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CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

SYLUS

I ’m halfway between sleep and wakefulness when the dorm room door slams open, the echo ricocheting through the small space. Instinct jerks me upright, my wolf surging to the forefront before my mind can catch up. A new scent floods the air—something warm, wild, and undeniably omega.

Get up. An omega needs us.

My wolf growls low in my chest, a raw hunger rippling through me. It’s intoxicating, cloying, and more potent than any scent I’ve ever encountered. Whoever just walked—or barged—into my space is no ordinary omega. My wolf’s instincts surge, demanding I find the source.

Such a sweet omega.

Intrigued, I swing my legs out of bed, eager to see what kind of treat has just walked into our room.

The overhead light flicks on, and Tai’s voice jolts me fully awake. “We need your help.”

I blink against the brightness, my senses roaring with overload. A beautiful, lavender wolf stands in the center of the room, its pale eyes blazing like two beacons high on a cliff, warning seafaring travelers of their impending doom. And fuck if I’m not a tiny vessel about to be thrashed against the rocks. The omega scent rolls off her in waves, and my wolf all but salivates, its primal instincts clawing at my control as lust pummels me.

Who is she?

My wolf calls on me to rut her, to sink my cock into her, claim her, and ease the ache between her thighs with my knot.

She’ll take us so well. Just look at her.

I throw my covers off, watching as her eyes track my movement. She seems transfixed, her gaze roaming over my bare chest, then to where my cock tents my boxers before slowly rising back to meet my eyes.

She loves what she sees. Can’t you scent her perfuming the air? Such a good omega, expressing her desire for us.

I inhale deeply, letting the mouthwatering aroma fill my lungs and stoke the flames of my own hunger. My wolf bucks against the restraints of my mind, demanding to be set free, to claim what is being so willingly offered. Fuck. He’s never reacted this way to any omega before.

Because this one smells so good. So right. Our perfect little omega.

If she smells like this now, when not in a heat, I can only imagine how sweet she’ll be when she is. Whoever she is, I need to know her. Would love to help her through her heat.

But Tai's presence tempers my instincts. I tear my stare away from the captivating creature before me to glance at the movement that snags my attention, and that’s when I see that red-headed human behind her.

“Who is—” My words catch in my throat as the pieces snap together. The wolf’s eyes are far too familiar, two bright beams of defiance that I’ve seen before.

No. No, no, no.

“That’s not—” My attention snaps to Tai, who’s already braced against the wall, his expression carved from stone. Callum lingers just behind him, looking far too calm, given the situation.

“Nova?” Her name leaves my mouth like a curse, though it’s mostly directed at myself. My wolf doesn’t recoil; he’s utterly enthralled. The scent I couldn’t resist, the omega my wolf is practically howling for, is Novaleigh fucking Drake ?

Her ears flick at her name, and she shrinks back a step, her wide-eyed stare darting between me and the others.

“She’s stuck.”

My head whips towards Callum.

“What?”

“She can’t shift back to her fae form.” Tai steps forward, gesturing towards the human. “And she bit him. Twice.”

I sink to the bed, feeling a bit of my chest cave in. “She bit you?” I don’t look up at the man. Can’t look up. A human? What the fuck does she see in a human ?

“We need you to help her shift back.”

“You want me to help her shift back?” I glance up, pointing at the sleek wolf standing on my rug. “What about the High King? She’s his kid. Gods, Penn is a wolf fae, he could do it, too!”

“We can’t disturb them with this right now,” Tai shoots back. “She needs help. You’re going to have to figure it out.”

The wolf—Nova—growls softly, a sound that reverberates through my bones. My wolf reacts instinctively, wanting to push forward, to take control, to soothe, mount, and dominate. To make her submit. I grit my teeth, locking my body in place. There’s no way in hell I’m giving my wolf any room to act on whatever the hell it’s feeling right now.

“Gods,” I mutter under my breath, scrubbing a hand through my hair. “Alright. Fine. But keep her on that side of the room.”

No, she should be in our bed.

You no longer have a fucking say in this, I snarl back at my wolf in my head.

Callum crosses his arms, stepping closer to the wolf’s side. “She’s nae dangerous, mate.”

Well, no fucking shit, dumbass. I just don’t want my wolf getting any ideas.

“You’re not the one whose instincts are going haywire,” I snarl, leveling a glare at him. “Keep her there.”

Nova huffs, the sound startlingly fae despite her current form. She lowers herself slightly, as if she’s trying to make herself smaller, less threatening. It doesn’t help. Every inch of her radiates power, even as her omega nature tugs at me like a siren’s call, begging me to drench myself in her scent, and to mark her with mine. To mount and rut her.

I step closer, keeping my movements measured. “Nova,” I say carefully, crouching just enough to meet her eye. “Listen to me. You need to focus. Do you hear me?”

Her ears flick, and her blue eyes lock onto mine. There’s something wild and panicked in her stare, a depth of emotions whirling too fast to parse. She growls low again, but this time it’s softer, less aggressive.

“You’re going to have to trust me.” She gives an indignant huff, and I raise a brow at her. “I know that’s not exactly your thing, but if you want to shift back, I need you to let me guide you.”

Tai steps forward, his hand glowing as he weaves calming magic into the air. “Keep her focused. I’ll stabilize her magic.”

“Stabilize her magic? You barely have any left,” I shoot back, but he ignores me, his attention fixed on the glowing symbols forming in the air.

An amused expression crosses his face. “I don’t know, Sylus, you were giving off enough lust to fuel me for at least the rest of the weekend.”

Nova’s head whips towards me, but I ignore her.

“You got a thing for me, Ink?” I smirk. “Thought incubuses couldn’t feed off lust from someone unless there’s an attraction.”

“Aw, pet names already?” Callum snorts. “Ye might be projecting.”

Nova’s gaze darts between us, her body tense with uncertainty. My wolf stirs again, restless to put her at ease, to soothe her. I take a deep breath, grounding myself before I meet her eyes again.

“You’re going to be fine,” I murmur, reaching out cautiously. “But you have to breathe. Can you do that?”

Her chest rises and falls unevenly, the first step in what’s bound to be a long and difficult process. My wolf howls in the back of my mind to bring her into our bed, but I shove it down, focusing only on the task in front of me.

If I can get her to shift, perhaps I won’t have to keep scenting the pheromones she’s releasing, and my wolf can finally go the fuck to sleep.

Nova's eyes remain locked on mine as she takes another shaky breath. Her fur ripples, muscles twitching beneath her skin as she fights against the instinct to lash out, to run. I can sense her struggle, the war raging within her between the fae and the wolf.

"That's it," I encourage softly, inching closer. "Just breathe. Focus on my voice."

Behind me, Tai's magic pulses, the runes glowing brighter as he works to stabilize Nova's.

My fingers sink into her fur as I gently stroke her head, the instinct to comfort her overriding logic.

"Good girl," I murmur, my voice low, soothing, just as my instincts demand it. "You're doing great. Look at me." The alpha command laces my tone.

Reluctantly, her wild eyes meet mine, pupils dilated.

"You are stronger than this. Your wolf is a part of you, not something to be afraid of."

I let my own wolf rise to the surface, just enough for her to sense its presence.

She whimpers, trembling under my touch. But gradually, her breathing evens out as she holds my stare. She blinks, clarity returning to her eyes as she focuses on me.

"That's it," I murmur. "You're in control. The wolf serves you, not the other way around."

Nova’s trembling eases, though her wide, pale eyes stay fixed on me. Her wolf is curious now, no longer panicked but fascinated—and it’s doing something to me. My wolf surges forward, not to take control, but to press against the edges of my restraint. The primal urge to soothe her, to assert my presence, grows stronger. My teeth clench as I fight it back.

Her fur ripples again, and she takes a cautious step closer. She’s not just calming down; she’s submitting.

My wolf’s reaction is immediate and visceral. A low growl hums in my chest, unbidden, as Nova lowers herself onto her belly. Her ears flatten back, and she tilts her head to bare the vulnerable curve of her neck. It’s an unmistakable gesture, one that makes my heart pound and my wolf howl with satisfaction. Wolves don’t do this unless they’re accepting someone as their alpha.

A whisper of foreign magic pulses behind my eyes, needling me with a vile command I’m trying to resist. I grind my teeth, forced to swallow down the unwanted urge, and I stumble under its weight.

Gods, no. I don’t want this. Not her. Never a made fae.

“Nova.” Her name is a warning, but it comes out rough, more growl than word. She flinches, but her wolf holds its position, watching me with wide, expectant eyes.

Behind me, Tai’s sharp intake of breath cleaves through the charged air. “Sylus, what the hell are you doing?”

“I’m not—” I bite back my words as Nova inches closer again, her body language nothing short of flirtatious. My wolf is eating it up, reveling in the attention, and I hate it.

Callum steps forward, his words clipped. “Nova, stop.”

Her wolf flicks her tail once, as though mocking his command, and her focus stays pinned on me. She lets out a soft, almost playful whine, her head tilting further, inviting me to do ... something I can’t even think about. My wolf surges again, demanding I respond, that I reassure her with touch, with scent, with my cock, with?—

I step back abruptly, my fists clenching at my sides. “She’s not herself right now,” I breathe, more to myself than anyone else. “It’s her wolf.”

Tai exhales harshly. “Whatever it is, you need to control your damn wolf before this gets worse.”

“I’m trying,” I bite out. But gods, it’s not easy. Her wolf’s presence, her scent—it’s paralytic, and it’s taking every ounce of strength I have not to let my instincts take over.

Nova’s eyes follow me as I retreat another step. The small, questioning whine she lets out twists something deep in my chest. My beast wants to comfort her, to soothe her, but I can’t. I won’t.

“Nova,” I say again, forcing steel into my voice. “Enough.”

Her ears flick at the alpha command, and for a moment, she hesitates. But instead of backing down, her wolf lowers even further, rolling partially onto her back to expose her belly. Submission. Pure and unfiltered. She’s not just calming—she’s trusting me.

“Shit,” Callum mutters.

“Sylus, we need to get her out of this form. Now.” Tai’s voice holds a command in it, too, but my wolf is too far at the forefront to bow to it.

I take a deep breath, urging my feral side to recede just enough to think clearly. “Her wolf isn’t ready to let go.” I glance back at Tai. “And she ... she doesn’t want to.”

His brows draw together, frustration rolling off him in waves. “Then we’ll have to bring in a professor, maybe the dean. But you—” His glare is hard. “You need to keep yourself in check.”

I grit my teeth and nod, not trusting myself to speak. Nova’s wolf lets out a soft, contented huff, as though pleased with the exchange. My stomach churns, a mess of guilt, frustration, and something far more dangerous.

I don’t want this.

But my wolf does.