Chapter Sixty-nine
Hunter’s POV
As I exited the restroom, I had one last look at myself to make sure I looked presentable. Satisfied, I then headed down the hallway.
On my way, I passed a group of women going the opposite way. They looked at me strangely, but I wasn’t surprised why, seeing I’d just come out of the female restroom.
Briefly smiling at them, I walked past and headed towards the dining hall. I couldn’t shake the rush within from what had just happened between Faelen and me.
I had always been in control, always certain of myself, but not with her. The moment I saw her tonight, everything had shifted.
Faelen had taken my breath away, standing there looking both fierce and vulnerable, like she belonged to some heavenly realm but had graced us with her presence.
The memory of her lips, her touch… it all felt raw and tattooed into my mind.
Raising my head high and squaring my shoulders, I forced myself to adopt the relaxed expression I knew everyone expected from me.
Caleb caught sight of me just as I walked in, and he raised an eyebrow, giving me that knowing look he always did.
He hadn’t said much when I’d asked him to arrange this dinner, but Caleb could read me better than most… I had no doubt he was aware this was all more than a gesture of gratitude.
Faelen hadn’t returned yet, and a small, irrational part of me wondered if she would. Part of me expected her to feel regret, but I had to believe she felt that same pull and intensity I felt.
There was something about her that had always captivated me, even from the very beginning… something about her courage, her beauty, and the fire she hid behind that quiet demeanor.
I turned away, raising my glass as I acknowledged a few of the guests who had gathered.
They spoke to me as we sat together, congratulating our victory and nodding respectfully as they always did.
We talked for a few minutes, but my focus shifted the moment I saw her emerge through the entrance of the room.
She had composed herself, of course, her face wearing a careful mask of smiles, yet I knew her well enough by now to sense the tension behind her gaze.
Our eyes met, and everything else melted away. I knew I should keep my expression neutral, detached even, but I just couldn’t hide the warmth that spread across my face at the sight of her.
She held my gaze for a second, long enough to make my heart quicken, before she turned away, blending back into the crowd with the kind of grace that covered her nerves.
I could see she was trying so hard to fit in, to play the part I’d asked her to, and it stirred something deep within me.
When she finally made her way toward me, I rose up and moved forward, meeting her halfway, then offering her my arm, ignoring the eyes on us around the room.
She hesitated, just a second, then took it, her fingers barely resting on mine. Her touch sent a thrill down my spine.
“You look absolutely breathtaking, you know that, don’t you?” I murmured, low enough that only she could hear.
She sighed gently, and I could see her cheeks still blushed, and for a moment, she looked as though she might protest, but instead, she smiled softly, then murmured, “Thank you.”
There was something in her eyes I hadn’t seen before… something bold and open now. I held onto that moment, wondering what it would take to see her like this always
I wanted to see the true her she hid within, without the weight of her past on her, without the barriers she kept up around everyone, including me sometimes.
The evening went on with conversations and laughter here and there. Faelen handled it all with a quiet strength, but I noticed the way her eyes lingered on the floor every time people praised her.
She was still coming to terms with it, still doubting herself, and it made me wish I could shield her from her own insecurities.
At one point in the dinner, she’d turned to me, her expression soft, and said, “Hunter, thank you. For everything.”
Her words were simple, but I felt their weight, the sincerity behind them. I leaned closer, my voice only a whisper. “You deserve it, Faelen. And more.”
And as the night began to end, I soon realized that, for the first time in my life, I wanted something I couldn’t fully control.
Strangely enough, that didn’t terrify me… it excited me.
In the days that followed the dinner, I made a decision I hadn’t fully planned on.
It was one thing to spare Faelen’s life, to give her a second chance. But it was another to openly welcome her as one of us, and even more, to grant her a true place within us.
But something inside me wouldn’t rest until I did it. Every time I saw her… within the estate or in passing… she looked at me with this quiet modesty, as if she was still earning her place here, every second.
As much as I didn’t want her to feel that way, I respected that.
Caleb, as expected, raised his eyebrows when I told him what I intended. “Are you sure?” he asked, cautious as always. “Some may find it hard to trust her.”
“I’m sure,” I replied, more firmly than I intended.
I wouldn’t let anyone question her place here… not anymore. She had earned more than her freedom… she’d earned a fresh start.
The next morning, I found Faelen in the courtyards, where she was silently observing the flowers in the gardens.
She didn’t notice me at first, and it gave me a moment to watch her, that familiar pull to her tightening within me.
But I quickly shifted focus, trying to approach her with the seriousness of something big I had in mind.
“Faelen,” I called, stepping closer.
She turned, her expression softening in surprise and… maybe relief when she saw me.
It was as if she had feared I wouldn’t speak to her again, and I wanted to reassure her that wasn’t the case.
“Hunter.” She called out when she looked at me, eyes steady, though I could see a hint of nervousness in them.
I could far tell by now that part of her was still uncertain about her place here.
I gestured for her to walk with me, and as we moved through the yard, I glanced at the other members, some of whom paused to watch us.
“It’s time you had an official place here,” I began, and before she could protest, I continued, “I want you reinstated as a member of the pack.”
Her expression shifted, as if she couldn’t believe the words. “I… I don’t know what to say.”
“Then don’t say anything,” I replied, my voice softening a little. “Just prove to everyone why I made the right decision. I know you’ll make it worth it.”
I watched as her relief turned into a look of pure emotion. She nodded, lips pressed together as if she was blinking away tears.
“Thank you,” she said quietly. “I won’t let you down.”
Of course, Faelen threw herself into the pack’s daily activities after that. She seemed determined to prove herself even after everything.
Every morning, I’d find her in the gardens, working alongside other members, or on the training grounds, sparring with Caleb.
She trained hard, as if she was making up for past times, and soon enough, the whispers around the estate quieted.
People soon stopped questioning her place here. Even the servants who’d once cast doubtful looks in her direction began to see her differently.
Watching her dedication stirred something inside me. I’d expected her to find it difficult to fit back in, but her resilience went beyond what I’d anticipated.
One evening, I found her in the library, going through a book with such focus that she didn’t even notice me at the doorway.
The sunlight caught her gorgeous frame, and for a moment, I just watched, admiring her.
When she finally looked up, there was a small, almost shy smile on her face. “Hey!”
“Didn’t know you read so often,” I said as I stepped in, half teasing her.
“Guess there’s a lot you don’t know,” she replied, and there was that playful spark I was coming to love.
We talked for a while, and that easy, teasing back and forth we developed between us started to settle into something more comfortable.
It was like we were finding a way beyond all the tension and the secrets. That was how it went with us… simple, unexpected moments like that.
The night in my chambers after a particularly intense day, I went out to the balcony to clear my mind.
I thought about her, and how much she had affected me over the past months. I saw her face form in my thoughts, holding her image for a moment longer.
I explored everything I felt towards her, and for the first time, I felt like I’d found someone who somehow got me.
In time maybe someone who could stand beside me… not just as part of the pack, but as a companion, something I hadn’t really thought of.
But how to go about that was now the problem.