He arrived at the elders' meeting a short while later with a crisp apology to Cael.
"Cael... about earlier—"
Cael waved a hand, laughing. "Hey—punches count as apologies, right? I guess you were just getting in your reps for the day."
Jax grinned and their usual camaraderie returned. Picking up right where they left off.
The elders filed in and the meeting went smoothly.
As they walked out of the meeting, Cael and Fin veered in the opposite direction from their usual path.
Jax slowed. He blinked. Weird.
Fin usually took the long corridor back to his office alone. Cael almost always made a show of trying to talk him out of "brooding" in favor of lunch. But now they were heading the same way, on purpose, and side by side.
Jax raised an eyebrow. "You two holding hands now?"
Cael smirked. "Not unless you're jealous."
Jax didn't answer, though his eyes narrowed slightly.
"We're heading to help Draven with training," Cael added, far too casually. "The girls weren't kidding when they said everyone's terrible at archery."
Fin said nothing, but his silence was telling. The corner of his mouth twitched, like he was already imagining whatever chaos was waiting at the range.
Jax blinked. The girls. Of course.
He'd been gone. Everything felt like it had shifted half a step without him. Nova nearly died by poisoning a week ago, Elle too, and he'd been out to see the aftermath. He wasn't even sure if the girls would want to eat in the dining hall at all after that.
"I'm coming too," he said, already moving before either of them could reply.
Cael glanced at Fin with a quick grin. "Told you he'd follow."
Fin didn't return the smile. "Just don't get in the way."
Jax ignored them both. His jaw was tight. Whatever this was—whether they were there to help Draven or hover like lovesick patrol dogs—he wasn't going to let them have all the fun without him.
They were at the archery range just beside the main training arena — a long strip of churned earth lined with hay bales, worn target boards, and cables overhead that shifted the bullseyes side to side in slow, unpredictable patterns.
The class was mid-practice, and it was… something.
Cael leaned toward Jax as they approached. "They're doing sparring this afternoon," he said, lips twitching, "but we had Draven start them on archery this morning. Warm-up, aim drills. Thought it'd be safer." He gestured broadly at the mess in front of them. "Clearly, we were wrong."
Draven stood like a man who had aged ten years since sunrise, arms crossed, shoulders already tense with battle fatigue — and not the good kind. Targets glided left and right, suspended by enchanted cords. The students stood in two loose lines, firing arrow after arrow like toddlers flinging spaghetti at a wall.
One arrow curved downward and struck the grass with a tragic thump.
Another shot straight up into the air and disappeared.
"Gods," Jax muttered. "Did someone just shoot a cloud?"
Then—
TWANG!
Kylan, somehow standing in the correct direction, spun dramatically mid-pose and fired backwards.
The arrow whizzed past Draven's face, missing him by less than an inch and thunking into a support beam with a deep, splintering sound.
Draven didn't even flinch. But his jaw did something that said he was one misplaced arrow from quitting the entire job.
"KYLAN!" he roared. "JUST BECAUSE THEY'RE MOVING DOESN'T MEAN YOU SHOOT SIDEWAYS LIKE A DAMN HERO IN A BALLAD!"
Cael collapsed into laughter, doubling over. "I swear he's getting better at yelling," he wheezed.
Jax cracked a smile despite himself. Even Fin let out a quiet breath of amusement.
A loud crack sounded as another arrow embedded itself in the grass — two feet from someone's foot.
Draven turned. "WHO JUST SHOT THEMSELVES? WHO—SAY YOUR NAME, DAMMIT."
Cael smirked. "Five minutes. I give them five more minutes before he makes them run drills till sundown."
They walked toward Nova and Elle, the sound of Nova's laughter floating back toward them — light, unguarded, real.
Jax's chest tightened at the sound. His wolf stirred, warmth blooming in his core.
She's happy.
Nova stood with her back to them, talking animatedly with Elle. She had no idea they were being watched. Her arms moved with her words, fingers gesturing in some exaggerated story while Elle practically wheezed, bent at the waist from laughing.
Cael smirked. "Whatever it is, it's either hilarious or illegal."
"They haven't seen us yet," Fin murmured.
"Let's change that," Cael said.
They closed the distance quickly, boots crunching over gravel. Fin spoke first, voice dry but amused.
"You two goofing off again?"
Again? Jax narrowed his eyes at that. How many times had they been out here together without him?
Nova and Elle jumped like guilty pups caught mid-prank. Nova straightened, smoothing her face into innocence.
"We were just discussing proper technique," she said smoothly.
Elle nodded, not helping at all. "Very technical discussion."
Nova's eyes flickered to Jax and her face lit up in a warm smile. Almost like she forgot she had just been with him. Jax felt warmth spread through his body and swallowed. He made her face light up like that and she was happy to see him.
Draven, standing just a few feet away with his arms crossed and one brow twitching, gave a loud, unimpressed snort.
"You two are supposed to be practicing, not gossiping about… whatever it is girls like you gossip about."
"Technique," Nova said again, her cheeks flushed red.
Fin stepped forward, amused. "Then show us. Three shots. Same target. While it's moving. Once I see that, I'll have a new challenge for you."
She reached into her quiver, grabbed three arrows, and stepped to the line. The boys fell quiet. One of them muttered "She's about to go." Like he knew something was about to happen.
"That target." Fin said, pointing out the most difficult target to hit. It was narrow, fast-moving and the path it took continually changed.
Nova notched the first arrow.
Thunk.
Bullseye.
Second arrow.
Thunk.
It split the first one clean down the middle.
Third arrow.
Thunk.
A perfect split down the second. Three arrows stacked in one flawless line.
Jax was speechless. Everyone was silent.
Cael folded his arms and exchanged a proud look with Elle.
Fin grinned at her like a proud mentor. "You never cease to amaze me."
Nova turned, blinking at him surprised and then blushed at his words.
"Thank you, Alpha." She said.
"It's Fin. Thought we were past this Nova." He said, grin widening.
Jax's jaw tightened.
Did they… train together often? How long had that been happening?
Before he could ask, Ash appeared beside Nova, watching with a smirk. "Show off," he teased, then ruffled her hair like she was his kid sister.
Nova immediately swatted his hand away, glaring at him.
He just laughed. "You're so fun when you're mad."
Jax's wolf snapped awake.
Talon: He shouldn't be allowed to touch her.
Jax took a step forward before he realized he was doing it, catching himself just in time.
Possessiveness curled inside him like smoke — confusing and hot. Was he like this before he was marked? He hasn't seen her much of her training before, and those boys didn't come around often anymore to be fair. He breathed. He probably would have been like this before he was marked.
The emotions rolling over him were strange. Not even with his first—
No. He didn't want to think about her.
He forced himself to stay still, eyes fixed on Nova.
But something had happened.
And if Fin and Ash didn't start giving her a little more space, Jax wasn't sure how long his wolf would keep playing nice.
Nova turned toward Fin, brushing a lock of hair from her face. "You said if I landed three in a row, you'd have a new challenge for me. What did you mean by that?"
Fin grinned. "Usually we save this for advanced warriors — not cadets. But you're not really a cadet, are you?"
She arched a brow, intrigued.
"We'll have you shoot at live targets," he said simply.
Her face dropped.
"Runners," he clarified, hands sliding into his pockets like this was nothing out of the ordinary. "Warriors running at full speed across the range — first in human form, and later, in wolf form."
Nova's brows pulled together. "What if the arrow hits though? Won't they get hurt?"
"In wolf form, we put a reinforced armor shield over their flank and chest," he explained, gesturing across his ribs. "It's enchanted, doesn't weigh them down. The arrow hits the plate — no damage, just a dull thud. And in human form…"
He grinned. "The runner catches the arrow before it hits."
"They catch it?" she repeated skeptically.
"They do. The runners for this kind of training are always elite. It's not a beginner's game."
He added with a smirk, "Usually, though, the arrows miss for the first few months, so it's a non-issue."
"I don't know if I can hit something that fast yet. I just started—"
"Oh, yes you can," Fin interrupted, his voice low and certain.
Draven, who had been eavesdropping — as usual — spoke up. "If she's going to do this, I want the entire class to watch."
Fin glanced at the students, then back to Draven. "Why not now?"
Draven raised an eyebrow. "Who's the runner?"
Fin's grin widened. "Me."
Nova blinked. "I don't— I don't want to hurt you. What if I miss and it hits—?"
"You won't," Fin said simply, cutting her off again.
Jax, who had been standing quietly, clenched his jaw. The familiarity between Nova and Fin — the way she looked at him, the way Fin seemed to know how to push her just enough without overwhelming her — made something sharp twist in his gut.
Why would Fin offer to be her runner? That was unheard of. Alphas didn't just volunteer to be target practice.
Fin added, "I want to test her at regular runner speed, then again at Alpha speed."
So that's why. Maybe.
Jax didn't like it.
Draven shrugged. "Alright, Alpha. Let's do it."
Nova opened her mouth to protest — her heart hammering — but Fin was already jogging toward the end of the range. Then he sprinted.
Gasps rippled across the class as Finric shot forward at Alpha speed, a blur of motion and wind.
Jax and Cael exchanged looks and rolled their eyes. Cael leaned toward him. "He's so shameless, it hurts."
Jax shook his head, but couldn't help a grin. "Always showing off."
Finric's voice suddenly cut across all of their minds — a projected mindlink, strong and steady so everyone could hear.
Fin: Grab an arrow, Nova. Let's start at regular speed.
Nova picked up an arrow, jaw clenched.
Fin slowed down to werewolf elite speed, circling the field in broad zigzags.
Fin: Track me. Watch my patterns.
Fin coached through the link, his tone calm, professional.
Fin: Don't aim where I am. Aim where I'll be. There's always a delay between draw and impact.
The class stood in silence, watching.
Nova exhaled, heart pounding. She could feel a hum rise in her chest — that silver-cored heat — like her body remembered how to do this, even if her mind hadn't caught up.
Jax felt something too in his core. Familiar. Was this his emotions or hers through the mate bond?
She aimed, followed Fin's movement… then released.
The arrow whistled through the air — and Finric caught it in one hand without breaking stride.
A chorus of gasps. Some of the class clapped.
Cael rolled his eyes.
Fin's voice came through the mindlink again.
Fin: Close, but very good. That would've grazed my shoulder because of the wind.
Wind speed, distance, and angle of attack all factor in.
Another arrow. Another zigzag. This time, she noted the crosswinds. The slight dip of the field.
She adjusted, fired.
Finric caught it with one hand, it pointing straight at the center of his chest, grinning.
Fin: Perfect shot.
Jax's chest tightened. The way Fin spoke to her — the trust, the ease, the subtle pride in his tone. It made something possessive and ancient claw at his insides. Nova grinned back at him.
Finric's voice rang through the mindlink: calm, clear, and authoritative.
Fin: You should always start by looking for a pattern. Many enemies, even skilled ones, fall into one. Movement becomes habit. But…
He paused, letting it settle.
Fin: Much of the time, in a real fight — there is no pattern. Especially if they're running from you, fighting in desperation, or protecting something. That's when you stop relying on repetition, and start reading the environment.
He continued, shifting his pace on the field:
Fin: Are they ducking behind cover? What are they trying to reach? A weapon? A fallen comrade? Are they flanking to get an angle, or defending someone else behind them? Watch their head, their hips, their shoulders — that's where you'll see intent before movement.
The students around the range listened in near awe. Even Draven looked mildly impressed.
Fin: In a moment of chaos, the arrow that counts is the one you trust your instincts to fire. Not the one you overthink.
Nova stared across the range.
Finric took off again — this time with no pattern. His movements were erratic: sharp turns, low dodges, bursts of speed, sudden reversals. But instead of panicking, Nova watched. Studied. She let her mind go quiet.
That silver heat built in her chest again. Like a memory that was trying to surface but couldn't. Like she'd done this a thousand times in another life.
She exhaled, notching the arrow — and released.
Finric caught it right over his chest, flawless. He held it high without stopping. His voice echoed in everyone's mindlink.
Fin: Bullseye.
Then, after a pause, he grinned.
Fin: Now aim for my left eye.
Nova's stomach twisted.
Nova: Are you sure? I don't want to… accidentally—
Fin: Yes. Finric replied firmly, cutting her off.
He was already running again before she could argue. The left side of his face dipped in and out of range, depending on the direction. When he ran east, it faced away. When he ran west, it was closer — but his face turned just enough to make the angle impossible.
She furrowed her brows. Not enough time. Too narrow. No shot.
But then… she noticed something.
He favored his right knee — just slightly. When he pushed off that leg, he slowed for a fraction of a second. His shoulder dipped, giving a clean view of his left profile.
That's it.
She adjusted her stance. Waited for the next push off.
She fired.
Finric caught the arrow mid-run with his left hand — two inches from his eye — and came to a stop.
He lifted it with a grin that could split stone.
Fin: Perfect shot.
The field erupted in whispers. Nova stood there, still holding her bow, slightly stunned. Had she really done that?
Finric's voice came again.
Fin: One more, Nova. Alpha speed. Left eye.
More whispers now. The whole class was watching — even warriors from the training arena had drifted over.
Nova grabbed another arrow. This time, Finric ran fast.
A blur.
The wind howled behind him as dust kicked up from the ground. His figure shimmered like a ghost moving too quickly for the eye to follow.
Draven said for the class to hear. "A very small percentage of warriors can hit a target at alpha speed."
"No pressure Nova." Milo called out and a few of them laughed.
Jax had the same feeling again — that strange sensation every time Nova pulled back an arrow. It wasn't nerves. It was her. Like the bond was vibrating with power every time she aimed.
He frowned. It was a familiar sensation that he had when his memories started to surface.
What was she remembering?
Nova exhaled.
The heat in her core swelled — warm and instinctual. Her muscles remembered before her mind did.
She notched the arrow and drew.
Time slowed.
She couldn't see Finric's face, but she knew the rhythm of his feet. Felt the dip in his weight as he turned west again. Visualized the shoulder drop.
She released.
The blur that was Finric stopped abruptly. He turned slowly, holding the arrow just an inch from his left eye. His expression was stunned at first… then shifted into something else entirely.
Pride.
And just a touch of awe.
Fin: Perfect shot.
Everyone was stunned. Speechless. Nova assumed they were bored and didn't realize that every pair of eyes were on her and Fin.
He walked back toward the range, holding all arrows she'd fired like trophies. His eyes locked with hers as he approached.
Fin: Quick study. Again.
The crowd burst into quiet murmurs. Draven was speechless. The class looked half-spooked, half-starstruck.
Jax crossed his arms, jaw clenched. Something in him didn't like what he just saw. But he couldn't deny it.
Nova wasn't just good. She was terrifyingly good.
And Fin had known.