A Warrior's Second Chance (Faye and Alexander) novel Chapter 418

ROMAN

By the time I got close enough to the gate for the metal bars to come fully into view, the restlessness inside me had already sharpened into something harder to ignore.

It wasn’t just a feeling anymore.

It was pressure.

Like something was pacing inside me, clawing at the edges of my control, waiting for the exact moment slipped.

I exhaled slowly, forcing my steps to stay even as I approached. That should have helped more than it di

It brushed against my skin, cool and steady, but instead of calming me, it only seemed to heighten everything else. Every sound felt louder.

Every scent more defined. Even the faint rustle of leaves somewhere beyond the walls made my head tilt slightly before I caught myself.

Focus.

Just get out.

That was the plan.

Simple.

Or at least… it was supposed to be.

I was a few steps away from the gate when I saw movement to the side.

One of the wolves on security.

Of course.

I should have expected that.

I slowed instinctively, my jaw tightening as he straightened from where he had been leaning, his attention locking onto me like I had just walked into a trap I didn’t even know was there.

He didn’t say anything at first. Just watched me.

Then-

“Where are you going?”

The question came sharp. Direct.

And just like that, I realized something I should have thought about before even stepping out of the house

hadn’t planned for this part.

Not even once.

My steps came to a stop a few feet from the gate, and for a brief second, I just stood there, starir my mind scrambling to catch up with the situation I had walked straight into.

Because the truth was-

He wasn’t wrong to ask.

Everyone in the pack house moved freely. In and out. No one questioned it. No one stopped them

But I wasn’t everyone.

I never had been.

To them, I wasn’t just another wolf going about his business. I was the outsider. The unknown varia The one they hadn’t decided what to do with yet.

The one they didn’t trust.

Spy.

The word had been thrown around enough for me to hear it, even when they thought I wasn’t paying attention.

Or worse.

I swallowed, forcing my expression to stay neutral even as the tension in my chest tightened another notch.

This would explain the reaction.

This would explain why I had never stepped beyond those gates before.

Why no one had ever even suggested it.

And now here I was, walking up like it was the most normal thing in the world.

Great.

Perfect timing too.

My wolf stirred again, sharp and restless, reacting to the tension in a way that made my fingers twitch slightly at my sides.

Not now.

me like that.

teadying myself as best as I could

The guard didn’t move.

Didn’t even blink.

Then-

He smirked.

And something about that smirk immediately set something off inside me.

“Yeah?” he said, tilting his h

ightly. “You’re not going anywhere.”

My jaw tightened befo

p it.

brizes it himself.”

“Not unless Alpha

There it was.

No room fo

And und

stances, maybe I would have just turned around. Walked away. Tried to figur

some

felt like it was buzzing.

ating too fast.

were too sharp.

a of turning back–of going inside, of staying trapped within those walls while whatever this

building-

wasn’t an option.

Inhaled slowly through my nose, my gaze holding his even as my mind raced for something–anything to

say that wouldn’t make this worse

Because the last thing I needed was to escalate this

I could feel it already.

The edge I wa

One wrong move-

I clenched my fists briefly, then forced them to relax.

Think.

Just think.

I

“I’m not trying to cause a problem,” I said, keeping my voice even, controlled. “I just need-”

I stopped.

Because what exactly was I supposed to say?

d to not lose control of my wolf?

would go over well.

quietly, my mind spinning as I searched for something that would actually work?

efore I could figure it out-

Voice cut through the tension from behind me.

“Hey.”

It wasn’t loud.

It didn’t need to be.

Something about it carried

I shifted slightly, glanci

And there he was.

Ethan.

Walking

alrea

make both of us turn.

1. d.

he time in the world, like he hadn’t just stepped into a situation that w going sideways.

1. im.

o show up.

ked mildly amused.

Just another normal moment in his day.

d a few steps away from us, his gaze flicking briefly to me before settling on the guard.

is not a prisoner,” he said easily.

15

Chapter 418

The words landed clean.

The guard’s expression didn’t change much, but I saw the flicker of irritation there.

+251

“He’s the Alpha’s ward,” Ethan continued, his tone still casual, almost light. “Which means he’s allowed move around just like anyone else.”

There was a beat of silence.

The kind that stretched just long enough to make the tension noticeable.

Then Ethan added, almost as an afterthought-

“We’re just going for a run.”

gaze shifted to him again.

adn’t said anything about that.

Hadn’t even thought about it.

But the way he said it made it sound like it had already been decided.

Like there was no room for argument.

The guard’s jaw tightened slightly, his eyes moving between the two of us.

“And,” Ethan went on, a faint grin tugging at the corner of his mouth now, “you can relax. I’ll take responsibility.”

Something about the way he said that didn’t feel entirely serious.

But it was enough.

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