A Warrior's Second Chance (Faye and Alexander) novel Chapter 114

FAYE

I walked into the council chamber. Around the long table sat Alexander, Cole, Kyle…who looked like he’d been dragged through the pits of hell and barely stitched back together…and a few other warriors whose faces mirrored the weight in the room.

Their voices hushed when I entered.

Alexander’s eyes moved to me instantly, just for a second before sliding away. His jaw locked in that careful, detached composure he wore when he didn’t want anyone to guess what was going on beneath the surface,

But I had seen him last night.

Not the careful, controlled leader. I had seen the storm, the fury, the raw wildness he carried like a second skin.

And Alexander knew it. That was probably why he couldn’t meet my eyes now. Did he feel exposed? Vulnerable?

the 1 slipped into an empty seat at the table, ignoring the subtle shift in air that followed me, way every man’s gaze acknowledged my presence but none dared linger too long–not with him sitting at the head,

Kyle was speaking. “The eastern border was clear, Patrols didn’t notice any breach until it was too late. They moved fast, too fast…coordinated. Whoever sent them knew the terrain.” Cole leaned forward, arms crossed. “And the survivor?”

Kyle shook his head. “Stubborn bastard. He’s clinging to life but refuses to talk. Won’t even answer basic questions.”

I watched Kyle’s hand tremble slightly as he rubbed his temple. His face was bruised, one eye swollen, his posture rigid with pain he was too proud to show. I briefly wondered why his healing was slow…he should have healed by now. And maybe he should have been resting, but here he was, still putting his duty first.

My gaze moved to Alexander. He sat perfectly still, like a statue. He wasn’t contributing much, only cutting in now and then with precise questions.

Despite the issue on ground, I couldn’t stop wondering. Where had he been when the attack began? Why had he appeared from deep in the woods, as if he’d been caged and torn free? Why had he not been with his pack on the night of the full moon?

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Chapter 114

I pushed the thought aside as the men argued about border strengths and surveillance patterns. My mind kept circling back to the prisoner.

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“How have you tried to make him talk?” I asked suddenly. “Perhaps you’re going about it the

wrong way.”

Several heads turned, except Alexander’s.

I thought of his claws from last night, dripping blood, the savage howl that had split the night, the terrifying beauty of the creature he became. And then I thought of the way he avoided my eyes now, as though if he met them too long, I’d see too much.

I wanted answers. I wanted to demand them. But this wasn’t the time.

I must have drifted too far into my thoughts because I didn’t notice Cole’s question until his voice cut through my haze.

“What do you think, Luna?”

My stomach lurched. All eyes were on me.

I hadn’t been listening. I had no idea what they were deciding on. Instead of asking them to repeat it like any rational person would, the words flew out of my mouth before I could stop

them.

“Let me talk with the prisoner… let me into the cell.”

The silence that followed was immediate. Every man at that table blinked, as though I’d suggested letting the moon fall from the sky.

Even Alexander looked at me now, fully, his eyes locking onto mine with a sharpness that stole my breath. His voice was blunt.

“No.”

I straightened, my chin tilting up. “Why not?”

“It’s too dangerous. You’re not going that close,” he said flatly, still holding my gaze.

Dangerous? I almost laughed. He was just one wolf, broken and bound in our dungeon. Did Alexander truly think I couldn’t handle myself?

“Dangerous?” I echoed, my tone edged with disbelief. “He’s chained, and in our territory. What exactly do you think he can do to me?”

After a moment of glancing at each other, Alexander simply shrugged.

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I followed behind Kyle as he led me to the prisoner, every sense inside me was sharp, alert. I knew Alexander was right. It wasn’t safe to go in, but it was usually more effective.

The prisoner was waiting. Bound, bruised, but far from broken. I’d seen men like him before- wolves hardened by violence, who’d been taught that silence was their only form of loyalty.

They fed on fear, believed pain was the only language worth listening to. Men like him didn’t crack under force. They cracked when you found the one thing they feared losing more than their own life.

”

I stepped into the cell, arms loosely folded, and let my eyes sweep over him once. Comfortable?” I asked lightly, as though we weren’t standing in a place that reeked of rust

and blood.

He smirked, lips curled back against split skin. “I’ve had worse. Don’t waste your time, I’m not talking.”

Of course he had. They always had.

I leaned casually against the wall, letting silence stretch until he shifted slightly, restless. That was all the opening I needed.

“I know what drives you,” I said, as if musing to myself. “But I wonder… is it worth losing everything for?”

His brows twitched, just barely. It was the smallest reaction, but I caught it. He smirked again, forcing his confidence back into place. “You don’t know anything.”

Maybe. Maybe not. But I didn’t need to know everything. I only needed to watch him closely enough to see where his armor cracked. So I began to speak in circles, throwing out pieces of nothing.

“Let me guess… You’re doing all you’re doing to make sure you keep your family safe, because I bet you don’t even care about your own life. It’s always about the family,” I said. “But the problem with that is…. they’re never really safe, are they?”

Each word I spoke was bait, and I watched his eyes for the flinch, the hesitation, the one wrong breath. That was all it took.

And there it was. The tiniest shift when I mentioned family. His nostrils flared, then stilled too quickly.

I smiled to myself. “It’s always the same. You think yourselves unbreakable, but tell me- what would your daughter think of you rotting away in a cage like this? What would she say if

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