They trained for half an hour more before making their way back toward the castle. The moment they stepped off the field, Elle mindlinked Nova with the urgency of someone who had been waiting the entire morning.
Elle: Meet me in our room.
Nova: Is it about my imminent death?
Elle: It is about what you told me yesterday.
Nova's stomach dropped so sharply she almost missed a step. She had been pushing that truth so far into the back of her mind that it had almost stayed buried. Almost. Fin felt the shift in her immediately, the spike of dread through their bond. His eyes narrowed, calculating what she had told Elle but hadn't told him.
"I need to check something with Elle. We will meet you both," Nova said suddenly.
Fin and Cael both halted, caught off guard. Nova never initiated excuses. That was usually Elle's tactic. Cael raised a brow. Fin studied her with a look that promised questions later.
Nova did not wait for either of them to object. She grabbed Elle's wrist and hurried down the hall, her pulse thundering so loudly she could hear it in her ears. They reached their chamber quickly, a quiet space marked with faint glowing runes carved into the doorframe for privacy, sealing out every mind, mage, and wolf in the castle.
Only when the door shut firmly behind them did Elle turn to Nova, her expression shifting from concern to full seriousness.
"I'm wondering if they can hear our mindlinks." Nova said. The timing of Cael and Fin cutting into the conversations was strange.
"Me too," Elle admitted. "But they can also feel our emotions. They probably sensed we were mindlinking and reacted to that instead."
"I do not think Jax said anything to Fin," she added in a quieter voice, despite knowing the runes kept every sound sealed away.
Nova sank into a chair, fingers twisting together. "Elle… what do I do? Do I tell him?"
"No," Elle said instantly. "You squash it with Jax. You make it clear it was a one-time thing due to the circumstances. Friends only. Nothing more." She paused, frowning. "Though I am still confused why Fin let Jax sleep beside you while you were unconscious."
Nova nodded slowly, her stomach tight. "When am I supposed to have that conversation? And where?"
"Not today," Elle said. "Not unless you somehow find a truly private moment with him. Do not risk being overheard by anyone."
Nova pressed her hand to her forehead. "I do not think I will be able to look at Jax if I see him today. Am I a terrible person?"
"No," Elle said softly. "And nothing good will come from you telling Fin. Nothing. That would be for your own relief, not for his. It would help you feel less guilty, but it would destroy their friendship."
Nova exhaled, long and shaky. "You are right."
Elle exhaled as if bracing herself. "I wanted to give you a heads up. You know how, in your ceremonies, when the fire in the basin explodes up to the ceiling it means the pair are true fated mates or whatever your ancient ancestors decided to call it?"
Nova nodded. "Yes. My wolf said that."
Elle leaned in. "It did that with Rex. And Redmoon did not react at all. Not a twitch. Which tells me he was staying calm on purpose. And then the two of you exchanged rings."
She pointed meaningfully at the gold on Nova's finger.
Nova blinked. "Elle… are you certain?"
Elle laughed. "Yes. I'm certain that the fire exploded to the ceiling."
Nova sighed, and looked at Elle.
"What was strange was the memory in the tower. It was as if Rex found me instead of Fin and Jax." Nova said.
"He also did not take his eyes off you the entire time. I mean the entire time even before Fin and Jax arrived."
Nova's brows knitted together. "What?"
"He held your hand. Your waist. And in the library, when you kept jumping from one floor to another, he started to pick you up and carry you."
Nova turned scarlet. She groaned and covered her face with both hands.
"That is humiliating, Elle."
Elle laughed. "You also leapt into a lake, Nova, and he dove after you immediately."
Nova sank further into her palms. "Gods… what do I do?"
"Friendzone," Elle said solemnly. "Friendzone for survival. Friendzone for the stability of the realm."
Nova nodded. "Yes. Good idea. Friendzone him. And friendzone Jax."
"Exactly. Just say you love them like brothers." She paused, then added with a wicked little smile, "Brothers you absolutely cannot marry, touch, flirt with, or accidentally fall in love with under any circumstances, divine or otherwise."
"Brothers, right." Nova nodded.
"Say you adore him the way you adore Cael." Elle said.
"Good one. Okay, I'll try to use those lines next time I see Rex. I am going to just ignore Jax today." Nova said.
"If he leans in close," Elle said, "you lean back and say, 'Your loyalty inspires me as a brother of arms.'"
Nova gagged. "Elle—by the gods— That would be weird for me to say to even to Cael."
"Trust the process," Elle insisted.
Nova nodded, absorbing every word.
"If he bares soul and confesses his love — and he will — mark my words," She said darkly.
"Respond with, 'I treasure our… camaraderie. Let the word camaraderie do the execution."
"I treasure our camaraderie. Got it." Nova said.
Elle whispered like revealing a sacred curse, "For both Jax and Rex, if all else fails… tell him you think of him like a father."
"ELLE."
"I said if all else fails."