The Human Girl Who Tamed Alpha King Chapter 180

AURORA

I woke up to someone gently shaking my shoulder. Seraphina's kind face hovered above me, her expression soft.

"Aurora, we're about to land," she said.

I straightened in my seat, rubbing my eyes and trying to orient myself. My neck hurt from sleeping awkwardly during the flight. I turned to the window, taking in the view below—ancient buildings scattered across rolling hills, completely different from Montana's vast forests.

"It's beautiful," I said.

Seraphina leaned closer to look out. "Oh yes. Marcus and I came here for our first vacation before he became Alpha," she said with a hint of nostalgia. "The old architecture is breathtaking."

I nodded, trying to focus on the scenery instead of the knot in my stomach. I was actually in Italy—thousands of miles from home, searching for a woman who probably wouldn't even remember me. What the hell was I thinking?

After landing, we collected our luggage and met Marcus at the rental car. The drive took us through winding roads past vineyards and stone houses that looked centuries old. We pulled up to a stunning white villa with massive pillars supporting the upstairs terrace. Vines crept up the walls, and large windows and doors decorated the facade.

"This is where we'll be staying," Marcus explained, parking the car. "It's just outside Milan, private enough for werewolf business."

The inside was even more impressive—ancient Italian decor with high ceilings adorned with intricate patterns, marble floors, and antique furniture. Through the enormous windows, I could see a beautiful garden.

"Rose will stay with us tonight," Seraphina said as we entered. "Kyle needs to contact the local Alpha to inform them we've arrived in Italy and are staying outside their territory."

Great. More formalities and protocols. Sometimes I wondered if werewolves could do anything without a thousand rules attached.

Seraphina led me upstairs to my room—a spacious chamber with a large bed, antique dresser, and French doors opening to a balcony overlooking the garden.

"Take some time to settle in," she suggested. "Dinner will be in a few hours."

After she left, I unpacked my small suitcase, then called home. Dad answered immediately.

"Aurora? Are you there safely?" His deep voice instantly made my throat tighten.

"Yeah, Dad. We arrived fine. The villa is beautiful."

We chatted for a few minutes, with Mom joining to ask about the flight and remind me to be careful. I promised to mind-link regularly and hung up, suddenly overwhelmed by what I was doing. What if this whole trip was pointless? What if finding Vanessa only brought more pain?

A couple hours later, I headed downstairs, following voices to the kitchen. Seraphina was chatting with a middle-aged woman I didn't recognize. They spoke rapid Italian, gesturing animatedly. When Seraphina noticed me, she switched to English.

"Aurora, come meet Annabelle. She's a distant cousin of Marcus's family—my mother's sister's husband's relative," she explained. "Her family has known about werewolves for generations."

The woman turned with a warm smile. "Ah, yes, I know you are werewolves. It's my family's treasured secret. So you don't need to worry about me." Her English carried a melodic Italian accent.

"Hello, nice to meet you," I replied, relieved. "What are you both doing?"

"Just preparing dinner, my dear child," Seraphina said. "Homemade Italian pizza."

"Can I help?" I moved closer to the counter.

For the next hour, we prepared dinner together. Annabelle told stories about Italy and her family's history with local werewolf packs while teaching me to knead pizza dough. It felt normal—focusing on simple tasks instead of why I was here. The anxious knot in my chest loosened slightly.

As we finished setting the table, Marcus entered with a tall, imposing man. Without introduction, I could sense he was an Alpha—that unmistakable aura of power reminded me of Dad.

"Aurora, this is Alpha Leonard," Marcus said formally. "He's the Alpha of this region of Italy. You remember your father telling you there are three packs here?"

I nodded, quickly giving the traditional werewolf gesture of respect—a slight bow with my right hand over my heart. "Hello, Alpha. Thank you for allowing me to travel in your territory."

Alpha Leonard returned the gesture with a slight bow—a respect I wasn't expecting. "Aurora, it's my honor to assist in your search."

I noticed Annabelle watching without fear, only friendly admiration and respect for our traditions.

During dinner, Marcus mentioned having a new map of Italy for Alpha Leonard, containing werewolf territories and border towns.

"Border towns?" I asked, confused. "I thought there were just three packs? My father mentioned three Alphas."

"Allow me to explain," Alpha Leonard leaned forward. "This part of Italy is divided among three Alphas—Alpha Alexander in the south, myself, and Alpha Charles in the central region. Each territory has one leader. Within each territory, there are smaller settlements of wolves—mini-packs—and border towns where werewolves live among humans who don't know about us. All of these fall under the management of the territory's Alpha."

"If you don't mind me asking, how do you keep track of everyone?" I found myself fascinated by the difference.

"I have trusted wolves in each location. They function somewhat like your father's Betas, ensuring everything runs smoothly. Unless there's an emergency, I receive reports every full moon. I believe the other Alphas operate similarly."

"That sounds interesting," I said truthfully. "It's very different from how I grew up in our pack."

Alpha Leonard explained the arrangements for my journey. All his pack settlements had been informed of my arrival and instructed to help me. It would take three to four days through the forest to reach Alpha Charles's territory. While Alpha Charles had granted me passage, his help would be limited.

"He will allow you through, but the pack members there may not be very helpful," he said.

"Will it be safe?"

"It should be, since you have permission to be there. But don't expect a warm welcome."

He continued, explaining that Alpha Alexander, whose territory would be my final destination, had decided to help me and would be notified when I reached his first settlement.

"I will," I promised. "Thank you for explaining everything."

When dinner ended, I thanked everyone and excused myself.

"You're very welcome, Aurora," Alpha Leonard said. "I have great respect for your father. Being the King of so many Alphas is no easy task. We Alphas can be quite stubborn sometimes." Everyone laughed.

I smiled, thanked him again, and headed upstairs.