Cael carried Elle in his arms as he sprinted toward the castle, her head tucked against his chest. She trembled, still fighting for a full breath, and something low and vicious coiled inside him — rage and helplessness wrestling for dominance.
He had never been helpless. Not as a Beta. Not as a High General. And never again as her mate.
Elle drifted in and out of awareness.
Cael, however… Cael was very, very busy.
To Mary Caldus, Chief Steward and Head Omega of Shadowclaw:
Cael: Mary, I need five or six of your most trusted omegas. Elle's things… all of them… move them out of the omega wing and into my quarters. Put everything away. Neat, clean, organized. Can you do that in under an hour?
Mary: Yes, Beta. We'll make it beautiful for her.
Cael: Thank you. I'll want your recommendation later for a personal omega to serve her moving forward. Trusted only.
Mary: I'll give you my best shortlist by noon.
Cael: Good. And Mary? Tell them to be careful with her dresses. If anything rips, I'll hear about it until the day I die.
To Dr. Elias Quell, Chief Healer of Shadowclaw:
Cael: Elias, where are you?
Elias: Infirmary. My study.
Cael: I have Elle. We're ten minutes out. She's having trouble breathing. Can you prepare a calming tonic?
Elias: Already working on it.
To Aeron Lancaster, Arcane Advisor & Master Mage of Shadowclaw:
Cael: Aeron, I want a private ritual in twelve hours. Elle is to be secured as Beta and given my aura. We'll do it like Nova's ceremony — only royal family. One elder for witness. Can you arrange it?
Aeron: Of course. It will be ready.
To Lirien Daxos, Scribe of the High Council and Royal Legal Clerk of Shadowclaw:
Cael: Lirien, draft the paperwork for Elle Varrin taking my name and title. Luna of House Valehart, last name Valehart, and Beta Luna of Shadowclaw. Make it official.
Lirien: Understood, Beta. Do you require witnesses listed or shall I prepare it as a private sealing?
Cael: We'll hold the public one in a few months, but I want the legal seal today. Private is fine.
Lirien: Yes, Beta. It will be on your desk within the hour.
As soon as he closed that mindlink, he'd arrived at Elias's office without missing a breath.
Elle blinked blearily as Elias handed her a steaming mug. She took it with shaky hands.
"Thank you," she said softly, and drank it all.
Elias laid a hand on her forehead, frowning. "She has a fever. I'm giving strict orders — no training, no chores, no stress. Three days minimum. That goes for Nova too."
"I'll tell Jax," he added, glancing at Cael — expecting resistance.
Instead, Cael looked relieved and mindlinked Elias.
Cael: Thank the gods. I've been dreading that conversation.
Elle shivered again, her voice weak. "N-Nova needs one of these… d-d-drinks too. Is she back?"
"She's in Jax's quarters," Cael said gently.
"I'll bring one to her," Elias promised, but his expression darkened. "What happened to you two?"
"We had consequences for speaking out of turn with Shard." Elle winced, clearly unsure how to summarize the disaster.
Cael let out a disbelieving laugh. It made Elle smile for half a heartbeat.
Elias's brows lifted. "You and Nova Moonveil spoke out of turn?"
Elle looked away, cheeks flushing. "Yes, we did. He deserved it, but… it doesn't change the fact we spoke. So we had to clean the d-d-dungeon floors in Maximus South. All night."
Elias turned sharply to Cael. "You're telling me Professor Shard punished the Beta's mate and the Gamma's mate?"
Elle swallowed. "He doesn't think we're their mates. Or he views us as… temporary."
Cael's eyes darkened, jaw flexing once.
His voice dropped into something granite-solid. "I'll be having a conversation with him."
Elle huffed a faint laugh. "He's not the most receptive."
"I know, Elle. You forget I also sat in his class not that long ago."
Elias looked between them, still mentally catching up. "Nova is marked. Jax claimed her to the elder council. How in the hell is that temporary?"
"That changes today," Cael said, final and unyielding.
Elias clenched his jaw. "He's playing with fire."
"He and anyone else who speaks disrespectfully to either of them again," Cael said, voice low and dangerous.
Elle blinked, startled. She hadn't expected that level of fury from Cael. She thought she'd have to explain herself, justify the situation… prove they hadn't mouthed off for entertainment.
Instead, he was ready to wage war on her behalf.
She finished the tonic, and Cael gently took her hand, guiding her down the corridor toward his quarters. Their quarters now — though she had no idea yet.
The fire was already burning. She didn't notice her belongings had been unpacked and placed with surprising care: her dresses hung by color, her lotions arranged neatly, her stack of jewelry placed exactly in the way she preferred.
Cael drew her a warm bath, steam curling up around her as if trying to coax the shaking from her bones. He stayed close while she soaked, kissing her shoulders, her cheeks, her forehead — soft, reverent touches that had nothing to do with desire and everything to do with relief.
After, he carried her to bed. They lay curled together beneath the blankets, Elle tucked against his chest. She still hadn't noticed any of it — her things, the rearranged shelves, the fact that the entire room now looked like it belonged to the two of them.
"I was so worried about you," he whispered against her skin.
Her eyes fluttered open, blinking at him. It startled her more than she expected — Cael didn't voice worry. Not out loud.
"I'm okay," she murmured, brushing her fingers weakly along his chest. "Maybe a little traumatized… but still cute."
A breath of a laugh escaped him, pained but real. He pressed a kiss to her temple as if that tiny spark of humor proved she was still herself.
Cael's hand tightened slightly at her waist.
"There's something I need to ask you," he said.
Her lashes lifted. "What is it?"
"I want to mark you." His voice was low, steady, but edged with something vulnerable he rarely allowed anyone to hear. "I was going to wait until you brought it up. But… I want the whole pack to know you're my Luna. That you're mine. I want to give you my mark, Elle. Will you let me?"
She didn't hesitate. Not for a heartbeat.
"You never needed to ask," she whispered. "I've wanted you to mark me. I love you more than anything."
That easy.
Cael blinked, stunned. The breath left him as if he'd been punched in the ribs. Why had he been so hesitant? He'd convinced himself she wasn't ready simply because she hadn't initiated the conversation… and now he felt like a complete idiot for it. A lovesick idiot.
Before he could overthink another thing, he kissed her — slow, grateful, and reverent, his hand cupping her jaw as though she were something he'd almost lost.
And as the kiss deepened, his wolf surged forward.
His teeth entered her neck gently.
It was a vow. A seal.
A promise from one soul to another.