A Warrior’s Second Chance novel Chapter 235

FAYE

I liked the mornings best.

They were quieter, calmer–before the territory fully woke up, before responsibilities and eyes and expectations settled on my shoulders like a mantle I couldn’t take off.

The air was cool against my skin, the kind that filled my lungs cleanly and made each breath feel intentional. I had chosen a simple workout today. Nothing strenuous. Just a walk along one of the inner paths of the territory.

Alexander would have preferred I stayed closer to the pack house. He always did. But this path was safe too. Well–patrolled, and familiar. And I needed the movement, needed to feel my body working with me instead of feeling like something that needed constant guarding.

My pace was unhurried, measured, the way Helen had taught me–move as though you are listening to yourself.

Footsteps sounded behind me.

At first, I assumed it was one of the early patrol guards or maybe a random pack member out on a run. The rhythm was light, even… Jogging. It wasn’t until the scent reached me–sharp, familiar in a way I didn’t like–that my shoulders stiffened almost imperceptibly…. Diana.

I didn’t turn immediately, because I didn’t need to. I knew she was coming close to me already.

“Good morning,” she called out, breathless, as she slowed to match my pace.

I turned then, schooling my expression into something neutral, polite. She was dressed for a run- fitted leggings, a light tank, hair pulled back. She looked… good. Effortlessly so. There was a confidence in the way she carried herself.

“Good morning,” I replied calmly.

She smiled, the kind that looked friendly enough on the surface. “I didn’t realize you were up already. Guess I should’ve expected it.”

I nodded slightly. “Mornings are good for walks. I had to take advantage of it.”

Her gaze flicked briefly to my stomach, then back to my face. “Walking,” she echoed. “That makes sense.”

There it was… Subtle, light. Almost innocent.

She jogged a few steps, then fell back into place beside me, as if we were two women coincidentally sharing a path rather than complicated history.

“I don’t think we really got to introduce ourselves the other day, she said after a moment. Everything was… busy.”

“That it was,” I agreed.

She tilted her head, studying me. “Though I suppose you already know who I am.”

I met her gaze evenly. “I do.”

Her lips curved, satisfaction flickering briefly before she masked it. “Right. Alexander’s first mate.” She paused deliberately. “The Luna that would’ve been.”

She glanced at me then, as if gauging my reaction. “No offense,” she added lightly. “Life happens. And fate obviously had other plans.”

I almost laughed.

Not because it amused me–but because I saw exactly what she was doing. She wanted to unsettle me. To remind me of a past that wasn’t even mine, to claim space she no longer occupied.

I didn’t give her the satisfaction.

“None taken,” I said simply. “Life does happen.”

She waited, clearly expecting more. A stumble, a reaction. Something sharp.

Instead, I smiled at her.

“I’ve always believed things end the way they’re meant to,” I continued. “And begin the same way.” She didn’t miss it. I saw the flicker in her eyes, the tightening of her jaw before she relaxed again. “Right.”

I adjusted my pace subtly, angling toward a bend in the path where I could easily excuse myself. It’s actually nice to finally meet you properly,” I added, tone warm. “The woman who willingly let me have such an amazing man.”

“Nice to meet you too, Diana,” I replied.

We walked in silence for a few more steps before I slowed, turning slightly toward another path.

“Faye,” Diana called out.

I slowed.

Then she glanced at me.

Not the polite, surface glance she’d given earlier–but a longer one. A real look.

Her gaze dropped, lingering briefly on my stomach before lifting back to my face.

“Congratulations, by the way,” she said.

She didn’t have to clarify, but she did anyway.

“The baby.”

For a second, she looked like she might say more. Her mouth opened slightly, then closed again. Whatever thought crossed her mind, she kept it to herself.

Instead, she gave a small smile–tight, restrained–and stepped back.

“Well,” she said lightly, already shifting into motion, “enjoy your walk, Luna.”

And then she jogged off, her pace steady as she disappeared down the path, leaving nothing behind but the faint echo of her footsteps.

I stood there for a moment longer, watching the space she’d vacated, before turning back toward my route.