A Warrior's Second Chance (Faye and Alexander) novel Chapter 66

Chapter 66

FAYE

I followed Alexander into one of the offices. No one was there, so we waited. I lowered myself into one of the chairs without waiting to be told, crossing my legs and pretending to study the grain of the desk, but really I was sneaking glances at Alexander. He stayed standing, hands tucked in his pockets, quiet, maybe nervous.

The door clicked open again, and an officer walked in. The instant his eyes landed on Alexander, his spine straightened. He closed the door firmly behind him and dipped his head in respect.

“Alpha Alexander,” he greeted.

Alexander gave a small nod in acknowledgment, the kind of subtle gesture only someone in his position could pull off without seeming dismissive. Then his gaze shifted toward me.

“This is Faye,” he said simply.

The officer’s eyes widened slightly. For a moment, there was something like recognition- realization–sparking there. His lips parted, then curved into a respectful smile as he extended his hand.

“Luna Faye. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”

I felt my brows rise, but I masked my surprise quickly, giving him my warmest smile. My fingers slid into his as I accepted the handshake. “The pleasure is mine,” I said.

The officer sat down opposite us, his posture stiff, as though he were carrying not just his own weight but the weight of everything he was about to say.

“Alpha,” he began, his voice tightening. “We located Rick, just as I told you over the phone. We found him hiding in the house of one of his human friends in town.”

Alexander exhaled deeply, his jaw tightening. “And how did you find him?”

The officer’s eyes moved briefly toward me, then back to Alexander. “We considered the idea Luna suggested.”

I blinked, frozen. For a moment, I thought I’d misheard. I stared at the officer, then at Alexander, because surely… surely he hadn’t just said that. Alexander had actually taken what I’d said seriously? Not only carried it forward but given me credit for it? Could he be any more surprising?

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I must have looked ridiculous, sitting there gaping, because when I finally tore my gaze back to Alexander, his gray eyes were already on me. Soft, but with the faintest curl of amusement

at the comer.

As if he were silently saying: What did you expect? That I wouldn’t listen?

I cleared my throat quickly and straightened, forcing my eyes back on the officer before I could fall deeper into that stare.

The officer explained, “We realized if the whole attack was staged, then the wolves in the northern mountains couldn’t have been behind it. They’d never choose a plan that made them the obvious suspects. So, as Luna Faye suggested, maybe the attack was just a diversion- meant to pull attention to the border while hiding the true target. We shifted the search accordingly, and that’s how we tracked Rick down. But we have not been able to find the others yet.”

1 finally found my voice. “Have you interrogated him?”

The officer’s expression sobered, and he gave a nod.

Alexander leaned forward, resting his forearms on his thighs. “Tell me everything.”

The officer folded his hands tightly together. “During questioning, Rick admitted he wasn’t acting alone, and that the other guards were involved too. But they separated almost immediately after the staged attack. Splitting up was part of their instructions… to make it harder for us to track them all at once.”

1 felt a cold ripple run down my spine.

Alexander’s jaw tightened, but he stayed silent.

The officer went on. “As for why Rick agreed to it… it wasn’t just money. He said they were promised protection, power–things men like him couldn’t even dream of on their own. But he also said they didn’t have much of a choice. Whoever is behind this threatened them. If they refused, their families would pay the price.”

I frowned, my chest tightening. The anger I’d been nursing toward Rick faltered, giving way to something different. Pity, maybe. Or understanding. “So they were trapped,” I murmured softly. “Baited with promises, cornered with fear.”

The officer gave a short nod. “Exactly, Luna. He swore he never wanted to go through with it, but once he took the first payment, there was no way out. The instructions were clear–the staged border attack was designed to push you, Alpha Alexander, into striking the northerners. He didn’t know the reason behind it, but he repeated it constantly: everything was meant to provoke you into war.”

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The silence that followed was suffocating. I could hear my own pulse thrumming in my ears.

Alexander finally spoke. “A war that would weaken us. Leave us vulnerable.”

The officer nodded gravely. “That’s what I believe too. Whoever is orchestrating this… they’re playing a dangerous game. Rick is terrified in custody–he said if he revealed too much, he was as good as dead. That alone convinced me someone much bigger is pulling the strings.”

I sat back slowly, folding my arms, tapping my finger against my elbow as I studied both men. “So we’re not just chasing shadows,” I said. “We’re chasing shadows with a puppeteer hiding behind them.”

The officer shifted uneasily, his gaze dropping to his lap. Alexander, however, didn’t move, didn’t blink. He stared past the officer, into some point only he could see. His silence was sharper than any outburst.

I leaned forward again, my voice dropping. “Did Rick say anything about who approached him? Any description? Any hint?”

The officer shook his head. “Only that they always hid their identity. Cloaked voices, hidden faces. The instructions were delivered through intermediaries. He never saw the true leader.”

My stomach twisted. “Convenient.”

Alexander’s eyes finally moved, sliding to me. “Cowards,” he said. But I knew better. Cowards didn’t design elaborate plots. Strategists did.

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