Finric burst through the courthouse doors, boots echoing down the corridor as he strode toward the council's private chambers. He gave a curt nod to the prosecution attorney in passing—no time for words, not when every second mattered.
The portal shimmered ahead, golden and alive. Without hesitation, he stepped through into the infirmary's sterile white glow.
Elias was already waiting, sleeves rolled to his elbows, anger and worry tangled in his voice. "That was three hours, Alpha. Three. She fainted."
Fin didn't argue. He laid Nova gently on the bed in her suite, the cloak still wrapped tightly around her shoulders. Her skin was pale—too pale—and there was a faint purplish shadow still visible along her throat.
Elias's assistant, Raid Halvarn, emerged from behind a curtain with a tray of crystal vials. "Alpha," he said quietly, steady but urgent, "are you well enough to give her some blood?"
"Yes," Finric said without hesitation. His voice cracked slightly.
Raid gave a brisk nod and moved quickly, preparing the draw. The air smelled faintly of silver and salt as Finric rolled up his sleeve. The needle went in, and crimson filled the glass with frightening speed.
The portal rippled again—cold air gusting through the chamber.
Jax stepped through, breathless, still in his dark ceremonial uniform. His gloves were off, his expression drawn tight between duty and something heavier.
"Is she alright?" he asked, his voice low, winded. He looked at her—really looked—and the question almost broke out of him a second time.
Nova had never seen him kill before. Not like that. She had never seen him kill anything outside that fractured vision of Starfang's death, and this moment bore none of the distance or haze of prophecy.
Here the blood was real, the air still trembling from the force of judgment.
He had survived two wars, carved through more battles than he cared to recall, and this had not been the first trial he officiated for Shadowclaw. Duty had a way of dragging him back into the darker rooms of his soul. He hated that she'd been in the courtroom at all, and he hated even more that she'd stayed to the bitter end.
Nova looked pale beneath the dim torches, her usual color drained to a thin ghost of itself. Fin sat nearby having his blood drawn.
Jax strode to her and quietly unfastened her cloak, replacing it with a thick blanket. The portal behind them remained wide open, spilling cold wind into the chamber. But, Aeron wasn't there to shut it.
Fin lifted his head, wincing only slightly as the healer tugged the needle free. "One of us needs to learn how to do portals from Aeron," he called, sounding entirely too casual for someone missing half a pint of blood.
Jax allowed himself a smirk.
Elias worked quickly, his movements precise but edged with frustration. Clear fluid dripped steadily from the IV lines into Nova's arm.
He pinched the skin on the back of her hand and watched it stay lifted for a moment before sinking back. His frown deepened.
"Raid, where is that transfusion?" he called sharply, not looking up.
"Right here, sir." Raid hurried over, holding the prepared vial of Fin's blood.
Elias took it, hooking it into the main IV line with practiced hands. He tilted her chin gently, inspecting the bruising that darkened along her neck. His brow furrowed again, the muscle in his jaw tightening.
"Talk, Elias," Jax said quietly from behind him. His voice was low, controlled, but there was steel in it — the kind that came from watching someone you care about barely breathing.
Elias exhaled, steadying himself. "She's extremely dehydrated." He held up Nova's hand, demonstrating as he pinched the skin again. "See how long it takes to settle back down? That's bad. Her body's pulling from what little she's got left. I've hooked her to electrolytes, fluids, and the transfusion."
He glanced at the bruises on her throat again, scowling. "Her neck's worse than before. Likely from the cloak rubbing while she walked, or strain when she fainted. I don't want her moving around for at least another day."
Elias paused, then nodded toward the delicate crown still resting on her head. "Alpha, can we take the crown off her? That band will bruise her."
Fin was already beside her. Without a word, he brushed a strand of hair from her face and lifted it carefully. A faint mark had already begun to bloom beneath the edge of the metal.
Elias's jaw tightened — the comment on his tongue bit back before it escaped.
Fin didn't need to hear it. He already knew. She shouldn't have been there.
But none of them had known Helga and Orion would confess everything. Not then. At the time, bringing Nova had been the right call — a necessary one.
Elias adjusted the flow of the IV and stepped back, his tone softening. "She'll be alright," he said quietly. "But she needs rest. No more proving points today."
Fin's hand stayed wrapped around hers, thumb tracing slow circles against her knuckles. "She wouldn't have forgiven me if I hadn't let her go," he murmured.
Jax's gaze stayed fixed on her still form, voice low.
"We didn't know Helga or Orion was going to confess. She needed to be there or they'd be walking free."
The air shimmered. One by one, the others stepped through—Bloodmoon first, his imposing frame filling the doorway, followed by Redmoon, Hyran, Rex, Marra, Cael, Aeron, and Elle. The room instantly felt smaller.
Elias moved aside to give them space, no sound until Bloodmoon's deep voice broke through.
"I need to return to my pack immediately," he said to Hyran. His tone left no room for debate. "Will you open me a portal to the summit?"
Hyran nodded once, already tracing his hand through the air. The golden light shifted, turning the color of firelit bronze.
Marra crossed to him quickly and threw her arms around his neck. "Be careful, Father," she said softly.
His hard expression cracked just enough to reveal a flicker of warmth. He rested a heavy hand on her shoulder and nodded. "You've done well, Marra. Be proud of that."
Fin stepped forward next, his voice steady. "Safe travels, Balen. And… thank you."
Bloodmoon looked at him for a long moment, then turned his gaze to Nova. She lay still, pale and fragile beneath the layers of blankets, her hair fanned across the pillow like spilled moonlight. His jaw tightened, the muscle twitching once before he shook his head slowly.
"Seeing her like this," he murmured, mostly to himself, "makes everything that happened in that courtroom feel heavier." His eyes flicked to Fin. "Take care of her. The realm can't afford to lose her… and neither can you."
Without waiting for a response, he turned and stepped through the portal. It flared once, then vanished.
Rex exhaled. "I must attend to my duties, but I'll come back to check on her soon," he said, his tone gentler than his size suggested.
Fin gave him a grateful nod. "Thank you, Rex."
Cael lingered near the foot of the bed, his usual grin replaced by grim exhaustion. "High General duties call," he muttered. "I'll keep everything running."
"See that you do," Jax said quietly from his place by Nova's side.
Cael smirked faintly. "Wouldn't dream of disappointing our Alpha and Gamma." With a sharp salute, he followed the others through the closing shimmer of the portal.
When the light faded, the room settled into silence again—just Fin, Jax, Elle, Marra, Aeron, and Elias left.
Jax remained where he was, one hand resting protectively on the edge of Nova's blanket. His expression was unreadable, but his presence said everything.
He wasn't leaving. Not tonight.
A few hours later, the halls had gone quiet.
Fin and Aeron would return shortly. They were investigating traces of portals in the forest and throughout the castle, specifically Meredith's quarters. The castle's security was his number one priority outside of Nova.
Marra and Elle had gone to fetch tea and fresh linens, needing a moment to breathe.
Jax stayed.
Jax sat down beside her bed, staring at her hand lying limp against the sheets. His throat ached. For hours, he'd kept himself together—through the trial, through the executions—but now, with no one watching, the dam cracked.
"I love you, Nova," he whispered, voice rough. He took her hand in both of his and pressed a kiss to her knuckles, lingering longer than he should have. His shoulders trembled. "You can't keep doing this to me, you know."
As his skin brushed hers, his palms flashed faint gold. The warmth pulsed outward before he even realized it, his magic reaching for her the way it always did—instinctive, protective, unyielding.
Her lashes fluttered.
"Hey…" he breathed, leaning closer. "Nova?"
Her green eyes opened, hazy but clear enough to find him. Jax exhaled sharply, half-laugh, half-sob, his relief spilling over as he scrambled to grab a tonic from the bedside tray.
"Here," he said, voice shaking as he tried to sound casual. "Doctor's orders."
Her arm barely lifted, so he guided the cup to her lips, helping her drink slowly. When she was done, he set the cup aside and pulled her gently against his chest, holding her tight, his face pressed into her hair. A quiet sob escaped him before he could stop it. He pressed his lips to her temple, holding her tight.
He let out a small, broken laugh.
"Gods, you have got to stop doing this to me," he murmured. "I swear, every time I blink, you're unconscious somewhere."
Her fingers twitched weakly against him.
"Oh, don't give me that look," he teased. "Do you have any idea how many times I've had to carry you now? I've hauled less cargo during wartime."
A faint, breathy sound escaped her — maybe a laugh, maybe a protest.
He smiled, eyes softening as he brushed his thumb along her cheek. "And while we're on the subject — if you could stop nearly dying every time I turn my back, that'd be great. My hair's already graying, and I'm too handsome to go white this young."
Her lips curved just slightly — that faint, wobbly almost-smile that undid him completely.
Jax chuckled quietly. "There it is," he murmured. "My favorite look. You're not allowed to scare me like that again, you hear me?"
Her fingers weakly squeezed his hand in response.
And that small bit of strength was all it took for him to finally breathe again.
She gave a small laugh at his last comment — but it broke into a cough halfway through, her body trembling slightly .
Jax rubbed her back, half-worried, half-amused. "See? This is what I get. I finally make you laugh, and you almost die again. You're terrible for my ego, Moonveil."
That earned him a faint smile. The corners of her mouth curved, soft and fragile, but it was there. Then something shifted. Her gaze dropped to her lap, lashes low, and the lightness faded. A single tear slid down her cheek.
Jax's chest tightened. He caught it with his thumb, brushing it away gently, but the ache that came with her sadness still hit him through their bond — raw and heavy. It was like standing in his own storm and hers at once.
He took a slow breath, trying to steady himself. After everything that had happened — the poison, the trial, watching her almost die in his arms again — he wasn't sure how to find the right words. He only knew he couldn't let her think, not even for a heartbeat, that she wasn't loved.
"Mark or no mark," he said quietly, voice steady but thick, "I'll always love you, Nova."
Her eyes lifted to his — glassy, wide, searching.
He huffed a soft laugh. "Marra's wonderful, don't get me wrong. Lovely, brilliant… terrifying with a sword. But she isn't you."
He looked down at their hands, her fingers still wrapped weakly in his.
"I want you to know something," he continued, a smile tugging at his mouth. "I loved you the second I carried you into this pack. Gods, I wanted to take you straight to my chambers right then — but, you know, that's generally considered a kidnapping, not a romantic gesture."
Her lips curved again — a shaky, wet little smile — and a few more tears rolled down her cheeks. He wiped them away just as tenderly as before, his thumb tracing her skin.
"Hey," he murmured, leaning in until his forehead touched hers.
Jax's voice was quiet, almost too soft for the room.
"I always felt the pull for you. From the start. I never wavered, not once. I always wanted you — I just didn't want to scare you off." He said, his thumb brushing her hand.
His mouth curved in a rueful half-smile. "And when I finally told you… that I wanted you to be Luna of House Thorne, my wife — you lit up like the sunrise. And I realized what an absolute idiot I'd been for not asking sooner."
Her breath trembled and a tear slipped down her cheek.
He swallowed hard, forcing the words out through the tightness in his chest.
"I know you might've felt the pull between me and Marra at first," he admitted quietly, "but it never held a candle to what I feel for you. Not even close."
He hesitated, looking at her — bruised, fragile, but still radiant in a way that hurt to look at.
"I'm not saying this to upset you," he went on, "but you need to know how special you are to me. You… you made me a better man, Nova."
That broke her. More tears slipped free, her body trembling as a sob escaped — swallowed quickly by a cough. Jax steadied her, pulling her closer, his voice shaking.
"I will always protect you," he whispered. "And I'll always put you first. I promise you that."
Their foreheads met, breaths mingling. For a moment, everything stilled — the world narrowing to the warmth of his skin and the ache in both their hearts.
Nova's eyes fluttered shut. She loved him — gods, she did — but somewhere deep inside, the bond she shared with Fin still hummed, bright and unrelenting. She tried to remember it, tried to hold onto it.
But then—
Jax's lips brushed hers.
It was soft at first, hesitant. But the second they connected, a surge of electricity snapped between them — sharp, blinding, alive. The spark was unmistakable. Too strong. Too real.
They both jolted back as if burned.
Nova's eyes widened, confusion written across her face. Jax's expression twisted — pain, disbelief, longing — all fighting for space in his chest.
He swallowed, forcing himself to step back, though every instinct screamed not to.
"Nova…" he breathed, voice cracking slightly. He had a pained expression on his face.
Elias's voice drifted in from the corridor brisk and tired. He was speaking to someone outside the door.
"Bring me the second transfusion kit, and gods, make sure it's sterilized this time," he muttered.
A moment later, he stepped into the room, rubbing at his temples with a sigh. His sharp gaze landed on Jax instantly. "Thorne. Perfect timing."
He didn't seem to notice the tension in the air, or maybe he was too exhausted to care. "Have you seen Fin or Rex? I need blood from one of you — her levels are still low and the first transfusion wasn't enough."
"Take mine," Jax said without hesitation.
Elias blinked, a little surprised by how fast he answered. "You sure? You've already been—"
"Take it," Jax said firmly, already rolling up his sleeve.
Elias gave him a long look, clearly reading more between the lines than Jax wanted him to, but didn't argue.
"Alright then," he said, reaching for his tray. "Try not to pass out on me too, Gamma. I only have so many beds."
Jax gave a small, crooked grin, his voice dry. "Don't worry. I don't faint — I brood dramatically and internalize my pain like a professional."
Elias just snorted. "Fantastic. Hold still."
Nova watched Jax for a moment longer, his eyes not leaving hers.
A wave of dizziness came over her and her eyelids grew heavy before fluttering closed.