A Warrior's Second Chance (Faye and Alexander) novel Chapter 696

Chapter 656

FAYE

I shrugged, not wanting to dwell on it any further. There was to point in trying to make sense of Conrad’s sudden change of heart when even Caleb, who was much closer to Jason and had been involved in the situation from the beginning, didn’t seem to understand it completely.

Maybe I was simply being too suspicious.

Still, something about the whole thing didn’t sit right with me. Conrad had been refusing to negotiate, and now, almost out of nowhere, he had decided to send representatives to Silver Hollow instead. It was a strange turn of events, but perhaps I was looking too deeply into it.

For now, there wasn’t much I could do about it.

“I just hope it works out.”

Caleb nodded, although he didn’t immediately respond. His expression remained thoughtful for a moment as we continued walking side by side. The pace was much slower now than it had been during our run, and I could finally feel my breathing returning to normal.

The morning air felt even cooler against my skin after the heat of the run, and the quiet surroundings made it easy to fall into a comfortable silence. Caleb seemed just as content to let the conversation rest, and I didn’t mind.

We continued walking for a few moments before he glanced down at his watch.

His expression changed almost immediately.

“Actually, I should probably be heading back.” He looked at the time again and let out a quiet sigh. “I completely lost track of time. I’m supposed to be around when the representatives from North Ridge arrive.”

That caught my attention, and I looked at him properly.

So they really were coming today.

The thought made me wonder what the meeting would be like. Conrad’s representatives would be walking into Silver Hollow carrying the weight of everything that had happened between the two packs, and Jason would have to decide how much he was willing to offer without making the pack look desperate.

I pushed the thought aside.

There was no reason for me to involve myself in it now. Jason had his Beta, his council, and everyone else who needed to be there. I had already heard enough about the situation. And most importantly, he didn’t need me there.

I simply nodded. “Then I should head back too.”

Caleb nodded, and we resumed walking.

The pack house wasn’t far anymore, and I could already see parts of it through the trees ahead. The

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familiar sight made me realize how much time we had actually spent outside. I hadn’t planned on staying got this lony when I left for try run, but I hadn’t exactly regretted it either.

For a while, neither of us said anything!

I could hear the faint sound of our footsteps against the path, mixed with the occasional rustle of leaves from the morning breeze. My body still carried the pleasant exhaustion that came after a good run, and I found myself feeling lighter than I had when I first stepped outside.

Then, after a few more steps, Caleb suddenly stowed.

I glanced at him, wondering what had caught his attention, only to find him looking at me with a playful expression.

I immediately narrowed my eyes.

Whatever he was thinking, I already knew it wasn’t going to be anything serious.

“How about we race?”

I stared at him for a moment, already knowing exactly what he had in mind.

“Seriously?”

“Yes. Why not?” His smile widened. “I’m genuinely curious to see if I can beat you with all that energy you were using earlier.”

I laughed, shaking my head as I looked at him.

“You really want to do this?”

“I do,” he said.

There was an unmistakable challenge in his voice now, and I couldn’t help laughing.

It was ridiculous. We had both just finished running, and we were supposed to be heading back because he needed to help receive the North Ridge representatives. Yet somehow, instead of simply walking back, Caleb had decided that we needed to turn the remaining distance into a competition.

I wanted to refuse.

But there was something about the look on his face that made it difficult to take him seriously. He looked genuinely amused by the idea, and I couldn’t remember the last time I had allowed myself to simply enjoy a moment without thinking about everything else happening around me.

I considered him for a moment before finally giving in.

“Fine.”

Caleb’s grin widened immediately.

“That’s what I wanted to hear.”

Before I could say anything else, he took a few steps back, positioning himself as though we were about to compete in an actual race. I watched him with a laugh, folding my arms for a moment as he looked down

the pallbead

“You know we’re not exactly twelve years old, right?

He glanced at me.-

“Speak for yourself, Luna.”

I laughed again, shaking my head.

Caleb turned toward the path, stretching his arms briefly before looking back at me. There was a competitive glint in his eyes now, and I immediately knew he was taking this far more seriously than I was.

I stepped closer to the starting point and loosened my shoulders, getting myself ready. My legs were still warm from the earlier run, so I didn’t need much preparation. I glanced at Caleb, waiting for him to make his move.

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