The Alpha Behind The Mask-Chapter 99: Similarities

​Aurora’s POV

​I stared at Oliver, my heart hammering so hard against my ribs I was sure he could hear it. He sat there, his chest bare and his eyes filled with a heat that made my skin tingle. He wasn’t acting like the cold, distant King the world knew. He was looking at me like I was the only person who mattered.

​"I... I’ve never really let myself think about it," I whispered, my voice trembling. "I spent so long just trying to survive. I thought that part of me was dead."

​I took a shaky breath and looked into his deep blue eyes. If I was going to do this, I wanted to be brave. I wanted to leave the shadows of my past behind—the memory of my parents’ deaths and the way Raymond had treated me.

​"I don’t want a thousand candles or a fancy mountain top," I said, finally finding my voice. " I want it to be quiet... just us, somewhere no one can find us. No guards, no duties, no phones."

​I bit my lip, feeling my face grow even hotter. "And I want it to be slow, Oliver. I want the lights on. I want to see you. I want to know for sure that it’s you holding me, and not just another dream that’s going to turn into a nightmare when I wake up."

​Oliver’s expression softened, and for a second, I saw a flash of something in his eyes—was it guilt? But before I could process it, he leaned in and pressed a soft, lingering kiss to my forehead.

​"A quiet place," he murmured against my skin. "Just us. Slow. Lights on. I can do that, Aurora. I can do all of that."

​He pulled back, his thumb tracing the line of my jaw. "My private apartment... we will go there."

​I nodded, a small smile finally breaking through my nerves. "Okay. When?"

​"Now," he said, standing up and reaching out his hand to me. "We’re leaving the packhouse. No servants. Just you and me."

​I took his hand, feeling the strength in his grip. As I stood up, I noticed he looked down at his wrist almost nervously. I wondered for a second why he was so worried about his wrist, but then he pulled me into a hug, and the scent of him washed away every doubt in my mind.

​"Get dressed, darling," he whispered into my ear. "We have ten hours left, and I intend to make every second count."

​I spent a long time in the bath, letting the hot water calm my nerves... I was nervous, but it wasn’t the kind of cold fear I used to feel. It was a buzzing, electric anticipation.

​When I stepped out, a maid was already waiting in the bedroom. She didn’t say much, just bowed and laid out a new dress on the bed. It was a red bodycon dress that fit me perfectly, hugging every curve of my body.

​I was just finishing with the zipper when the door opened. Oliver walked in, looking breathtaking and heart-stoppingly handsome in a simple black shirt and dark trousers. He stopped for a second, his gaze raking over me until my skin felt like it was on fire.

​"All set," he said, his voice dropping to a husky tone. "Let’s go."

​I followed him down to the garage. There were no guards following us, no motorcade waiting. It was just us. He opened the door of a sleek, black car for me and then got into the driver’s seat himself.

He drove himself, one hand resting casually on the wheel, his posture relaxed in a way I had never seen before. It felt... normal.

Almost like we were just two people.

Not a King and his assistant.

​We drove in a comfortable silence; the window was down so the afternoon breeze was fanning my face.

I recognized the route. We were heading to his private apartment—the one I had visited once before, right after his mother’s birthday party.

​When we arrived, the penthouse felt different. It was quiet, shielded from the chaos of the packhouse. Oliver’s housekeeper met us at the door with a polite nod.

​"Go on in, Aurora," Oliver said softly, his hand lingering on the small of my back. "I need to have a few words with her. I’ll be right behind you."

​I nodded and stepped into the foyer. The apartment was exactly as I remembered—elegant, masculine, and smelling faintly of him. I wandered into the spacious living area, my heels clicking softly on the polished floors.

​My eyes wandered over the shelves and side tables, looking at the small pieces of his life he kept tucked away here. That’s when I saw it. Tucked behind a small jade statue was a silver-framed photograph.

​I picked it up, my brow furrowing. It was a photo of two young men. One was clearly a younger Oliver, already wearing that heavy, kingly expression. But the boy standing next to him... he looked like a twisted reflection. He had Oliver’s bone structure but a different kind of look in his eyes. I furrowed my brow... wondering who the hell this was...

​I traced the glass over the other boy’s face. He looked so much like the man I was falling for, yet the energy in the photo felt completely different. It felt cold.

​"That’s my cousin...," Oliver’s voice rumbled from the doorway.

​I jumped, nearly dropping the frame. He was standing there, watching me with an unreadable expression. He walked over, his presence filling the room, and gently took the photo from my hands. He set it face-down on the table without a word.

​He stepped closer, his presence overwhelming, heat radiating from his body.

"I didn’t bring you here to look at the past, Aurora."

​I swallowed hard. "Who is he?"

​Oliver didn’t hesitate. "My cousin... and we aren’t on good terms. This photo is here for a reason."

​He reached out, his fingers grazing my jawline, and I felt that familiar spark jump between us. He looked down at me, his blue eyes dark with a promise that made my knees weak.

​"Forget about everything else... We have less than nine hours left," he whispered, his thumb catching my lower lip. "How do you want to spend the first one?"

​"I want to swim," I said excitedly.

​Oliver’s lips quirked into a slow, devastating smile. "A swim it is. Let’s go, then."

​I followed him through the glass doors at the back of the penthouse. The terrace opened up to a massive infinity pool that seemed to spill right into the city skyline. The water was a crystal blue, shimmering under the afternoon sun.

​Before I could even reach the edge, Oliver began to undress. He didn’t hesitate or look away. He pulled his black shirt over his head, revealing the hard, corded muscles of his back and the faint, fresh scar on his shoulder. Then, he reached for the button of his trousers.

​I stood frozen as he stripped down until he was standing completely naked before me. My breath hitched, and my eyes involuntarily dropped to his cock. My heart skipped a beat, then began to hammer with a panicked, rhythmic pace.

​He was huge. Magnificent and terrifying all at once.

​I panicked. How is that going to fit inside me? The thought of it was scary. I was small, and he was built like a god. The realization that this—this massive, intimidating part of him—would soon be inside me made my knees feel like water. I was terrified. I was nervous.

​But as I stared, a cold shiver that had nothing to do with the breeze washed over me. I had seen a cock like that before. I swallowed hard, my mind racing back to the dark, scented room at the club. The same impressive length. The same distinct curve. Even the shape of the cap... it was a perfect match.

​The same size. The same shape. The same...everything.