The afternoon dragged for Fin as he attended to pack duties, his mind elsewhere. Nova was set to lead the plan she had presented to the council, per her word, in the coming days. He didn't like it—but he didn't argue. There was no point. The Alphas, Betas, Gammas, and Commanders had all agreed unanimously: she would be a permanent member of their council. All of them. Not one dissenting voice.
Fin saw the value she brought—no question. Her presence in the council changed the dynamic. She thought differently, planned around what others overlooked. But still, the idea of her walking headfirst into danger again, exposing herself more than necessary, made something in him bristle. He didn't say that aloud, though. Not there. Not in front of the others. He bit his tongue.
His mind wandered back to when she'd first been mated to Jax and began shadowing him as Gamma. Even then, her instincts were sharp, her mind strategic. She hadn't just adapted—she had elevated the way Shadowclaw's council operated. Fin had approved her shadowing Jax for a reason. Yes, he'd wanted to be close to her, but that wasn't all of it. She was good. She made things better. No one had to convince him of her worth—he'd always known.
That evening, Fin returned to Aeron's tent. Jax and Cael followed close behind—they'd heard Nova had returned from Shadowclaw and wanted to see her and Elle both.
As Fin stepped through the tent flap, his sigh was audible, heavy with expectation and nerves.
"Where's Nova?" he asked quietly.
"She stayed there," Aeron said, not looking up. "I think she might for the night."
Fin frowned. There? As in their room. Alone. Without him. Not happening.
"Where are they going?" Jax asked, grim as death, like they were about to breach enemy territory.
"I know Elle. I know Nova." Cael muttered. "What speakeasy is it?"
Fin's stomach twisted at the thought of Nova, upset with him, out somewhere... without him. Laughing, drinking, and forgetting.
"I believe it's tucked in the shadow of the southern ridge," Aeron replied. A flicker of a grin tugged at the corner of his mouth.
Jax groaned. "Not that one."
Cael grimaced. "Why would Elle not tell me?"
Aeron finally glanced up. "How? Mindlink? She's out of range. Should she have sent a raven? What exactly did you expect her to do while you were here? Sit in your room and wait for your grand return?"
"Well… yeah. Actually." Cael didn't even blink.
Aeron stared at them all. "You're all idiots."
No one argued.
One portal and one hour later, Fin, Jax, and Cael approached the largest speakeasy south of the ridge—a known secret buried beneath stone, carved into the cliffside like it had always been waiting for trouble. You couldn't stumble into this place. You had to know. And even then, you needed a password.
A weathered man leaned against a post outside, half-obscured by fog and the halo of a lantern swinging above him. He didn't look up. Just muttered, "Password?"
Cael didn't hesitate and sighed like he had done this a dozen times. "The moon owes me a drink."
The man nodded once and knocked twice on the iron door behind him. It creaked open, wide enough to let the noise spill out—a chaotic blend of loud music and drums. All three of them wore cloaks, hoods drawn low. Leaders of their rank didn't walk into a speakeasy without it turning into a political disaster or a social spectacle. Tonight, they wanted neither.
The scent hit first—alcohol, sweat, and perfume. Voices rose and fell, crowding over each other. Smoke curled in the air, drifting from long pipes and open hearths. Music pounded from deeper within.
Cael looked ready to murder someone. "If Elle's dancing, I'm cutting off her coin supply."
Jax scanned the crowd, jaw clenched. He didn't say anything, but in truth, if Nova was dancing, he'd burn this goddamned place to the ground.
Fin didn't say a word. His eyes were already tracking movement, scanning every shadow for silver-blonde hair.
They move through a hallway into a dark, massive— cavern, lit by glowing stones of different colors. Music played louder like demons were chasing. Drums hit harder. Smoke curled, bodies swayed packed too close together. People shouted over each other, drinks sloshed, and knives flashed.
This wasn't just a speakeasy. It was a world unto itself. The three of them went to a back table, staying hidden.
Then he saw her.
Gods, she was stunning. It hit him every time. Like a punch to the chest. His breath caught. His throat tightened. Her scent had told him she was here the moment they stepped inside, but seeing her was another thing entirely.
Her outfit was bold. She wore a black silk tank that was flowy, but showed lace under like sin, tucked into tight leather pants that fit like a second skin. Heeled boots climbed past her knees, sharp and unapologetic. A light blue cloak hung loose over her shoulders down to the floor, slipping off one side as if even fabric knew better than to cover her. Her silver-blonde hair was curled, thick and soft, falling past her waist with a few strands pulled back just enough to show the elegant line of her neck.
And... she had makeup on. Fin's stomach twisted. It was obvious Elle had gotten to her—dressed her, painted her, pushed her out the door looking like that. He didn't like it when she wore makeup without him. Who was it for tonight?
That black silk tank clung in ways that made his jaw tighten. The leather pants left nothing to the imagination, and the boots—gods, those boots—looked like a threat. It was too tight, too bold, too damned much for a woman who wasn't currently looking at him.
And then he noticed the earrings.
Pearl earrings. Elegant. Subtle. Expensive. He didn't recognize them. His frown deepened further, and his stomach tightened. He wondered if those were Elle's or where she got them.
Fin already knew everything she owned. She didn't have much, really—barely anything. Jax said the same thing. When the omegas moved her things from Jax's room, she had nothing. It almost bothered Fin that Jax didn't get her more things when they were together. Almost. But that was his job now.
She hadn't asked. Not once. No jewelry. No silks. No requests. That fact made his chest ache more than he expected. She deserved everything. Crowns. Gold. A castle if she wanted one. She was a queen. His queen. They had less than a week together before the mark knocked him out cold. And since waking up… he'd barely had the chance to give her anything.
He couldn't stop staring. Standing across the room, bathed in colored light from the glowing crystals and music—she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. She made his heart race every time he saw her and today was no exception.
And to Fin's unease, everyone else was staring at her too.
You'd think he and Jax would be used to it by now. But they weren't.
More and more males turned their heads—some subtle, others shameless. The longer she stood there, the more obvious it became: every male in the goddamned room was watching her. Eyes followed her like she was a myth brought to life. Some with awe. Some with hunger.
The only male not looking was Cael.
Jax's jaw was locked. His fingers flexed once, twice. He'd been suffering through this a lot lately—men looking at Nova like she was something to own. It made his wolf claw beneath his skin. He forced it down.
Fin was already beyond that. His fists were clenched tight on the table, knuckles pale.
"She's queen now," Fin muttered, voice dark. "She can't be doing this."
"She was coronated a week ago," Cael said dryly. "And a few days before that, she was a Gamma. Don't bring it up when you talk to her. She should be allowed to get a drink with Elle if she wants."
That surprised both of them.
Cael stood, disappearing toward the bar while Fin and Jax sat in loaded silence.
Jax didn't like her being here either—but for different reasons. She had done all of this with him. The taverns. The chaos. The laughing too hard and dancing offbeat, dragging him places he was never meant to be. When she was with him, he felt weightless—like he could breathe again. Like the world could wait a little while. Like he was the man he wanted to be.
Now she was out there doing the same thing. Just… without him.
And all he could do was sit here, because he wasn't her mate anymore.
Cael returned and set down three drinks.
He glanced between Fin and Nova, then snorted. "If you think this is bad…" he took a long drink. "You would've hated the first two days at the summit. All of them were disgusting."
Fin's head snapped to Cael, his eyes sharp. "Who?"
Jax leaned forward slightly, voice low. "For starters, Alpha Lunaris. Within her first two hours, he told her he'd put her on his lap."
Fin's whiskey glass shattered in his hand. He didn't notice.
"He said what?!" Fin's eyes snapped to Jax.
"She handled it." Cael said, not elaborating.
Cael sighed and casually mindlinked the bartender to bring another. The bartender, apparently thrilled to serve someone with a face still mostly intact, brought Fin another glass without question.
Cael took a slow drink. "Yes, a lot of shit like that. I didn't let Elle leave the tent once I saw it." Cael added.
Fin gripped the fresh whiskey glass so hard it gave a groan.
"Walking into those council meetings… gods, the two we went to were the worst," Cael muttered, shaking his head. "It was like none of them had ever seen a woman before."
"But what were we going to do? Start a brawl in the middle of a war summit? Draw more attention to her? She ignored what she could. Handled what she had to."
Fin's eyes snapped back to Jax. Who seemed bothered by this but not to the same degree as Fin.
"Don't worry. Jax or I were with her most of the time." Cael said.
However, as Cael spoke, a few males peeled off from the crowd and approached the women. One of them looked Nova up and down with interest—then bypassed her and went straight to Elle. Elle smiled. Clearly she knew him. She leaned in, laughing, and introduced him to Nova like it was nothing.
The second glass cracked and split clean in Fin's grip with a loud snap.
Cael didn't miss a beat. "Third time's the charm," he muttered and mindlinked the bartender again.
A third drink appeared. This one was stronger.
Fin's eye twitched.