Chapter 169: What Happened?
Hayley’s POV:
I glanced at my reflection in the mirror and let out a relieved sigh. Thankfully, my makeup hadn’t smudged—fixing it would have been such a hassle. After confirming everything was in place, I stepped out of the bathroom.
Benjamin, who had been sleeping on the ground, was already awake. I felt a bit awkward facing him now. Still, I asked, “Are you alright?”
He replied softly, “I’m fine.” Then, with a slight motion, he gestured toward me. “Come here.”
He urged me to approach him, his excitement palpable. I hesitated briefly but gave in and walked closer. As I got nearer, my eyes caught sight of dried blood staining his pant leg.
“What happened to your leg? Are you hurt badly?” I asked, crouching down for a closer look. His pant leg was completely soaked in dried blood.
“It’s nothing, just a minor injury,” Benjamin said casually. “Don’t forget that I’m an Alpha. The wound’s already healed—it only looks bad because of the scabbing. Help me up. When we dock, I’ll have Tyrone apply some medicine to it.”
I frowned, still worried. “Your wound seems serious. You should go to the hospital.”
Ignoring his insistence, I helped him over to the couch and sat him down. My eyes stayed on his leg as unease churned inside me. It felt as though the injury on his body had left a deep ache in my heart, too. I couldn’t help but think about what he’d done. He didn’t have to hurt himself, but he still did—to protect me.
My voice wavered as I asked, “Does it hurt?”
“It doesn’t,” Benjamin answered, his tone light and unbothered. I knew he was trying to act tough, his pride stopping him from admitting the truth. But I had already decided—once we docked, I’d take him to the hospital whether he wanted to go or not. Even Alphas weren’t invincible. Losing that much blood was dangerous, no matter how strong he was.
As we talked, loud noises began echoing from outside, growing louder by the second. “What’s going on out there?” I asked, confused.
Benjamin’s expression hardened. “I don’t know either. Something is probably happening.”
Meanwhile, Room 2203 was packed with people, all staring in disbelief at the sight in front of them—a man and a woman, both completely exposed, lying on the bed. The crowd had gathered after hearing about unidentified intruders breaking into the cabin. Security guards had rushed to unlock the door for everyone’s safety, but instead of finding any intruders, they stumbled upon a scandalous scene.
“Wait, isn’t that Ms. Kilmer? What’s she doing here?”
“Didn’t Ms. Kilmer say she was single? Did she find a mate?”
“Who is that guy? Is he her destined mate? He doesn’t look like a pure-race werewolf.”
Whispers filled the room as everyone tried to make sense of the situation. If not for their respect for Philip’s reputation, many would have already taken out their phones to snap photos.
“Madeline…” Jessica muttered in shock as she took in the scene. When her eyes landed on the man beside her, she froze in place. “W-what’s going on?”
Sophie, equally stunned, stammered, “T-isn’t he—” Before she could finish, Jessica clamped a hand over her mouth, silencing her. The two exchanged nervous glances, swallowing their words. Quietly, they slipped to the side, trying to remain as unnoticed as possible.
Philip, alerted by his maid, arrived moments later. But the scene before him completely shattered his composure. The carefully maintained image of his household crumbled in an instant. His face flushed red with fury as he bellowed, “Wake them up! Now!”
Jessica and Sophie flinched at his outburst, shivering slightly. They had planned to get Benjamin and Madeline together, but now things had gone wrong. Benjamin was nowhere to be found. Instead, a strange man was lying in his place.
Gripping Sophie’s sleeve, Jessica whispered anxiously, “What are we supposed to do? What if Madeline wakes up and transforms? She might rip us apart!”