A Warrior's Second Chance (Faye and Alexander) novel Chapter 198

Chapter 198

ALEXANDER

I heard the rhythmic thud long before I reached the doorway.

Faye always had a particular energy when she moved–light, precise, never wasting energy, even when she was distracted or frustrated. I knew it so well that the moment I stepped into the hallway leading to the training room, I could picture her inside before I even saw her. And for some reason, the idea alone eased something in my chest. It always did.

But today, it also made me feel something else.

Because now… she wasn’t just Faye.

She was Faye carrying our child.

I don’t know how long I stayed standing in the doorway, saying nothing, doing nothing–just watching the rise and fall of her body as she moved. The way her ponytail swung like a pendulum. The faint sheen of sweat on the back of her neck. The tiny breaths she released between each controlled movement. She wasn’t doing anything extreme–no lifting heavy weights, no harsh movements. Just simple strength exercises, steady and grounded. But still … something inside me reacted in a way I wasn’t prepared for.

Protectiveness had been a part of me long before I became Alpha, but ever since I found out she was pregnant, it had become something else entirely–deeper, rooted somewhere in my bones. I couldn’t shake it, and honestly, I wasn’t sure I wanted to.

She was so focused she didn’t even notice me at first. It gave me the strange, guilty pleasure of studying her without interruption–her form, her determination, the slight tremble in her arms the longer she held the plank position. Too long for my comfort.

I shouldn’t have been staring at her like that.

But she was mine.

After a moment, she finally noticed me when she shifted from plank to her feet and reached for her water bottle. Her gaze lifted, landing on me, and that smile–soft, warm, real–spread across her lips.

“Hey there.”

My chest did that ridiculous tightening again. I stepped inside the training room slowly, my hands shoved into my pockets because, for some reason, they suddenly felt restless.

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“Hey,” I murmured back. “How are you doing?”

She took a sip from the bottle and shrugged lightly. “I’m fine.”

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But there was a question in her eyes. One she didn’t voice. One she didn’t need to.

Because the moment I stepped closer, she tilted her head, studying my face with that quiet, perceptive intuition she’d always had. It was impossible to hide anything from her. She saw everything–every flicker, every hesitation, every thought I tried to swallow before it reached my tongue.

I opened my mouth, then immediately closed it.

She caught it.

There was no missing the way her eyebrows lifted, the way her lips tugged slightly upward. ” Alexander,” she said slowly, “you look like you have something to say.”

I forced a light exhale. “No, nothing.”

Her eyes narrowed playfully, but there was seriousness beneath it. “Are you sure?”

I wasn’t.

But saying it out loud felt dangerous.

Because I knew how sensitive she’d been since she stopped feeling her wolf. The smallest shift in tone or expression could throw her into a spiral of frustration or self–doubt, and the last thing I wanted was to make her feel like she was fragile. She wasn’t. Even now, watching her move with that same quiet strength, I knew she was one of the strongest people I’d ever

known.

But strength didn’t change biology. Or risks.

And she and our child were mine to protect.

“Faye…” I began, but the words hesitated just behind my teeth. I wanted to phrase it right. I wanted her to understand without getting angry, without feeling insulted. I wanted-

She stepped closer, her hand curling lightly around my forearm. “Alexander,” she said softly but firmly, “tell me.”

And just like that, I realized there might never be a perfect way to say it. That waiting for the right words might only make it worse later. That if I cared this much, she deserved honesty now, not a watered–down version weeks from today.

So I exhaled and let my guard drop.

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“I’m not comfortable with this,” I said quietly. “With you… working out like this. While you’re carrying our child.”

Her reaction wasn’t what I expected. She blinked once–and then full, genuine laughter spilled out of her. The sound was bright and light and so full of life that the tension I’d been carrying cracked straight down the middle.

“Oh, Alexander,” she said between breaths, “I’m not doing anything too hard. Pregnant women exercise all the time. I’m barely a couple of weeks gone. I’m not heavy yet. My body can

handle this.”

I wanted to laugh with her… I wanted to let it go. I wanted to pretend I was overreacting.

But the instinct in me wouldn’t quiet.

“It doesn’t matter,” I said gently, shaking my head. “Between your new job and working out every chance you get…” My gaze drifted unconsciously to her abdomen, still flat, unchanged, but precious all the same. “I’m just… worried.”

That got her attention.

Her smile faded, replaced by something more serious. More vulnerable.

She lowered her gaze for a moment, then sighed softly. “I’m still trying to adjust, Alexander.” Her voice was quieter now, almost small. “To the lack of my wolf. To how… empty it feels some days. This is the only way I can keep myself going… till I can feel her presence again. This is the only way I don’t feel like I’m losing pieces of myself.”

My heart clenched at that.

I reached out immediately, cupping her face gently in my hands. She leaned into the touch like she needed it more than she wanted to admit.

“Faye,” I murmured, “I understand… I do. I know it’s hard, I know how much you miss her. I know you’re trying to stay busy so you don’t think too much. But sweetheart… your body is doing something extraordinary right now. And I just need you to slow down a little. Not stop- just tone it down… for us. Please.”

Her eyes searched mine… looking for pressure, for frustration, for any hint of control. I let her look. There was none. Only concern. Only the quiet fear of losing something I didn’t even realize I’d been dreaming of until it became real.

She sighed again, but this time it was softer. Reluctant. “Fine,” she said finally. “I’ll tone it down.”

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