The Alpha Behind The Mask-Chapter 98: Her First Time

Oliver’s POV

​My heartbeat raced. I had to get into that bathroom without her noticing I was hiding anything. I had to look like the confident king who had just finished a meeting, not a man terrified that a single mark could ruin his life.

​I reached the bedroom door and took a deep, steadying breath. I pushed it open as quietly as possible.

​Aurora was sitting up in bed, the duvet pooled around her waist. She looked like a dream—messy hair, glowing skin, and those wide, searching eyes. She looked up and smiled when she saw me, but then her brow furrowed slightly as she noticed how tense I looked.

​"Oliver?" she asked, her voice soft and curious. "Is everything okay? You look... tense."

​I hesitated.

​How long do you intend to hide it? My wolf growled, his voice deep and judgmental in the back of my mind. Show her the mark. Tell her the truth.

​I squeezed my eyes shut, my heart racing.

​Tell her you are Raymond, my wolf continued, pacing restlessly. Tell her the only reason you didn’t say anything was because she seemed to hate Dominants in the club, and you were afraid she would run before she truly knew you.

​"I can’t," I whispered under my breath.

​For the first time in my life, I had cold feet. I was the Alpha King. I had stared down death, led armies, and executed traitors without blinking. But the thought of the light leaving Aurora’s eyes—the thought of that soft, trusting smile turning into a look of pure hate—paralyzed me.

​If she knew that the man she had just spent the night with was the same "bastard" who had broken her heart as Raymond, she wouldn’t just leave the palace. She would be heartbroken, and I can’t do that... at least not today.

​"Oliver?" Aurora’s voice drifted from the bed, sounding smaller now. She had shifted, sitting up further, her eyes searching mine. "You’re shaking. Was the news from the border that bad?"

​I forced a smile, though it felt stiff and unnatural. "Just... a lingering effect of the silver, darling," I lied, the lie slipping too easily from my lips. "The healers warned me the chill might come back for a moment."

​I moved toward the bathroom, keeping my wrist hidden so she wouldn’t notice the tattoo.

​"I’m going to take a quick, hot shower to shake it off," I said, not meeting her gaze. "I’ll be out in a minute."

​I didn’t wait for her to respond. I slipped into the bathroom and bolted the door.

​I took a quick shower and grabbed the concealer kit from the hidden panel and began applying it to my tattooed wrist with trembling fingers.

​I knew I had to tell her. I knew my wolf was right. A secret this big was a ticking bomb, and if Axel found out, he would use it to rip her away from me. But as I layered the cream over the ink, hiding the truth once again, all I could think was: Not today. Just let me have today.

​Once the tattoo was covered, I stood in front of the bathroom mirror, checking every angle. The concealer was blended perfectly into my skin. The black ink of the scorpion was gone, buried under a layer of beige cream that looked exactly like my natural skin. As long as I didn’t scrub my wrist with the cleaners, the secret of Raymond was safe for now.

​I took a deep breath, centered my wolf, and walked out of the bathroom with only a towel wrapped around my waist.

​Aurora was still sitting in the center of the massive bed. When she saw me, her eyes widened, and a deep blush crawled up her cheeks.

​"How do you feel?" she asked, her voice a little shaky.

​"The shower worked wonders," I said. I didn’t give her time to think. I dropped the towel, standing completely naked before her for a split second before her hands flew to her face to cover her eyes.

​I scoffed, a playful smirk on my lips. "Shy, darling?"

​I quickly pulled on a pair of loose black sweatpants but left my chest bare. Then, I moved. In one fluid motion, I climbed onto the bed and hovered over her, pinning her gently against the pillows. Her breath hitched, and she swallowed hard, her pulse jumping in the hollow of her throat.

​"Are we... are we doing it now?" she whispered, her eyes searching mine with a mix of fear and desire.

​I let out a low chuckle and shook my head, sitting back on my heels so she could sit up too. "No. Not yet. I told you I have twelve hours left."

​I reached out and took her hands in mine, careful to keep my treated wrist tilted away. "It’s your first time, right?"

​She nodded, her gaze dropping to her lap. "Yes."

​"Then I want it to be exactly what you’ve always dreamed of," I said, my voice dropping into a low, husky rumble. "I don’t want this to be just another thing that happens to you. I want you to have total control. So tell me, Aurora... how do you want your first time to be?"

​I leaned closer, my scent wrapping around her. "Where do you want it? Do you want a thousand candles in this room? Do you want to be outside under the moon? Do you want it slow and soft, or do you want me to take you with everything I have? Tell me everything. Every secret wish."

​I watched her bite her lip, her brow furrowing as she actually stopped to think about it. I wanted to erase every bad memory she had of men. I wanted to show her that with the Alpha King, she wasn’t just a partner—she was the one in charge of the night.

​"Don’t be shy," I encouraged, my thumb stroking the back of her hand. "The world is yours today. Just tell me what you want."