The moment Nova's blood touched Jax's lips, his body jolted like he'd been struck by lightning. She stepped back, her heart hammering.
For a heartbeat, nothing.
Then his eyes snapped open.
"Jax," she whispered, breathless. "You're awake."
He blinked at her — once, twice — confusion tightening across his face.
"Who the fuck are you?" he rasped.
Before she could answer, his hand shot out, gripped her wrist, and with a feral growl, threw her across the room.
She hit the wall hard, air knocked from her lungs.
"Nova!" Elle screamed.
Cael lunged forward. "Hey! Easy—"
Jax turned and punched him — a clean blow that sent the Beta sprawling.
"Shit," Cael muttered, groaning as he hit the floor.
Jax stumbled back, panting, feral, glowing with something not just wolf. His body shimmered with power, heat radiating off his skin.
He bolted out the door, the sound of his bones snapping as he shifted mid-run.
Nova's lip was bleeding and her cheek bone was bruising. Jax had thrown her. Hard.
She saw through the window a massive black wolf disappear into the trees, faster than any Alpha.
Too fast.
She was trembling, heart in her throat. Cael was helping her up as the door flew open.
Fin entered, frowning. "Everything okay? What happened?"
Cael touching his bleeding lip. "Okay… that hurt."
Nova touched her lip and realized it was also bleeding. She covered her face with both hands. She couldn't speak.
Elle did.
"Her wolf… it took over her. She's only shifted twice… you know? But her wolf marked Jax. He's been unconscious. We thought her blood might wake him."
She glanced at Cael. "It did. But he threw her, decked Cael, and ran. He didn't seem to know who any of us were."
Fin froze.
He hadn't expected that. And the mark—Nova marking Jax?
Gods, it should've been him. He clenched his jaw.
Still, this was his fault.
He crossed the room and wrapped Nova in his arms.
She collapsed into him, sobbing. He held her, gently rocking her, murmuring, "It's okay. We'll get him back. I promise you. This isn't your fault."
Cael just stared, eyebrows raised. Never — never — had he seen Fin be so... comforting.
Fin didn't let go for a long moment. His scent wrapped around her like warmth, but she hated the way it soothed her. Not like this. Not when it should be Jax.
Finric pulled back just enough to meet her eyes. "We might need you to track him. Let's go before he gets too far."
Nova nodded.
"I'm coming too," Cael said. "Elle, wait here."
Outside, Nova stopped, sniffing the air. "This way," she said, and took off running.
In human form.
At Alpha speed.
Fin's head whipped toward her, stunned. Since when could she do that?
Cael shifted and kept pace, the three of them moving like shadows through the trees. After six miles, Nova slowed. Her brow furrowed.
"Something's off," she whispered.
Still, she pressed forward — and they found Jax in a clearing, panting, glowing faintly.
Fin stepped forward, hands up.
"Jax. It's Fin. Are you alright?"
No response.
"Do you know who I am? Your oldest friend. Your Alpha. We've survived wars together."
Jax lifted his head. Eyes wild. Then they settled on Nova.
And he snarled, "What did you do to me?!"
Nova froze.
Her breath caught in her throat.
"I—" she began, voice barely a whisper.
But nothing she could say would fix the look on his face. Like she was a stranger. Or worse—an enemy.
Nova's throat closed. She opened her mouth, but no words came.
"M..my wolf—" she stuttered, voice cracking. "took over and I … I'm sorry."
Jax's growl deepened. "My wolf is telling me not to kill you right now," he said, every word guttural and rough, like it scraped against something inside him. "So I won't. But I want to."
His next words hit colder than any winter wind.
"Stay the hell away from me."
The forest seemed to still.
Nova blinked once. Twice. And then the ache inside her chest burst like glass splintering under pressure.
He turned, muscles tensing, and bolted. One heartbeat later, the massive black wolf tore through the trees, vanishing into the mist.
Nova didn't breathe until he was gone.
Fin moved before he even thought about it — crossing the space in two strides and catching Nova as her knees gave out. She was coving her face with her hands trying to not sob.
"It's alright," he said softly, his hand steady at the back of her head. "He's not himself. This isn't your fault."
Cael shifted back into human form beside them, pulling on pants from a nearby emergency stash in a tree. He rubbed his jaw with one hand. "Well," he muttered, "that went about as bad as it could've gone."
Fin shot him a look.
"What?" Cael said, defensive. "You were thinking it."
Elle's voice came through the mindlink, faint and worried.
Elle: What's happening? Did you find him?
Fin exhaled through his nose, still holding Nova as she trembled.
Fin: We found him. He's alive. But he's not Jax right now.
Finric looked down at her — pale, glassy‑eyed, but alive — and something deep in his chest twisted. The sight of her breaking over another man burned worse than any wound he'd taken in battle.
He brushed his thumb over her temple and said quietly,
"We'll get him back. I swear it."