CHAPTER 65: NIGHTTIME STROLL

The turbulent wind rattled the nest like waves crashing against rock. Aggressive. Powerful. Unyielding. It howled and raged as if trying to tear the nest apart, twig by twig. So strong was the wind, Nova could feel the sturdy branches of the ancient tree sway slightly.

"I’ll huff and I’ll puff, and I’ll blow your house down," Nova whispered into the night, her gaze focused on her surroundings, body yet to relax.

How could she relax when this wasn’t her home. Her home was probably running around the jungle in either outrage or still handling the problem that interrupted their time together. No, she couldn’t relax with her mind swirling with thoughts about Yoa and the current situation she’d been so stupid and weak to get herself in.

Vulcan had kidnapped her and planned on claiming and breeding with her. She refused to call it anything else. She had the distinct feeling that Vulcan will not waste any more time in presenting her as his Nokari and make it official. If she was... shudder... his, then there was a chance Yoa and the others couldn’t interfere.

Nova didn’t understand everything yet, but Vulcan seemed like an intelligent man. He had to know Yoa wouldn’t let this slide and would search for her. Bringing her back to Silver Flock should have been an unwise move. Should have been. It was Vulcan’s calm confidence that instilled apprehension in the pit of her stomach.

Fatigue clung to her rigid body like a relentless ex, blowing up her phone with texts and calls, desperate for attention. Unfortunately, she couldn’t block the feeling as easily as she could block a number. Her mind was too wired to rest.

She tossed and turned on the ’bed’ until she huffed and bolted upright, pacing quietly like the echo of her thoughts. It must have been at least two hours since Vulcan left her. She didn’t know where he might have gone but he was arrogant enough to believe she would simply roll over and sleep in his nest.

Sure, Nova had been lying in his bed as still as a rock, jumping at every little sound and watching the entrance to the nest, but she’d also been wavering, weighing her choices at the current situation. She couldn’t be too rash like she might have been the first few days of being in this... beast world.

She could wait for the others to rescue her like a damned damsel in distress—Hey, just call me Rapunzel, stuck in the tallest tower! Ugh. Her self-hatred was piquing right now and she fought hard to ignore it. Now was not the time.

Anyway, their potential rescue was only possible if they knew where she was. Vulcan hadn’t been seen when he’d snatched her, and they were airborne as soon as he grabbed her. There was probably no evidence leading them here either.

She blew out a breath and stilled. That left her with the only other option she’d been nervously twisting her fingers to in the bed. She would have to stop acting like a wimp, or falling into some sort of main character syndrome and escape Silver Feather lands.

What’s so difficult about that, right? Nova nervously chuckled then slapped her cheeks. The sting of her slaps centred her focus and urged her into action. Taking a steadying breath, she crept towards the entrance, peeking outside.

A gust of wind whipped her hair back and almost pushed her back a step. She braced herself, clutching at the frame of the entrance, knuckles whitening at the pressure. Besides the roaring wind, nobody seemed to be around.

Nova’s eyes narrowed a little. Suspicion creeping along her spine. But they were birds, right? Why would they be up right now and what threat did she really pose? She was under Vulcan’s roof and was his responsibility. They also didn’t deem her reckless enough to try and escape. The only way was down from this tree and Vulcan was a powerful creature, who would risk his wrath?

That only fuelled her to continue with this plan. Even with the wind almost blowing her over. She was determined to try and rescue herself.

Nova crept outside after the wind calmed some more. She looked from side to side, searching for any sign of Vulcan but it was empty. Good.

Slowly, she inched forward and peered over the landing edge. Her breath caught. The tree stretched endlessly below, vanishing into shadow. She couldn’t even see the ground. Could she really climb something that massive?

Nova shook her head. No. She couldn’t think like that. This was about survival. She refused to just lie down and accept her fate.

She studied the ledge again, eyes tracing the thick branches below. They jutted out at intervals, some large and steady-looking. Further down, more continued to split off, forming a rough path. It wasn’t perfect, but it sparked a flicker of hope—maybe she could make it down.

With a steadying breath, Nova carefully lowered down until she was sitting over the edge, her feet dangling. The wind roared up the tree again, in warning or challenge, she didn’t know. But it wouldn’t deter her.

She braced her hands and started to shift forward.

"Going somewhere?"

Nova gasped, jolting and plopped her bottom back on the ledge, her heart almost jumping out of her chest. It pounded in her ears as she slowly twisted, her chin tilting up, following the solid lines of muscle until her eyes met Vulcans.

Of course it wouldn’t be this easy!

"Nighttime stroll?" Nova squeaked.

"Hmmm." Vulcan’s arms crossed over his muscular chest, biceps bulging as he stared down at her like she was a petulant child. "I do hope you weren’t foolish enough to consider escaping, Electa." He dipped his head, pointing at the endless void beneath her. "There are no more branches after the first 50metres. It would be ludicrous to reside in a tree that enemies could easily climb."

In a strange about way, she was glad he caught her before she wasted her strength and energy on climbing down a tree that would lead her nowhere.

"Then I guess a nighttime climb is out of the question then," Nova replied smoothly, surprised by how calm she sounded. She certainly didn’t feel calm. Nervous energy tremored under her skin like she’d downed a dozen espressos. She clenched her thighs to keep her knee from bouncing.

Vulcan’s gaze swept over her, sharp and slow, like a scalpel peeling back layers. Nova fought the urge to squirm under the weight of his stare, it was like he could see right through her. It lingered, reading her like the way others read maps.

She forced her eyes to remain on his, rising to the challenge. His lips twitched into a ghost of a smirk, eyes twinkling then it vanished like it was never there in the first place.

"Get back inside." He turned away, dismissively like she wouldn’t resist his command.

Nova parted her lips to say something but what else could she say? Vulcan had every reason to lie about the tree not having any other means of getting down to the jungle below. But his reasoning made sense.

She was also fairly certain that if she even tried to climb down right now, he’d swoop in and drag her back to the nest, and any semblance of kindness or space he’d shown would vanish.

Slowly, Nova rose and dragged her legs as she returned to the nest, glancing up at Vulcan, noting that he looked on high-alert, guarding from the top of the nest where a small section had been flattened, especially created for looking out. She had no hope of escaping him and should have known it wouldn’t have been that easy.

Trudging inside, the last of Nova’s energy popped like a bubble and she collapsed on the bed face first, star fishing. This is fine. Everything is going to be fine. Right now, rest is important. She needed to be ready for whatever happened in the morning.

Her ridiculous use of humour and babbling word vomit could only ease her disquiet for so long. She knew things were only going to get worse and she needed to be as prepared as she could possibly be even as a weak and tiny as she was.

What she didn’t expect when she next opened her eyes were two tall women looming over her, their expressions stern, eyes roaming over her like she was something to be evaluated and prepared. Before Nova could ask who they were, one of them reached down, gripped her under the arms, and without a word, launched them both into the air.

Wind whipped past her face as they soared through the canopy. Nova barely had time to register the towering trees before they landed beside a wide, stone-carved bird bath perched on an open platform.

She stiffened. There was no shelter, no privacy—just sky and branches, and the sense of eyes everywhere.

The women stripped her wordlessly, scrubbing her with cold water and rough hands, more like they were scouring grime from armor than washing skin. When they finished, they dressed her in a feathered two-piece, tight and ceremonial. Nova stood trembling, exposed and speechless.

So much for being prepared.