A Warrior's Second Chance (Faye and Alexander) novel Chapter 76

Chapter 76

ALEXANDER

I was just returning from a meeting in town, then Cole followed me into my office. His face told me everything before his mouth…something was wrong.

“We have a problem,” he said without preamble, his voice carrying the weight of urgency.

I ran a hand through my hair. “What kind of problem?”

“Rumors,” Cole replied, jaw tight. “Someone’s spreading news about the border incident. Almost half the pack already knows the details. They know about the missing guards. They even know that one of them was caught and is in custody.”

My chest tightened. I froze, staring at him as though he’d just spoken in another language. That information wasn’t supposed to leave the room–not yet, not until I had solid answers. I had kept the matter close because the pack couldn’t afford panic, not when the threat was still shadowed, undefined.

“How the hell would they know all that?” I asked, more to myself than to Cole. My mind raced. “As far as I’m aware, only three people knew apart from the police. You, Faye, and me.”

Cole’s expression hardened. He didn’t say anything. He knew he didn’t need to defend himself, not with me. If there was one person whose loyalty I never questioned, it was him. Cole understood the gravity of this situation better than anyone. He knew the consequences if this truth broke uncontrolled into the pack–chaos, mistrust, fear. Cole wouldn’t do that to me. He wouldn’t betray the trust we’d built from childhood.

I exhaled slowly, rubbing my temple. That left Faye.

But Faye?

She wasn’t reckless. She already knew how delicate this was, how even a whisper could spiral out of control. She wasn’t close to anyone in the pack either–hardly the type to trade secrets for the thrill of chatter. Could she have let something slip unintentionally? Maybe in a casual moment? Or maybe she confided in someone she thought she could trust, not realizing how quickly words take on wings.

The thought unsettled me. I trusted her, but still–if not her, then who?

“Cole,” I said, lowering myself into the chair behind my desk, “the only person who knew- apart from you–was Faye. And that’s because she’s part of this, whether she wants to be or not, and I made sure she understood the weight.

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Chapter 76

“I’m aware,” he said simply.

+15 Points

His calmness told me he had already come to the same conclusion but didn’t want to voice it. He respected my connection to Faye, respected my need to believe in her discretion.

Still, he pressed forward. “The elders are asking questions now,” he said. “They’re restless. They’re demanding answers, and soon. You can’t avoid them forever, Alexander.”

I leaned back, staring up at the ceiling. He was right, of course. The longer I stayed silent, the more the story would mutate. Rumors had a way of twisting themselves into nightmares that were far worse than the truth. And once that happened, I would lose control of the narrative, and maybe even my authority.

But what could I possibly tell them?

That there was a threat I didn’t fully understand? That a guard from our own pack had been compromised, maybe even turned? That I had no idea who was behind it? That the borders- our pride, our line of security–had been breached under my leadership?

No. That would cause panic, and panic was deadly. Fear could break a pack faster than any

enemy.

I closed my eyes, forcing my mind to steady. I had faced wars, betrayals, blood on my hands that could never be washed away. But this–this felt tighter, like a noose closing slowly around my throat.

Cole broke the silence. “You have to speak to them, Alexander. If you don’t, the story will keep growing on its own. By tomorrow, they’ll be saying the entire border was destroyed. Or that you’ve lost control of the everything. You know how people are. Silence will only make it worse.”

I opened my eyes and fixed him with a sharp look. “And what exactly am I supposed to say, Cole? Do you have the answer?”

His jaw worked, but he didn’t look away. “No. But I know one thing–you can’t show them hesitation. If you stand in front of those elders uncertain, if they so much as sense doubt, they’ll eat it up. They’ll question your judgment. And when they start questioning, the whole pack follows.”

He was right again, and I hated him for it in that moment.

I rose to my feet, pacing across the room. “I can’t lie to them, Cole. If I give them a false lead, if I say something I can’t prove, it’ll backfire the second the truth comes out.”

“You don’t need to lie,” he countered quickly. “You just need to control the truth.”

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+25 Points

I stopped pacing and looked at him. His eyes were steady. “Control the truth,” I repeated

softly.

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