Nova lay awake in her room long after the moon had climbed high. The silver light slanted through the windows, bathing the ceiling in a pale shimmer. Her brothers had stopped hovering—mostly—and Zane's overly excited family had retreated from their whirlwind of wedding suggestions. But inside her, something still twisted.
She didn't love Kane. Not really. Not like they thought she did. And yet… something tugged at her when he looked at her. Something warm. Ancient. Dangerous.
She curled her fingers into the sheets.
Was it just pressure? Or was there more?
Earlier that evening, Kane had tried to explain something to her—something about the mate bond—but her brothers had stormed in halfway through, Ethan practically dragging her out of the room while Max kept Kane distracted with jokes that didn't hide the warning in his eyes.
Now she was left with questions buzzing in her head.
Why did Kane's gaze seem to burn through her walls?
Why did she feel a pull in her chest every time he came close?
She sat up suddenly.
She needed answers. Not just about Kane—but about herself. Her family. Her blood.
Ever since her parents died, everyone had told her who she was. A girl with a tragic past. A girl taken in by a rich uncle. A survivor.
But what if that wasn't the whole truth?
Nova padded across the hallway in silence and slipped into the old study no one used anymore. The room smelled like dust and secrets. Books lined the shelves, but she didn't look for anything new—she reached for a small wooden box hidden beneath the loose floorboard near the fireplace.
She'd found it once when exploring as a child but hadn't dared open it.
Until now.
The box creaked open, revealing papers wrapped in aged cloth. Her breath caught as she unfolded them. Handwritten letters. Photographs.
And a birth certificate.
Her name. Her mother's name. But instead of her father's name… there was something scribbled out. A different name written beside it. A name she didn't recognize.
A symbol was carved into the bottom of the page.
A mark—like a crest.
It matched the strange symbol Kane had been wearing on a ring the first night they met.
Her heartbeat thundered.
This wasn't a coincidence.
Nova stuffed the papers back into the cloth, eyes wide. Just then, she heard the faintest creak behind her. She whirled—
—and saw Darian leaning in the doorway, arms crossed.
"You shouldn't be snooping," he said quietly.
"I'm not snooping. I'm—" she faltered. "Trying to figure out who I really am."
Darian's eyes darkened. "Some things are better left alone, Nova."
"Why?" she snapped, her voice low but fierce. "Why does everyone keep acting like I'm fragile? Like I can't handle the truth?"
He stepped into the room, jaw clenched. "Because it's not just your truth. It's tied to things that can get you hurt. Tied to… people."
"Kane?" she whispered.
Darian didn't answer. But his silence was enough.
Nova held his gaze. "What am I?"
He looked at her with something almost like fear.
"You're not ready to know," he said at last. "But you will be. Soon."
And with that, he turned and left her alone in the dark—holding the papers that might just change everything.