Chapter 198: Why Did You Bring Her Here?

Hayley’s POV:

Before I could say anything, Benjamin quickly stepped in to explain, "I brought her here." As soon as the words left his mouth, the group exchanged glances and fell silent. I sensed the tension in the air and, trying to break the awkwardness, forced a smile and asked, “Would you guys like something to drink? I can get it for you.”

Hera was clearly upset to see an Alpha like me trying to please the lower-ranking werewolves. She had always been proud. However, right now, I was just an Omega. It took a little effort, but I managed to calm her down.

Henry was the first to speak up. “I’ll have a whiskey.” I nodded and turned to Christopher and Tanner. “How about you two?” Tanner flashed a wicked smile. “Whiskey too.” Christopher gave me a knowing glance before replying, “A cocktail.”

I made a mental note of their orders and then turned to Benjamin. “What about you?” Benjamin casually ran his tongue over his lips and answered, “Orange juice.” The others widened their eyes in disbelief. Benjamin was going for orange juice now? They opened their mouths, but none of them dared to ask why. After all, Benjamin wasn’t just their older brother—he was also the Alpha of the Midnight Pack.

I wondered what their expressions would be like once they discovered that I was also an Alpha—especially considering that they had been giving me orders and expecting me to serve them. I couldn’t wait to see it.

After I placed the orange juice order, I headed out of the room for the restroom. After I left, Christopher immediately approached Benjamin. “Ben, what’s going on? Why did you bring her here? We never invite women to our brotherhood gatherings.” Tanner smirked and crossed his arms as he looked at Benjamin. “Ben’s thoughts are hard to predict, but one thing’s for sure: He’s bringing Hayley into our circle.” Henry looked at Benjamin in bewilderment. “Ben, do you like her?”

Benjamin, however, remained calm. “It’s not a big deal. She was bored at home alone, so I brought her here. Don’t overthink it.” The tension eased at his answer, and the three of them relaxed. They actually thought Benjamin was interested in Hayley, but it seemed like they’d been reading too much into it.

Just then, I returned and announced, “I’ve got your drinks ordered.”

Hayley’s POV

When I entered, the atmosphere was much lighter, and all the tension from before had dissipated. Henry grinned and said, “Thanks, boss. Since we’re all here, let’s play together.” Tanner greeted me warmly. “Hayley, do you play cards?” I nodded. “Sort of.” “Great,” he said. “How about we play a round of cards?” With that, he signaled the waiter to bring a new deck of cards.

All five of us took our seats around the table. I had played cards before, though my skills were average among the Alphas. But compared to these Betas, I managed fairly well, and by the end of the round, I’d won quite a bit.

“Boss, you’re so good at this! You won all these chips after just a couple of rounds!” Henry looked at me in surprise. I didn’t know how to explain, so I stayed silent. He glanced at the pile of chips in front of him, now reduced by half, and complained to Benjamin, “Ben, couldn’t you go easy on me and let me win?”

Benjamin, unfazed, responded, “Games are meant to be played seriously. What’s the point of letting you win?” Henry sighed and then encouraged the other two. “Come on, Christopher, Tanner, you guys need to step it up.” Henry continued to whine, while Christopher and Tanner exchanged glances and shook their heads. “How many times have we played cards with Ben and actually won?” Tanner said with a touch of frustration.

I couldn’t help but look at Benjamin. “I didn’t realize you were this good.” Benjamin’s expression didn’t change as he said, “Just playing for fun.” His skills were top-notch among the Alphas; I wasn’t fooled by his humble reply.

We continued to play cards, and around 11 at night, Henry called it quits. “I’m done; I’ve got school tomorrow. Let’s call it a night.” Christopher echoed, “I’ve got work early tomorrow too. Let’s wrap it up.” I had no objections and was ready to leave.

Then Tanner stood up and announced, “Alright, I’m going to pay the bill.” With that, he walked toward the door. I put down my cards, checked the time, and realized it was late. So, I followed Benjamin out of the private room.

As we walked toward the lobby, laughing and chatting, Hera suddenly seemed irritated. I looked up and saw, not far ahead, Irving approaching with a voluptuous woman on his arm.