Munching the last of the warm bread in her hand from the bakery of a very drenched Marlin's Bay, Jack sat in her second least favourite place - the ocean had now moved to the top of the list.

Nova High School, more specifically, on an array of chairs near the reception. Down the hall was the sick bay where Niall and the other hostages rested. Even though Claire had healed some of them, they were all exhausted and shaken up so much so the nurses gave them all the lollipops they had left.

Jack would have helped heal, or try to at least, if she wasn't utterly depleted of her magic. While Lily was holding back the ocean from drowning them all, Jack was either hanging up rogues like chandeliers with all the vines she could magically scramble with her touch or whipping them away with tree roots. There were too many for her to tackle one by one, some slipped through her vines, but Lily's lightning had zapped them straight back to her.

Olivia Haphern had to drive her car. It was miraculously intact, she suspected from a sheer coincidence named Lily Morgan. Jack's hands had cramped from overusing her magic so she couldn't clutch the steering wheel. They'd crammed everyone in; Jacob in the front seat, then Claire, Ryan, and Andrew with Alice on his lap in the back, and Niall, Jack, Haidan and Lily sat in the boot with the broken Morgan family tombstone delicately held in her hands. She wouldn't let anyone touch it.

Jack sighed as she looked at her hands. Her rings were faded and the jewels dim despite being polished only hours ago. Jack couldn't have sprouted a daisy like the average-powered witch if she tried. Her magic, unlike Lily's it seemed, had a limit. She'd exceeded too much too quickly and she could barely walk straight, let alone curl her hands into fists.

Haidan, at least, was in a similar shape to her. His flames had died when they'd been slapped by the tsunami, and he had to birth them again from whatever fiery pit he bore in his bones before he could defend against the rogues. The four deep grooves on his forearm from a brave yet stupid wolf had opened up his flesh, and in turn opened up fire trapped beneath his skin.

The phoenix was being bandaged up - fairy healing worked on his skin, apparently, so she'd pushed him in first, knowing she could heal in her own time as her strength gradually returned. Jack was sitting comfortably in the foyer alone waiting for him, Lily and Niall.

Until Andrew walked out of the sick bay and stood before her. His bright eyes stared her down with a shadow of emotion Jack had no urge to decipher. The alpha of the Trawalla pack merely sat next to her and stretched out his dirt-covered legs, looking at the witch's profile.

"It's good to see you, Jack-" Andrew stopped talking when Jack scoffed.

She waved a hand at him. "Go on, tell me all the glorious things about my appearance and how grateful you are that I saved you, again, but please, honestly, do compliment away. Start with how smooth my skin is or how luscious my locks were in the salty breeze of the tsunami that almost killed us all."

Andrew slowly smiled. "I missed that sarcasm of yours."

"I wasn't joking." Jack raised an eyebrow. "Tell me how great I am."

The alpha shook his head. He'd missed the witch's attitude and unearthly loyalty to Lily Morgan. The last time he had seen her she was driving away from their formal after hearing lies from his mouth and false truths from his pack. Seeing Jack standing next to Lily this morning, fighting off the rogues to save him, it restarted the rapid beating of his heart. "Thank you Jack." He admitted after looking around to check no one could hear him. "For defending me."

Jack rolled her eyes. "I defended everyone. Lily and Haidan, Niall too despite being tied up, we all helped save you all-"

"Haidan?" Andrew shifted closer in his seat. "You mentioned the last time we spoke you were finding people powerful enough to protect you from rogues. Is he one of them?"

"Was that when I hung up on you?" Jack reminisced with a smile on her face. "That was a great day - I was ambushed by rogues, almost killed, saved by a nymph and met a phoenix - but the best part was your hilarious attempt to order us to come back."

Andrew's eyes darkened as he sighed, looking at the marks the zip ties had left on his wrists. They'd heal over a few days, he was only bound for a few hours, but it felt eerie knowing he had the same brand on his wrists as Lily. It felt unnatural being connected to the Supernova through something so small as a matching scar. "The night of the formal..."

"Let's not relive it." Jack clenched the edge of her seat, eyes flashing. "You made it clear we weren't friends and your friends made it clear I was never going to be. You said what was said and you can't take it back. This isn't some romantic comedy where everything's alright after you apologise and we're back to normal."

"I'm sorry." He looked up. "I am sorry."

Jack narrowed her eyes. She didn't need to say a word for him to get the hint. Keep going. That's not enough.

"What I said to you, about how you'd done nothing to help me with Yuric, I said out of fear. It's my responsibility to keep the pack safe and I failed with Poppy. She was kidnapped under my nose - I'm the Alpha, it's my job to keep everyone together..."

It's literally your only job. Jack wanted to spit out but she held her tongue as the alpha's head lowered, eyes flickering, and what could only be described as guilt plagued him as he clenched his jaw. Andrew swallowed his pride for a moment. "I didn't know what Renee was going to say to you about...me."

The witch gestured to her tanned skin. "About how I'm not like Laura?"

Andrew flinched. "I-I'm drawn to girls who look like my mother. Blonde, blue eyed, fair-skinned. I don't know why but I just am - but believe me when I say I genuinely liked you Jack, you didn't remind me of anyone I'd lost. You reminded me of someone I could be."

Jack's eyes flickered back and forth, watching every movement on Andrew's face. While she remained silent and observing, she felt sorry for every poor girl he chased, including herself, and wondered if Andrew could say a sentence without the word 'I'. "Do you still think I'm not your equal?" She finally said. His eyes hardened for a brief moment, his mouth drawing to a thin line.

"Jack-"

"Here we go." She muttered under her breath but the sharp-eared wolf heard it.

"Hey, I'm an Alpha." Andrew snarled. "I'm the most dominant wolf in Trawalla, I'm probably more dominant than anyone in Widderin, or any other pansy you met on Tyrill-"

"Excuse me?" Jack said sharply.

"I helped ease the lock down at Nova High, Jack-"

"Did you just call the nymph who saved your neck from being mauled by Yuric this morning a pansy?"

"No other alpha has done that before!" Andrew spoke over her, the both of them now yelling loud enough it was heard under the sick bay doors. "What have you done?"

Jack bristled, her rings cold against her clenched fists. She didn't need her magic, she'd take a page out of Lily's book and punch the wolf in the nose. Just as she was about to, one of the doors opened to reveal Haidan.

Immediately Andrew tensed. Haidan shut the door behind him after thanking the nurses and doctors and calmly walked over. His gait was quiet, his feet barely making an echo, but the silence his presence ordered was deafening to Jack's ears. His dark eyes swept over her first, seeing the fiery rage still simmering beneath her flushed skin, before he settled his gaze on the alpha.

"You're meant to be quiet." Haidan scolded. "Otherwise that defeats the point of them resting and recovering."

Jack initially hid the smirk but eventually let it show in full force. Andrew bristled seeing the rage in the witch almost disappear when Haidan walked out. The werewolf stood up, slowly, a predator sizing up his prey - he hesitated when Haidan flicked his unrelenting eyes on him, the weight from his glare alone made his knees lock tightly and chin lower.

Andrew didn't like how Haidan was taller than him. "You're Jack's new friend, then?" He asked, forcing his tense body to move and extend a hand. "I'm Andrew, Alpha of the Trawalla Pack."

Haidan raised an eyebrow, shaking the wolf's hand. Jack caught Andrew try to hide his flinch at how naturally hot Haidan's skin was. "Haidan Tariq."

"Not an Alpha?"

"Don't need to be. I'm a part of something greater." Haidan smiled coyly, his eyes flaring orange as his flames sparked beneath his skin.

Jack leaned back in her chair smiling at the whole male exchange. She knew Haidan was talking about his religion, his unshakable faith, but Andrew only saw the power lurking in his eyes. She enjoyed the alpha's shiver of fear more than she would ever admit.

"Did I miss something?" Haidan said, folding his arms across his broad chest. Jack glimpsed the set of fresh scars from the rolled up sleeves. "What was all the yelling about?"

Jack grinned. "Andrew and I were just discussing how I'm not equal to him, an alpha. What do you think Haidan?"

Haidan didn't look away from Andrew's wary expression. "He's right, of course."

Jack stilled. "What?" She whispered, her fiery rage suddenly turning to ice. Andrew smiled gleefully at someone finally agreeing with him.

Haidan's coy grin returned. "You're not equal to an alpha. You're obviously more powerful. How can someone that only shifts into a wolf even compare to someone as great as Jack? You've defended whole villages with your gift, twisted forests apart, and fought dozens of rogues. You're more of an alpha than any wolf can ever dream to be."

Andrew's face fell. He opened his mouth to speak but Haidan interrupted him when turned to Jack, completely dismissing him, and held out a hand to her. "Did you want to grab something to eat? There's a cupcake shop down the road. We can bring some back for Niall and Lily, and the others."

That's the sexiest thing I've ever heard. "Cupcakes?" Jack grinned, placing her hand in Haidan's warm, comforting grip and letting him haul her to her feet. "Absolutely."

The two of them walked out of Nova High without another look at Andrew, leaving him to scowl and find Ryan, adamant to return home to the pack house. He'd had enough burns for one lifetime.

Jack turned to Haidan as they walked out of the school, grinning from ear to ear. "That was the greatest moment of my life!" She grabbed his arm and nudged him, Haidan laughing as he reminded himself to stay upright, to not fall so quickly, and keep his feet on the ground. "Did you see his face? Oh if only I had a camera! That was fantastic!"

"Take it he's not a friend, then?" Haidan joked, looking at the grinning witch. Her eyes were bright with joy, a soft glow deep within them that held the phoenix's attention for a moment longer.

"No!" Jack scrunched up her face. "No, Lily and I went to school with him. We didn't exactly get along with the werewolves."

"Why?"

Jack shrugged. "No idea, guess they were afraid of how brilliant we are."

Haidan smirked, aware that Jack had still linked her arm with his. "I wonder what the great and powerful Jacinta Garcia-Slater, The Witch Who Can Heal, is afraid of?"

"Birds."

Haidan stopped walking, forcing Jack to stop too. "You're afraid of birds? Really?"

Jack frowned. "What? It's a perfectly reasonable fear!"

"How? They're birds. They're cute!"

"Cute?!" Jack's ears burned red and Haidan smiled at how fiery she was getting. "You think they're cute? Did you know there's a bird in Australia that's, like, a living velociraptor? You know Jurassic Park? Those big man-eating dinosaurs that raid the kitchen to eat the kids? Picture those but feathered; they have the same big talon on their feet too! Cassowaries are terrifying! They're not cute!"

"You remind me of a Cassowary, you know." Jack's eyes narrowed on the coy grin on Haidan's face.

"You think I'm terrifying?" She slowly smiled. "Or you think I'm cute?"

Haidan's cheeks flamed. "Where's that cupcake store?" He suddenly began walking at a faster pace, glimpsing the glass doors to the patisserie a few metres away and the open sign hanging in the window.

"Oh no you don't!" Jack hurried to catch him, practically jogging to keep up with his long stride. "You think I'm cute!"

"I didn't say that!" Haidan was looking everywhere but her smug face. "Stop smiling at me! I can feel that sly grin of yours on the back of my neck!"

"You haven't denied it!" Jack sang. Haidan stopped quickly and turned to the witch.

"You haven't denied I'm hot, either." He quipped. The two stared at each other; hearing nothing but their heartbeat and seeing nothing but wide, fiery eyes. "Looks like we're in a stand off, wicked witch."

"That's where the attack comes..." Jack whispered, the smirk creasing her cheeks. "Not from the front, but from the side!" She quoted, reaching out and grasping the patisserie door on her left, walking away into the sweet smell of salivating sugars. "Come on, hot shot! I was promised cupcakes!"

Haidan blinked, shaking his head to clear the blinding fog in his mind, before following Jack inside. The two of them picked out a box of eight cupcakes; for Jack, Haidan, Niall, Lily, little Alice, Claire, and Olivia Haphern - and another one for Jack.

As she bit into the moist, chocolate sponge with melted caramel marbling, licking the dark fudge icing on top, she realised Haidan was watching her. Jack cocked her head to the side, waiting for him to say what was on his mind. She wasn't about to open her mouth and risk any of the delicious cupcake spilling.

The phoenix blushed in embarrassment. "We've kinda been dancing over this for a bit, you know, about how we both are attracted to each other."

Jack stopped walking, wondering where this conversation was heading as he stopped in front of her and watched her carefully. I thought he was gonna ask how good the cupcake was, she thought as she finished her mouthful.

"I want to be honest with you. I overheard a lot of what Andrew told you," Haidan said carefully, seeing the shift in Jack's expression. "I'm guessing there's a past there but you deserve the truth. I like you Jack, and I would ask you out here and now, but I don't want to push you to something you might not be ready for. It's not the main reason, the main reason I'm not asking is quite selfish..."

Haidan took a shaky breath, looking at his hands, remembering the newly-birthed fire in his bones. "I've just discovered I'm a phoenix. I have a lot of learning to do about myself and what I can do, and I can't spend all the time in the world with you if I'm still chasing who I'm meant to be. I don't want to date you if I can't treat you how you're deserved - I can't give you all of me if I haven't found all of me yet."

Jack's jaw hung open and she was speechless, blinking up at him. Haidan shifted on his feet. "I don't know if that made any sense but I just wanted you to know before, I'm assuming, we part ways when everyone's recovered."

The rest of the cupcake fell from her grasp in shock. Jack jumped when the delicate crumbs scattered over her muddy shoes, gasping. "No! Dammit, I wanted the rest of that!"

Haidan raised an eyebrow as Jack tightly held the rest of the box like it held seven pieces of rare treasure. She stared longingly at the cupcake before realising Haidan was waiting for a response.

"Oh, right." Jack blinked up at him. "Um...that was really dorky. Sweet as well, like that cupcake..."

"I know, but I know you like me too," Haidan laughed and motioned to the cupcake she mourned at their feet. "You wouldn't drop cupcakes for just anyone."

Jack raised an eyebrow, blushing. "Well don't expect it to happen again, that was a one time thing."

"Oh really?" Haidan said as they both began walking back to the school. "I bet you'll drop another cake thanks to my romantic speeches."

"As if!" Jack scoffed. "That wasn't romantic!"

"Then why are you blushing?"

Jack pointed behind them. "You know what? I'm going to grab that dirty delicious cupcake and shove it in your face!"

Haidan laughed as Jack shook her head at him, smiling, and continued walking alongside him. They were quiet for a moment before the witch turned to him with a smile as soft as icing. "You know, if you want to learn more about the supernatural, you're going to need a teacher."

The phoenix looked at the witch. "Probably."

"You'll also need to be a teacher that can drive, to visit you in Widderin." Jack mused.

He smiled. "They would need experience under their belt too - a master."

"Also it'd help if they had some family history with, you know, being super powerful and incredible." Jack nudged his arm gently as they came up to Nova High's gates.

Haidan held out a hand to her as they approached the doors. His eyes held a promise Jack wanted to grab and run away with; a vow of a life with laughter, warmth, and stories to share. To begin again her thirst for adventure - this time with legend at her side.

"Shall we?" He asked, his hand waiting for her hold.

Jack grabbed it and together they walked through the doors, eager to start her next adventure - after she finished the second cupcake, of course.