The warm light of Cael's quarters greeted, but the room's temperature dropped slightly when Nova turned to face them in her gown.
Fin froze.
He'd seen Nova countless times — in training gear, in a cloak, walking beside Jax with her quiet grace, once at a speakeasy. But this?
This was something else entirely.
She was radiant.
The gown shimmered like moonlight on midnight water — sapphire silk lined with delicate, pale blue gems that caught the firelight in waves. Her figure, usually hidden behind oversized layers, or in a training suit, was now sculpted in elegant lines.
Her shoulders and collarbone elegantly showing, her waist slender and the sheer material across her ribs tapering down her sides to her back revealing just enough to leave jaws slack and eyes wide.
Her hair was curled and half-pinned and the makeup… she usually never wore any. It made her look more mature. Regal.
She looked… like a queen.
No. She looked like his Queen. The Luna of their entire pack. Of the entire North.
Xeon: Stunning.
Fin wasn't often a man short on words, but he found his throat dry. He watched Jax stare at her like she was the sun rising for the first time in centuries, and still, his eyes flicked back to her with the faintest ache in his chest.
This girl. This witty girl lit up the room like starlight on snow.
And she didn't even realize it.
Fin was proud — and fiercely protective.
He stepped forward slowly, as Jax was still halfway speechless.
"Nova," Fin said quietly. "You look…"
She turned her head, eyes searching his face with a slight smile.
"…You look like everything the South should be afraid of."
Nova blinked in surprise, then grinned. "Is that a compliment?"
Fin smirked. "That's the best kind."
Nova blushed and dipped her head. "You're both being ridiculous."
"No," Cael chimed in. "They're being accurate."
Elle gave a dramatic sigh. "Can we just admit our girl is the moment and go already?"
Nova laughed blushing more.
He stepped closer, his voice low so only she could hear.
"You carry yourself like you were born for this."
She looked in his eyes and paused with a warm grin. "Thank you."
And then, almost imperceptibly, she squeezed Jax's hand.