The Human Girl Who Tamed Alpha King Chapter 197

AURORA

I stood by the window watching the last dinner guests leave. Dad had practically announced to everyone that Lawrence was Alpha Anthony Westbrook's son. Seriously, Dad? That should've been Lawrence's story to tell when he was ready. God, sometimes Dad can be so... Alpha. Always thinking he knows best for everyone.

My fingers drummed against the windowsill. Whatever. I'd deal with Dad later. Right now, I just wanted to be with my family. With Lawrence.

Lawrence—an Alpha's son. That explained a lot. The way he carried himself, how other wolves responded to him even when they didn't know who he was. But honestly? I didn't give a crap about his bloodline. I was just happy he was mine—truly mine. And I was going to spend forever making him happy.

I thought about the faces of everyone at dinner—their surprise when Dad announced Lawrence's heritage. The whispers, the sidelong glances. Lawrence had handled it with such grace. He always seemed to know exactly what to say, how to carry himself. Not like me, always saying the wrong thing at the wrong time.

But he chose me. Me. The girl without a wolf for years. The girl rejected by her first mate. The emotional mess who cried in his arms after meeting her birth mother. He still wanted me. That meant everything.

The door opened behind me. His scent hit me before I even turned around.

"Hey," I said, turning to face him.

Lawrence crossed the room in two quick steps and pulled me into his arms. He buried his face in my hair and breathed in deeply.

"I love your scent," he murmured against my ear. "It calms me. Makes me feel I've found where I belong."

My heart did that stupid flutter thing again. Ugh, I'm so gone for him. "Good, because that's exactly what it is. And always will be."

Lawrence pulled back, his expression suddenly serious. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you about my birth parents sooner."

"No, don't," I said quickly, pressing my finger to his lips. "Don't apologize. I get it was something personal, and you probably got used to hiding it so you wouldn't get hunted down."

He nodded, a small smile appearing. "Yeah. I've been hiding who I am for so long. I didn't want to be seen as an Alpha."

"I respect that." I stood on my tiptoes to kiss him. "It doesn't change anything for me."

Lawrence's arms tightened around me. "You're amazing. I'm proud to have you as my mate."

I grinned. "You better be."

We moved to the bed, and Lawrence suggested watching a comedy. I curled up against him, my head on his chest as he played with my hair. His heartbeat made it impossible to focus on the screen. My eyelids got heavier with each minute.

The last thing I remember was Lawrence's warm lips on my forehead before I drifted off.

LAWRENCE

I watched Aurora sleep, her breathing steady and peaceful. She'd conked out halfway through the movie. Can't blame her—hell of a day.

I wasn't mad at King Jace for outing me. Actually felt kinda relieved to have it in the open. Just wish I'd told Aurora myself. I swore silently I'd never keep anything from her again. No more secrets. Period.

My fingers traced through her hair as contentment washed over me. Damn, I was happy. First time in years I felt... whole. My beautiful, fierce mate accepted me despite everything. Maybe I'd finally found somewhere I belonged.

Once Aurora completed her first shift, I'd help her become the warrior I knew she could be. Her wolf, Kaila, would be strong—I sensed it. And someday, when we were ready, I wanted cubs with her. A family. Our family.

I loved how her family acted with each other—the obvious love, the respect, even the teasing. That's what I wanted for us, for our future cubs.

Rocky stirred in my mind. *We will protect them all.*

"Yes," I whispered, careful not to wake Aurora. "We will."

I thought about Aria—a human who became Queen. The way the Pack treated her with such reverence despite her not being born werewolf. It gave me hope that bloodlines weren't everything here. That maybe my background wouldn't matter as much as my actions.

And Atlas, the future King. There was something different about him—something powerful I couldn't quite place. The twins had their father's commanding presence, though they used it differently. This whole family fascinated me. So different from the lone wolf existence I'd known.

I wondered what my father would think of Aurora. Would he be proud of me for finding my true mate? For walking away from revenge to choose love instead? I'd spent so long hiding, running, planning—never really living. Now I had a chance at a real life. A future worth fighting for.

I had to prove myself to the royal family. Not as some Alpha's son, but as a warrior, a trainer, whatever they needed. I needed to be worthy of their princess.

The "test" King Jace mentioned—fighting him—sent a jolt through me. Scared? Hell yes. Excited? Absolutely. Rocky practically howled in anticipation. He'd been on edge since we arrived, desperate to prove himself.

*I like it here,* Rocky told me. *It feels right. We have purpose here.*

*We're meant to be here,* he added. *I've always known it. Even before we found her.*

I agreed silently. Something about this place, this family... it clicked.

What would I be in this Pack? Just a warrior? A trainer? I needed to be useful, to contribute. To show King Jace I deserved his daughter, that I could be valuable to his Pack.

Jace scared the shit out of me, if I'm honest. He was powerful—more than any Alpha I'd ever met. His wolf, Phantom, radiated strength that went beyond normal Alphas. I'd heard whispers about the Ancient Moon Shadow Pack, about the King and Queen having Primal Wolf souls, about Jace being born to it. Standing before him, I finally understood those rumors.

I glanced down at Aurora. Her brother Atlas would become "the true King" and could "shift into both forms." No clue what that meant, but it sounded like power beyond normal shifting.

The crazy thing was how normal they all seemed despite everything. They welcomed me—a nobody wolf with nothing but my strength and loyalty—as family.

Rocky pushed an image into my mind: us running through forests with Aurora's red-brown wolf, wild and free.

*We will hunt with her. Teach her. Protect her.*

I smiled at that. Once Aurora fully bonded with Kaila, we'd explore these forests and mountains together. Run as wolves, hunt together, feel that freedom only our wolves understand.

For now, I was content just being here with her. I pulled her closer and closed my eyes, finally allowing myself to sleep without one eye open.