The Alpha Behind The Mask-Chapter 74: The Reasons

​Aurora’s POV

"Are you okay?" I whispered, my voice thick with worry. I remembered the way he had shielded me with his body during the crash. He must have taken the worst of the impact.

​I reached up slowly, my fingers brushing the dark wool of his sweater, right over his heart. It was beating fast—erratic and hard—matching the frantic rhythm of my own.

​Oliver’s eyes shut for a brief second as if my touch was a relief he hadn’t dared to hope for.

"I’m fine, Aurora," he said, his voice rough and strained.

His gaze moved over my face, checking my eyes, my breathing, the bandage wrapped around my head.

"I’m fine. Just stay still."

For a moment, we fell into silence.

We simply stared at each other while the chaos of the living room faded into the background. The moment in the jet replayed again and again in my mind. The tilted floor. The flashing red lights. The way he had pulled me against him.

And his voice.

I love you, Aurora. I love you so much.

Even with the engines screaming and metal tearing apart around us, I had heard it clearly.

​As if he could read my thoughts, Oliver leaned closer. His blue eyes searched mine carefully, looking for something—some sign that I remembered.

​"Aurora," he started, his voice hushed. "Do you remember... anything? Anything I said right before we hit the ground?"

​My heart leapt painfully into my throat.

Of course I remembered.

Every word.

But as I looked at him—the Alpha King, the man who lived in a world so far above mine—panic crept into my chest.

I wasn’t ready for this.

If I admitted that I heard him... if I accepted that he loved me... then I would also be admitting that I wanted him too.

And what about Raymond? My mind was tangled with him; I couldn’t explain it.

​"I... I think I have a concussion," I said, my voice trembling as I forced myself to look away. "Some of my memories... they’re just blank. Everything feels blurry."

​Oliver’s face fell. It was subtle, but I saw the light in his eyes dim. He looked pained, his jaw tightening as he processed the fact that his confession had seemingly vanished into the void of my trauma.

​"What can you remember?" he asked, trying to keep his voice steady.

​"I remember the plane shaking," I listed, avoiding his gaze. "I remember the red lights. I remember the pilot’s voice. And then... just the impact. The rest is just... empty."

​I didn’t mention the confession.

I didn’t mention the kiss.

​Oliver stared at me for a long time, his eyes filled with pain he couldn’t hide. He looked like he wanted to scream, to shake me, to tell me again—but he didn’t. He looked defeated.

​"It’s normal to have a concussion," the healer said, stepping in to check my vitals. "The brain often blocks out the moments of highest stress to protect itself. Those memories might never come back, Alpha."

​Oliver nodded slowly.

When he looked back at me, the warmth I had seen on the plane had vanished. The cold composure of the Alpha King slid back into place like a mask.

"I see," he said quietly. "As long as she’s physically stable, that’s all that matters."

He stood abruptly.

"Rest, Aurora," he added. "You’re in my mother’s Packhouse. You’re safe here. I have some calls to make."

Then he turned and walked away.

I watched the tension in his shoulders as he left the room, and a small stab of guilt twisted inside my chest.

​After Oliver left, the healers gently helped me move from the floor onto a plush velvet couch.

​"Your room is ready, dear. You should come and lie down," a soft, regal voice broke through my thoughts.

​I looked up to see Luna Hailee.

​I stood up on shaky legs, my gaze briefly meeting Alpha Oscar’s. He was standing by the door, his eyes narrowed with a sharp, suspicious intensity that made me feel like he was peeling back my skin to see the lies underneath. I quickly looked away, following the Luna down the long, ornate hallway.

​The guest room was massive. I sat on the edge of the bed, feeling small and out of place. Hailee handed me a glass of water, her expression softening.

​"It was a miracle everyone came out alive," she murmured, sitting beside me.

​"What do you think caused it?" I asked, my voice trembling as I gripped the glass.

​"I believe it was an assassination attempt on my son." she said, her voice turning worried. "He has many enemies, Aurora. Being the King means living with a target on your back."

​I nodded slowly. Of course. The crash wasn’t an accident; it was a message. My mind drifted back to the plane—the way Oliver hadn’t hesitated for a second to cover my body with his.

​"Are you and my son dating?" she asked suddenly.

I nearly choked on the water. "No!" I panicked. the word coming out too fast. "No, I’m just his assistant. His secretary."

​Hailee smiled, a knowing, motherly tilt of her lips. "He doesn’t see you as an assistant. I know Oliver. I know all my sons. He likes you—more than likes you. And I think you know that. You just don’t want to accept it. Why?"

​I swallowed hard, the lump in my throat feeling like a stone.

​"You can talk to me, Aurora," she encouraged, her voice dropping to a whisper. "We are women. Sometimes the heart is heavier when you carry its secrets alone." 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

​The dam finally broke. A hot tear escaped and rolled down my cheek, followed by another. "I’m scared," I whispered, the words tumbling out. "We are from different worlds. He is the Alpha King... and I’m just a girl without a wolf. I don’t want to pull him down. I don’t want to be his weakest spot, the vulnerability his enemies use to destroy him."

​I wiped my eyes, but the truth kept pouring out.

"And besides... what if this feeling is just for a while? What if it’s just infatuation born from desire? And..." I hesitated, my heart racing. "I think I have feelings for another man, too. Someone who came to me when I was lonely... someone I can’t explain."

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