It had been a few weeks since Jax returned, and Nova felt the world click back into place. Her limbs no longer trembled with lingering fear. Her pulse had steadied. She was back on track.
She was still having strange dreams. But outside of that, everything else was back to normal.
She sat in Professor Shard's classroom, amid rows of students and 1st year cadets. Today's test was impossible—essay questions only, on werewolf war strategy. Nova's heart skipped. The coincidence of the content and the book she had devoured in Jax's quarters struck her as uncanny. Was Jax behind this? Or was she simply favored by fate—or the Moon Goddess herself?
Her classmates stared at the exam sheets—eyes wide, pens hovering. Milo Briant flipped his paper over, as if looking for an alternate version. Elle buried her head in her hands, trying not to panic.
Nova sat back. She could have joined them in confusion—but instead she found herself calmly reading the questions, recognizing references, theories. She answered each one with thought and confidence.
Question One: Supply denial often harms the aggressor as much as the target. Using two historical pack case studies, analyze the point at which indirect warfare became strategically irreversible.
Nova wrote:"Case Study 1: The Redmarch Encirclement (Years 2190–2225) relied on river interdiction and allied enforcement to weaken Pack Vireth, but became strategically irreversible when coalition dissent shifted enforcement costs inward. The withdrawal of Pack Halen marked the point at which Redmarch could not reimpose supply denial without escalating into open war. Case Study 2: The Ashfall Attrition Campaign (Years 2278–2310) sustained indirect warfare through internal cohesion until Pack Teyr redirected forces to suppress civilian unrest. That decision triggered alliance realignment and made logistical recovery impossible."
With each answer she finished, Nova felt a surge of confidence. She felt for the first time since arriving, that she was worthy to have a seat at the table. She learned this and could add value hopefully someday.
When she reached the end, she laid down her pen and closed her eyes for a moment. Then she stood, walked up to the front of the class and handed her test to Professor Shard.
He peered at it with that smug smirk he always wore when he believed he had the upper‑hand.
"There's no way you finished," he said. "Sit back down, Moonveil."
"I did finish, sir," she answered respectfully—voice steady though her pulse hammered inside.
"You are bluffing," he said, cold. Nova sensed the hostility. She didn't flinch.
"I'm not, sir," she replied.
"Then you're lying," he hissed, leaning forward. The class quieted. Elle shifted behind her.
"There's no way an omega servant‑girl knows this strategy and history to the extent this test demands."
Elle's hand clenched into a fist beneath her desk, rage simmering hot and quiet. She was protective of her friend. Instinct.
Nova met his gaze, and gave a warm smile, "If it helps, I'm just as surprised as you are."
Usually a comment like that disarmed Shard and he let her be after. But today, that did not work.
"You are a filthy little runt who needs to be taught what respect is." Shard snarled.
Nova blinked surprised. Not hurt or upset, just genuine shock at his tone.
Whispers exploded in the room. Some students stifled laughs. Others gaped. Her wolf snarled in her mind. Nova didn't react.
Elle stood up abruptly. She was angry clenching her fists, nails digging into her palms. How dare he?!
Jax and Cael sat side by side at the long oaken table in the war‑room, flanked by the officers, and captain assigned to border patrols for the upcoming visit of the Bloodmoon Pack. Maps, scrolls, and patrol rosters were spread out before them, but Cael's attention drifted. Through the faint pulses of their mate bond, he felt a wave of rage from Elle—raw, bright, uncharacteristic.
"Everything okay?" Jax asked low, his voice taut. He sensed the shift too—something flickering that didn't belong to him.
His wolf stirred in his mind.
"All good," Cael replied in a steady tone. "Please continue."
His gaze stayed distant. He didn't want to mind‑link Elle yet and potentially escalate things over what might be nothing.
Moments later, while Finric concluded his separate meeting, Cael mindlinked him privately.
Cael: Can you do me a favor?
Fin: Yes. What's going on?
Cael: Shard's class. Now. If you're close.
Fin: I am. Something wrong?
Cael: I just got a surge of rage from Elle. More than I've ever felt from her.
There was no hesitation.
Fin: On it.
Meanwhile, Jax watched Cael's face, troubled. He felt tension in his sternum. Tension that didn't belong to him. Nova. Something was off and Cael clearly felt something too.
Cael wanted to mindlink again, but luckily the meeting ended a minute later and he immediately left.
Jax followed him, already reading the tight line of his jaw and the restlessness in his eyes.
"What happened?" he asked as both of them were walking quickly with urgency. "Just tell me. My mind goes to the worst things."
Cael took a breath. He ran a hand through his hair. "It's probably nothing. Sometimes I can't tell if I'm being over‑protective… or if I should trust my instincts."
"I can relate." Jax said. "What happened?"
"I felt a burst of rage from Elle—more rage than I've ever felt from her." His voice dropped. "And I don't understand why. I know Shard is a dick… so I thought it was something with him. I asked Fin to check on her."
Jax's eyes narrowed. "And?"
Cael exhaled slowly. "I felt another burst of rage from her a minute ago.
"What does that mean?" Jax asked.
"I don't know … I probably should have just mindlinked her." Cael responded.
They were now walking very fast. Jax wanted to do the same thing with Nova but then decided not to because he didn't know if he was being too overprotective. Was it wrong of him to want to know everything that happened to her and to have her by his side at all times?
His wolf, Talon, answered his thoughts: No. She is our mate.
They turned into the corridor connecting to the classroom just as Fin walked inside. They listened, not showing themselves.
Professor Shard's voice rang out:
"Would you be willing to have the Alpha of our pack look at your 'answers'—" (he put the word in air quotes) "—so he might assess their merit?"
"I mean… if he wants to," Nova said. "It's a really long test."
A ripple of snickers ran through the students. None of the cadets reacted, but none of them looked displeased either.
Shrill now, Shard yelled: "You may have Gamma Thorne fooled, but you do not fool me. Remember your place!"
Elle, sitting, sprang to her feet again —anger scarlet in her eyes. Finric watched—jaw tight.
"Sit down Ms. Varrin! One more outburst and both of you are scrubbing the floors of the dungeon on your hands and knees after your training TONIGHT. Do I make myself clear?"
Elle paused, trying to compose herself. She wanted to talk back to him and give him a piece of her mind. She looked at Nova who gave the slightest tilt of her head. Elle knew what that meant. I've got this.
"Yes." Elle said sitting down.
"Yes what?" Shard sneered.
"Yes, sir." Elle said, taking a breath.
Outside the door, Cael felt his own rage and his wolf stirred. How dare Shard talk to his mate like that?! He was the Beta, 2nd in command and Shard spoke to her with such disrespect. Cael took a few breaths and heard Shard speak again.
"Let me make one thing clear to the two of you. You both are unmarked, unmated omegas who curry temporary favor with our pack's gamma and beta. It is temporary and it does not give you any special privileges." Professor Shard said, as if he was laying out the hard facts.
Behind the door, Jax's jaw fell open, stunned by the words he just heard. What right did Shard have to talk to Nova or Elle that way?
Nova was marked. There was no ambiguity about that. Whether her hair hid it or not was irrelevant. Shard had no right to say any of it.
Shard continued, "Neither of you have earned your place in this pack."
This time, Fin was the one stunned. Nova had literally saved his life a few weeks ago. Not earned her place? Since when did any pack member need to earn their place at all? Rage surged through him, sharp and immediate, and he opened his mouth to speak—
Then he heard Nova's voice.
"We're very grateful for your insight, Professor. I hope I can one day wield authority at the same level as you." She said, calmly with no malice in her tone. Not skipping a beat.
The classroom burst into laughter. Everyone, all the cadets and students. Fin blinked, stunned.
"You're right, Nova. I'm grateful to be reminded of where we stand as omegas. I can only hope that someday, I'll be able to command a room in the same way he does." Elle said, unable to keep it in any longer.
The classroom erupted again in laughter. Fin quickly rested his chin on his hand, hiding his mouth.
"Both of you are going to be scrubbing dungeon floors tonight. ALL NIGHT. No special privileges. No Gamma or Beta for you to seduce. No one to save you." He said with spit coming out of his mouth.
Nova and Elle looked at each other in utter shock and outrage, fighting the urge to laugh. Seduce? What was wrong with this professor?
Finric stepped forward. He was composed though furious. "What's the problem here?"
Shard's voice elevated with indignation. "Moonveil is being disrespectful. Maybe instead of scrubbing, she should spend some time chained in the dungeon. That'll teach her respect."
Nova's chest tightened at those words. She didn't let it show. But Fin felt it and so did Jax.
Shard leaned forward, tone low and venomous. "One more peep out of you and the entire class will be performing mountain‑run drills for the rest of the day— snow and no shifting. Do you understand me? They won't think you're so funny then will they." Spit continued to come out of his mouth as he spoke and his face was red.
Nova remained silent. Her wolf was unhappy, straining to surface. She pressed it down and stayed composed.
From the back, Ash muttered loudly enough, "Dear gods, Nova, that would be amazing. I'll take laps over whatever this is any day."
The room erupted in laughter again.
"Mr. Greyborne will be joining you. Anyone else?"
Milo leaned back in his chair with a dramatic sigh. "Honestly? If the floors get me away from this monologue, I'll bring my own soap."
More laughter.
"Enough!" Shard slammed his hand on the desk, voice rising. The laughter stopped. "Mr. Briant will be joining them."
Kylan sniggered, unable to contain himself and a few others were trying to stifle laughs. One of the warriors turned it into a cough.
"Quiet! Insolence! You are all insubordinate! I said quiet!" Shard yelled, his face getting redder. He tore the parchment in his hands out of fury.
This was a mistake.
The students and most of the 1st year cadets started laughing louder.
Finric again pulled his hand to cover his mouth like he was resting his chin on it thinking, to hide the laughter that he was holding. He remembered how Shard was. He sat in this very classroom not that long ago. But damn, he was really angry right now.
He looked around, doing his best to keep his face neutral. In theory, he should reprimand them for disrespect.
He looked back at Shard who was shaking with rage and staring at Nova.
Finric's eyes flicked to Nova; she looked at Shard steadily holding her ground.
Shard scowled. "Your insolence does nothing for the prestige of this institution. Especially not from some bastard omega servant."
Nova didn't flinch. Calm. Respectful tone.
"And yet here you are, wasting your prestige talking to a bastard omega servant." Nova said.
"Still learning the etiquette of your station, I see. How charming." Shard snarled.
"Funny, I was going to say the same thing about you." Nova said, again not skipping a beat.
Fin blinked, fighting the urge to punch Shard for insulting her. He felt something else. Possessiveness. An insult to her, was an insult to him.
"I've heard all about you, Ms. Moonveil. We both know your looks got you farther than your mind ever could."
A voice came from the back of the classroom, speaking before Fin could.
"If that's true, imagine how far she'll go once she starts thinking." Rael said flatly.
"Mr. Kaelith will be joining them scrubbing the floors all night! Anyone else!?" Shard bellowed.
No one spoke.
Shard shook. "The academy should hang portraits of you and Ms. Varrin in the halls—warnings of what happens when men stop thinking with their heads."
"I'm flattered you've given it that much thought, Professor. Truly." Nova said, tone even.
"You little…." Shard moved towards her. Too aggressive.
"May I see the test?" Fin said, cutting him off. He stepped in front of her holding out his hand to professor Shard.
Meanwhile in the hall, Jax and Cael were both completely appalled. Both having stopped the other from barging into the classroom a few times at this point.
Jax: Nova is not going to sit in his class ever again. I'll have her shadow me instead. Such a bastard.
Cael: I second that with Elle. Such bullshit.
Fin then noticed Nova was still holding the test, so that meant Shard hadn't even looked at it.
He took it out of her hands gently, scanned the pages—and paused.
Nova's Answers:
"In a scenario where the enemy uses rapid wolf‑shift raids operating at dawn, propose three counter‑strategies and justify the optimal choice."
"Counter‑strategies: (a) Pre‑dawn wolf‑shift counter‑raids to intercept; (b) Deploy archers at high ground to force shift delays; (c) Use decoy flank to lure raids into prepared kill‑zones. Optimal: (b) and (c) in tandem—archers delay the shift, decoys collapse the raid's flank, preserving supplies and morale with minimal losses."
"Discuss the strategic advantages and disadvantages of defensive vs. offensive posturing in pack warfare as experienced in Shadowclaw's historical conflicts."
"Defensive posturing consolidates resources and protects territory but risks stagnation; offensive posturing gains momentum and tactical advantage but overstretches supply lines. Shadowclaw's victory in the Battle of Storm‑Ridge (Year 2422) hinged on shifting from defense to rapid raid‑offense, whereas its collapse in the Great Frost War (Year 2369) stemmed from overextended supply chains and failing alliances."
Line after line, her handwriting was neat, quick but confident. Her answers weren't just correct — they were tactical, layered, like someone who didn't just understand strategy but instinctively thought that way.
She referenced historical battles with precision, pointed out flaws in certain defensive tactics, even proposed a hypothetical solution to a war that plagued the eastern border a generation ago — one Finric himself had studied with Aeron.
Hell, she did this better than he would have, had someone handed him the test on the spot.
How did she know all of this? And more importantly… how did she keep surprising him every time they crossed paths?
She was brilliant without trying. Sharp without showing off. And she had no idea.
It was like she was born to be a queen. His queen.
He stared at Nova dumbstruck. Followed by a flicker disbelief if she was real… let alone his fated. Shard — who had clearly been watching Fin's every micro-expression — mistook the Alpha's silence and expressions for agreement.
"You see?" Shard said smugly. "Exactly what I—"
Fin cut him off without looking up. "She aced it."
The room fell into silence.
"What?" Shard blinked.
Fin looked up at him now, voice casual but cutting. "She aced it. Strategy, historical context, predictive application — better than what I would see from my command."
The silence stretched.
Shard's jaw tightened, his eyes darting to the page Fin still held. "Then no question she mindlinked Gamma Thorne for the answers." he said. "There is no way she knew all that on her own."
Nova blinked, stunned.
From behind the door, Jax already was feeling enraged. But this tipped him over. How dare he accuse her of cheating now. Cael held his arm in front of Jax for the third time.
Cael: Let Fin handle this. If you go in there, it'll look like you did help her.
Jax took a deep breath fuming. He had heard enough of her being disrespected.
"Gamma Thorne has been in a security meeting all morning. Are you saying that she mindlinked him for all this information?"
"That is exactly what I am saying. She might have him fooled by her little seduction act, but not me." He responded. He wasn't even trying to hide his dislike of Nova at this point.
Fin let out a sharp breath, clearly done with this.
"Really?" he said, his voice dropping, calm but with that edge that made people straighten their backs. "She cheated by mindlinking her mate? During a timed, written essay test? While you were watching the entire class?"
"She's an illiterate omega servant with no formal training brought here a few months ago." Shard hissed. "It's odd how she knows how to read a book let alone any of this! She doesn't have a place here yet she seems to know —"
Fin cut him off. "Then ask her a question. Right now. Pick any one from the test. Let's see if she knows it."
Shard looked caught off guard, but then sneered and scanned a blank test. "Fine. Here."
He jabbed a finger at a line. "The Siege of Stormwatch, 112 years ago. The defending Alpha chose to split his forces and attempt a high-ground ambush while abandoning the central fortification. Was that the right call?"
Nova hesitated and looked at Fin, who nodded at her.
"No," she said. "Not as he executed it. The terrain didn't give him enough cover for a flanking attack, and his archers were out-ranged. Splitting the force weakened both the offense and the defense. The better strategy would have been reinforcing the central fort and using the riverbank to funnel the enemy. They would've slowed and bottlenecked. That's where you put the archers. Then you flank."
Someone in the back, let out a low whistle.
From behind the cracked door. Jax felt his chest swell with pride and Cael grinned.
Cael: Both of our girls are queens.
Shard's face was flushed red. "That's not in any assigned reading."
Fin turned the test over and read the rest. Nobody moved or said anything.
"I suggest you grade it properly. Or I will."
Shard didn't speak. He took the test with a stiff movement and stalked back to his desk.
Fin turned to Nova and nodded once with a small smile. Proud. "I'll see you later."
He turned and walked out.
As the door clicked shut behind him, Milo leaned toward Nova and whispered, "The Alpha seems to have warmed up to you."
Elle smacked his arm. "Shut up."
Nova just sat there, blinking, unsure what had just happened — or why her heart was suddenly pounding louder than ever.
Finric stepped out into the hall, not surprised that Jax and Cael were standing there. He mindlinked them while they walked to their next meeting with northern diplomats.
Fin: How long were you there?
Cael: Long enough. I think we got the jist of it.
Fin: They are going to have to take the punishment he assigned. I can't step in for that. But I think it was well worth it.
Jax: Why was he insulting Nova?
He didn't like Nova taking a punishment and all of that was worse than he ever expected. The fact she was getting spoken to that way still. As a mate, she should be given the same respect as he. This situation rubbed him the wrong way on so many levels.
Fin: Because he was outwitted by someone who just impressed the hell out of me.
Jax: Was it because he accused her of cheating on a test? Is that how this started?
Fin: No. She finished the test and tried to turn it in. He didn't believe her and said she was bluffing. Followed by calling her a liar. That's when Elle got involved. Absolute bullshit.
Cael: They shouldn't be spoken to that way. Even if they were omegas and not our mates. But the fact that Shard is speaking to them that way, knowing full and well that they are tethered to Jax and myself… It's disrespectful to us. It undermines us as well.
Fin: I agree. It didn't sit right with me.
Jax: There's nothing we can do about their punishment?
Fin: No, unfortunately that would set the wrong precedent to the other cadets and students.
Cael: They are our mates though. Why are they even still in training to be soldiers? Their path is not that.
Fin: I agree. But they did talk back to him. We have an order of command. Even if he deserved it.
Jax: Let me get this straight… Shard can call her illiterate, a cheater, a bastard, and...
Cael: Don't forget Elle and Nova of seducing their way to where they are.
Jax: That's funny because they eat with omegas, live in omega quarters, and train with soldiers all day. Neither of them expect things to be handed to them.
Fin: I agree with you both and I will be having a word with Shard.
Jax groaned. He understood the logic, and surely it wouldn't be the entire night.