The Alpha Behind The Mask-Chapter 94: When I Return
Oliver’s POV
I didn’t waste a second. I mind-linked Alpha Silas of the Claw Pack, my strongest military ally. "Silas, redirect two companies of your elite warriors to Silver Brook. Vampires have breached their border. Move now. I will meet you on the ground."
"Understood, Alpha King. We are moving," Silas responded quickly.
I grabbed my jacket, already mind-linking my pilot to have the helicopter prepped on the roof. When I stepped out of my office, Aurora was still there, her back rigid, still pointedly ignoring me. But as I neared her desk, she must have felt the shift in the atmosphere.
"Aurora," I said, stopping at her desk. "If you’re done for the day, you can go home. You don’t have to wait for me."
She finally looked up, her brow furrowing as she took in my rigid form and the look in my eyes. The anger she had been holding onto flickered out, replaced by a sudden, sharp intuition.
"Where are you going?" she asked, her voice small.
I debated lying to her, but she was my assistant—and she was mine. She deserved the truth. "A small pack is being attacked by a vampire coven. I have to go. I’ll be back late tonight, or early tomorrow morning."
I saw the blood drain from her face. She stood up, her hands trembling as she gripped the edge of her desk. "Vampires? Why do you have to go? You have thousands of warriors, Oliver. You can send them. Why put yourself in danger?"
"I am the Alpha King, Aurora," I said, my voice softening just a little. "Every war in every pack is my war. My presence on that battlefield changes the morale of our men. My skills... I can save lives that warriors cannot."
"No," she whispered, shaking her head. She walked around the desk, the fear in her eyes clear and haunting. "It’s too dangerous. What if they... what if you don’t come back?"
I couldn’t help it. Seeing her worry for me—for Oliver—thawed the ice around my heart. I reached out and pulled her into my arms, tucking her head under my chin. She didn’t fight me this time. She leaned into me, her small hands clutching the back of my jacket as she hugged me tight. I closed my eyes, inhaling the sweet, calming scent of her hair, letting it anchor me before I went into the battle.
"I will be fine, Aurora," I murmured into her ear. "This isn’t my first war, and it won’t be my last. I have survived much worse than a few leeches."
She pulled back just enough to look at me, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. She still looked terrified. I reached up, cupping her face in my hands, my thumbs wiping away the moisture at the corners of her eyes. I leaned down and kissed her—not the desperate kiss from the car, but a deep, passionate kiss. I pulled back slowly, my gaze locked onto hers.
"When I return," I said, my voice deep and rough. "If you still want this—if you’re still certain—I won’t hold back. I will fuck you until you won’t be able to walk for the whole day."
I didn’t wait for her to answer. I just turned and walked toward the elevator. We kept our eyes locked on each other as the doors began to slide shut, finally separating us.
The loud noise of the helicopter was still in my ears as I jumped onto the bloody grass. The air smelled like metal and burnt sugar. The wolf warriors were already fighting the vampires.
I stepped forward and released my power as the Alpha King. Instantly, the battlefield fell into silence.
The vampires moved back and stared at me with their red eyes. A tall, thin man came out from the trees. He was fully clothed and looked very clean, even though he was in the middle of a war.
"You’re finally here," Simon, the coven leader, said with a mocking bow. "We finally got your attention, King Oliver."
I stepped into the center of the clearing, my claws unsheathing from my hands. "Simon," I spat in annoyance. "What do you want? Why are you slaughtering a peaceful pack?"
"The land at the back of this territory," Simon said, gesturing vaguely toward the forest behind us. "It belongs to my coven. It’s sacred ground. It does not belong to these dogs."
"That’s a lie!" Alpha Miller shouted, his shoulder bleeding from a deep tear. "That land has been part of the Silver Brook Pack for generations! It’s our ancestral hunting ground!"
The argument continued, the snarls of wolves meeting the hissed threats of the vampires. I watched Simon closely. He didn’t care about the land; he was looking at me with a hungry, twisted curiosity. He was looking for a challenge.
"You know what?" Simon said, silencing his coven with a sharp wave of his hand. "I’ve heard so much about your skills, Oliver. The great Alpha King, the invincible warrior. I want to taste it for myself."
He stepped closer, a cold, predatory smile stretching across his face.
"Just you and I," he proposed, his eyes fixed on me. "A duel. If you win, the pack keeps the land and we leave. But if I win... I take the land. And perhaps a trophy from the King himself."
"Sire, no!" Silas growled, stepping up beside me in his semi-shifted form. "It’s a trap. Let us tear them apart."
I held up a hand to silence Silas. My mind flashed back to the packhouse—to Aurora’s terrified eyes and the promise I had left. I had a kingdom to protect and a woman to get back to. I didn’t have time for a prolonged war.
"Step back, Silas," I commanded, my voice vibrating with Alpha power.
I stripped off my jacket, tossing it to the ground. I didn’t shift into my full wolf; I stayed in my human form, letting my strength and speed settle into my muscles.
"I accept your terms, Simon," I said, my gaze locking onto his. "But when I win, you don’t just leave this land. You leave this territory and never return. Or I will hunt your entire coven until there is nothing left but dust."
Simon laughed, a high, chilling sound. "Deal."
