The Alpha Behind The Mask-Chapter 67: Talk His Way Out

​Oliver’s POV

​I felt her small, warm fingers wrap around my wrist, and for a second, my heart nearly stopped. The heat of her touch was electric, but the way she was staring at my knuckles made my blood run cold. She was piecing it together. I could see the gears turning behind those beautiful, tired eyes.

​"How did you get this, Raymond?" she whispered.

​I had to think fast. I couldn’t let the truth out now—not when things were this fragile. "I had to punish a dude who stepped on my toes earlier," I lied, my voice composed and rough. "He didn’t know when to keep his mouth shut."

​Aurora didn’t pull away. If anything, her grip tightened. She looked up at me, her expression full of doubt. "Are you for real?"

​"Dead serious," I said, though my pulse was hammering against her thumb. "Why are you staring at me like that, Aurora?"

​She let out a shaky breath, her eyes searching the dark slits of my mask. "Number one... you look just like the Alpha King. Same body build. Sometimes you guys even sound the same. You smell the same. And now this... he has the exact same injury on his hand."

​Panic flared in my chest. Shit. Inside my head, my wolf was pacing, claws scratching at my subconscious. Tell her, he growled. Tell her the truth.

​But I couldn’t. I had gone too far with this game. If she realized that the man who had been comforting her as Raymond was the same man who had insulted her as Oliver, she would hate me forever. She would see it as the ultimate betrayal. I had to kill the suspicion right now.

​I forced a loud, mocking laugh to break the tension. "Wait? Don’t tell me you actually think I’m the Alpha King."

​Aurora blinked, looking a bit startled, almost as if she felt stupid for suggesting it.

​"Please," I continued, leaning back with a scoff. "I’m no Alpha King. Have you seen the man? He has red hair. Mine is black as night."

​I leaned forward so she could see the dark strands near the edge of the mask, black even down to the roots. It was a simple dye, but in the dim light of her apartment, it was my perfect shield. "Plenty of people share the same build, Aurora. And scents? Most Alphas use the same high-end soaps. Things can happen coincidentally... but I’m not the Alpha King. I’m not that prick."

​Aurora’s eyes flashed with a sudden, unexpected spark of anger. "Don’t call him a prick."

​I smirked inwardly, a strange warmth spreading through my chest. Was she actually defending me? Even after the way I had treated her in the office? Even after the "mistress" insult? 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

​I decided to push her, to see just how far she would go for a man she claimed to have resigned from.

​"Why not?" I teased, crossing my arms. "I’ve heard stories. They say he’s a boastful, arrogant prick who cares more about his crown than his people. I heard he’s cold, heartless, and treats everyone like they are beneath him."

​"Enough!" Aurora snapped, standing up so she was eye-level with me. "You don’t know him. You don’t know the pressure he’s under or the things he has to carry. He’s not heartless... he’s just... complicated."

​I stared at her through the mask, completely stunned.

No one had ever defended me like this.

Not my advisors.

Not my warriors.

Certainly not behind my back.

They all feared me or envied me, but she was standing there, exhausted and hurt, fighting for my character against a man she thought was a killer.

​In that moment, I wanted nothing more than to rip the mask off, throw her onto the bed, and kiss her until she forgot her own name. My wolf was howling in agreement, desperate to claim the woman who saw the man behind the King.

​"You’re quite the lawyer for him," I said softly, my voice losing some of its edge. "But too bad I’m much hotter than him. The King doesn’t have half my charm."

​Aurora didn’t seem to believe me. She only rolled her eyes, a small huff escaping her lips, and began to eat. I sat down on the wooden chair, watching her. It was one of the best feelings in the world—just being in her space, watching her enjoy the food I had made with my own hands. For a moment, the crown felt light. The lies felt worth it.

​"So," I said, my tone turning serious as I watched her take a bite. "Why were you not answering my calls? What happened?"

​She didn’t respond immediately. She kept her focus on the plate, her fork moving slowly through the pasta. The silence stretched between us until I leaned in closer.

​"Does it have anything to do with the Alpha King?" I asked, testing the waters.

​Aurora stopped eating. She looked up at me, her eyes tired but sharp. "Raymond, we are not friends. My work life is none of your business."

​I scoffed, a dark amusement curling in my chest. I leaned forward until my mask was only inches from her face. "Yeah... we are not friends. I don’t fuck my friends. And I definitely want to fuck you."

​Aurora frowned, trying to look annoyed, but she couldn’t hide the deep redness appearing on her cheeks.

The blush spread down to her neck, betraying the annoyance she was feeling. Despite her anger at Oliver, her body still reacted to Raymond. My wolf purred at the sight. She was fighting a war on two fronts, and she was losing both.

​"You’re direct," she whispered, her breath hitching as I stayed in her personal space.

​"I know what I want," I replied, my voice a low, honeyed growl. "And right now, I want to know who made you cry. Because if it was that ’prick’ of a King, I might have to send him six feet down."

​She frowned, but I wasn’t done talking.

​"So tell me... Aurora, do you have feelings for the Alpha King?"

​Aurora didn’t hesitate.

"Yes... I do," she said without blinking.