Aeron: Nova. Is everything okay?
The reply came quickly, panicked and broken.
Nova: Something's wrong with Jax. I think… I think it's my fault.
That was enough. Aeron changed course, turning down the corridor and moving faster than most people had ever seen him move. He found her pacing inside Jax's quarters, hands tangled in her hair, eyes wide with panic. The moment she saw him, she nearly collapsed into his arms, tears already forming.
"He won't wake up," she choked out. "He's burning up and he hasn't moved since last night. We both passed out but I—I didn't know it would do this—"
"What happened?" Aeron asked, calm but firm.
She sniffed, swallowing down the rising panic again. "My wolf… she came forward. I couldn't stop her. I—I marked him. And then I passed out too. I just woke up and he hasn't moved since."
Aeron's expression didn't change, but he looked… intrigued.
He mindlinked Elias. A moment later, the doctor walked in with his usual confident swagger, only to freeze when he saw Nova's tear-streaked face.
"Oh no," he said slowly. "What'd you do—kill our Gamma?"
Nova let out a strangled sob and Elias immediately raised both hands.
"Whoa, kidding, bad timing, I'm sorry." He softened his tone.
"Talk to me, Nova. What happened?"
She wiped her eyes. "I didn't mean to. I didn't mean to mark him—my wolf just—" She couldn't even finish the sentence. The guilt was written all over her face.
Elias crouched beside Jax, examining him carefully. Then he looked up, lips twitching like he was holding back a smirk.
"Well, damn. You marked him." He whistled low.
"It's not funny," Nova muttered.
"I know, I know," he said gently. "But you didn't hurt him, Nova. I don't think that's what this is."
Elias pressed two fingers to Jax's neck and studied the rhythm. "He's stable. Strong vitals. Whatever's happening, it's internal."
Aeron stepped closer, eyes narrowed. "I can sense something in him. Something I've only felt from one other person." He looked at Nova. "You."
Nova's eyes widened. "What does that mean?"
Elias leaned back on his heels. "You're not exactly a low-grade shifter, Nova. You've got something ancient in you — we've all seen the signs. Your blood's not normal, your magic's not normal. If your venom was carried through the mate mark…"
Aeron nodded. "It could be changing him."
Nova's heart clenched. "Changing him… how?"
"If he's absorbing even a fraction of your energy," Elias said, "he could become stronger than any Alpha born in the last five generations."
"I would pay," Elias added, "to see him in a spar with Finric. My money's on the Gamma with the silver-blooded mate."
Aeron didn't laugh.
"I'm more concerned about his control. If he wakes up in this state, he may not fully understand his own strength."
Nova's jaw set. "He'll control it. I'll make sure he does."
Aeron's brows raised slightly at her tone — protective and lethal all at once.
Elias turned to Aeron. "Should I give him one of the injections we used on Nova when she had fever spikes? Might calm his body long enough to regulate the shift."
Nova's head snapped toward him. "You injected me?"
"You were unconscious. We couldn't exactly ask permission," Elias said matter-of-factly. "Worked like a charm, though."
Aeron nodded. "Do it."
Elias pulled the syringe from his satchel and administered the dose into Jax's arm. Nova flinched at the sight but said nothing.
And then, they waited.
Nova sat beside him through the evening. Through the night. Into mid-morning. Her head ached. Her body felt empty, like she was bleeding energy. She hadn't eaten, but the thought of food made her nauseous.
Still… she never left his side.
A soft knock came at the door. She didn't answer.
Then it opened.
"Nova?" Elle's voice. "Are you in here? We—oh my gods."
Cael stepped in behind her, eyes immediately scanning the room. "You look like you haven't slept in a week. What the hell happened?"
Elle rushed to her side, noting Jax's state. "What happened?"
Nova nodded. Her voice cracked as she spoke. "I marked him. I didn't mean to. He hasn't woken up and they think… something changed in him."
Cael let out a low whistle, scratching the back of his head. "Well, damn. One day you're flirting in a bar, next thing you know your girl drops you into a coma with divine venom."
Nova gave a short, tired laugh, a tear slipping down her cheek.
Elle stepped closer to Jax, examining him thoughtfully. Then she looked back at Nova. "Nova… have you tried your blood?"
Nova blinked. "What?"
Elle shrugged. "I don't know. When I was dying you shoved silver blood down my throat and it worked. Maybe the goddess-moonblood-mate-bond magic would work here too."
It was so obvious, yet nova never thought of it.