A Warrior's Second Chance (Faye and Alexander) novel Chapter 90

Chapter 90

FAYE

When Mrs. Adams finally left the room, her footsteps fading down the hall, Irene turned toward me with a small smile. “I’ll be back later,” she said softly, almost as if she didn’t want to intrude further. And just like that, she slipped out too, leaving me alone with Alexander.

The silence that followed pressed heavily on me.

I became suddenly aware of myself–my body, my clothes, or rather, my lack of them. Heat flushed my face as I looked down and realized again what I was wearing. The fabric of the shirt I had on was too big, the sleeves almost swallowing my arms, the hem brushing my thighs. I didn’t even have to guess whose it was. Alexander’s.

The problem wasn’t just that it was his shirt–it was that I could feel there was nothing beneath it. No underclothes, nothing between the fabric and my skin. My stomach twisted at the thought. And to make matters worse, I was lying in his bed while he stood a few feet away, his eyes watching me like a hawk.

I swallowed hard, resisting the urge to pull the covers tighter around myself. No. I couldn’t let my mind spiral into this right now. There were bigger things to think about. Focus, Faye.

I cleared my throat awkwardly, forcing myself to meet his gaze even though it made me feel some type of way. “Why… why does Mrs. Adams think your mother would have answers?”

My voice sounded small, cautious, but at least I managed to ask.

Alexander didn’t look surprised at the question. In fact, he moved almost too casually, walking over to the chair near the bed and sitting down. He leaned back, arms resting on the armrest as if he were preparing to tell a story he’d told before. But I knew better than to expect any simple response.

“My mother,” he began, his tone calm and measured, “was born into a rare bloodline. The bloodline of the first alpha. So she has the gift.”

I blinked. “The first alpha?” I’d heard something like that once, but I knew nothing about it.

He nodded, his gaze steady, almost challenging me to follow along. “But it’s not just blood. She studied the supernatural for decades. Herbs, spells, curses, bonds, rituals—you name it. She was… gifted, people say. Almost nothing in the supernatural world passed by her unnoticed. If anyone has answers to what’s happening to you, it’s her.”

I found myself nodding, even though the weight of his words pressed into me. The first

1/3

<Chapter 90

+25 Points

alpha’s bloodline. A woman who studied everything about the supernatural. His mother wasn’t just some ordinary figure–she was rooted in power and knowledge that I couldn’t even begin to fathom.

Before I could stop myself, another question slipped out of my mouth. The kind of question you ask without thinking–the kind you regret instantly.

“But… why does she have the same last name as you?”

The words hung in the air, and my heart immediately sank. Why did I say that? I guess it was just me trying to escape the awkward silence. I would have walked out of the room already, but I didn’t feel comfortable with the idea of letting him watch me walk out wearing only his shirt. I hoped he would get fed up with my unnecessary questions and leave.

I thought back to what I knew–or thought I knew–about mates. Didn’t mates usually keep their own names? At least, that was what I had assumed. Yet Alexander’s mother’s last name

-Blackwell–was the same as his father’s. Blackwell wasn’t hers by birth, it was his.

I wished I could snatch the question back.

Alexander stared at me, his expression blank. For a second, I thought he might be angry. Or maybe amused. Or maybe he was simply deciding how much to tell me.

Finally, he said quietly, “You’ll just have to ask her yourself when you see her later today.”

Later today.

The realization hit me harder than the fever had. I was going to meet his mother. Today.

A tight knot formed in my stomach, and I couldn’t shake it. Meeting Alexander’s mother for the first time under any circumstance would’ve been nerve–racking. But like this? Sick, weak, under suspicion of something supernatural being wrong with me? My palms grew damp just thinking about it.

What would she think of me? Would she see weakness in my face, in the way I had collapsed not once, but twice, within a single day? Would she think I wasn’t strong enough to stand beside her son?

And worse… what if she saw something else? What if she looked at me and declared that I was cursed, or tainted, or dangerous? What if this strange illness wasn’t just an illness but something darker–something that would make her question why her son had chosen me at all?

My chest tightened. I turned my head slightly, pretending to adjust the pillow just to avoid his piercing gaze.

2/3

Chapter 90

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed him glance at his watch. His expression shifted.

+25 Points

“I have some matters to attend to,” he said at last, rising from the chair. “But Irene and Cole will be around in case you need anything.”

In case I need anything. I knew what that meant.

I almost snapped back instantly, the words already forming on my tongue. I don’t need anyone hovering over me. I’m not fragile. But the protest died in my throat before it could take shape.

I thought back to yesterday, when Cole had to rush me to the clinic. I thought back to last night–the heat, the shivering, the weightlessness as my body had nearly given up. I thought of Alexander’s arms holding me steady in the bathtub. I thought of waking up in his bed, wearing his shirt, with no memory of how I even got there.

I couldn’t deny the truth. I had no right to argue that I didn’t need help or that I wasn’t fragile. Not after what they had gone through because of me.

I bit down on the inside of my cheek, letting the words dissolve unsaid.

Verify captcha to read the contentVerify