"Your bath is ready. Perfect timing," Jax said with a small smile, standing up with Nova in his arms like she weighed nothing at all.
She squeaked in protest, instinctively hiding her face in his neck. "I-I can walk."
"I know," he whispered, still carrying her. He brushed a kiss against her temple.
He stepped into the bathing chamber, shutting the door behind them before she could catch a glimpse of the omegas moving around in the main quarters. They were working quietly, transferring the last of her belongings.
Jax wasn't giving her the chance to overthink anything. Not today.
Inside the warm stone chamber, steam curled softly from the surface of the water. Scented oils and calming herbs floated on top, the perfect mix.
Jax helped her out of her training suit slowly, reverently—his touch soft and worshipful. She blushed again, lowering her gaze, but he cupped her cheek and kissed her.
"All of you," he murmured. "Stuns me. Every time I see you, I forget how to breathe."
Her face flushed a deeper shade as he kissed down her neck, her shoulder, her spine.
That's when he saw it—really saw it.
A bruise on her cheekbone. Another formed along her jaw. Her bottom lip busted. But the worst was on her right side, near her ribs. Discoloration across her back like she'd been kicked. The sight made something ancient and feral twist inside of him.
He said nothing.
His jaw locked. His wolf snarled in the back of his mind, pacing, ready to destroy. But right now, Nova didn't need his rage. She needed warmth. Safety. Love.
So he slid her carefully into the tub.
"D-d-do you have time to take one with me?" She asked, her voice soft and hesitant.
Jax smiled, stripping off his shirt. "I'm taking a personal day," he said simply. "To take care of my mate. My moon. My wife. My Luna. The most important person in the world to me."
He got in behind her, pulling her gently back to his chest, wrapping his arms around her. Her body sank into his like it belonged there—because it did.
"You are beautiful," he whispered into her hair, "inside and out. Body and soul. I don't think there could be a more perfect person for me."
She turned her face just slightly. "You're always so kind to me. I sometimes don't know how to respond to it."
"I know," he whispered, nuzzling her ear. "You don't have to respond. I say these things because they're true and I'll always remind you."
Her fingers traced lines over his forearm, silent for a few beats. The water swirled around them like a cocoon.
"I saw your test, by the way," he murmured. "Didn't realize my mate was a speed-reader with a memory like a steel trap."
She laughed nervously. "I—I didn't mean to… I was just curious, and it was really interesting…"
"Nova," Jax cut in, chuckling. "You read that whole book the hour I was gone, didn't you?"
"Y-yes." She said.
He grinned against her shoulder. "Do you know how long it took me to finish it?"
"How long?"
"Two weeks." He paused dramatically. "Fin? Two months."
Nova giggled. "What about Cael?"
"We're coming up on year seven."
She laughed so hard she nearly slipped under the water.
"That's classified, by the way," Jax added, mock-serious. "You didn't hear that from me."
"You never brag. You never show off. You're too humble. And every time I turn around, you amaze me," he said quietly.
"T-thank you. But I don't think I'm that—"
"Yes, you are," he said, cutting her off. "Full stop."
She was quiet again, and slid her hands over his arms that were holding her as she leaned against him and breathed in his scent.
She loved him to the moon and back.
"Be honest with me," Jax said. "Did you learn archery at Ashbane?"
"No," she said. "I was really bad when we started. Fin showed me what I was doing wrong."
Jax frowned slightly. "I kept feeling something through our bond. Like… like you were remembering it."
She stilled. "It felt like I'd done it before. But the memory wouldn't surface."
"I had a similar sensation when my memories surfaced." Jax said.
"Do you feel other things from me?" Nova asked.
"Sometimes," he lied smoothly. "When you're scared, I feel it. Strong emotions."
He didn't tell her the full truth. That he could feel everything. Every flicker of fear, every ounce of doubt. Every aching insecurity she tried to bury. He wasn't going to overwhelm her with that now. She'd discover it in time.
And she hadn't noticed yet that she could feel him too. His emotions rarely spiked, which made him easier to miss. But she'd start to feel the warmth he felt when she walked in a room. His love and reverence when he stared into her eyes.
For now, he just held her in the water, pressing a kiss to her shoulder.
"What did you want to talk to me about?" Jax asked.
Nova hesitated for a second, gathering her thoughts. "W-was Helga… p-put in p-prison after…"
Her stutter was back. Jax immediately felt the shift in her energy — that nervous, tight flutter in the bond. He softened his voice.
"Yes. She was. She could've killed you, Nova." His jaw clenched slightly. "She attacked an unarmed student from behind, after a match was over. You were in human form. She was in wolf form. There are too many laws broken with that."
Nova nodded slowly. "I understand. Do you know which dungeon she's being held in?"
Jax narrowed his eyes slightly. "Yes. Why?"
She took a breath. "Were you able to see any of the spar before?"
"Yes. We saw it happen."
"Don't you find it odd?" Nova said quietly. "That a warrior of her level — trained, decorated, and supposedly loyal — would suddenly lose all control and attack like that? In front of the Colonel, in front of everyone? Cael, Draven, you…?"
Jax was silent for a beat.
"Fin said the same thing." He finally said.
"She didn't just lose her temper. The way she looked at me… it reminded me—" Nova hesitated, breath catching, but she pushed through. "It reminded me of you, when you were under the influence of dark magic."
Jax's breath stopped cold. "You think she was being controlled."
"I don't know," Nova said softly. "But maybe influenced. Corrupted, even. Her reaction to me… it was instant. Like my presence triggered it"
Jax looked away, mind working. "I talked to a lieutenant and a captain who trained with her. They said she earned her rank. And neither of them has ever heard her speak like that before."
Nova swallowed.
"It's worth looking into," Jax agreed. His protective instincts warred with his logic. "But why do you ask about her dungeon?"
"I was wondering… if I could see her," Nova said quietly.
Jax's frown was immediate. "Nova—"
"Not alone," she clarified quickly. "With you. Or Fin. Or Aeron. I just want to see her. I need to know if that same feeling comes back. If she reacts again. Maybe it's nothing, but…" She looked up at him. "If someone was influencing her, maybe it's connected. To the poisonings."
Jax went silent, studying her. Determined, but not reckless. This wasn't vengeance. It was curiosity. Logic. Compassion.
He finally nodded. "Alright. We'll go see her. Together."
"I think her father had the same thing… but I'm not sure. He was really…" Nova took a sharp breath, the memory choking her words. She let the rest fall away.
"I know what happened," Jax said gently. "I am going to oversee his trial."
"T-trial?" she whispered.
"Yes. It's treason to harm any royal family member of our pack."
Nova let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding.
Jax felt the storm of emotion inside her — guilt, worry, confusion. He kissed her shoulder and pulled her tight against him.
"Nova," he murmured, "let me make one thing absolutely clear. This is not your fault, and the outcome is not in your control. It is pack law."
He brushed his thumb under her eye, catching another silent tear as she stared ahead at the water.
"In the Shadowclaw pack, it is against the law for a male to assault a female. Of any rank," Jax said, keeping his voice calm even though fury simmered under it.
"He thinks I d-d-demanded Helga's arrest," Nova whispered, shaking her head. "I was t–tr-trying to tell him I d-didn't. I thought she might've been reprimanded… I d-di-didn't know she was sent to prison. I didn't want to d-do the match against h-h-her to begin with."
Nova took a steadying breath, voice trembling but honest.
"It doesn't seem right. Both have dedicated their lives to t-th-this pack."
Jax nodded, his hand sliding up her arm in a grounding stroke. "I will give him a fair trial. If it's black magic, we will get to the bottom of it. But if it's not, and he laid a hand on you… that is not an excuse."
A sob broke out of her, sharp and painful. Jax's heart clenched around it.
"Hey… baby…" he whispered, kissing her head, holding her together as tightly as he could. "It's okay. I'm here."