The Alpha Behind The Mask-Chapter 16: Drunk

​Oliver’s POV

​I have never been this restless or jealous in my entire life. Seeing my brother, Oscar, talking to Aurora was something I couldn’t stomach, and seeing him press his lips to her hand—even a mere kiss on the knuckles—sent a white-hot surge of fire through my veins.

​I looked into Aurora’s eyes. She was staring up at me with wild, terrified eyes, her chest heaving against the silk of her dress.

​"I told you not to speak to anyone, didn’t I?" I snarled, my voice echoing off the stone walls of the corridor.

​She swallowed hard, her throat bobbing as she tried to find her voice. "He... he was the one who came to me... I was just being polite."

​"But you gave him your attention," I shot back.

God. I sounded ridiculous. Like some jealous, insecure boy. All my life, I’ve been the epitome of control. I have never felt a flicker of jealousy, not even when my favorite sub, Cassey, talked to other men at functions. I didn’t care because I owned her. But here I was, fuming with rage because my brother seemed interested in Aurora.

​Aurora—who is supposed to be nothing to me. Just a girl I crave to fuck.

​I leaned closer, my body pressing her into the wall, the scent of her fear mixing with the wildflower. It was intoxicating. It was making me lose my mind.

​"You are here as my date," I growled, my face inches from hers. "My date doesn’t smile at other men. My date doesn’t let other Alphas put their mouth on her skin. Do you understand me, Aurora?"

​She flinched, her breath hitching. "You’re being unreasonable, Your Majesty. He’s your brother."

​"Goddammit, I know that!" I spat.

​And that was the problem.

I knew Oscar better than anyone. He was the "lover boy" in our broken family. He used sweet words and soft smiles to make women trust him. Before they knew it, he was already inside their hearts. He was very good with words—too good. He could make any woman feel special, like she was the only person in the room.

​And Aurora? She was fragile. She was innocent.

​I was scared.

​The thought hit me hard. I would never say it out loud, but it was true. I wasn’t just angry. I was afraid she might fall for him. That his green eyes and gentle voice would give her the comfort she would never get from someone like me.

​"I know exactly who he is," I growled. I slammed my hands against the wall on both sides of her head, trapping her in my shadow.

​My gaze dropped to her lips, the memory of our kiss in the club last night roaring back to life. I wanted to reclaim them. I wanted to wipe Oscar’s lingering presence off her entirely. My wolf was pacing, snarling, demanding that I kiss her here and now, regardless of the council members just a few hallways away.

​"Don’t make me tell you again, Aurora," I whispered, my voice still edged with rage. "Stay away from him."

​Her lips parted, and I could tell she wanted to say something, maybe counter my words, but the look I gave her stopped the words in her throat.

​Sucking in a deep breath, I pulled away from her and composed myself. "Let’s go back," I murmured.

​I didn’t wait for her answer. I adjusted my jacket and led her back into the glittering den of the ballroom. I could feel the weight of a hundred stares—whispers following the King and his disheveled assistant—but I ignored them all.

​I guided her to a secluded lounge chair near the back of the room. I grabbed a glass of champagne from a passing tray and handed it to her. "Sit. Stay here. I have to finish this session with the Council."

​I caught the eye of my head guard, Phillip, and gave a sharp jerk of my head. He moved instantly, positioning himself like a stone statue a few feet from her. "Watch her. No one gets near her. Especially my brother."

​With one last look at Aurora—who was looking at the bubbles in her glass with a strange, glazed intensity—I turned and made my way to the heavy mahogany table where the Council was gathered.

​The meeting was serious. We were discussing the rising threat of the Rogue King and his coordinated attacks on our northern borders. Oscar was there, leaning back in his chair with a bored expression. I scanned the room, noticing one seat was empty.

​"Where is Ozzy?" I asked, frowning. He was the Alpha of one of our biggest packs, and his absence was a loud, irritating silence in a room this important.

​"Delayed," Oscar drawled, flicking a piece of lint off his sleeve. "Or perhaps he just finds your company as exhausting as I do, brother."

​I ignored him, pushing through the maps and intelligence reports for another hour. By the time the Council adjourned, my head was thumping with a dull roar. All I wanted was to get Aurora out of this room and away from every pair of eyes watching her.

​I walked back to the lounge area, my boots clicking sharply against the marble. Phillip stood at attention, but his face held a look of panic.

​"What is it?" I demanded.

​He simply gestured toward the table where I’d left her. My jaw nearly hit the floor.

​Aurora wasn’t drinking the light champagne I’d given her. Somehow, she had managed to charm a server into bringing her a bottle of Lunar Absinthe—the strongest, most intoxicating spirit we had—and she had emptied two of them.

​She looked up at me, her vibrant red hair messy and her eyes glowing with a mischievous, hazy light. A lopsided, beautiful smile spread across her face.

​"Ohhh," she giggled drunkenly. "Here he is. Here comes the all-migh-ty Al-pha King. The big, bad wolf."

​She tried to stand up, swaying on her heels. "You’re late, Your Ma-jes-ty. I waited and waited... so I made some new friends." She patted the empty green bottle like it was a pet.

​I moved forward, catching her by the waist before she could collapse. The smell of the strong alcohol was heavy on her breath, mixing with that wildflower scent that usually drove me mad.

​"Aurora, you’re drunk," I muttered sharply, looking around to see if anyone was watching.

​"I’m not drunk," she whispered loudly, poking me in the chest with a clumsy finger. "I’m... happy. You’re the one who’s always so grumpy. Lighten up, Oliver. Give me a smile. You look like someone stole your crown."

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