The Alpha Behind The Mask-Chapter 34: His Family

​Aurora’s POV

​The car was silent as we began the drive. Oliver stared straight ahead, his jaw tight.

​"It’s about an hour’s drive," he said finally, breaking the quiet. "My mother lives in the Full Moon pack. It’s the territory closest to ours."

​I nodded, trying to ease the tension. "Which birthday is she celebrating?" 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

​"Her 45th," he answered plainly. His voice was flat, totally lacking any excitement. It was obvious they weren’t close. I started to wonder if his parents had gone through a messy divorce and he had been forced to stay with his father. He closed his eyes, leaning his head back as if he were trying to mentally prepare for a battle. He looked like he was forcing himself to be here. I wished I could reach out and ask what he was thinking, but the wall he had built around himself was too high.

​After an hour, we reached the Full Moon border. The guards immediately recognized his car and bowed deeply before waving us through. As we drove, I stared out the window at the beauty of the pack, but I couldn’t help but notice how uncomfortable Oliver looked. He was shifting in his seat, his hands gripped into fists.

​We finally pulled up to a massive, tall mansion. I recognized the architecture immediately—this was a packhouse. Did his mother remarry another Alpha? My curiosity was burning, but I kept my mouth shut.

​Oliver grabbed a beautifully wrapped gift from the back seat, and we stepped out of the car. A servant led us toward the back garden. As we rounded the corner, I saw the party was already in full swing. There were people everywhere, laughing and drinking.

​"Alpha Oliver," I whispered, glancing at my watch. "What time was the party supposed to start?"

​"One o’clock," he said reluctantly, not looking at me.

​My eyes widened. "One? And we’re arriving at three? We’re two hours late!"

​I looked at him in shock, but he didn’t seem to care about the time. In fact, he looked like he wanted to turn around and leave right now. He didn’t move like a man arriving at a celebration; he moved like a man walking into an ambush.

​As we walked further into the garden, a hush fell over the crowd. Guests stopped talking and bowed their heads in deep respect. For a moment, I had forgotten who I was standing next to. This wasn’t just Oliver; this was the Alpha King, the most powerful man in the territory.

​"Brother, you finally made it!"

​I looked up to see two men walking toward us. My heart nearly stopped. Both of them had the same striking shade of red hair as Oliver. I recognized one as Alpha Oscar, whom I had met briefly at the party the other night, but the other man was new to me. I blinked in surprise—were they triplets? They weren’t exactly identical, but the family resemblance was undeniable. Although, looking at them closely, I thought Oliver was the most handsome—or maybe I was just being sentimental.

​Alpha Oscar and the other brother smiled at Oliver, but Oliver remained stiff, his expression like stone. He ignored their friendly greeting and asked coldly, "Where is she?"

​Oscar’s smile faded into a frown. "She is your mother, Oliver. At least try to be polite." Oscar’s eyes then landed on me, and he gave me a playful wink. "You brought your assistant again? You two are inseparable lately."

​Before Oliver could snap back, a soft, melodic female voice drifted through the air. "Oliver, you’re here."

​I turned toward the voice and felt my jaw drop. Walking toward us was a woman with the same fiery red hair as the brothers. She was absolutely stunning. Now I knew exactly where the triplets got their looks from; she was the definition of grace and beauty.

​Her gaze fell on me, and for a split second, her eyes widened in what looked like shock. But she quickly masked it with a warm smile before turning to Oliver. She threw her arms around him in a tight hug, but Oliver didn’t move. He stood there like a statue, not hugging her back.

​"Happy birthday, mother," he said, his voice tight.

​She pulled back, her face glowing with genuine happiness. "I truly thought you wouldn’t come. Thank you for being here."

​She then turned her full attention to me, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. "And who is this beauty?"

​"This is Aurora, my assistant," Oliver said shortly.

​I quickly stepped forward and bowed my head respectfully. "It’s an honor to meet you, Luna."

​She chuckled softly and reached out, gently lifting my chin so I had to look her in the eyes. "You are just the way I imagined my daughter would have looked, if I had ever been given one. Unfortunately, my womb was only blessed with rowdy males." She laughed warmly.

​I stood there, blinking in surprise. Despite Oliver’s cold behavior, his mother was incredibly friendly. She had a warmth that seemed to pull everyone toward her. Oliver held out the gift, and she took it with a graceful smile, handing it to a woman nearby who I assumed was her personal assistant.

​"You came just in time, Oliver," she said, her eyes bright with excitement. "Let’s go cut the cake."

​Oliver didn’t move. He looked like he wanted to be anywhere else but here. "Mother, you can go on without me. You have plenty of sons."

​She didn’t let him off that easily. She reached out and patted his arm, her expression firm but loving. "No, Oliver. I am cutting the cake with my five sons. All of you."

​Five sons? I looked around, confused. I had only seen the triplets. Were there two more? This family was much bigger than the public records ever mentioned.

​Oliver let out a long, heavy sigh. He looked at me, his eyes softening for just a second. "Stay here," he commanded softly. "I will be back."

​I nodded, watching him walk away with his brothers toward a large table set up near the center of the garden. I felt a bit awkward standing there alone in such a fancy crowd, but I couldn’t stop thinking about what his mother said. Five sons.

​I looked at the beautiful woman as she led her sons away. She moved with so much power, yet she seemed so happy to just be a mother for a moment. But then, I felt a prickle on the back of my neck. I turned around, sensing eyes on me, and saw a group of noblewomen whispering and pointing at my dress.

​"Is that the girl Alpha Oliver brought?" one whispered loud enough for me to hear. "She’s just an assistant? She’s wearing a dress that costs more than a car."

​I clutched my bag tighter, feeling out of place. I wished Oliver would come back quickly. Just as I was about to find a quiet corner to hide in, a high-pitched, familiar voice rang out from behind me.

​"And what the hell are you doing here!"

​My heart sank. I knew that voice. It was Casey.

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