The Alpha Behind The Mask-Chapter 88: Refused To Believe It

Oliver’s POV

​He looked at me, his blue eyes watery and full of terror. "I won’t let it happen. I won’t lose you to another woman who wears that face."

​I let go of his shoulders, my hands falling uselessly to my sides. My mind reeled. Aurora? My sweet, innocent Aurora?

​"No... she wouldn’t," I whispered, refusing to believe it. I looked back at my father, who had the same look of fear and worry.

​"Father, Aurora can’t do it. She is sweet... she is innocent... Father, I know her. I’ve seen her at her weakest."

​Father shook his head in disapproval. "Son, people can act. They can play a role for weeks, months, or years if the price is high enough. Remember, you have enemies—monsters who would give anything to see the Alpha King fall. What if she is working for them? What if she was hired and is simply acting innocent to get past your guards? To get into your bed?"

​"No, Father! Not Aurora," I growled, the sound vibrating in my chest. I refused to believe it.

​Growing up, I had learned to trust my father’s instincts above all else. I had watched his "flashes" save me from ambushes and predict the betrayal of allies. I used to believe every single vision he had. But this? No. My soul rejected it.

​"Aurora working with one of my enemies?" I paced the room, my wolf snarling at the very suggestion. "The same girl who was terrified after killing a man? The girl who was shaking so hard she could barely breathe after she killed a man who almost raped her? A cold-blooded assassin doesn’t collapse in tears over a kill that was justified."

​I stopped and looked at him, my eyes hard. "She tried to resign. If she were an assassin, she would be clinging to me, not trying to run away."

​Father shook his head, his expression still full of worry. "That is exactly what makes it a good act, Oliver. She makes you chase her. She makes you feel like the protector so you lower your shield. I am telling you, I saw the knife. I saw your blood on her hands. Whether she knows it yet or not, she is going to kill you."

​He walked toward the door, stopping only to look back one last time. "Investigate her, Oliver. Truly investigate her. Look into her past... I know you are smart..."

​The door slammed shut, leaving me in a deafening silence. My mind was a battlefield. I wanted to ignore my father’s warnings... but a tiny, poisonous seed of doubt had been planted.

​I looked at the closed door, my mind a battlefield between the man who had never seen a wrong vision and the woman who had just made me feel alive for the first time in years.

​I took a deep breath, forcing my heart to slow down. If Aurora is to kill me, then it is definitely not because she was hired. She couldn’t be an assassin. My wolf knew her soul. If she ever held a knife to my chest in the future, it would be because I had hurt her so deeply—and if I did that, then she had every right to kill me.

​Inhaling deeply, I walked to the door and opened it. Aurora was still seated in the lounge, her posture stiff, her eyes wide with lingering anxiety.

​"Come in," I said softly.

​She stood up and followed me back into the office, standing in the center of the rug with an awkwardness that made my chest ache. I stared at her, searching her face, finding it so difficult to believe my father’s vision. I looked at the curve of her jaw, the way she tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear, and the familiar spark of light in her eyes.

​I shook my head, clearing the dark thought. This was the same girl I had held in my arms as she slept, her breathing rhythmic and peaceful against my chest. I remembered the weight of her head on my shoulder and the way she had curled into me as if I were the only safe harbor in a world full of storms. An assassin doesn’t sleep that deeply in the arms of their target; they don’t radiate that kind of pure, quiet warmth.

​"Are you okay?" she asked, her voice filled with worry. "You’ve been staring at me... It seems your father doesn’t like me."

​I didn’t answer with words. I stepped forward and pulled her into my arms, my hands settling firmly on her waist, drawing her flush against me. I buried my face in the crook of her neck, inhaling the scent of her—the scent that had filled my room and my dreams since the night I first held her. It was a scent of home and sunshine that calmed the noise in my head.

​"No," I murmured against her skin. "My father is just grumpy. He’s overprotective of me when it comes to women. Don’t mind him."

​She nodded against my shoulder, her small hands resting tentatively on my chest. I looked down at her, seeing the softness in her eyes. I knew this girl had feelings for me. She may not have the guts to confess it yet—I didn’t know what was stopping her—but I was certain they were there. And I was going to make her feel safe enough to say it.

​"Aurora... before the crash, I said something," I said, my voice shaky.

​I pulled back just enough to cup her face, forcing her to meet my gaze. "I have feelings for you, Aurora. Deep feelings. I think... I think I’ve loved you since the moment I saw you standing your ground against me. I want to know you better. I want to protect you, I want to cherish you, and I want you by my side—not just as an assistant, but as mine."

​Tears filled her eyes instantly. She opened her mouth to speak, but her breath hitched, and she couldn’t find the words. She looked overwhelmed, caught between the joy of my confession and the secrets she was still guarding.

​I brushed a tear away with my thumb and gave her a small, reassuring smile. "You don’t have to tell me how you feel right now. I know I’ve thrown a lot at you. Take your time, okay? I’m not going anywhere."

​She nodded silently, leaning her forehead against my chest. I placed a lingering kiss on the top of her head, my heart racing.

​"You have your job back, Aurora," I whispered. "And you have me."

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