The morning light filtered lazily through the clouds as Nova zipped her training suit. Her body still ached faintly from yesterday's training. Draven had really gone for it. But today's mission was quiet. Quick. Just check on Jax, make sure he was still okay, and come back before sparring.
She had memorized the mile markers Finric showed her. She thought that was the point — that he was giving her tools so she could make the run on her own this time. It made sense. He was busy. He was Alpha.
Just as she was reaching for the door of her room, the mindlink opened.
Fin:You better not be leaving without me.
She blinked.
Nova: How did you —
Fin:Meet me in the usual spot.
Her brow furrowed.
She went to the usual spot, and there he was standing against the frame with his arms crossed. Dressed in his own hard shell training suit. And clearly not amused.
"Were you trying to go without me?" he asked.
"I thought— wasn't that why you showed me those trail markers? So I could find my way back?" she asked genuinely, wide-eyed and confused.
Finric blinked at her. Then exhaled through his nose in a long sigh, and playfully nudged her shoulder. "What are we going to do with you?"
He cracked a smile. "I showed you those markers because I should've done it when you first arrived here. Not so you could run into the woods alone with rogues and gods-knows-what else."
Her face flushed and she let out a laugh. "I can handle myself."
"That's the problem," he said, shaking his head. "You actually believe that."
They entered the courtyard.
"You shift first." He said.
She nodded once and shifted in a flash of silver and white light. The shift hurt and Fin felt it through their matebond.
His shift was a lot faster and immediately after.
His onyx-black wolf stood tall and powerful beside her own glimmering-white one. The sight of them together made a few warriors stop mid-stride. One even bowed before quickly walking away, whispering to another.
Up above, behind the frost-streaked glass of her chamber window, Meredith watched them.
Her hands clenched the windowsill so hard her knuckles turned bone-white.
She had been patient.
She had played her part.
But this? This was a line crossed.
That white-haired little outsider had ruined everything.
And she would not be replaced.
Meredith turned, snatched her long gray cloak from the back of the chair, and threw it over her shoulders. Her footsteps were silent as she left through a side exit, slipping into the forest like a shadow.
She had a meeting to attend.
The figure waiting for her beneath the twisted elderwood tree would not be pleased. But neither was she.
And blood always called for blood.