I exhaled lightly and crossed my arms, more out of habit than anything else.
“You heard what happened, right?” I said as soon as he got close enough.
I didn’t wait for him to ask.
“I didn’t mean to hurt him,” I added quickly.
The words came out more defensive than I intended, and I knew it the moment I said them.
Alexander stopped in front of me, his expression unreadable at first.
“I heard some of the trainees talking,” he said. “That’s how I knew something happened.”
J
His eyes stayed on mine as he continued. “I traced you here.”
I let out a breath, nodding once.
“Of course,” I muttered under my breath.
There was no point pretending.
He was already here.
Already looking at me like he could see through whatever I was about to say next.
I shifted slightly, uncrossing my arms, then crossing them again without thinking.
“It doesn’t make sense,” I said,
I glanced away briefly, then back at him.
“I thought I saw a branch. It broke–it was coming down right over him.”
As I said it out loud again, it sounded just as ridiculous as it had a few minutes ago.
“I didn’t even think,” I added. “I just reacted. I pulled him out of the way-”
I stopped, exhaling sharply.
“Except there was nothing there,” I finished.
Alexander didn’t interrupt.
He didn’t question it either.
He just watched me, listening.
< Chapter 368
“The branch is still there,” I said, gesturing vaguely back toward the training area. “Not even a crack.
Nothing.”
I shook my head slightly, a dry, humorless huff leaving me.
+25 Points
“So from everyone else’s point of view, I just-” I made a small motion with my hand. “Grabbed him and threw him into a pile of weapons for no reason.”
I paused.
Then added quietly, “Which is exactly what it looked like.”
Alexander’s jaw tightened slightly, just enough for me to notice.
He took a step closer, not crowding me.
“This isn’t the first time,” he said.
I frowned slightly. “What do you mean?”
His gaze didn’t waver.
“Yesterday,” he said. “In the car.”
Oh.
I blinked.
For a second, I had almost pushed that aside.
But now that he said it-
It clicked.
“You said you saw something then too,” he continued. “That I hit someone.”
I looked at him.
Slowly.
The memory came back clearer now.
“I did see something,” I said, quieter this time.
Alexander’s expression shifted slightly, more thoughtful now.
“Your visions don’t usually come like this,” he said.
I shook my head immediately.
“No,” I said. “They don’t.”
There was no hesitation in that answer.
“They come one at a time,” I added.
Chapter 368
Not like this.
Not… overlapping.
Not this close together.
I went quiet for a second, my mind trying to piece it together.
The car.
Today.
The way it felt the same-
But also not.
My fingers curled slightly against my arms.
“Maybe…” I started, then paused.
The word felt heavier than it should have.
I looked at him again.
“Maybe I wasn’t seeing anything at all,” I said slowly.
The thought settled in my chest in a way I didn’t like.
I let out a small breath.
A quiet, almost disbelieving sound slipping through.
“Maybe I’m hallucinating.”
The word sat there between us.
That part bothered me more than the accident itself.
I glanced at him again, searching his face for something.
Something that made more sense than what I had just said.
Alexander held my gaze for a second longer.
+25 Points
ALEXANDER
Was it possible she was hallucinating? I wasn’t sure how to respond to what she had just said, so I went on to say the other thing on my mind.
“Faye,” I said carefully, keeping my voice calm, “why didn’t you come to me immediately?”
She drew a slow breath, her eyes flickering with a mix of embarrassment and frustration. “I… I just needed a moment,” she said quietly, almost defensively, “to clear my head.”
- Chapter 368
I didn’t respond.
She glanced up, biting the inside of her cheek before asking, “How’s he doing?”
+25 Points
The question came out carefully, cautiously, but there was worry under it. I knew she was thinking beyond
just Ethan’s physical state–her mind was already racing toward the implications of what had happened.
“He’s fine,” I reassured her, keeping my voice even and steady. “Not in any serious condition. Just a few scrapes, nothing life–threatening. He’ll recover quickly.”
I saw a flicker of relief cross her face, her shoulders relaxing slightly, but I also knew it wasn’t the relief I had expected.
“The worst part,” she murmured, almost to herself, “isn’t even that he’s hurt. It’s how it happened.
Everyone’s going to talk… how I hurt him, how I acted without reason. How am I supposed to look those
wolves in the eyes again? To train them, to have them trust me, after I… after I-”
She faltered, her voice trembling at the last, and I could see her mind replaying the incident in ways I
couldn’t reach with words.
I understood her worry. It wasn’t just about the physical outcome; it was about perception, about the trust
she had built and how fragile it now felt in her own eyes. And from the look in her gaze, it was also about
trust in herself–her own control, her own judgment, everything she thought she had over herself suddenly
slipping.
I kept my tone measured, careful not to escalate anything further. “Maybe you should see Dr. Adams,” I suggested gently. “Talk to someone who might have an idea… who can offer advice before this–before it spirals any further.”
Her eyes shot up to me, sharp and fiery. “A doctor?” she snapped. “You’re saying I need professional help?
Like I’m… broken?”
I shook my head immediately. “No, that’s not what I meant,” I said quickly, my hands lifting in a calming gesture. “I just mean… someone with experience, someone who can give guidance, perspective. That’s all.
She cut me off with a sharp shake of her head, her hair falling into her face. Her chest rose and fell quickly,
and the tension radiating off her reminded me of a storm ready to break. “I don’t need anyone else to tell
me I’m going crazy, Alexander,” she said, her voice low. And before I could respond, she turned away from
- me.
I stayed still, my hands lowering slowly, as I watched her go.
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
