The Human Girl Who Tamed Alpha King Chapter 12

JACE

I sat alone in my office, staring at my palm where the ritual cut had already healed, leaving no visible trace. Yet the sensation still coursed through my veins like liquid fire. *Aria*. Her name echoed in my mind, refusing to fade, a melody I couldn't—didn't want to—silence.

"She's my true mate," I whispered to the empty room, testing the weight of those words.

Phantom stirred within me, restless and demanding. His presence, normally a controlled power at my core, now pulsed with primal urgency.

*Mark her. Now. She is OURS*, he growled in my mind, his voice deeper and more insistent than I'd felt in years.

I inhaled deeply, gripping the edge of my desk as I struggled to calm the ancient wolf spirit. The wood creaked beneath my fingers. "She needs time. She doesn't understand what this means."

A sharp knock interrupted my internal battle. I straightened, forcing my features into the composed mask expected of an Alpha. "Enter."

Hunter stepped inside, closing the door quietly behind him. One look at his face told me he'd already figured it out. My Beta had known me since childhood—he could read the signs.

"She's your true mate?" he asked directly, crossing his arms as he leaned against the wall.

"Yes." The single word carried the weight of destiny.

Hunter's gaze remained steady. "Do you think she felt it too?"

I rubbed my forehead, feeling the beginning of a tension headache. "She felt something, I'm sure of that. But as a human, she wouldn't understand the connection. And considering how the blood-sharing affected her father and brother, I doubt she was focused on whatever pull she might have experienced."

A knowing smile crossed Hunter's face. "Wise approach. Take it slow." He shifted, his posture relaxing slightly. "The kitchen hasn't prepared supplies for their cabin yet. They'll join us in the pack house for dinner tonight. That gives you an opportunity."

After Hunter left, I headed upstairs to shower, desperate to wash away Aria's lingering scent that had embedded itself in my senses. The cold water did little to clear my head.

Back in my office, I focused on increasing patrol schedules along our borders. If Warren even thought about approaching Moon Shadow territory, I wanted to be prepared. No one would threaten my pack—or Aria—on my watch.

Dinner time arrived, and I finally left my office, heading toward the communal dining hall. As I passed the main staircase, a blur of movement caught my attention—followed by the unmistakable sound of small feet losing their balance.

Aurora, dressed in her favorite ceremonial wolf-pelt dress, was tumbling down the stairs. My heart seized. I lunged forward, but before I could reach her, a slender figure appeared at the bottom of the stairs, catching my daughter securely in her arms.

Aria.

Her reflexes had been astonishingly quick—especially for a human.

"Are you okay, little one?" she asked softly, checking Aurora for injuries, her voice melodic and gentle.

"I'm fine!" Aurora giggled, completely unfazed by her near accident. "You caught me!"

Aria smiled, kindness radiating from her emerald eyes. "That's good. What's your name, sweetheart?"

"Aurora," my daughter announced proudly, "but everyone calls me Rory. Only Daddy calls me Princess."

Aria bowed with exaggerated formality, making Aurora giggle again. "It's an honor to meet you, Princess Aurora. Next time, be careful not to let that beautiful dress trip you up."

"I promise!" Aurora nodded solemnly before spotting me. "Daddy!" She wiggled out of Aria's arms and raced toward me.

I caught her, lifting her into a secure embrace while giving her a mild look of reproach. "Aurora, you need to be more careful. If Aria hadn't caught you, you could have been hurt."

"I'm sorry, Daddy," she murmured, lowering her eyes.

I turned my attention to Aria, acutely aware of Phantom's sudden alertness within me. "Thank you for looking after her."

"It's nothing," she replied with a smile that sent warmth spreading through my chest. Her eyes met mine briefly before darting away, a soft blush coloring her cheeks. "I'm just glad she's okay. You have a beautiful daughter."

"Thank you." I found myself unable to look away from her, drinking in the details I'd missed during our formal introduction. The light dusting of freckles across her nose. The way she tucked her hair behind her ear when nervous. The wolf-paw birthmark on her left wrist—an unusual marking for a human.

Aurora leaned close to my ear, whispering excitedly: "Daddy, I like her. She smells like little berries from the forest."

I bit back a smile. My daughter's innocent observation matched Phantom's assessment perfectly. The wolf in me recognized what my child had sensed instinctively—Aria belonged with us.

In the dining hall, pack members had already taken their places at the long wooden tables. I carried Aurora to the head table, setting her down in her chair before raising my hand for silence. The room quieted immediately.

"Good evening, everyone," my voice carried throughout the hall without effort. "Tonight, I'm honored to welcome three new members to Moon Shadow Pack. Warrior Gabriel Silverbrook, his son Lucas, and his daughter Aria." I paused deliberately, gauging reactions. "Aria is human, but she stands under our protection and deserves our respect. I expect each of you to make them feel welcome as they join our family."

"Yes, Alpha," came the unified response, though I didn't miss several curious glances directed at Aria.

Throughout dinner, I found myself seeking excuses to look in Aria's direction. She sat with Gabriel and Lucas, occasionally scanning the room with the cautious awareness of someone used to assessing her surroundings. When young warrior Dominic approached her table, offering her a drink with an overly friendly smile, Phantom surged forward with unexpected jealousy. I had to suppress a growl that rose in my throat.

To my relief, Aria seemed completely uninterested in Dominic's attention, focusing instead on her conversation with Gabriel and Lucas. Her smile was radiant when she laughed, yet there was a maturity and resilience in her expressions that spoke of experiences beyond her years.

I noticed Aurora had somehow migrated to Aria's table and was now chattering animatedly, showing off her carved wooden wolf toy. Aria listened attentively, asking questions and laughing at Aurora's elaborate stories. My chest tightened at the sight. For five years, Aurora had been without a mother's influence. Seeing her so naturally drawn to Aria both warmed my heart and stirred a protective concern.

What if Aria rejected our bond once she understood it? What if she wasn't ready for a child in her life? At barely eighteen, could I expect her to embrace not only a mate bond, but also motherhood?

Phantom's response was immediate and dismissive of my doubts. *She is OURS. She will accept ALL of us.*

I wasn't so certain. Human relationships developed differently. They required time, courtship, patience. Forcing a bond on Aria would only drive her away—something neither the man nor the wolf in me could bear.

After dinner, I carried a sleepy Aurora up to our quarters. Once in her bedroom, she became suddenly animated again, talking non-stop about Aria and how she had "saved" her from the stairs.

"She was super fast, Daddy! Faster than your warriors!" Aurora exclaimed, her small hands moving expressively as she described the scene. "And her hair is so pretty, like fire!"

"Yes, she has very quick reflexes," I agreed, smiling as I pulled the covers up around her.

Aurora's expression turned serious, her ice-blue eyes—so like my own—studying my face with unsettling perceptiveness. "Can she be my new mommy?"

The question caught me completely off guard. My heart thumped heavily in my chest.