Jax was cutting through the library on an errand for Fin when a scent struck him like a battering ram.

  That plan died on the spot.

  He halted mid-step, head snapping toward the source.

  There she was. Her silver-blonde hair was tucked beneath the hood of her cloak. She was flipping through a massive book with furrowed brows, mouthing the words as she read.

  Jax stood immobilized watching, before his jaw dropped.

  Did he just see her eyes glow? And was she speaking in a different language? Surely not.

  His legs carried him towards her before his mind caught up.

  She was breathtaking. He couldn't look away.

  Nova looked up, noticing him. She gave a warm smile and dipped gracefully. "Gamma Thorne. How are you?"

  "Just Jax," he said. "Please. No need for all that."

  His voice came out warmer than intended. Not his usual Gamma tone used with pack members. It was almost... intimate.

  He mentally kicked himself.

  Nova studied him with her green eyes that never seemed to miss anything.

  "You're the Gamma," she said. "It's only polite."

  "Well," he countered, stepping closer, hands sliding casually into his pockets, "I'll consider it a personal favor if you drop the titles around me."

  She blushed. He absolutely felt it. Did he like it? Was that messed up? Yes.

  "What are you looking for?" he asked, nodding at the shelves before he did something stupid like stare at her again.

  "Oh... just something for Aeron," she answered. "He's having me research runic boundary theory."

  She said it like she was describing laundry.

  "That sounds like three words that shouldn't be allowed in the same sentence."

  She smiled. "Something about not blowing myself up."

  "Always a solid life goal," Jax said grinning. "I approve. Fewer explosions means fewer paperwork reports from me."

  He scanned the shelf beside her, stretching up to pull a thick navy tome from the top rung. "You mean Runic Structure & Boundary Degradation?"

  Nova's eyes lit instantly. "That's the one!"

  This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

  "Careful," he said, leaning just close enough that she had to tilt her chin up. "Keep being this impressive, and Aeron's going to pretend he was the one who found you."

  She laughed at that. He grinned before he could stop it.

  When he handed her the book, their fingers brushed and with it, sparks.

  She inhaled sharply, smile faltering, before regaining her composure. Jax clocked it instantly. He knew for certain, she felt it this time.

  She stepped back, clutching the book like a shield.

  "I should go," she said softly. "I'm meeting Aeron soon."

  "Of course," he said, tone neutral as if the last second didn't happen.

  "Thanks for the help." She flashed another warm smile then turned, cloak sweeping behind her as she walked.

  Jax shoved his hands into his pockets and stared after her, feeling the ghost of that spark still humming in his palm.

  "...I need a drink. Or a therapist. Or both."

  His gaze drifted to the table where she'd been sitting. It was clear she had been here before as he noticed she left a few worn tomes still splayed open.

  One spine read Lunaglyphs and Lost Tongues of the Moonborn. Another, The Tethered Soul: Death by Splitting.

  The last title made his stomach drop, Moondawn and the Bloodbound Star: Prophecies of the Dead.

  What exactly was Aeron teaching her?

  ???

  Jax knew he shouldn't follow her.

  He was a Gamma with responsibilities, protocol, an entire list of reasons not to trail after a girl like a lovesick teenager.

  But Nova wasn't just a girl and Jax had never been particularly good at following rules.

  So he stayed in the shadows, moving along the upper corridor until he saw her slip into Aeron's section of the library.

  Jax pressed beside the door, careful not to breathe too loudly.

  Aeron's voice rang out, effortlessly condescending. "Did you get the book?"

  Nova's soft voice followed. "Yes. But it's written in a language older than Lunaglyphs. I... tried to read it."

  Aeron made a noise that was halfway between a sigh and an exasperated laugh.

  "Of course you did. Why resist temptation when you can sprint directly into possible eldritch doom?"

  "Well?" Aeron prompted. "Show me how far you got."

  Jax leaned just enough to see her. Her eyes shifted from green to silver. Her hair glowed, floating like she was underwater.

  She began to read in a language Jax didn't recognize. Her voice also sounded different.

  Aeron shot forward and slammed the book shut with enough force to shake dust from the rafters. "Nope. We are NOT doing that."

  Nova looked up, blinking. "I don't... know how I did that."

  He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Yes, that's the part I find concerning."

  "Listen carefully, Nova. If you find another tome like this, do not open it. Bring it to me. I enjoy being alive. I assume you do too."

  Nova nodded. "When I read it... it felt like something else stepped forward. I was aware but watching, not doing it."

  Aeron folded his arms, leaning against the desk with irritated affection. "Fantastic. Possession-adjacent magic."

  He sighed, studying her. "Nova, have you shifted?"

  Nova swallowed and nodded. "Once a few years ago. But after the silver... I think she faded."

  Aeron stared at her for a long moment. "If your wolf had died, you'd be a corpse. And since you're not currently decomposing on my floor, congratulations. She's alive."

  "Aeron... have you ever met a shifter who has both magic and a wolf?"

  He barked a laugh. "No. And if I had, my job would be significantly more interesting and significantly more terrifying."

  Jax stepped back into the hall, running a hand through his hair like he could shake off what he had just witnessed.

  "Great," he muttered under his breath. "She glows, speaks dead languages, and might be a walking prophecy. And I'm catching feelings. Fantastic. Truly excellent life choices, Jax."

  He slowed only once he reached the far end of the corridor. His heart was still racing, his wolf pacing beneath his skin like it had just been shaken awake.

  As Jax turned the corner, a cold thought settled in, heavy and uninvited.

  If others saw what she could do, they would not see Nova.

  They would see a problem or a weapon. Shadowclaw had never been kind to things it did not understand.