Page 31

CHAPTER THIRTY

TAI

T he rest of the week, Nova gets to walk to her classes without so much as a coat on. The heat rolling off her wolf form keeps her warm, despite the frigid alpine weather, and she’s soaking it up.

She’s been melancholy lately, partly due to how fast we’re barreling towards my reassignment, and because of her hurt that Callum hasn’t returned her messages nor her calls.

While she was in the shower last night, she had me check in with a TA to see if he’s still attending his classes. He is. So that leaves one conclusion: he’s purposely ignoring her.

Next semester she’s promised me that she’ll make more of an effort in her classes, focus more, and work on being one with her wolf. Make some new friends. Really try to have an actual college experience.

I should be happy for her now that she has magic—hell, I am happy for her—but I can’t help the way my thoughts spiral.

After that night, my power surged to heights I haven’t felt in years. Sex with Nova wasn’t just … pleasant. It was transformative. I’ve been able to top off my reserves, fill every single rune I have, and still have enough to keep my own magic buzzing at the surface like an overcharged battery. But it’s also left me with this gnawing ache, this pull I can’t ignore every time I see her.

And I see her everywhere .

I’m her shadow, and as soon as she has a handle on her magic, I’m through. It’s also why she hasn’t let her parents know about it coming in.

Now that she’s officially come out as wolf fae, she’s finally been allowed into the practical classes instead of just sitting through theory. This also means she doesn’t have classes with Callum anymore, nor does she see him at meals, as his schedule is about an hour off hers. I have half a mind to hunt him down and demand that he listen to her.

I follow her to the shapeshifting and transmutation lecture, my feet dragging a little slower than hers as we approach the massive double doors of the training hall.

Professor Imantu waits by the entrance, arms folded, his eyes surveying the line of students filing into the room. He’s tall and broad, with thick locs pulled into a low bun. His presence alone seems to command silence, his reputation as one of the most skilled transmutation experts at the academy preceding him. It’s why I ran to him first when Nova couldn’t shift back.

Nova bounces a little on her toes as we approach, her excitement spilling over. “Can’t wait to finally learn how to shift without traumatizing half of campus.”

I smirk. “That’s a shame. I was enjoying the view.”

She rolls her eyes but nudges me with her shoulder, and it takes everything in me not to lean into her touch. Last thing we need is for our relationship to make its way back to her family.

The first several times Nova’s shifted back into her fae form, she’s been naked. Adept shifters transmute their clothing into raw magical energy as they shift, then condense that energy back into fabric once they revert. That spell takes serious focus, so until she fully masters it, her clothes won’t always survive the journey.

Her ring does, though. The one I forged for her ‘wedding’ to Callum. She doesn’t have the heart to take it off, not when she still holds onto hope he’ll hear us out.

Imantu’s eyes land on her as we approach, and for a moment, his expression softens. “Miss Drake,” he greets with a nod, his deep voice rolling through the hall. “Hope you got good sleep last night. I trust you’re ready to show us what you’ve got?”

Nova grins, confidence lighting her features. “Yep.”

She steps past him into the room, and I follow, my stomach tightening as I watch the way she holds her head high, her movements a little less fluid than her fae-born counterparts. Nova fits somewhere in the middle, straddling nurture and nature. She’s always been stunning, but now … now there’s a fierceness about her, a presence that wasn’t there before her wolf emerged.

I hang back near the wall as the class begins, doing my best to stay out of sight. This isn’t my class, after all—I’m just here to make sure she’s safe. But as Imantu starts giving instructions, I can’t help but watch.

“This exercise is about control,” he announces, his gaze sweeping across the room. “Shifting isn’t just about letting your beast take over. It’s about mastering the balance between your fae self and your other half. If you can’t control your shifts, you can’t control your magic. And if you can’t control your magic, you’re a danger to yourself and everyone around you.”

Just like the rogue we encountered on Earth.

His eyes flick to Nova, lingering just a moment. “Miss Drake, since you’re new to this, why don’t you start us off? Show the class what you’ve got.”

Nova hesitates, her bravado faltering for just a second before she squares her shoulders and steps forward.

“Deep breaths,” Imantu instructs. “Feel for the shift, but don’t force it. Let it come naturally. You’re in control.”

She closes her eyes, her hands clenched at her sides, and I can feel the ripple of magic around her. Her wolf is close to the surface—I can sense it—but the shift doesn’t come easily.

“Focus,” the professor calls out. “You’ve done this before. Trust yourself.”

Her magic pulses again, and this time, the shift takes hold. Her form blurs, rather than a painful, bone-breaking shift, and then she’s standing in her wolf form, her lavender fur shimmering under the fae lights.

The students murmur in awe, but Imantu cuts them off with a sharp look and a single harsh word. “Quiet.”

She has a beautiful wolf, a pale lavender that almost looks holographic, whereas almost all of the wolves I seen are standard colors; brown, black, gray, white. Very few deviate from this color palette.

Nova’s wolf huffs, her ears flicking in irritation, and I can’t help my smirk. That’s her, all right.

The professor steps closer, studying her form with a critical eye. “Good. Very good. Now shift back.”

She blinks, her ears flattening, and I can tell she’s struggling. Shifting back to fae form is always harder—it requires more focus, more control. Coaxing with her beast to let her back in.

“You can do this.” Imantu circles her. “It’s just like before. Breathe. Find your center.”

I clench my fists, resisting the urge to step in and help, to coach her. This is her moment, her challenge. But gods, the tension in the air is unbearable. Half the class is sniggering while the other half cheers her on.

Before I can knock these little fuckers on their asses, her magic ripples again, and with a shudder, she shifts back, her chest heaving as she stumbles slightly. My shadows race across the room to cover her while she reaches for her clothes that didn’t make the transition with her.

“Well done,” Imantu says, a rare smile tugging at his lips. “You’ll get there. This weekend, I want you to run in your wolf form when the Bedlam Moon is at its peak. Its magic heightens every wolf’s abilities, and you’ll benefit from that surge. Tapping into that energy will help you bond more closely with your wolf side, which should give you stronger control and a deeper sense of connection.”

Nova casts me a thankful glance as she yanks her clothes back on.

She joins me near the wall as we watch the others shift—mostly wolves, both made and born fae—though there are other fae orders, like bears, some big cats, a mouse, and a dragon.

As the last student completes their shift, Imantu claps his hands together. "Excellent work, everyone.”

Students scatter, their excited chatter filling the air as they discuss their successful shifts and the upcoming Bedlam Moon. Nova lingers behind, her brow furrowed in thought.

“What’s wrong?” I nudge her.

“Just a little warm.”

She shrugs off her zip-up hoodie, revealing the sheen of sweat glistening on her skin. I frown, reaching out to touch her forehead. She's burning up.

“Think your heat is coming?” I whisper, as we exit the building.

“I hope the fuck not,” she hisses.

You and me both.

I wish I’d been born with a knot so I can help her through it.

Cold air greets us, and Nova lets out a sigh of relief. “Maybe I just needed to go outside.” She grins, catching a snowflake on her tongue.

I can't help my grin as I watch her twirl in the snow, her cheeks flushed and eyes sparkling, and it makes me wonder if she knows just how magnificent she really is.

Neither of us is paying attention when a small group of fae bump into her, their presence snapping me out of the moment.

“Watch it,” I growl, stepping closer, my hand already moving to shield her.

One of them, a tall male with blurred features and cold eyes, raises his hands in mock apology. He’s glamouring himself. But why?

“Relax, beta. It was an accident.”

I bristle at his tone, my instincts screaming to put myself between him and Nova, but she waves me off, brushing snow off her jacket as if it’s no big deal.

“Not a wolf, asshole.” I cross my arms over my chest.

“All non-alphas and non-omegas are betas, genius.” His friend hooks an arm around his shoulders.

I don’t know if I agree with that, but it doesn’t matter. What I want to know is—why have they all got a glamour spell on?

Nova

“It’s fine,” I mutter, flashing Tai a look to calm him down. The last thing I need is him starting a fight in the middle of the courtyard.

The fae who bumped into me is already turning away, the others following him without so much as a second glance, but I know exactly what happened. You can’t get anything past a thief.

As he slipped past me, he’d dropped a note in my pocket, and it has my name on it.

Tai’s still glaring at the group, his focus entirely on them. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” I say quickly, tucking the paper back into my pocket before he can notice. My heart pounds, curiosity and unease flood my veins.

Why the hell did the fae give me a letter?

I barely hear Tai as he mutters something about the group, my mind spinning. A chill trickles down my spine at the thought of them watching me without my knowing. The way the fae bumped into me was way too smooth and calculated to be chance.

Even as I hold the paper, I can feel its heft, even though I know it's not heavy at all. My mind conjures all kinds of scenarios in my head. Like maybe Callum is being held for ransom somewhere—it wouldn’t be the first time someone tried to snatch someone close to the royal family—and that’s why I haven’t seen or heard from him. Or maybe he’s decided to head back to Earth for a bit?

But even I know those are all fabrications of my broken heart, the same one that wants to believe anything other than him wanting nothing to do with me … because he’s still on campus. Tai checked.

It hurts.

The snow whips around us as we leave the courtyard, but I can’t shake the weight of the note in my pocket—or the feeling that whatever’s inside is going to change everything.

Nova

When Tai is in the shower after supper, I finally pull out the note as I fall back onto my pillow. I smirk at the handwriting on the front as rock music blares from my phone. Is this Callum’s writing? Maybe his phone broke or something?

High Princess Novaleigh Drake.

Frilly. I roll my eyes. If it isn’t Callum, it’s probably wannabe groupies. Unfolding the paper, I rest my hands on my stomach as I read the short lines.

Little Thief,

Meet us at the hot springs at midnight. Come alone.

- MFS

Hot springs? We have hot springs?! I’ve been freezing my ass off for nothing, and we have someplace I can actually swim?

My brows furrow at the cryptic initials. MFS. Who the hell is that? And why the gods do they want me to meet them at midnight?

I chew my bottom lip, mulling it over. It reeks of a setup. Or if they are holding Callum and demanding a ransom, I’ll bring in the royal guard with me to get him back.

Tossing the note in my top drawer full of things I’ve pilfered off unsuspecting fae born students, I pull up a map of campus on my phone, ready to do a little digging.

I see no mention of hot springs as I zoom in and out of every inch of the campus grounds. Weird. Maybe it’s a super secret spot where students go to fuck or something.

The music shifts to a pulsing beat as I stare at the ceiling, my mind racing. Part of me knows meeting some mysterious stranger in the middle of the night is a terrible idea. Especially at a secluded hot spring that apparently no one knows about. It has all the makings of a trap.

But the other part of me—the reckless, thrill-seeking side—is intrigued. Who the fuck is MFS? And why be so sneaky about it?

I glance at the clock on my phone. 10:47 pm. I've got over an hour to decide. The smart thing would be to ignore it, pretend I never got the note. But when have I ever done the smart thing? Maybe MFS is connected to Callum somehow.

I can always sneak out in about an hour, hope to find the place, and if not? Oh well.

Tai emerges from the bathroom in a cloud of steam, a towel wrapped around his waist. He glances at Sylus’s side of the room. “Thought he’d be back by now.”

“Who the hell knows?” I force a casual shrug, keeping my face neutral as Tai towels his damp hair, then uses a drying spell on it. If he even suspects I’m planning something, there’s no way he’ll let me out of his sight. “He’s always disappearing for hours.”

Tai’s intense stare lingers on me for a moment, his brow furrowing as if he can sense something’s off. “You okay?”

“Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?” I prop myself up on my elbows, plastering on a grin. “Just tired. I’ll probably crash early.” I am exhausted—using magic takes a lot more energy than I’m used to.

He nods slowly, but I can tell he’s not fully convinced. “You should. It’s been a long week.”

I let out a noncommittal hum, watching as he crosses the room to grab a shirt from his drawer. He’s distracted now, muttering something about Sylus under his breath, and I take the opportunity to roll onto my side, facing the wall.

As he changes, I glance at the clock again. 10:53. Plenty of time to figure out how the hell I’m going to sneak out without him noticing.

Once Tai finishes getting dressed, he climbs into his bed with a sigh, the mattress creaking under his weight. “Night, Nova.” Normally we sleep together, but last night I’d woken up to Tai snoring just a half inch from my face. All it would’ve taken was me flopping over in my sleep for his lips to land on me.

I yanked myself upright and out of bed so fast that both he and Sylus leapt out of bed, too, thinking we’d had an intruder or something. So until we can figure out the best way to prevent accidentally having him kiss me while we sleep, I’ve sent him to his own bed.

“Night,” I mumble, already pulling the blanket over my head. “Love you.” I wanted to get that out now just in case I’m sneaking out to meet my death or something.

He’s quiet for a moment before I hear his feet padding across the floor to my side of the room. He gently tugs the blanket back from my face, his expression soft but concerned. "I love you too. You know that, right? No matter what."

I nod, my throat tightening with emotion. "I know."

Tai leans down and nuzzles against my neck—the closest thing he can do to kissing me. I have scent glands there, apparently, and the simple gesture fills me with a sense of comfort. It still has me really nervous to have his face anywhere near my body, because all it’ll take is one tiny little slip.

For a moment, I almost consider confessing everything to him right then and there. But I can’t risk putting him in danger, too. This is something I have to do on my own.

Tai lingers a moment longer before pulling away. He retreats to his bed, and I listen as his breathing slowly evens out. Minutes tick by, each one feeling like an eternity as I wait for the telltale signs that he’s fallen asleep.

I wait.

And wait.

The seconds drag, each one stretching into infinity as I strain to hear the sound of his breathing, the soft sawing I usually hear from his side. Eventually, it evens out, and I exhale a silent breath of relief.

Sliding out of bed as quietly as possible, I grab my hoodie and sneakers, wincing as the slightest creak from the floorboard threatens to give me away. My heart thunders as I shove my feet into my shoes and glance at Tai’s bed to ensure he’s still sleeping.

He’s got his giant, tattooed arm slung over his head, and his chest rises and falls in a steady rhythm.

I crack open the door, holding my breath as the hinges groan softly. The hallway is dark, but otherwise silent.

Once I’m far enough down the corridor, I exhale and glance at the map on my phone again. No mention of the hot springs, but if I had to guess, they’re somewhere off the beaten path.

“Alright, MFS,” I mutter under my breath, slipping the note out of my pocket and rereading it. “Where the hell are you hiding?”

The campus grounds are eerily quiet as I make my way toward the edge of the forest, the crunch of snow beneath my sneakers the only sound. I stick to the shadows, avoiding the main paths where night patrols might catch me.

As I near the tree line, a low, distant howl freezes me in my tracks. My pulse spikes, but I shake it off and keep moving.

The forest swallows me whole, and the air’s colder here as I take off in a jog. I hug my hoodie tighter around myself, my breath puffing out in thick, billowing plumes.

“Hot springs,” I murmur to myself, scanning the area for any signs of steam or water after I’ve run for a good while. “How the hell am I supposed to?—”

I stop short.

There, just ahead, is a pale glow, barely visible through the trees. Steam rises in tendrils, curling into the night air.

“Well, I’ll be damned.”

Wolf instincts, my beast purrs inside me.

I approach with caution, the warmth hitting me like a wall as I step into the clearing. The hot springs are tucked away in a hollow, surrounded by snow-dusted rocks, overhanging trees, and a thick mist. The water bubbles gently, the surface reflecting the moonlight like molten silver.

But there’s no one here.

I glance around, my senses on high alert. “Alright, MFS. I’m here. What do you want?”

Silence.

I take a hesitant step closer to the water, the warmth beckoning me like a siren’s call. The steam curls around me, and for a moment, I consider stripping down and diving in.

But then, just as I’m about to step closer, I feel it—a presence.

A rustle in the trees behind me.

I spin around, my heart in my throat.

“Who's there?”

The bushes part, and masked figures emerge from the shadows, stepping into the moonlight. My breath catches as I take a step back, about to turn and run but instead, I bump into a solid wall of muscle.

“Oh, fuck.”