Nova stood on the balcony outside her room, the cool night air brushing against her skin. The stars were hidden behind drifting clouds, and the full moon cast a silver sheen across the estate's manicured grounds. Something about tonight felt off. The silence was too sharp, too expectant.
Her phone buzzed. Again.
Kane.A fifth missed call. Three messages, unread.
"Nova, you okay? Can we talk?""I know this is sudden, but I meant every word I said.""You feel it too, right? This pull between us. Don't ignore it."
Nova locked her phone without replying. She wasn't afraid—just unsettled. It wasn't just Kane's sudden attention. It was the way he looked at her. Like he knew her. Like he was waiting for her to remember something she couldn't possibly know.
Behind her, the glass door slid open.
"Why are you out here?" Ethan's voice was soft, but edged with tension.
"I needed air," Nova said, not turning.
Ethan stepped beside her, eyes scanning the dark yard. "Kane's been calling. Ryder checked his socials—he's been posting cryptic things all night."
"Like what?"
"Moonlight. Fate. 'She's mine.' That kind of crap." Ethan exhaled. "Something about him doesn't sit right."
Nova finally looked at him. "You don't think you're overreacting? Maybe he's just... intense?"
Ethan gave her a look. "Nova, Ryder's been asking around. Kane's not some normal college guy. His family isn't either. There are rumors... and not the dumb online kind."
She went still. "What kind of rumors?"
"Old ones. About bloodlines. Power. Some people even say they're tied to the old werewolf clans in the North."
Nova blinked. "Werewolves? Seriously?"
"I didn't believe it either," Ethan said. "But the records Ryder dug up… the Kane family owns forests. Remote properties. No photos during full moons. No digital trace before age fifteen. It's like they appeared out of nowhere."
Nova swallowed hard. "So you think he's dangerous?"
"I think you should stay away from him. All of us do."
Before Nova could answer, Max burst into the room behind them. "Guys," he said, breathless. "He's here."
"What?" Ethan snapped.
"In the front driveway. With flowers."
Nova rushed inside and looked out the window. Sure enough, Kane stood at the edge of the estate's gates, holding a small bouquet of silver-white roses.
"Is he crazy?" Ethan muttered. "It's midnight."
Ryder appeared behind them. "We told the guards not to let him in. But he keeps saying he just wants to talk."
"He can talk to our fists," Darian said coldly, already moving toward the door.
Nova grabbed his arm. "Wait. Let me talk to him. Just once."
"No," Darian said sharply. "He doesn't respect boundaries. He's forcing his way into your space. That's not romantic. That's a threat."
She looked down at Kane, who seemed to be staring right up at her window. His eyes gleamed even in the dark.
"I'm not scared of him," she said.
Darian leaned in close. "Then listen carefully. You should be."