A Warrior's Second Chance (Faye and Alexander) novel Chapter 196

MARCUS

I walked out of the boardroom feeling like I had unlocked something. I finally met him today; I had to meet him, see him, feel his aura. I’d been observing him from afar, of course.

But seeing someone from afar, no matter how imposing, was not the same as standing in the same room with them, breathing the same air… it made a lot of difference. I didn’t do rumors or secondhand impressions too well. I dealt better in realities. And reality, I decided, required me to face him directly at least once before I made my next move.

Curiosity had been gnawing at me. What kind of man was Alexander Blackwell, really? Everyone spoke of him… his intellect, his ruthless efficiency, his control over the Crescent Pack, the company, the entire territory he moved in. And I had seen glimpses of it, enough to know he wasn’t someone to dismiss casually.

I couldn’t fight someone I hadn’t sized up properly, couldn’t plan against a shadow, and certainly couldn’t claim what was rightfully mine while hiding behind rumors. Today, I had stepped out of the shadows. I had faced him head–on, and now, walking down the corridor toward the exit, I felt the faint surge of satisfaction that came from crossing that first line.

I reached the exit and stepped into the cool air outside. I exhaled slowly, letting the tension in my shoulders loosen just slightly. Patrick was waiting by the car. His presence was a silent reassurance, a grounding force amidst the potential chaos I had just stirred.

“Looks like someone had a good meeting,” Patrick said, voice casual. “How’d it go? I hope you satisfied your curiosity now and we can finally get past that part. Focus on the serious business–taking what’s yours by all means.”

I smiled faintly, turning my gaze toward him. “Curiosity? That’s a good way to put it,” I replied.

He smirked knowingly.

“And now that you’ve provoked him,” Patrick said carefully, “we should start taking serious action. While he’s… unsettled. Or at least slightly rattled by your direct approach.”

I scoffed. “Slightly rattled? I’d say he’s off–balance, though he wouldn’t admit it to himself. That makes this the perfect time to strike.”

Patrick smirked faintly. “I like your assessment, but don’t get carried away. He’s dangerous in ways you can’t fully predict. I’ve seen men who believed themselves in control crumble the second they miscalculate him. But your presence–your challenge… it opens possibilities. And possibilities are all we need to plan a path forward.”

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Chapter 196

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I leaned back as I considered his words. “Possibilities. That’s all it takes. He underestimates how much control someone else can wield with the right alliance. He thinks he’s untouchable. That’s where we’ll gain our leverage.”

Patrick’s eyes glinted, a spark of agreement and anticipation. “Exactly.”

I started the car and began driving.

ALEXANDER

I was still standing there, in the emptiness of the boardroom. The quiet pressed in around me, almost suffocating.

My thoughts were tangled, turning over the confrontation I’d just endured with Marcus. The echo of his voice, that infuriating smirk, the way he claimed what was “rightfully his“… it all lingered in my mind like a thorn I couldn’t pull free.

The sound of the door opening broke my reverie. “Sir,” my assistant, Ash, said softly, stepping inside. She hesitated a fraction, making sure that I was alone, then added, “The man, Marcus, he wasn’t alone. He came with someone else in his car. And I think… I think it was Alpha Patrick with him. I couldn’t get too close, otherwise he might catch my scent.”

I almost laughed, the tension in my chest loosening for just a second. Of course. “Patrick.”

Ash stayed in the room, quiet, waiting. I could feel her patience, but I wasn’t ready to respond yet. My mind was still running through the possibilities, calculating the the moves, the potential games Marcus and his allies might try to play. The audacity of him… the nerve to step into my space, claim my inheritance, challenge me like that… And as for Patrick…

Ash called my attention again, more firmly this time. “Alpha… is there something else you need me to do?”

”

I turned my gaze to her finally, letting the weight of my thoughts lift just enough to speak. Marcus,” I began, keeping my voice steady, “he bragged. Bragged about having allies everywhere… in the pack, in the territory… even here, in the company.” I paused, letting the words hang in the air for just a moment. “I need you to keep your eyes open. I want to know who among our people is working with him. Fish them out. Whoever is siding with him, I need to know, and I need it fast.”

Ash nodded sharply. “Understood, Alpha,” she said without hesitation. She didn’t need to ask questions, didn’t need me to repeat myself.

As soon as Ash stepped out and the door clicked shut, I reached into my pocket and pulled

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out my phone.

I scrolled to Cole’s number and pressed call.

He picked up on the first ring. “Alpha?”

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“Cole, I need you and Kyle at the pack house office in an hour,” I said, already moving toward the door. “I’m heading home now. I need your immediate attention.”

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