Nova sat alone on the edge of the rooftop garden, knees tucked to her chest, city lights glittering below like a blanket of stars. Her head throbbed from everything—Kane's surprise proposal-turned-joke, the brothers' dramatic full moon freak-out, Zane's mom planning baby names, Kane's sister nearly dragging her to try on wedding gowns,and Kane's siblings calling him alpha.
Wait, what does alpha actually mean
It was chaos. It was too much.
And through it all, Nova still wasn't sure what she wanted.
The rooftop door creaked behind her. She didn't need to turn to know who it was.
"You're not hiding very well," Ethan said, stepping into view, a blanket folded under one arm. "Max said he found you here last full moon. Ryder thinks you're sulking. Darian says you're plotting our downfall."
Nova let out a tired laugh. "You guys are a little dramatic."
Ethan sat beside her, draping the blanket around them both. "We care."
She stared out at the skyline. "I know. But... this is my life too. I didn't ask for Kane to propose. Or for his mom to start sketching wedding invitations. And now I'm supposed to just go along with all of it?"
"You said yes."
"In sarcasm," Nova muttered. "And now it's spiraled into this fairy tale I never agreed to."
There was a long pause. Then Ethan said quietly, "Do you love him?"
"I don't know." She ran a hand through her hair. "Maybe. Sometimes I think I could. But it's all so fast. And everyone's treating me like I'm already part of his world. What if I'm not?"
Ethan's voice was gentler than usual. "Then we'll protect you from it. Even from him, if we have to."
Nova turned to him, surprised by the seriousness in his tone. His dark eyes held no humor. "Ethan…"
"Ryder almost punched Kane yesterday," he said matter-of-factly. "Max made a joke about putting a tracker in your phone. Darian wants to hack Kane's background. So yes, we're being overprotective. But you're our sister."
Nova smiled, a little choked. "Thanks."
They sat in silence for a while.
Then Ethan said, "You know… Kane's family isn't excited just because of you. There's more going on. Something… odd. They're hiding something."
Nova blinked. "Like what?"
"I don't know yet. But Zane's mom said something strange last night. Something about fate and bloodlines. I think Kane knows more than he's letting on."
Nova frowned. "You think they're dangerous?"
Ethan didn't answer immediately. "I think we need to be careful. That's all."
Just then, her phone buzzed. A message from Kane.
Can I see you? Just for a few minutes? I miss you.
Nova stared at the screen, heart conflicted.
Ethan noticed. "Go if you want. Just… don't lose yourself."
She stood slowly. "I won't. I promise."
As she walked away, Ethan pulled out his phone and texted the others: Keep eyes on her tonight. Something's not right with Kane. And we protect Nova. No matter what.