Chapter 12: I Might Lose Control

Hayley’s POV

His smile was so dazzling it made me think of my grandpa, causing my anger to fade. I explained, “Benjamin told me to throw away his jacket, but Henry misunderstood me.”

Henry appeared disbelieving. “Ben, is that true?”

While Benjamin didn’t tell me to discard the jacket, he didn’t stop me from doing so. So, he answered, “Yes.”

George looked relieved and said, “It was indeed a misunderstanding. Henry, apologize to Hayley.”

Henry, though he knew he was at fault, looked unconvinced, his eyes reddening.

“Apologize!” George urged.

Clenching his fists, Henry said through gritted teeth, “I’m sorry.”

I felt a bit guilty, despite not having done anything wrong. I replied nervously, “I—It doesn’t matter.”

George then added seriously, “I hope you guys get along well in the future. I also hope Hayley will become the future Luna of our Midnight Pack.”

The idea of becoming Benjamin’s Luna was ridiculous. None of the five siblings seemed right for me so far. After the one-year agreement with Grandpa ended, I’d be free to find my destined mate when I turned eighteen.

Benjamin’s POV

After finishing breakfast in the dining room, I was heading upstairs when I saw my youngest brother, Henry, yawning and walking downstairs in a daze. The maid, who was cleaning the stairs, reminded him to be careful as the floor was slippery. I saw him nod. But then, with a playful grin, he whispered something to the maid and burst into laughter. I knew Henry well enough to guess he was probably planning another prank. I shook my head, realizing how spoiled he was. Ignoring him, I took the other staircase.

I ran into Hayley coming down. I stepped aside politely to let her pass. She thanked me and continued down as I proceeded up. Just as I took a few steps, I heard a frightened scream from behind. Turning around, I saw Hayley losing her balance and about to fall. I immediately let Lawrence, my wolf, take over and rushed to catch her, to steady her.

I couldn’t understand why. Despite finding her unattractive, I felt no repulsion when I was close to her. I sensed there was more to her than met the eye. As I looked at her poorly applied makeup, she slowly opened her eyes and met my gaze. I noticed her face flush red. She then distanced herself from me and turned to leave, seeming embarrassed.

It seemed she might have feelings for me. However, I didn’t want her to be my fiancée. First, I wasn’t interested in her, and my wolf didn’t feel any connection to her either. She wasn’t my destined mate. Secondly, I resented the tradition that required me to have an arranged marriage with the Shadow Pack for benefits.

I wanted to clarify things, so I stopped her and said, “I helped you at the banquet because of Grandpa’s order, and I helped you just now out of courtesy. Don’t get the wrong idea.”

She took a deep breath. With her ugly face, she sneered, “I’ve always been self-aware, Mr. Benjamin.”

Her confident demeanor, despite being only an Omega, impressed me slightly. Seeing me at a loss for words, she smirked. “But your kindness might make me lose control of my feelings, one day.”

With that, she turned and walked away gracefully. I watched her go, still trying to process what had just happened: She was quite intriguing.