FAYE
I had already arranged my things and gotten everything set up in my room. After freshening up, I heard a knock on the door.
“Come in,” I called out, not really sure who to expect.
The door opened and in walked a beautiful woman–tall, graceful, confident, and smiling so brightly that I instantly felt disarmed. I’d been bracing myself for anything, but certainly not someone like her.
“I’m Irene,” she said cheerfully. “Alexander’s sister. And you’re his mate! I’m so excited–we’re going to be sisters!”
She moved with the kind of ease that made you feel like you’d known her forever, making a bit of a fuss about how close we were going to be and all. I smiled, trying to keep up with her energy.
“It’s really nice to meet you, Irene” I said, offering my hand.
She shook it enthusiastically. “Oh, please, don’t be so formal. Come here!” she said, pulling
me into a warm hug that caught me off guard. “Goddess… you’re so beautiful,” she added.
“Wow,” I said, laughing lightly as we pulled away. “You’re… very welcoming.”
“Of course I am! We’ve all been waiting for you. Well, maybe not all,” she added with a mischievous wink, clearly referencing her brother.
I tried to laugh again, but before I could say anything, she did the one thing I completely saw coming.
“Alright, Sage…”
She called me Sage.
My smile faltered a little, and I think she noticed it immediately. Her eyes widened. “Oh, no…I’m so sorry,” she gasped, waving her hands apologetically. “That was such a slip of the tongue. I’ve just had Sage’s name on my mind ever since I heard about the alliance. I knew she was supposed to be my brother’s mate, and it kind of stuck in my head.”
I took a breath and gave her a small nod. Honestly, I couldn’t really blame her. It could have been a simple slip–especially since I wasn’t even fully used to the idea myself. I wasn’t supposed to be here. My sister was.
“It’s okay,” I told her. “You don’t have to feel bad. It’s honestly a good thing that everyone here already knows I’m not the original plan, it kind of takes the pressure off. I don’t have to pretend I’m something I’m not or act like I’ve got it all figured out. I can just… be myself.”
She looked at me for a second, and then gave this amused little smirk that made me think she was genuinely impressed. “I love you already,” she said, grinning. “We’re definitely going to get along, I can’t wait for us to start bonding. As sisters, of course.”
I chuckled, relaxing a bit more. “You’re really different from what I would have expected. I don’t mean that in a bad way. Just… surprising.”
She tilted her head. “Different how?”
I hesitated. “You’re… really warm. Friendly, and open.”
Irene laughed again. “And you were expecting what? A cold, formal she–wolf….a female version of my brother?”
I bit my lip to keep from laughing. “Something like that.”
“Trust me, I get it. Alexander doesn’t exactly make the best first impression….or second…or third,” she said, rolling her eyes. “But he’s not all ice, I promise. He just takes some time to melt.”
I raised an eyebrow. “So you’re telling me there’s actually a person in there somewhere?”
She gasped dramatically. “A whole, real–life human being. Scary, right?”
Verify captcha to read the content
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: A Warrior's Second Chance (Faye and Alexander)