marking… their bond… it had been intense. Her wolf came forward and marked him, before she realized what was happening… and then he marked her neck.
She'd felt her whole body burn, her wolf stretch awake, power crackling under her skin before darkness had taken her. Maybe he just needed to rest.
Still—
"Jax?" Her voice cracked.
No movement. She pushed herself upright, her legs unsteady as she reached for the pile of neatly folded clothes near the foot of the bed. He'd had an omega bring them, of course. He always thought ahead. Always took care of her.
She looked down to see blood on her legs. She ran into the bathing chamber and rinsed it off before Jax could see.
She slipped into a soft tunic, tight leggings, and socks. Then turned back toward him.
He looked too still.
"Jax… are you okay?" she asked again, her heart starting to race. Still nothing.
Nova pressed her palm to his forehead.
"Gods…" she whispered. He was burning up.
Werewolves didn't get fevers — not like this. Their bodies healed too quickly for that.
"Jax?" Her voice cracked and she gave him another gentle shake. "Wake up."
He didn't move. Her breath hitched as panic started to claw its way up her throat.
She found one of his pairs of shorts nearby — the black ones he always wore when it was just them — and wrestled them onto him, her hands shaking the whole time. He didn't stir once.
His skin was slick with sweat, his jaw tight, brow furrowed like he was fighting something inside.
She grabbed a wet cloth from the washroom, wrung it out, and wiped his face, her tears starting to blur her vision.
"Jax?" she said again, voice cracking completely this time. Her eyes welled.
Nothing. Her heart was hammering so hard it hurt. She needed help. Aeron. Or Elias. One of them would know what to do.
Don't panic, she told herself again, though her chest ached.
She pressed a kiss to his temple. "I'll be right back," she whispered, her voice trembling.
She pulled on her boots quickly and bolted through the corridors, through the castle halls, past startled omegas and guards who called her name as she passed. Her breath came out ragged, her heart in her throat.
She burst into the courtyard, nearly colliding with two warriors before skidding to a stop.
Finric looked up from the war room's open archway — mid-conversation with his Senior Officers— his sharp eyes immediately catching her panicked expression.
He frowned and straightened, something cold blooming in his gut. He didn't move, not yet — not while the others watched — but his eyes followed her until she vanished down the next corridor.
Then he exhaled sharply and reached out through mindlink. She was part of his pack afterall. He shouldn't feel weird about doing this.
Fin: Nova.
His voice brushed through her mind, steady but threaded with concern.
Fin: Is everything okay? I'm in a meeting, but I just saw you running.
She was breathless as she replied, barely forming the words.
Nova: Something's wrong with Jax.
That was all she said. But the panic pulsing through her matebond to him told him everything else.
Finric didn't hesitate. He turned on his heel mid-meeting, ignoring the startled looks of his officers, and nodded to Cael who took over.
Fin: I'll mind link Aeron for you.
His voice in her mind was steady, grounded — exactly what she needed. Nova responded instinctively.
Nova: Thank you, Alpha.
There was a pause. A beat too long. She didn't know why it felt awkward, only that it did.
Finric didn't respond at first. The title "Alpha" sounded too distant, too formal coming from her, but this wasn't the moment to correct it. He let it slide — for now.
If she said it in person, then he'd remind her to call him Fin. Baby steps.
Back in the war room, one of the lieutenants was still talking. Someone else chimed in with a follow-up.
Finric blinked. "I'm sorry, could you repeat that last part?" he said, straightening in his chair. "Pack emergency."
He didn't wait for the response. He was already sending a mindlink to Aeron.