A Warrior's Second Chance (Faye and Alexander) novel Chapter 30

I was still standing there after Irene left, the faint echo of the door clicking shut behind her like a small exclamation mark at the end of a sentence I didn’t get to finish.

My palms itched to be doing something…anything, other than hanging at my sides while Alexander stared at me.

He rose from his chair with that unhurried grace of his, the kind that made you second–guess whether he was calm or just winding up for something you’d regret.

“I need to have a chat with you,” he said.

I found my eyes tracking the way he moved–measured steps, deliberate. And then he came around the desk, each step shrinking the space between us until I could hear the soft scuff of

his boots on the floor.

I told myself not to notice what he was wearing. That was a mistake.

Dark blue jeans, perfectly fitted, a black shirt that hugged his shoulders in a way I had no business staring at. I’d seen him in plenty of formal and corporate wears, but this… this was different. Unpolished, almost casual, but somehow it made him look even more dangerous, more… real. And maybe that was what made it worse.

I mentally slapped myself and tried to get my thoughts back in order. This was not the time to start noticing how good my mate looked.

Not when he was clearly still angry. Not when I was still smarting from being shut down in front of Irene like my opinion was irrelevan, and especially not when this arrangement of ours was supposed to be strictly business.

“Get it together, Faye,” I said to myself.

He stopped just inches from me. “What?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. Did he hear me?

“I… wasn’t talking to you.” Great, Faye. Now you’re stammering.

Alexander was close enough that his scent wrapped around me like a net I hadn’t agreed to be caught in. I forced my chin up, matching his gaze.

That cold, unreadable stare, those pale gray eyes. I’d seen them soften before, once or twice, but never when he was in Alpha mode. Right now, they were cold, like standing in front of a closed door I didn’t have the key for.

“Do you know why I asked you to stay behind?” he asked finally, his voice low.

I arched a brow. “I don’t know… maybe because you were saving the best for last? So you could take your time putting me in my place? That seems to satisfy you a lot.”

His expression didn’t change, but something flickered in his eyes, quick, like the shadow of a bird passing overhead.

“Why do you always think I enjoy putting you down?” he asked, and for the first time, there was something in his tone that wasn’t just cold authority. There was almost… a question. Like he genuinely didn’t understand why I’d think that. Really?

I might have answered, but my focus kept slipping. It wasn’t normal–being this aware of someone you were mad at. My body seemed to have skipped the memo that I was supposed to be annoyed with him. I blamed the stupid mate bond. And his scent… Definitely his scent.

I gave my head a tiny shake, pulling myself together. “Why did you ask me to stay, then?”

His jaw tightened slightly. “Because I didn’t want Irene interfering in what I’m about to say,” he said. “Faye, you’re supposed to be the Luna of this pack. But you’re not acting like one. Leaving the pack house without telling me–your mate and Alpha–no matter the reason, even if it was an emergency, is disrespectful. And it’s wrong on your part.”

I let out a short, laugh. “Oh, so now I’m the Luna? Interesting. Because from where I’m standing, you treat me like a temporary guest in your house who’s inconveniencing you.”

That made him pause. I could see it…the way his shoulders stiffened just slightly, the way he didn’t rush to reply.

“If you really want me to behave like the Luna,” I went on, heat creeping into my voice, “maybe start by treating me like one. With respect. Instead of ignoring me altogether like you have been doing since I set foot in Blood Crescent.”

He studied me for a moment, and I hated that I couldn’t tell what he was thinking. Then he said, “I’m not going to argue with you about this. But hear me clearly…henceforth, you are not to step out of the pack house alone. You will take a warrior with you.”

Now I could tell there was something he wasn’t saying.

I took a slow step forward, closing what little space remained between us until I could see the faint golden ring around his irises, the way the muscle in his jaw flexed. “What’s really going on, Alexander?” I asked quietly. “You’re not just this worried for nothing. Something’s happening. Something that makes you think the territory isn’t safe.”

He looked… surprised. Not by much, but enough for me to notice. Like he hadn’t expected me to put the pieces together.

His lips pressed into a thin line before he turned away, walking back toward his desk. “That’s not your concern,” he said without looking at me. “You have no business dealing with security threats, if any. All I’m asking is that you don’t make things worse by making yourself

bait.”

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