The Alpha Behind The Mask-Chapter 20: Panic Attack

Aurora’s POV

​The door opened slowly, and I stepped into the lion’s den. Oliver was sitting behind his desk, his face etched with a big frown. He didn’t even look up at me. The air in the room felt heavy, charged with an intense energy that made the hair on my arms stand up.

​"Sit," he commanded. "I have a stack of reports that need urgent filing and cross-referencing. You’re working late and here in my office."

​My heart plummeted. "But, Your Majesty—"

​"Did I ask for your opinion?" he snapped, his eyes finally lifting to meet mine. They were icy, full of a strange, possessive rage I couldn’t understand. "You’re my assistant. You work when and where I want you to work."

​I bit my lip to keep from crying out in frustration. I sat down and pulled the heavy stack of papers toward me. For hours I worked on the report while sitting across from Alpha Oliver. The only time I took a break was when I ate lunch or needed to use the restroom.

​Hours later, my mind began aching. It was already 5:00 PM. My shift at the club started at 8:00 PM. I couldn’t be late. I was already drowning in my brother’s hospital bills.

​A few minutes passed. The only sound in the office was the scratching of my pen and the occasional click of Oliver’s keyboard. Every time I glanced at the clock on the wall, my anxiety spiked.

​6:00 PM. 7:00 PM.

​Oliver seemed to be enjoying my discomfort. He would toss more papers onto my pile just as I neared the end. He was punishing me, though I had no idea why. Was he angry that Alpha Knox had talked to me?

​Finally, he looked up at me. "You may leave," he dismissed me.

​Inhaling deeply, I got up, and without looking his way, I walked out of his office and into the elevator. But the moment the elevator door closed, the lights went off.

​My heart raced as the elevator jolted to a stop, the sudden darkness swallowing me whole. Panic surged through me, and I couldn’t control the scream that tore from my throat.

​"Help! Somebody, please help!" I yelled, banging on the walls of the elevator. My hands shook uncontrollably as I fumbled for the emergency button, but it didn’t respond. The darkness was suffocating, pressing in on me from all sides. I could feel cold sweat trickling down my back, and my breathing grew rapid and shallow.

​"Please, anyone!" I shouted again, my voice breaking. The fear of being trapped here alone was overwhelming, dredging up old memories I’d fought hard to bury. I had always hated the dark, ever since the assassination, and now it felt like the walls were closing in on me.

​Just when I thought I couldn’t take it anymore, I heard a voice—a deep, calm voice that cut through the darkness like a lifeline. "Aurora, it’s okay. Calm down."

​It was Alpha Oliver.

​His voice was muffled, coming from the other side of the elevator doors, but it was unmistakably him. I pressed myself against the cold metal door, desperate to feel some connection to the outside world. "Alpha Oliver! Please, get me out of here!" My voice was laced with fear, and I hated how weak I sounded, but I couldn’t help it. The darkness was too much.

​"I’m working on it," he replied, his tone steady and reassuring. "Just breathe, Aurora. You’re not alone."

​I tried to focus on his words, but my chest tightened with every passing second. The pitch-black surroundings seemed to close in even more, and I started to hyperventilate. "I can’t... I can’t breathe..."

​"Yes, you can," Oliver’s voice came again, firmer this time. "Listen to me, Aurora. Take a deep breath. In through your nose, out through your mouth. Focus on my voice."

​I did as he said, struggling to control my breathing. In through my nose, out through my mouth. Slowly, the tightness in my chest began to ease, and I could feel my panic receding, if only slightly.

​"That’s it," Oliver continued, his voice still calm and soothing. "Keep breathing. The power should be back on any minute now. Just hold on."

​I nodded, even though he couldn’t see me, clutching the railing inside the elevator as if it were a lifeline. The minutes stretched on, feeling like an eternity, but somehow, his presence on the other side of the doors kept me grounded.

​After what felt like forever, the elevator finally hummed back to life. The lights flickered on, and I let out a sob of relief as I was bathed in the warm glow. I could see again; I was no longer trapped in that suffocating darkness.

​The doors slid open, revealing Alpha Oliver standing there, his expression unreadable but his eyes searching my face. "Are you okay?"

​The sight of him was more overwhelming than I could have anticipated. The tension and fear that had gripped me in the darkness suddenly surged, and before I could stop myself, I threw my arms around him, clinging to him as if he were the only solid thing in a world that had crumbled around me.

​He didn’t hesitate. His strong arms wrapped around me, pulling me close, holding me with a firmness that was both protective and comforting. The steady rise and fall of his chest beneath my cheek was grounding, and I found myself melting into his embrace, feeling a sense of security I hadn’t felt in a long time.

​"It’s okay, Aurora," he murmured softly into my hair, his voice a soothing balm to my frayed nerves. "You’re safe. I’m here."

​His words seeped into me, washing away the remnants of panic that had clung to me like a second skin. In his arms, the fear that had consumed me in the elevator seemed to fade, almost like it had never existed. My breathing slowed, my racing heart began to calm, and for a moment, all the tension I’d been carrying seemed to disappear, leaving me in a bubble of peace I hadn’t known I needed.

​I could feel his hand gently stroking my back, and it sent a shiver down my spine—not from fear, but from the unexpected comfort of his touch. It was a side of Alpha Oliver I hadn’t seen before, one that was tender, caring. His presence was like a shield, and in that moment, I didn’t want to let go. I wanted to stay wrapped in the safety of his arms, away from all the darkness and chaos of the world.

​But then reality came crashing back, and with it, the sharp realization of what I was doing. I was hugging the Alpha King.

​Shame and unease flooded me, and I quickly pulled away, taking a shaky step back. My heart was still racing, but for an entirely different reason now. I couldn’t meet his eyes, too embarrassed by how vulnerable I’d just been.

​"I—I’m sorry," I stammered, wrapping my arms around myself as if trying to hold on to the last bits of my dignity. "I didn’t mean to..."

​He didn’t say anything right away, and the silence was suffocating. I could still feel the ghost of his embrace lingering on my skin, and it took everything in me not to reach out to him again. When I finally dared to glance up at him, his expression was unreadable, but there was something in his eyes—something almost tender.

​"Don’t apologize," he said softly, his voice still holding that same warmth from earlier.

​I nodded, unable to find the right words. There was so much I wanted to say, to ask, but the words stuck in my throat. All I knew was that for those few moments, when he held me, I had felt something I hadn’t felt in my entire life.

​"I’ll be fine from here," I finally managed to say, taking another step back, putting distance between us.

​"I will take the stairs this time," I murmured and turned to leave, but his words stopped me. "Wait, I will drop you home."

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