A Warrior's Second Chance (Faye and Alexander) novel Chapter 222

Chapter 222

FAYE

It was a busy night at the pack house, but all I could hear were my own thoughts. I stood in front of the mirror in our room, already wrapped in the soft robe the elders had brought earlier.

My hair was loose, falling over my shoulders, and my palms refused to stay still no matter how many times I wiped them down the fabric.

I had been waiting for Alexander to return, telling myself I wasn’t nervous, that this was simply another tradition, another moment to go through and be done with. But my stomach twisted anyway, and every sound outside the room made my heart jump just a little.

When the door finally opened and Alexander stepped in, I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. He glanced at me, his expression softening immediately.

“Are you ready?” he asked.

“I think so,” I said, and even I could hear the tiny shake in my voice. I tried to cover it with a small laugh, pretending to smooth down my robe even though it didn’t need smoothing. “Just… you

know, ritual things.”

He walked closer, brushing his fingers lightly against my arm in reassurance, and I felt a warmth settle in my chest. But before either of us could say anything more, a knock echoed sharply against the door.

Alexander opened it, and one of the female elders stepped inside. She bowed respectfully.

“Alpha. Luna. We are ready for her.”

Just like that, the moment was real. This wasn’t something happening later. It was happening now.

My throat tightened, but I nodded. The elder stepped aside, waiting for me, and I followed Alexander toward the hallway. But when we got close to the entrance of the ritual chamber, he stopped. This was the farthest he was allowed to go.

No men beyond this point. Not even the Alpha. That was the rule.

He remained standing there, his jaw tight despite the reassuring expression he was trying to maintain. I forced myself to smile at him, but inside, I was fighting the urge to hold onto his arm and drag him in with me. I wasn’t scared–not really–but I was definitely uneasy.

Silver Hollow never practiced anything like this. We didn’t have rituals that involved being bathed by a circle of elders, or being stripped and washed to welcome an unborn child. The thought alone

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made my skin prickle with self–consciousness.

$25 Points

And as I glanced at the women waiting inside… the discomfort grew. They were strangers, mostly. All from Blood Crescent, but ones who lived far from the pack house. Only two of them I had met before, and even then, we had barely exchanged more than polite greetings. Now I was expected to enter a room with them, undress, and let them perform a sacred ritual on my body.

I inhaled deeply, forcing calm into myself. It’s fine. This is fine. You trust Alexander. That’s enough.

Still, I turned back to him again, needing that last bit of reassurance. He saw the hesitation on my face and gave me a gentle nod–steady, grounding, warm.

Before I could step forward, a familiar voice cut through the hallway.

“I suppose you all don’t mind if I take over from here.”

I blinked. It couldn’t be-

Helen… Alexander’s mother was right there.

She walked toward us with confident, sure steps, dressed impeccably as always, her hair glinting under the lights. She looked completely at home, completely in control, completely unfazed by the surprise she had just dropped into the hallway.

Alexander’s eyebrows rose before he could smooth his expression, but Helen didn’t wait for his reaction. She gave him the briefest greeting–nothing more than the faintest incline of her head- before turning her full attention to me.

Her eyes softened immediately.

“Faye, dear,” she said, reaching for my hands without hesitation, “I thought it was only right that I be the one to perform the ritual. Who would be more qualified to guide you through this than the Luna before you?”

Relief washed through me so abruptly I almost sagged forward. I couldn’t help but nod.

Because if anyone was going to see me bare, wash me, bless my body and the child I carried, guide me through a ritual older than the walls of this pack house–it should be Helen. At least I knew her. At least I trusted her, even when she was intimidating. At least she wasn’t someone who would stare at me like a stranger… and most importantly, she wouldn’t do anything to hurt her unborn grandchild.

I managed to smile. “I… I’m really glad you’re here.”

For a moment, something flickered between her and Alexander. A subtle look–nothing harsh, nothing dramatic–just the kind of quiet exchange that suggested they had spoken earlier about

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+25 Points

something, or disagreed about something, or perhaps simply understood each other too well. It

passed quickly, but I caught it.

Still, I didn’t care what it meant. All I cared about was that I didn’t have to be by myself in a room.

full of unfamiliar faces.

Helen tapped my hand lightly, as though sensing my thoughts. “Come. We shouldn’t keep them

waiting.”

Alexander exhaled softly, shaking his head with a helpless little smile. He leaned forward just

slightly, brushing his fingers across my arm one last time.

“I’ll be right here when you’re done,” he murmured.

And then he stepped back.

Helen gave my hand a final reassuring squeeze, then turned toward the ritual chamber.

–

ALEXANDER

Waiting was never something I had been good at.

Give me a battlefield, a negotiation with rival alphas, a crisis that needed my head and hands–fine.

I could handle all of that without blinking. But standing outside while Faye was inside, going

through a ritual I couldn’t witness, a ritual that belonged to the women of the pack… I felt completely useless.

17

The hallway was quiet, lit only by the warm lanterns lining the walls. Every few seconds I found myself glancing at the door, as if staring at it long enough would somehow give me the ability to see through solid walls.

She had been nervous–I saw it in the way her fingers tugged at the edge of her robe, in the way she kept smoothing her hair. But the moment my mother’s voice appeared behind us, everything shifted. Faye had relaxed, and I… well, I was surprised, though maybe not shocked. Helen never did anything halfway. If she wanted something done, she

Wouldn’t mind doing it herself.

And she must have really gotten the message behind my comment earlier and decided to prove she could actually be involved when it mattered. Whatever reason she had… it didn’t matter. Faye was happy to see her, and that made me feel better about all this.

I exhaled slowly and crossed my arms, leaning back against the wall.

“She’s fine,” I told myself. “She’s safe, she’s with Mother. This is good.”

But knowing something logically never stopped the emotional part of me from pacing mentally

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like a caged wolf.

+25 Points

I dragged a hand through my hair and let my eyes drift to the ceiling just as footsteps echoed from the other end of the hallway. Familiar, heavy, almost lazy strides. I didn’t even need to look before I

heard the voice.

“Well, well, well,” Cole drawled. “You look like a man whose mate is in the delivery room pushing out twins, not someone whose mate is just getting a bath.”

That got a reaction out of me–a short, reluctant laugh. Trust Cole to say the exact ridiculous thing

needed at the exact right time.

I tilted my head at him. “How would you understand how this feels? You don’t even have a mate. Let alone one who’s pregnant with your child.”

Cole gasped dramatically, pressing a hand to his chest. “Who says I haven’t found

I

my mate?”

I raised a brow. “Cole. You can’t keep your mouth shut when you buy a new pair of shoes. There’s no way you found your mate and managed not to announce it to the entire pack within twenty–four

hours.”

He narrowed his eyes in mock offense. “I will have you know, dear Alpha, that I am perfectly capable of discretion. Maybe I’m just waiting for the right moment to present her to you.”

“Discretion,” I repeated, amused. “Right.”

“You’ll see,” he insisted, jabbing a finger in my direction. “I’m going to prove it.”

“Mm–hm.”

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