A few days passed, and they were in Jax's quarters when a mindlink summoned him to a meeting. He told her to stay put and promised he would return as soon as he could.
Left alone, she let her gaze drift across the room until a half-hidden volume on his bookshelf caught her eye. War strategy. Pack conflicts of the last five hundred years. Why some packs rose, why others crumbled into dust.
She didn't consider herself a fast reader, yet the moment she opened it the pages pulled her in, each chapter feeling disturbingly familiar, like scattered memories rising too quickly to the surface. She devoured the entire book before he returned.
She wondered if this particular topic gripped her because of what had happened to her mother and father's pack. She rarely allowed herself to touch that thought, but the question always lingered like a stone in her chest — how a smaller, weaker pack managed to wipe out every member of Moonveil.
To her disappointment, the book offered no answers. It did not mention Moonveil at all.
When Jax walked in, she'd put the book back quietly—but she couldn't hide how she looked at it. Her cheeks turned pink.
He leaned in and commented in a teasing voice.
"You are very cute when you think you're hiding something from me," Jax said softly. He nipped at her ear. "I smell your scent on that book. I know you were reading it."
She flushed further. "Sorry, I should have asked you first."
"No." His answer was immediate, almost sharp. He drew her closer by the waist, his tone softening as he spoke against her temple. "You are my mate. Anything that is mine is yours. You can read, touch, take anything in this room." He paused, gaze sliding back toward the shelf. "Though I will admit… I'm surprised you chose that book."
"Why?" she asked, voice barely above a whisper.
"Most wouldn't find that interesting," he said, laughing under his breath as if the conclusion was obvious.
She blinked, then let out a small, genuine laugh of her own. "It was a bit dense, wasn't it."
Jax laughed again—full, warm, unguarded—and the sound curled through her chest like a hearthfire catching.
In a week full of strain, cold, and questions that ate at her in the dark, that single laugh warmed her more deeply than anything else had.
Later that night, Jax woke to Nova's gasp.
"No… please." The words tore out of her, thin and strangled, as she twisted in his arms. Her body was drenched in sweat, hair plastered to her temple, fingers curled as if fighting off phantoms he couldn't see.
The panic slammed into him through their matebond so violently it stole his breath. It wasn't a distant echo — it hit him like he'd been dragged straight into her nightmare, forced to watch whatever horror her mind replayed. Fear. Helplessness. Cold stone. The metallic tang of silver. It all pulsed through her and straight into him.
For a heartbeat he didn't know where he was. Her terror swallowed everything.
Then he realized — she wasn't awake.
"Nova…" His voice cracked. He cupped her face, thumb brushing her cheek, but she didn't stir. Her eyes moved beneath her lids, rapid, frantic. Her lips trembled, another broken plea slipping out.
"Baby, it's just a dream," he whispered, leaning closer, trying to anchor her. "You're safe. You're here. I'm right here."
But she didn't respond. Not the way she should have. Her breathing hitched, shallow and sharp. Her heartbeat thundered, like she was running for her life.
Jax's own pulse spiked. She should have woken by now. A small, broken sound left her throat — not a scream, but something worse. Something defeated.
Jax's stomach dropped.
"Nova, come back to me," he said hoarsely, shaking her gently, fighting the rising dread curling cold in his gut. "Look at me. Wake up."
Nothing.
She was still drowning in whatever memory had her by the throat.
Then suddenly, she shot up in bed again with a gasp, her chest heaving like she'd run a mile.
Her heart pounded. Her throat was dry.
What was that?
"Baby, it's okay." Jax pulled her back int his chest rubbing her back. He kissed her head. "Another bad dream?"
She nodded, still catching her breath. "Yes." Her voice cracked.
"Was it the same one from earlier this week?" He asked.
"No … a continuation of it. I think." She said. Jax's warmth calmed the tremors still rolling through her.
"Do you remember it?" He asked softly.
Her heart was pounding and he felt her adrenaline through the matebond.
He pressed his lips onto her forehead. She frowned trying to remember but nothing was coming to her. Again.
"No… I guess I don't." Nova said, taking a steadying breath.
"It's just a dream," he murmured into her hair, his voice low and steady. "I'll always protect you." He kissed her cheek and she relaxed into his arms.
He breathed her scent in.