The Human Girl Who Tamed Alpha King Chapter 174

ARIA

"We were just playing, Mommy," Bree said, green eyes—my eyes—wide with manufactured innocence.

"He works too hard," Natalie added. "We wanted him to have fun."

I nearly snorted out loud. Master manipulators, these two. At just ten, they could wrap most pack members around their little fingers—but not their parents. We'd been through too many schemes.

"That's not your decision," I said firmly. "When Atlas is training, you leave him alone. Period. End of discussion."

Their matching pouts almost cracked my resolve. Damn, they're good. Stay strong, Aria.

"If you can't respect your brother's training time," Jace added, "no Moonlight Lake this weekend."

Their faces fell in perfect synchronization. Direct hit. The lake was their favorite place in the whole territory.

"We'll be good," they promised together, though the mischievous glint remained. They'll find another target. They always do. God help whoever it is.

At dinner, our eldest dropped a bomb.

"Dad?" Aurora's voice was soft but steady. "Ellie invited me to see a movie in Bordertown next Friday. Can I go?"

I watched Jace consider this, trying to keep my face neutral while my heart ached. Aurora didn't have many friends in the pack—a painful reality we'd accepted.

My beautiful, broken girl. When she turned fifteen, we explained about her birth mother Vanessa and how her early rejection might have traumatized Aurora enough to sever her wolf connection.

The news devastated her. She cried for days, feeling like she wasn't whole.

Jace and I spent weeks reassuring her our love hadn't changed, but I knew she felt the loss deeply every time she watched other teens shift.

She'd chosen to train in self-defense with me instead, embracing her human side with a quiet dignity that made me so damn proud.

"Who else is going?" Jace asked, his voice careful.

"Just four friends from school. Ellie's dad is driving us there and back." Aurora twisted her napkin nervously.

"You'll take your phone and stay with the group?"

Aurora nodded eagerly, hope written all over her face.

"Then yes," he agreed. The smile that lit up our daughter's face made my heart want to explode.

God, I love this man. I caught Jace's eye across the table and sent a wave of gratitude through our bond. He understood her struggles better than anyone.

Later that night, after the kids were finally asleep—thank the Goddess—Jace and I retreated to our bedroom.

Twelve years together, and still my pulse raced when he looked at me that way. Some things definitely don't change.

"Come here," he murmured, pulling me against his chest. His scent surrounded me completely. Home. This is what home smells like.

After the twins were born, we'd both agreed four children were more than enough. I mean, seriously, they outnumbered us already.

The Moon Goddess granted my request to end my heat cycles, allowing me to focus on being Queen without fearing another pregnancy. Best decision ever.

Jace's hands found their way under my shirt. "Missed you today," he whispered against my neck.

"You saw me at breakfast and that boring council meeting," I teased, already melting into his touch like I always do.

"Not the same," he growled softly, nipping at my earlobe in a way that still made me shiver. Twelve years and he still knows exactly how to get to me. Not fair.

We undressed slowly, trading heated touches that never grew old. His fingers traced the curve of my waist, igniting a fire that had only grown hotter with time.

I tugged at his shirt, desperate to feel his skin against mine, and he obliged with a low, hungry growl that sent a thrill through me.

Our clothes fell to the floor in a hurried tangle, the air between us charged with raw, primal need. His lips crashed into mine, fierce and demanding, devouring me with a hunger that left me breathless.

Tasting of longing and lust, his hands roamed my body, claiming every inch with a possessive heat. I arched into him, my breath hitching as desire consumed me.

His calloused palms grazed sensitive skin, sending electric shivers down my spine. He lifted me effortlessly, my legs wrapping around his waist as he pinned me against the wall.

The cool surface was a stark contrast to the burning desire between us. His mouth trailed down my neck, teeth grazing my collarbone, each bite stoking the inferno inside me.

I gasped his name, fingers tangling in his hair, pulling him closer as if I could fuse us together. His hard arousal pressed against me, teasing, promising ecstasy.

He growled, a deep, feral sound, as his hands gripped my hips, grinding against me with a rhythm that drove me wild. My nails dug into his shoulders, craving more.

When he finally pulled me to our bed, I went eagerly, falling into the passion that had only deepened with time. Our bodies moved in perfect sync, a dance of urgency and devotion.

Every thrust was a testament to our bond, hard and deep, filling me completely as I moaned beneath him, lost in the raw intensity of our connection.

Every cry of pleasure echoed the unbreakable tie we shared. Sweat slicked our skin as we pushed each other to the edge, lost in a storm of carnal sensation.

His pace quickened, relentless, driving me higher until I was trembling, teetering on the brink of release. "Jace," I whimpered, my voice raw with need.

"Let go, little one," he rasped, his own control fraying as he thrust harder, deeper, claiming me in every way. We shattered together, breathless and trembling.

Our climax ripped through us like wildfire, my body clenching around him as waves of ecstasy consumed us, leaving us spent and tangled in each other’s arms.

Later, curled against his chest, I listened to his heartbeat and marveled at how completely my life had transformed.

From a human fighting for respect in a werewolf world to Queen of the most powerful pack in the country.

From completely alone to mother of four incredible, exhausting, amazing children.

How the hell did I get so lucky?

"What's going on in that head?" Jace asked, fingers tracing patterns on my bare shoulder.

"Just thinking how crazy this all is," I answered truthfully. "From that scared human girl to this. Four kids. A crown. You."

"Sometimes I still can't believe it's real."

His arms tightened around me. "I love you, little one," he whispered, using the nickname that had stuck even after all these years.

"I love you too," I replied, eyes closing as contentment washed over me. "Always and forever, wolf-boy."