A Warrior’s Second Chance novel Chapter 328

ROMAN

The training ground was empty when I got there.

The air still carried the chill of early morning, thin mist hovering low over the grass. I scanned the perimeter out of habit, half expecting to see him leaning against a tree, arms folded, watching.

Nothing.

No boots in the dirt.

No controlled, intimidating silence.

No Alpha Alexander.

I stood there for a moment, unsure what to do with myself.

He was never late.

If anything, I was usually the one trying to make sure I arrived before him. The thought of keeping him waiting made my stomach tighten every time.

I checked the sky, gauging the light… because I didn’t have a watch. Still early. Maybe he was on his way.

I rolled my shoulders, stretching out of reflex. The training ground felt bigger without him in it. Quieter. Almost peaceful.

I waited.

I wasn’t sure how long it had been… five minutes, ten minutes maybe.

I shifted my weight from one foot to the other, listening for footsteps, for that faint crunch of gravel that

always announced his presence before he even spoke.

Nothing.

Maybe he got held up.

He was Alpha. He always had something to handle. Meetings, patrol reports, disputes. I’d wondered more than once how he managed to carve out time to train me personally. It didn’t make sense sometimes.

Why me?

I exhaled slowly and walked to the center of the field.

He wasn’t coming.

A strange feeling crept into my chest.

Relief. No yelling today.

No sharp corrections.

No “Again” barked at me every time I hesitated.

I hated that part of me liked the idea.

I told myself he was just busy. That had to be it. Something more important than watching me fail through another set of drills.

The thought stung a little more than it should have.

I glanced toward the path leading back to the packhouse.

I could leave.

No one would question it. Training time would pass, and that would be that.

I took a few steps toward the edge of the field.

Then stopped.

The silence pressed in again… not suffocating.

If I left now, what would that say?

That I only moved when ordered?

That without him standing here, I had no direction?

I clenched my jaw.

Annoyance flared in me… at him for not showing up, and at myself for even caring.

“Fine,” I muttered under my breath.

If he wasn’t coming, that didn’t mean I had to stand around.

I walked back to the center of the field.

The drills were etched into me at this point.

Speed runs, agility pivots, reflex drops.

I positioned myself at the starting line he usually marked with a heel in the dirt.

“Again,” I muttered, mimicking his tone before I even started. pushed off hard.

My feet hit the ground faster than I expected, but halfway through the sprint, I lost rhythm and stumbled slightly on the turn.

I slowed to a stop, breathing heavily.

“Too wide,” I could almost hear him say. “Tighten your center.”

I rolled my eyes at the phantom correction.

“Shut up,” I muttered to the empty air.

But I reset anyway.

Again.

This time, I focused on my footing. Shorter steps. Controlled pivot.

Better.

Not perfect.

But better.

I moved into the next drill… rapid directional changes. He used to call out commands, forcing me to react

without thinking.

Left.

This time, I didn’t hesitate.

I sprinted again… harder, faster. My lungs burned halfway through, but I didn’t slow down until I reached

the end marker.

I bent forward slightly, hands on my knees, catching my breath.

It wasn’t about impressing him. He wasn’t even here.

It wasn’t about proving anything to the pack. They weren’t watching.

It was just…

I straightened again and moved into strength drills… controlled drops and explosive rises, the kind he said

would train instinct into muscle memory.

My arms shook halfway through.

“Again,” I muttered.

My form faltered.

“Again.”

My chest burned.

“Again.”

And somehow… that made it harder.

Because the voice telling me to stop was louder than his had ever been.

stayed until my legs felt heavy and my shirt clung to my back with sweat.

By the time I finally stopped, the sun had climbed higher, burning off the last of the mist.

Training time was officially over.

And Alpha Alexander had never shown up.

I stood there alone for a moment longer, breathing slowly, trying to figure out how I felt about that.

Relieved? Maybe a little.

Frustrated? Definitely.

But beneath both of those…

I hadn’t waited the whole time.

And I hadn’t left.

I turned toward the path leading back to the packhouse, wiping dirt from my palms.

Maybe he’d ask why I didn’t come looking for him.

Maybe he wouldn’t mention it at all.