A Warrior’s Second Chance novel Chapter 163

SILVER HOLLOW

ALEXANDER

The gates of Silver Hollow came into view through the haze clouding my vision. My legs felt heavier with every step, as though the earth itself was trying to pull me down.

Still, I kept moving.

I’d made it this far. I wasn’t going to collapse before I reached the house.

The sentinels at the gate stiffened as soon as they saw me. One of them dropped the spear he was holding. “Alpha Alexander!” he shouted, his voice breaking through the stillness. Both of them ran toward me, panic flashing across their faces… they must have noticed I wasn’t well.

“I’m fine,” I said before they could reach me, lifting a hand. My voice came out rough, scraped raw from the fight, but I forced strength into it. “Thank you.”

They froze mid–step, uncertain. I could see the way their eyes darted over me, searching for visible wounds, but I gave them nothing… no weakness, no stumble. Just the illusion of control.

Pride can be a dangerous thing, but right now it was the only thing keeping me upright.

The compound spread out before me. I’d imagined this moment… returning, seeing Faye safe again… but not like this. I forced my shoulders straight and kept walking, ignoring the chill that ran through my hand when I flexed it.

Then I saw her… Faye.

She was standing near the training yard, pacing. She was in better condition now. Her head snapped up the moment I stepped into view, and for a heartbeat, neither of us moved. Then her expression changed… relief, disbelief, then joy.

“Alexander,” she called my name.

The sound of it nearly brought me to my knees.

She ran toward me, her steps quick and desperate. When she reached me, she didn’t hesitate… she threw her arms around me, holding on as if she’d never let go again.

For a second, I forgot the pain. I forgot the poison. I forgot everything except her.

Then a sharp jolt tore through my side, forcing a grimace I barely managed to hide. She didn’t see it. Thank the gods she didn’t. I wrapped my arms around her and held her tight, breathing in her scent.

“I’m here,” I whispered, my voice breaking a little. “It’s alright.”

She leaned back, looking up at me, tears still glistening in her eyes. “You’re hurt,” she said, her hands brushing over my chest, searching. “Alexander…”

“I’m fine,” I cut in quickly, forcing a smile that didn’t reach my eyes. “Just tired.” How could I look her in the eyes and tell her I was dying?

She looked like she wanted to believe me. For a moment, she almost did.

But her father was standing a few feet away, watching. His gaze was sharp. He wasn’t fooled by my act. He probably saw the way I was standing a little too still, the faint tremor in my hand, the grayness under my skin that even the coat couldn’t hide.

“Alexander,” he said calmly. “You need to see the healer.”

Faye turned immediately, nodding. “He’s right. Come on, you shouldn’t be standing right

now…”

“I said I’m fine,” I tried again, but my voice faltered slightly. A flash of dizziness blurred my vision for a second, and I had to steady myself.

I gave a humorless smile. “That makes two of us.” I took a seat.

She crouched closer, inspecting the edges of the wound without touching it. The black veins pulsed faintly, the skin around them raw and fevered. I saw her swallow hard. “The silver prevents healing,” she said, her tone more to herself than to me. “And the wolfsbane… it spreads through the bloodstream until…”

Faye’s father clenched his fists beside me. “You can stop it, can’t you?”

The healer’s eyes softened, but her voice remained steady. “I can try to slow it, but I can’t reverse it. The combination is fatal, Alpha Alexander. There’s no antidote known to any pack… not one that’s worked.”

Her words landed like stones, heavy and cold.

She opened a vial, pouring a liquid into a cup, then mixed in crushed leaves that released a sharp, minty scent. “This will help numb the pain and clear your breathing for a few hours,” she explained gently, handing it to me. “It’ll make it easier to move, but it won’t heal you. The poison has already done the damage.”

I took the cup and drank. The bitterness hit hard… a taste that felt like ash and iron… but I forced it down.

When I lowered the cup, her gaze lingered on me with something close to pity. “You might make it through the night if your body keeps fighting,” she said quietly, “but by morning…” She trailed off, then shook her head. “By morning, your body will give out. I’m sorry.”

The silence that followed was suffocating. Faye’s father looked away, grief flickering in his eyes. I could feel the weight of it pressing down on both of us… the truth neither of us wanted to acknowledge.

And then, just as the healer turned to rinse the cup, the door creaked softly open.

Faye stood there.

Her face was pale, her eyes wide… and from the look on her face, I knew she had heard everyword.