A Warrior's Second Chance (Faye and Alexander) novel Chapter 12

BLOOD CRESCENT 

FAYE

As the car pulled up in front of the Blood Crescent pack house, Cole turned to me and said,” We’ve arrived,” as if I couldn’t already tell.

The mansion before us was impossible to miss. Still, I understood he was just trying to be polite, probably trying to ease the tension he could sense radiating from me.

I didn’t say anything. The building loomed ahead, grand and intimidating, with towering pillars that framed tall, glossy double doors. The silence that surrounded it felt thick, almost unnatural–like the house was holding its breath, or maybe it was just me.

Before I could reach for the door handle, Cole was already out and walking quickly to my side. He opened the door for me, offering a small smile as I stepped out. The gentleman act threw me off slightly.

Was this how they treated their Luna here? Or was Cole just naturally this attentive, the kind of man who made a woman feel like she mattered?

It was a sweet gesture, I had to admit, but it made me a little uneasy. I wasn’t used to being fussed over unnecessarily, I was a warrior for goodness sake, not some princess. My upbringing in Silver Hollow had taught me to do things for myself. Even when I was announced as Alexander’s mate, no one had gone out of their way to roll out a red carpet. Still, I wasn’t going to push against Cole’s gesture, so I smiled politely.

“Thank you,” I said.

“You’re welcome, Luna,” he replied, giving me a slight nod.

I glanced around the compound. It was quiet, uncomfortably so. No one stood outside. There were no howls or voices in the distance, no sign of Alexander waiting on the porch to welcome me home. It was just me, Cole, and a large, empty space.

No welcome committee, I guess.

No excited pack members lining up to meet their new Luna.

No Alpha Alexander.

I wasn’t sure how I felt about that.

Grateful, maybe? At least, I didn’t have to pretend to be excited, I didn’t have to smile at strangers or meet curious gazes trying to study the woman who had somehow become their Luna. Then again, I couldn’t help but feel the tiniest sting of rejection.

Cole seemed to sense my confusion.

“This way, Luna,” he said gently. “Don’t worry about your things. Someone will take care of bringing them in.”

I fell into step beside him as we approached the front doors. I couldn’t stop my eyes from drinking in every inch of the structure.

“You’ll love it here, don’t worry,” Cole said. I guess he took my expression for skepticism.

I felt the need to correct that impression for some reason. “I always thought the Silver Hollow pack house was big,” I said. “But this makes that one look… small.”

Cole laughed softly. “Oh! I see…this is just the front. You should wait till you see the rest of it. The west wing alone could house an entire pack on its own.”

“I can’t wait,” I replied, managing a weak smile.

We stepped into the house, and my jaw nearly dropped. Polished wooden floors stretched into a long hallway flanked with intricately carved walls and soft–glowing sconces. The ceilings were ridiculously high, with crystal chandeliers hanging like floating stars. Everything gleamed, smelled expensive, and whispered, you don’t belong here.

Don’t get me wrong, we’re not small or poor at Silver Hollow. But you know how you think you’re all that…then you meet the real boss in the game, and then suddenly realize you’re not all that? Yes, that’s just it.

“How many rooms are in this house?” I asked, trying to shake off the growing tightness in my chest.

“Sixty–three,” Cole answered, as if it were perfectly normal.

I gaped. “Seriously?”

Verify captcha to read the contentVerify