FAYE
I walked into the council chamber. Around the long table sat Alexander, Cole, Kyle...who looked like he’d been dragged through the pits of hell and barely stitched back together...and a few other warriors whose faces mirrored the weight in the room.
Their voices hushed when I entered.
Alexander’s eyes moved to me instantly, just for a second before sliding away. His jaw locked in that careful, detached composure he wore when he didn’t want anyone to guess what was going on beneath the surface.
But I had seen him last night.
Not the careful, controlled leader. I had seen the storm, the fury, the raw wildness he carried like a second skin.
And Alexander knew it. That was probably why he couldn’t meet my eyes now. Did he feel exposed? Vulnerable?
I slipped into an empty seat at th
