Balen waited patiently. Not rushing Fin, but also not giving him help in the conversation. He was quiet, waiting for what fin would say. Though Fin thought he probably was connecting it himself, he continued on, pretending Balen didn't.
"When Nova first arrived here," Fin began, his voice quiet, "she spent the first few days in the infirmary recovering. Once she was well enough to start her omega duties, she was assigned to tend to Meredith." He paused, glancing briefly into the fire before continuing.
"I don't know every detail, but there were two witnesses. Meredith struck her—hard. Said vile things about Nova's mother, things I won't repeat, and threatened to 'finish what her mother started,' or something to that effect. Afterward, her steward reassigned new omegas, claiming Nova's presence upset her. Nova never spoke a word of it. I didn't find out until a week later."
Balen's brows drew together, but he stayed silent, letting Fin continue.
"Our colonel intercepted a letter Meredith sent to her brother," Fin went on. "In it, she claimed Nova was trying to seduce me—and that she attacked her." His mouth twisted with restrained disgust. "As far as Nova and I were concerned, there was nothing between us. I made certain of that. I placed her on the opposite end of the castle, in the omega quarters, far from both Meredith and myself. I did it to keep distance, to be honorable." He exhaled, rubbing his face with both hands. "I didn't even acknowledge her for months."
He looked exhausted—remorseful, careful—but entirely believable.
"I spent that time with Meredith," he continued, lowering his hands. "Tried to reassure her she was safe here. I truly believed there had been a misunderstanding. She was… kind, at least to me. Polite. I had no reason to doubt her."
Every word was a fabrication, yet it came out smooth, practiced, almost convincing enough that Fin could have believed it himself if not for the flicker of shame in his eyes.
Bloodmoon studied him for a long moment, expression unreadable. Then he nodded slowly. "You're a better man than most would've been in your position," he said. "Meredith always had a sharp tongue."
Weeks went by," Fin began, voice low, "and I thought Meredith was settling in—happy, even. But then Nova was attacked from behind in human form by a fully shifted warrior. She shifted just in time to defend herself. It happened after sparring. The soldier who attacked her shouted, loud enough for everyone nearby to hear, that she'd 'heard all about Nova and her mother from Princess Meredith.' My Colonel and Training Master both witnessed it."
He paused, jaw tightening. "Nova was frightened. It was her second shift."
Bloodmoon frowned. "Her second? What do you mean—"
Fin nodded grimly. "She shifted once alone. But couldn't again because she was chained in silver after that. We thought her wolf might have been… damaged. But that day proved otherwise." He leaned forward slightly, the memory still raw. "After the attack, Nova ran into the woods. We were having trouble with rogues, so Jax, Cael, our master trainer, and the colonel, and I went after her."
It was a partial lie—he had gone after her because he already loved her, and Jax because he wanted her as his mate—but Bloodmoon didn't question it.
"Jax found her seconds before I did," Fin continued. "Nova was cornered, defending herself against fifty soldiers—armed and surrounding her. And that's when I smelled it. Ashbane. Masked, but it was him. Jax and Cael scented him too. There was no mistake."
Bloodmoon's eyes widened.
"He stabbed her," Fin said, his voice breaking slightly. "Drove the blade through her side and pulled her off the cliff with him. She couldn't shift—the blade was laced with forbidden magic. She hit the water hard. It was below freezing." His hands trembled once before he steadied them. "It was the second time I'd seen her near death since I met her."
Bloodmoon stared at him, disbelieving. "You're telling me Ashbane invaded Shadowclaw territory—and you didn't declare war?"
Fin let out a bitter laugh. "I wanted to. But our elders ruled that Nova wasn't a pack member, so she wasn't under our protection. They wanted to hand her back to him, said it would 'preserve peace.'"
Bloodmoon's expression darkened, jaw tightening.
"They also used her rank as an excuse," Fin went on. "Claimed that if Meredith was unsettled by her presence, we should 'remove the problem' and appease her family. But sending Nova back meant sending her to her death. And I couldn't understand it—why Ashbane wanted her so badly. None of it added up. It didn't feel right."
He leaned back in his chair, exhausted, eyes glinting faintly in the firelight. "It still doesn't."
Bloodmoon's expression hardened. "You should have told me," he said. "If I'd known, I would've taken her in a heartbeat."
"I wish I'd known she had history with you," Fin replied, his tone low, regretful.
A lie, of course. There was no universe where he would have let Nova out of his sight—but Bloodmoon believed it, his expression softening slightly.
Fin went on, calm but deliberate. "Jax claimed her as his mate. She would be therefore tied to him and given his rank, title, and protection. The elders couldn't refute her protection moving forward. But because the attack happened before she was officially part of the pack, they ruled it wasn't cause for war."
Bloodmoon's jaw tightened, a low sound of disapproval escaping him.
"I had hoped Meredith had nothing to do with it," Fin said, rubbing the bridge of his nose, his weariness convincing. "She seemed genuinely unaware that any of it had taken place."
He let the pause hang, then added quietly, "But she tried to enter the private quarters where Nova was recovering. Jax caught her before she could get inside. She knew Nova was there—and she didn't take it well. She was furious it was within my private wing."
Bloodmoon raised an eyebrow, suspicion flickering in his gaze.
Fin shook his head slowly. "We placed Nova there to keep her away from Meredith, not to provoke her. At that point, I still hadn't said a single word to her outside of helping Jax save her life."
It was spoken with just the right blend of exhaustion and restraint—enough to make Bloodmoon see him as a weary leader caught in a web of others' mistakes rather than the man who'd already started to love the woman at the center of them all.
"After that incident," Fin continued, his tone carefully even, "a few months passed. Things seemed to settle, and I thought we were finally in the clear. Then came the poisoning." He exhaled, shaking his head. "Meredith was nowhere near the incident. Nova had been eating with the warriors and omegas."
Bloodmoon's frown deepened; Fin could see the thought crossing his mind—the one he wanted him to have. Nova should never have been working among the omegas. She should have been given rank long before.
"Elle, who was also poisoned, is Cael's mate now. She was Jax's mate then," Fin explained. "Neither had the title yet, but their bonds were clear. When I went to the infirmary to get details, Aeron told me more than I expected. About Nova's mother."
Bloodmoon's gaze sharpened. Fin went on, voice quieter. "He said Nova had confided in him—that Meredith and Queen Velora used to taunt her. Said Velora would remind her that she was the one who killed her mother. I'd always believed Selene died by the blade, but I was wrong. It was poison. And from what I've pieced together… it was Lycura's Kiss."
Bloodmoon's jaw flexed. "Meredith and Riven both resented Nova," he said, disgust in his tone. "I remember that. But if what you're saying is true… that makes Meredith her father's daughter. Cruel." He shook his head slowly, disbelief turning to anger.
"The problem," Fin said softly, "was that we had no proof. Meredith wasn't anywhere near the scene, and she's not her father or her brother. She's been nothing but polite to everyone—aside from that first incident with Nova."
He paused, watching Bloodmoon's knuckles whiten around his glass before continuing. "Even if she did speak ill of Nova to that warrior who attacked her, it wasn't enough to accuse her of anything. Harsh words aren't crimes. She clearly disliked Nova, and Nova did what she could to stay out of her way."
Bloodmoon's silence was heavy. His grip on the glass tightened, the faintest crack sounding in the crystal. He didn't like what he was hearing—not what happened to Nova, and not the way Fin was framing it. Exactly as Fin intended.
"I continued to court Meredith," Fin said finally, tone steady, regret just visible enough to seem honest. "I thought keeping the peace was the wiser path. But when Nova was initiated as our Gamma Luna and given the Thorne name, avoidance became impossible. They crossed paths whether they wanted to or not."
Bloodmoon's eyes flicked to him, cold and assessing.
"When you visited," Fin added, "Meredith claimed she was unwell. In hindsight, I should've dismissed Nova from the event, not the soon-to-be queen. But Nova had earned her place. She'd proven herself. And she held the title—Gamma Luna of Shadowclaw."
The firelight caught on Fin's face, carving the weariness there into sharp relief. It was the perfect balance—enough truth to sting, enough restraint to make him look like a man burdened by duty, not driven by love.
Bloodmoon said nothing, but Fin could feel the shift in him—the quiet burn of loyalty forming.
"You did the right thing keeping her," Balen said after a long silence. "Nova would have had no issue being around Meredith. If Meredith wanted to be sick over it, let her."
Fin gave a small nod, the faintest hint of agreement crossing his face. "When Meredith and Grant found each other, I was genuinely happy for her. In that moment, Nova was Jax's mate—she wasn't going anywhere. A fight between them, whether as sisters or whatever it is they consider themselves, wasn't my place. I only hoped Meredith would find peace with Grant."
"When Nova broke the bond with Jax because he was fated to Marra… I felt like I owed you the truth. You and Grant were the only people I told something weighing heavy in my heart for months. I thought everything worked itself out, everyone ended up where they should be."
He leaned back slightly, tone shifting to something more measured. "But after this second poisoning, I felt it necessary to share what I've learned. My gut tells me something is off. I could be wrong—and gods, I hope I am—but it might be wise to keep an eye on her for a while." He lifted his glass slightly, as if to soften the words. "If I'm mistaken, I'll gladly apologize for even suggesting it."
Balen sighed, the sound heavy with a mix of disappointment and reluctant understanding. "I hope you're wrong too," he said quietly. "But there have been… issues. I was like an uncle to her, you know. I wanted to believe she'd be the same girl I helped raise. But lately—" he frowned, shaking his head—"she's been cruel. Kicked an omega, humiliated her. Grant's having trouble with her as well. She's grown jealous, aggressive toward any woman he so much as speaks to. I kept hoping it would pass."
Fin nodded solemnly. "I hope so too. Maybe keeping Nova out of sight will help ease the tension. It's possible the poisonings were Ashbane's doing, not hers. Entirely possible."
The fire popped, filling the pause that followed.
"The warrior who attacked Nova," Fin said after a moment, his voice lower now, "her trial is this afternoon. I'm hoping we'll get to the bottom of at least some of this. Her father's being tried as well—he struck Nova a few months later. We believe the two incidents might be connected to the poisonings."
He looked across the fire at Balen. "After the most recent attack, we're done waiting. Nova's still unconscious, but the trial proceeds today. Jax will be leading it, and we've convened a full jury to keep it fair. I'd like to invite you to attend if you'd be open to it. You'll hear the testimony firsthand. Meredith's name may come up… and for that, I'm sorry in advance."
Balen's gaze hardened, though not at Fin. "Don't apologize," he said. "If her name is mentioned, I want to hear it for myself."
Fin inclined his head in silent acknowledgment.
Balen said firmly. "And if there's truth in it, we'll deal with it."
The two men exchanged a look—an understanding between Alphas who had both lost too much already. The fire crackled on, and for the first time since dawn, Fin felt something close to relief