The Alpha Behind The Mask-Chapter 33: The Dream

​Aurora’s POV

​The car ride back was quiet, but my mind was screaming. The memory of what I had done in his guest room felt like it was burned into my brain. Every time I shifted in my seat, I felt the lingering ache between my legs, reminding me of how I had pleasured myself while thinking of him.

​"Aurora."

​His voice pulled me back to reality. I blinked and realized we were already parked in front of my apartment. I let out a long sigh, trying to look normal.

​He reached into the back seat and handed me a high-end shopping bag. "Your dress for the party," he said.

​"You shouldn’t have," I whispered, feeling overwhelmed.

​"I should," he countered firmly.

​"But... you don’t even know my size."

​He gave me a small, knowing smirk. "I’m an observant man, Aurora. I know."

​My face heated up. I thanked him quietly, but then he leaned in a little closer, his sea-blue eyes searching mine. "Are you okay? You’ve been very quiet."

​I wanted to scream. I wanted to tell him that I wasn’t okay at all—that just a few hours ago, I had pleasured myself while picturing his face and the face of the masked Dom. I wanted to ask him how I could possibly enjoy thinking about the man who I believed killed my parents.

​"I’m just tired," I lied, looking away.

​"Then go inside and rest," he said softly.

​But I knew I couldn’t rest. I was supposed to be at the club for my shift in an hour. I thanked him one last time and climbed out of the car. As I walked toward my building, I could feel his gaze on my back, heavy and intense. Just knowing he was watching me made my body react all over again; I felt a fresh wave of heat between my legs. Fuck!

​I hurried into my apartment, my heart racing. I was about to start changing for work when my phone rang. It was my manager from the club.

​"I’ll be there soon," I said as soon as I picked up.

​"Actually, Aurora, stay home," he replied. "One of the other girls needs extra hours because she’s traveling soon, so I’m giving you the night off."

​I nearly dropped the phone. "Really? Thank you!"

​I hung up, feeling a massive wave of relief. I didn’t have to go to that dark place tonight. I didn’t have to face the masked man. I collapsed onto my bed, still clutching the bag with the expensive dress, and let out a shaky breath.

​Minutes later, I fell into a deep sleep, but my mind wouldn’t give me any peace. The darkness of the room faded, and suddenly, what happened six years ago showed up.

​I was kneeling on the cold ground, screaming and sobbing over the lifeless bodies of my parents. But then, I heard footsteps.

​I looked up through my tears and saw him. It was Alpha Oliver. He didn’t look like a cold king; he looked like a savior. I scrambled to my feet and ran to him, burying my face in his chest. He wrapped his strong arms around me, holding me so tight that I felt safe for the first time since the attack.

​"I’ve got you, Aurora," he whispered into my hair, his voice deep and soothing. "I’ve got you. You’re safe now."

​I sobbed into his shirt, clinging to him as if he were the only thing keeping me from drowning. "Don’t leave me," I begged.

​"I’m here," he said.

​But then, the air turned ice cold. The warmth of his hug shifted into something restrictive—something dominant. I felt a strange sense of dread crawl up my spine. I slowly lifted my head to look at the man who was holding me, expecting to see Oliver’s sea-blue eyes.

​Instead, I was staring into the cold, expressionless leather of the mask. The Dom.

​His grip tightened, turning from a hug into a cage. He didn’t say anything, but the silence was deafening. The man who had just promised to protect me had turned into the monster I feared the most.

​"No!" I screamed.

​I jolted awake in my bed, my heart thumping wildly against my ribs. My sheets were tangled around my legs, and I was drenched in a cold sweat. I sat up, gasping for air, looking around my apartment to make sure I was really alone.

​The dream felt too real. The way Oliver had shifted into the Dom... it felt like a warning.

​I swallowed hard, my throat feeling tight and dry. I got up and stumbled to the kitchen for a bottle of water, my hands still shaking. It was just a dream, I told myself, gulping down the cold liquid. My mind was just playing tricks on me because I had been obsessing over both of them. I had spent the whole day comparing them, so of course my brain would mesh them together into one nightmare.

​I went back to bed, closed my eyes tight, and forced myself back to sleep, praying for silence this time.

​The Next Day

​It was a Saturday, so I slept all through the day; when I woke up and checked the time, it was already 1:30 PM. The sun was streaming through my window.

​I jumped out of bed, my heart racing for a different reason now. Alpha Oliver had told me he would pick me up by 2:00 PM. I didn’t have much time. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

​I showered quickly, my skin still feeling sensitive. Then, I reached for the high-end shopping bag he had given me. As I pulled the dress out, I gasped. It was stunning—the fabric felt like liquid silk against my fingers, and the color was a deep, rich navy-blue shade that I knew would make my skin glow.

​I slipped it on, and to my shock, it fit perfectly. It hugged my waist and flowed over my hips exactly the way a custom-made piece would. He really was an "observant man." I did my hair and kept my makeup simple, but I looked like a completely different person. I didn’t look like a struggling, wolfless girl; I looked like someone who belonged at the side of a King.

​At exactly 1:58 PM, I heard the heavy, familiar purr of a luxury car’s engine outside my window. My stomach did a nervous somersault.

​I grabbed my small clutch bag, took one last look in the mirror to make sure the "hunger" in my eyes from the night before was gone, and headed downstairs.

​He was standing by the car, dressed in a perfectly tailored dark suit. When he saw me, he froze. His sea-blue eyes traveled slowly from my head down to my toes, and for a second, the "gentleman" mask slipped. I saw a flash of that raw, dark heat I had seen in my dreams.

​"Aurora," he breathed, his voice vibrating with a depth that made my knees weak. "You look... incredible."

​"Thank you, Sir," I replied, feeling my face flush.

​He stepped forward and opened the door for me, his hand lingering near my waist but never quite touching. "I told you," he whispered as I slid into the leather seat, "I’m a very observant man."