A Warrior's Second Chance (Faye and Alexander) novel Chapter 470

FAYE

The deeper the guard led me into the pack house, the more aware I became of the eyes following me

People stared openly here.

Servants.

Warriors.

Pack members moving through the halls.

Some curious, some suspicious.

Some looked completely uninterested until their gaze settled briefly on my outfit.

Then their expressions changed.

Subtly.

Like they recognized something they weren’t supposed to question aloud.

I probably looked like a visiting warrior, not a willing sacrifice.

The guard eventually stopped outside what looked like a large receiving area connected to the main hall.

“Wait here,” he instructed.

I nodded calmly.

Then he disappeared through another corridor.

The moment he was gone, silence settled around me again.

I took the opportunity to properly look around.

Stonevale’s pack house was large.

Not Blood Crescent large… but definitely larger than Silver Hollow.

Still impressive enough to remind everyone walking through it that power existed here once

Only now, the place felt tired somehow.

Like the glory attached to it belonged to the past more than the present

Even the energy among the wolves felt uncertain

No confidence, no pride.

Just tension hidden beneath routine.

I slowly sat down on one of the chairs nearby while pretending to look relaxed

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Inside, my inind was moving carefully through every detail, trying to distract myself.

Entrances, exits, number of guards, possible escape paths.

Old habits…

That’s the first lesson when you’re in unfamiliar territory.

Alexander would probably laugh if he saw me mentally mapping the place already.

Or maybe he wouldn’t.

At this point, I was allowed to entertain myself with such things.

A servant approached quietly after a few minutes.

“Would you like water?”

I smiled politely.

“No, thank you.”

The servant nodded and left immediately.

Good.

I wasn’t touching anything they offered anyway.

Not food, not water.

Not even air if I could avoid it.

Especially not after willingly walking into a pack that planned to kill me eventually.

I’ll just wait for the main event.

A few more minutes passed before footsteps finally approached again.

Heavy footsteps.

I looked up immediately.

A man stepped into the room, loosely surrounded by two warriors behind him.

Tall.

Broad shoulders.

And eyes that immediately scanned me carefully with open curiosity

It had to be Darren.

So this was him.

The man behind all of this madness.

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Oddly enough, he didn’t look nearly as intimidating as I expected.

Crazy?

Definitely.

But not powerful in the way that mattered.

Darren carried arrogance more than authority.

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The kind of man who probably relied heavily on manipulation and fear instead of earning loyalty naturally

His gaze stayed on me as he approached fully.

“I was told someone was asking for me,” he said.

His tone sounded casual.

But I noticed the sharpness underneath it immediately.

I stood slowly to my feet.

“Yes.”

Darren stopped a few feet away from me.

“And you are?”

“Faye,” I answered smoothly. “From Silver Hollow.”

I wasn’t worried about using that identity.

Silver Hollow wasn’t exactly famous around territories this far away.

And more importantly-

Nobody here had any reason to connect the name Faye from Silver Hollow to Blood Crescent’s Luna.

Not unless they already knew exactly who I was.

Darren’s expression remained thoughtful for a second.

Clearly searching his memory.

“Silver Hollow…” he repeated slowly.

Then he shook his head faintly

“Can’t say I remember having any business there.”

His eyes narrowed slightly afterward.

“So what exactly do you want from me?”

There it was.

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Straight to the point.

Good.

I slowly pulled my jacket sleeve back again.

Then revealed the mark.

The reaction was immediate.

And this time-

There was no hiding it properly.

Darren froze.

Just enough for me to notice.

His eyes locked onto the mark instantly.

Something flashed across his face so quickly most people probably would’ve missed it.

Shock first, then recognition.

Then something worse.

Excitement… contained excitement.

But definitely there.

And suddenly every instinct inside me wanted to punch him directly in the throat.

Because he looked exactly like someone staring at something he had been waiting for.

Something valuable… something important.

A sacrifice.

I kept my expression carefully neutral despite the disgust crawling under my skin.

“I got sick a few days ago,” I explained calmly. “Then this appeared.”

Darren still hadn’t looked away from the mark.

His attention remained fixed on it almost obsessively now

“I was told..” I continued slowly, “that I might find help here in Stonevale.”

Silence.

Darren finally lifted his eyes back to mine

For one brief second, he looked genuinely stunned

Like he couldn’t believe this was happening so perfectly for him.

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Honestly, it took effort not to roll my eyes right there.

Because wow.

Subtlety clearly wasn’t his strength.

The man practically looked like he had won the lottery.

Then suddenly his expression softened into concern so fake it almost offended me personally

“You came to the right place,” he said warmly.

I nearly admired the performance.

Nearly.

The kindness in his voice sounded rehearsed.

Like he already knew exactly how this conversation was supposed to go.

I forced myself to smile faintly instead.

Relieved… trusting.

Playing along.

“Really?”

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“Of course,” Darren assured immediately. “Stonevale has healers experienced in things most other packs

don’t understand,”

Oh, I’m sure they are.

Especially when they’re the ones causing the problem.

He gestured lightly toward the seating area again.

“Please,” he said. “Make yourself comfortable.”

I sat back down slowly.

Darren remained standing while watching me carefully now.

Calculating.

Trying to figure me out

Trying to decide how much I knew.

“You must’ve had a difficult journey,” he continued smoothly. “I’ll have someone bring you food and

something to drink.”

I almost laughed.

Honestly.

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The whole thing felt so twisted that it became ridiculous.

They wanted to sacrifice me eventually-

But first they needed to keep me healthy. –

Comfortable… fed.

Like livestock being prepared carefully before slaughter.

The thought alone made my stomach twist.

Still, I kept smiling politely.

“I’m fine,” I said softly.

Darren nodded immediately.

“Very well.”

Then his expression shifted into something more professional again.

“I’ll send for the pack healer to examine you properly.”

Right.

The witch.

Or at least the first step toward her.

Exactly where I needed this to go.

I lowered my eyes slightly like a worried girl desperate for help.

“Thank you.”

Darren smiled.

And somehow, that smile felt colder than if he had outright threatened me.

“Don’t worry,” he assured calmly. “You’re safe here.”

Liar

Every instinct inside me recoiled at the words.

But outwardly, I only nodded gratefully

Then Darren excused himself and walked away

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