Chapter 63: Is Loving Him My Destiny?

Hayley’s POV:

“What are you doing, Benjamin? Let me go!” I struggled instinctively, feeling utterly flustered. If it weren’t for the darkness enveloping the mountaintop, he’d surely see how flushed my cheeks had become. They were as red as a ripe apple.

Benjamin furrowed his brows, looking at me. “Didn’t you say your leg hurt?”

I averted my gaze, trying to explain, “But I can still walk—”

“It’s no big deal. It’s dark, and the path is slippery. This is just a few steps, after all.”

His words made me swallow my retort, and I reluctantly settled into his embrace as he lifted me effortlessly onto a large rock.

Inside me, Hera was practically buzzing with excitement, urging me to cling to him and mark him as my own. I fought her off, and as Benjamin crouched in front of me to check my injury, I focused on staying composed.

“Lucky for you, it’s not broken. Just some surface wounds. With your Omega rank, you’ll heal fine on your own, but a little ointment will speed things up,” he said, his voice steady. In truth, I had twisted my left ankle, but my strong constitution meant I would recover quickly.

“Oh, thank you, Benjamin,” I said sincerely.

He stood up and turned to his subordinate behind him. “Contact Henry and have him meet us at the foot of the mountain.”

“Yes, Alpha,” the subordinate replied, bowing respectfully before swiftly transforming into a wolf and darting away.

Then he faced me and spoke directly, “I’m carrying you down.”

It wasn’t a question; it was a command, and I hastily protested, “No, really, I can walk!”

Unfortunately, Benjamin didn’t give me a chance to refuse. He crouched down in front of me, and after a moment of hesitation, I climbed onto his back.

Benjamin carried me down the mountain. I realized this was the first time a man had carried me like this. Beyond Hera’s eagerness to bask in his scent—something that thrilled her as she recognized him as our destined mate—I felt a strange flutter in my heart, like a flock of startled deer.

Was the Moon Goddess’s arrangement truly this unbreakable? If he was meant to be my fated mate, did that mean falling for him, even loving him, was my destiny?

But I vividly remembered his warnings to me…

Echoing in my mind, I silently urged myself to stay calm, allowing Benjamin to carry me as his Alpha strength made the descent effortless.

Before long, we reached the Southwells’ Residence. My incident had already stirred up quite a commotion, and upon entering, I found George waiting for me in the living room.

“Ah, Hayz, you’re finally back! How’s your condition? Is everything alright?” His concern was palpable as he rushed to my side.

“Grandpa Southwell, I’m alright! Thanks to Benjamin.”

The old man’s expression turned stern. “Who dares to do such a thing right under my nose? Ben, you need to find out who is behind this. We won’t tolerate this matter.”

“Once we uncover the truth, they should be expelled from the pack! No, we’ll make sure they face severe consequences!” George’s commanding presence filled the room with a heavy sense of urgency.

“Yes, Grandpa. I’ll make sure we get to the bottom of this,” Benjamin replied seriously, nodding in agreement.

“Alright, you’ve done enough for today. Get some rest,” George said, then turned his gaze back to me. “Hayz, you’ve been through a lot. Don’t worry; Grandpa will make sure you get justice.”

“Thank you, Grandpa Southwell!” I smiled gratefully at him.

I hadn’t intended to involve the Southwells from the start. After all, this was my personal grudge, and I knew I couldn’t let it slide. Whoever was behind this, I wouldn’t rest until they faced consequences. Moreover, since it was an incident involving the Midnight Pack, if Grandpa Southwell didn’t take action, it could impact the alliance between the Midnight Pack and our Shadow Pack.

Once I was back in my room, I locked the door and quickly contacted my beta, Thomas.

“Alpha, are you alright?” he asked, concern lacing his voice.

“Sorry, when I got your message, I rushed over, but Benjamin and his team got to you first, so I slipped away to avoid exposing our connection,” he reported.

“No worries, I need you to help me with something,” I said, a mischievous idea forming in my mind—a prank to punish those reckless enough to target me.

I had a strong suspicion about who was behind this. A dangerous smile tugged at my lips as I gave Thomas a line of orders…