Fin stood frozen—paralyzed by the impossible sight in front of him.
With his werewolf vision, from in the distance above, he saw Nova riding on a gold dragon with Rex behind her. Arm around her. Touching her. His mate. Fin's chest tightened at the sight. Then he saw her laugh at something Rex said—light and unguarded—and something inside him snapped.
Another dragon flew next to them. Rex jumped onto it and yelled something to her, grinning. She said something back to him. He felt her grin through their matebond and before he saw it. The grin he knew all too well when he made her laugh.
Nova's dragon veered back towards the enemy army. It tilted downward and without warning, Nova dropped straight onto the ancient stone bridge stretching across the northern ravine. The enemy army waiting on the other side.
For a second, no one moved. Her body flashed silver in the air. Bait.
And the enemy took it.
The roar of war cries rose like a storm as over a hundred soldiers surged forward, shifting mid-sprint, claws gleaming, armor dark with magic. They charged straight for her, the bridge trembling under the weight of their coming wrath.
"Shit!" Fin barked, taking off at Alpha speed. His legs blurred beneath him, heart hammering as the wind burned his face.
But he knew he was too far.
She didn't move.
Why wasn't she moving?
Overhead, the gold dragon roared, circling low in the sky, its wings cutting the air with terrifying precision.
Fin's voice caught in his throat. "Nova, what are you doing?" he whispered, panic sharpening every syllable.
"No," Fin breathed, too stunned to even shout. His heart slammed against his ribs.
Right as they were closing on her, she took off in an alpha run. Not away from them.
Off the side of the bridge.
She sprinted straight off the edge, a silver blur launching into open air. Her cloak whipped around her like wings. Her body spun, and just before she began to fall—
BOOM.
Silver light exploded from her hands, a wave of blinding energy blasting the support arch of the bridge. The structure cracked with a deafening roar, ancient stone shattering beneath the blast of power.
The entire middle span caved in, taking the front line of the charging enemy with it. Shouts turned into shrieks, swallowed by the gorge below in a cataclysm of dust, stone, and power.
But Nova was still free-falling, a silver streak plummeting to her imminent death. Fin felt it in his chest—her fear. The spike of adrenaline through their matebond and intense panic. The same as before panic attacks.
"No—no, no, no," he gasped, feet slamming against the earth as he sprinted faster than he ever had before. A strangled cry ripped from his chest.
Then the gold dragon twisted midair, diving toward her like a falcon striking prey.
Its claws wrapped around her torso—gentle, precise, terrifyingly fast. In a single, breathtaking sweep, the dragon snatched her from the freefall, wings snapping wide as it carried her up in a spiral of gold and wind.
Fin's lungs finally pulled in a breath. But the relief Fin felt was short-lived. The dragon soared straight towards the heavens at an alarming speed.
Then, it released her. Nova was free falling again.
"No!" Fin roared, the sound pure instinct, laced with panic that wasn't just his—it was hers. Their matebond crackled in his chest like lightning: her fear, her adrenaline, her spiraling thoughts. She didn't scream, but Fin could feel her panic.
But then, Rex.
Like they had rehearsed this hundreds of times, Rex dove on his dragon, angling down like he'd been waiting for this moment. Nova twisted midair, just as Rex's arm shot out, strong and sure.
She caught him. And he pulled her onto his in one fluid, practiced motion.
Nova landed facing him, straddling his dragon, her hands gripping his shoulders. Rex's arm immediately wrapped around her waist, anchoring her there as the dragon steadied its flight.
Too close.
Far too close.
Fin stopped dead in the field, his breath caught in his throat, heart slamming against his ribs as he felt Nova's pulse pounding in tandem with his. She was trying to calm herself—her chest heaving, her mind racing—but the panic still simmered beneath the surface.
She was panting and her forehead dropped briefly against Rex's chest.
Rex leaned down said something with a laugh. She laughed—light, shaken, but real. Fin couldn't hear it. But he saw it and felt it. Even muffled by distance and wind, it stabbed straight through him.
Then Rex's hands found her waist again, turning her around, settling her in front of him on the dragon.
Like she was his to touch.
Fin's jaw locked. He could feel his wolf surging beneath his skin, pacing and growling.
Because even if Rex didn't know it… Fin felt every beat of her panic, every flare of fear—and now every flicker of comfort she found in someone else's arms.
Instead, the gold dragon burst through the clouds beneath them, scales shimmering gold and silver, wings spread wide like a war banner. Nova's dragon.
He roared deep and primal, as he flew directly beneath Rex's dragon in perfect synchronicity.
Fin felt it—her fear again. That same sharp, breathless panic ripping through their bond. But layered over it now was something else: Determination.
She wasn't done.
"No—Nova," Fin roared, but it was too late.
Nova moved without hesitation—launching herself off Rex's dragon.
She fell through the air again, and then—caught herself midair, landing hard on Onyx's neck like they'd done it a hundred times before. Her body dipped with the impact, but she stayed upright, steadying herself with one hand against his spine.
Onyx roared, the sound splitting the sky as he caught the wind and surged upward again, carrying her higher. Above the smoke. Above the war. Untouchable.
The two dragons looped back toward the shattered bridge—and this time, they breathed fire.
Twin gouts of flame poured from their jaws, sweeping over the stone ruins. The remaining dark mages screamed and scattered as the bridge ignited, crumbling into ash and smoke.
She'd finished what she started.
Fin's knees hit the earth hard. He didn't even feel the impact. His chest rose and fell in shallow, desperate breaths. His hands were trembling. His pulse thudded painfully in his ears.
Above him, Nova vanished into the clouds—her cloak streaming behind her like a comet, gold light still flickering across her body.
She was alive. But Fin had no idea how many more miracles like that she had left. Or how many more of them he could survive.
Jax's voice came through the mindlink, hoarse and half-breathless.
Jax: Which of those two had that bright idea? Did she just...
Cael, tone dry but laced with awe.
Cael: Do the most badass thing I've ever seen to bait an enemy? Yeah. Prevent the camp from being surrounded on all sides? Yeah.
Jax exhaled.
Jax: He's a cocky bastard. But damn, I guess that did just solve our biggest problem.
Fin: Remind me to rip his throat out. Arrogant son of a bitch.
Cael:Noted. After the part where he fights Starfang, saves her life, and prevents our army from being flanked.
Fin's insides churned. Jealousy and rage twisted in his gut like a blade. His wolf paced violently just beneath his skin, snarling with frustration.