Alpha Hayley’s Destined Mate

Chapter 582: Teased

Hayley’s POV: 79% +8 Pearls

Tina didn’t seem to heed my warning. She gave me a quick glance before confidently stepping into the elevator as the doors opened, swiftly hitting the close button. Within seconds, she was gone, disappearing from view.

Once she was gone, I sank to the floor just outside the hospital room. The air was thick with an almost palpable warning to stay away.

Benjamin walked over and sat beside me, gently taking both my hands in his. He began to massage them, starting at my fingertips and slowly working his way up to my wrists, which were marked red from the tension.

“You should think about becoming a massage therapist,” I teased, my voice light and playful.

He smiled warmly, his hands never ceasing their soothing movements. “Maybe I will. How would you feel about being my first client?”

“Eh, I’ll think about it,” I responded, playing along.

After a moment of silence, I shifted to a more serious tone. “Aren’t you going to ask me about what Tina said earlier?”

Benjamin paused, his fingers briefly stilling before he shook his head. A small, reassuring smile formed on his face. “Unless you want to tell me, I won’t ask.”

I felt a wave of warmth at his respect for my privacy. Taking a deep breath, I fought back the lump in my throat. “I promise, when the time is right, I’ll tell you everything. But for now… I can’t.”

The truth was, I had powerful enemies lurking in the shadows, watching my every move. If I revealed my true identity as the Alpha of Shadow Pack and remained with Benjamin, they would direct all their anger and hatred toward him.

Once I had dealt with them all…

He wrapped his arms around me, offering comfort with a gentle pat on my back. “Okay.”

His gaze suddenly shifted to the red marks on my hands, where his grip had left a faint imprint. His look was filled with tenderness, and my heart fluttered.

With concern in his voice, he asked, “Can you promise me something? Whenever things get tense, and I’m around… don’t get involved in the fighting. Let me handle it.”

“I’ll try,” I replied honestly, not wanting to give him false hope. We were still only engaged, and Grandma’s safety was my responsibility. I could never stand idly by when my family was in danger.

“It seems like you’re not quite ready to take Jonah’s life yet,” Benjamin said, his tone playful yet serious.

“Who said that?” I frowned, unable to recall ever saying anything like that.

Benjamin met my gaze, his eyes intense yet warm, a teasing smile on his lips. “Or do you think, as the Alpha of Midnight Pack, I’m truly that incompetent? Do you think I’d let the Southwell Group collapse?”

In that moment, it clicked: Benjamin, like me, was an Alpha with immense potential. I should have had the same trust in him that I had in myself. He had enough skill and confidence to keep the Southwell Group standing, just as I had the strength to deal with the challenges I was facing.

That meant there was no need for me to go after Jonah, and his life would be spared.

Frustration furrowed my brow. “I was too hasty.”

Benjamin reached up and affectionately ruffled my hair. “It’s okay, my angel. I believe in myself. Trust me, I can handle this.”

“Angel?” I was caught off guard by his words. Someone like me—always ready to strike back with ruthless vengeance, someone who wouldn’t hesitate to destroy anyone who crossed me—yet, Benjamin still thought of me as an angel?

I took his hand off my head and, with mock seriousness, said, “Mr. Southwell, my approach to things is hardly angelic.”

Benjamin chuckled softly, pulling me into a tight embrace. His voice was full of warmth and authority as he whispered, “To me, you’re an angel.”

A rush of warmth spread across my cheeks, and my heart skipped a beat. Just being near him, hearing the steady rhythm of his heartbeat, filled me with a deep sense of peace and comfort that I couldn’t fully explain. Here, too, was calm within me, content for the first time in what felt like ages.

As we sat there, wrapped in each other’s arms, the sound of the elevator doors opening broke the silence. A middle-aged couple, both in their 40s, hurried out of the elevator, their faces filled with urgency. They paused briefly, glanced at a nearby room, and then headed straight toward us.