A Warrior's Second Chance (Faye and Alexander) novel Chapter 448

Chapter 448

ALEXANDER

I heard the door open behind me.

Carefully.

For a moment, I didn’t turn.

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I just stayed seated there behind my desk, staring ahead without really seeing anything in front of

1. me.

My thoughts had been running in circles ever since I walked out of Roman’s room.

Then her voice came quietly behind me.

“Hey.”

I closed my eyes briefly at the sound.

And without meaning to, I let out a slow breath that released some of the tension sitting in my chest.

Faye.

At least she sounded alright.

I leaned back slightly before finally turning my chair around to face her properly.

And there she was.

Freshened up.

Changed.

The heavy scent of herbs, smoke, and candle wax that had clung to her earlier was gone now.

She smelled clean again.

Even relaxed… I noticed.

Her hair looked slightly damp, like she had washed it not too long ago, and she had changed out of the ceremonial robe into a simple tank top and shorts.

For some reason, seeing her dressed normally again made me feel better.

She walked toward me quietly while I straightened in the chair.

I braced myself.

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Chapter 448

Because I knew Faye.

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I knew her well enough by now to recognize that look in her eyes whenever she came searching for

answers.

She was going to ask about Roman.

About my reaction.

About why I lost my temper the way I did.

And honestly…

I wasn’t even sure I fully understood my own reaction yet.

The anger had come fast before I could control myself.

Faye reached the desk before I could decide how I was even going to explain any of that.

But instead of questioning me, she gently sat on the edge of the desk beside me.

And when she finally spoke, it wasn’t what I expected at all.

“I just wish these few days would fly by already,” she murmured softly.

I looked at her fully then.

Her gaze wasn’t really focused on anything specific.

She looked tired.

Not physically this time.

Mentally.

Emotionally.

Like the waiting itself was draining her slowly.

“And all of this would just be over, she continued quietly. “One way or another.”

The words should have sounded fearful.

But they didn’t.

That was what caught me off guard.

She didn’t sound scared anymore.

It sounded more like… acceptance.

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Chapter 448

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Like somewhere along the line, Faye had stopped fighting the possibility of things going wrong and simply made peace with it.

“The anxiety is killing me,” she admitted softly.

I stayed quiet for a second.

Just watching her.

Because I understood exactly what she meant.

At this point, the waiting was worse than the danger itself.

The uncertainty, the constant anticipation.

The feeling of counting down toward something none of us could fully predict.

Slowly, I lifted my hand and rested it against her thigh.

My thumb brushed lightly against her skin absentmindedly.

A comforting touch more than anything else.

“Just a few more hours,” I told her quietly.

Because if I allowed myself to think too hard about tomorrow…

About what could happen.

I wasn’t sure I would remain calm either.

Faye looked down briefly at my hand before smiling faintly.

For a moment, I just looked at her.

Really looked at her.

At the small smile resting on her face despite everything.

At the calmness she was trying to maintain even now.

And suddenly, guilt settled heavily in my chest.

Because I was supposed to be helping her through this.

I was supposed to be easing her mind.

Keeping her steady.

Instead, I had spent the last hour letting my own emotions get the better of me.

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Chapter 448

First in Roman’s room.

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And even now, part of my mind was still stuck there, replaying the entire thing over and over again.

I exhaled slowly.

Then I spoke.

“I’m sorry.”

Faye blinked faintly.

I shook my head once.

“For how I reacted back there.”

The words came out quietly.

“Regardless of how it happened… the ritual worked.”

That part mattered most.

At the end of the day, the binding had been successful.

Faye now stood a better chance of surviving whatever was ahead.

And tomorrow now stood a better chance of not becoming a complete disaster.

Faye’s smile softened slightly as she looked at me.

But then she surprised me again.

“You should apologize to Roman,” she said gently. “Not me.”

I frowned faintly.

“I’m fine,” she added quickly. “But I think you kind of hurt his feelings back there.”

I almost scoffed at that.

Not that she was wrong… she wasn’t.

But the idea sounded ridiculous at first.

Roman risking his life by interfering with dark magic-

And somehow I was the one who hurt his feelings.

But before I could say anything, Faye continued softly.

“Roman may have gone about it the wrong way,” she said, “but he meant well.”

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Chapter 448

I looked away briefly.

Because if I’m being honest… that was exactly the problem.

I knew he meant well.

That was what made it harder to react properly.

If Roman had acted out of arrogance or stupidity alone, anger would have been easy.

Simple.

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But standing there, listening to him explain himself… that he thought Faye and I shouldn’t be in the situation together.

Hearing him say he thought Blood Crescent needed its Alpha alive.

He did everything because he thought I might lose my life.

I genuinely hadn’t known what to do with that.

Part of me had wanted to shake some sense into him.

Another part…

Another part had been deeply unsettled by the fact that he was willing to throw himself into something that dangerous without hesitation.

For us… for this pack.

For me.

He believed my life was worth more than his.

Nothing prepared my mind for that.

Because I wasn’t used to people making choices like that for me.

Especially not someone like Roman.

I stayed quiet longer than I meant to.

My thoughts pulling inward again before I could stop them.

Then suddenly… I felt Faye’s hand against my face.

Soft… warm.

Warm enough to immediately pull me out of my own head.

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