The Human Girl Who Tamed Alpha King Chapter 204

AURORA

I walked through our empty house, searching for Mom and Dad. They weren't in the living room or Dad's office, which was unusual. After checking most of the downstairs, I headed upstairs, my heart heavy with everything that had happened.

At the top of the stairs, I bumped into Atlas.

"Hey, where're you going?" he asked, blocking my path.

"Looking for Mom and Dad," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "Have you seen them?"

Atlas leaned against the wall, studying my face. "They went to the forest for some training. Why? You okay? You don't look so good."

I shook my head, feeling tears threatening to spill. "No, I'm not okay."

Atlas's expression changed immediately. The casual teenager disappeared, replaced by concern. "Come on," he said, grabbing my wrist and pulling me toward his room.

I was too surprised to resist. Atlas never invited anyone into his room. It was his private sanctuary.

"Wow," I said as he pushed the door open. "It's... clean."

His room was surprisingly tidy - bed made, clothes put away, desk organized. Not what I expected from my teenage brother.

"Don't sound so shocked," Atlas muttered, guiding me to his sitting area. "Sit."

I sank into one of his chairs while he took the other. For a moment, we just sat there in silence.

"Is this about Lawrence and that Alpha?" Atlas finally asked. "You don't believe it's true, right?"

"No," I said quickly. "I know he's not lying. But this is all my fault."

The tears I'd been holding back started falling. I couldn't stop them. Atlas looked panicked for a second before moving to squat in front of me. He awkwardly patted my knee.

"Hey, come on. This isn't your fault."

"But it is," I insisted through my tears. "It's my birth mother who told Charles about Lawrence. She saw him, and because he looks like his father—just like you look like Dad—she knew who he was. And she probably did it because she hates me."

The room's atmosphere changed, growing heavy with anger. Atlas's face hardened.

"Fuck her," he said bluntly. "She's a bitch, Aurora."

"Atlas!" I gasped, surprised by his language.

"No, seriously. Vanessa is a bitch, and not just for this one thing." He stood up and paced. "She abandoned you and Dad. She's the one who did this, sis, not you. You didn't sit in front of her and say, 'My mate is the surviving son of the dead Alpha.' You didn't tell her to go inform their enemies. You just wanted answers to end the pain inside you. That doesn't make you a bad person. And it sure as hell doesn't make this your fault. Because it's not."

I stared at my brother, stunned. "When did you get so mature?"

Atlas grinned, looking more like himself. "Been this way for a while, sis. I actually do listen when all of you talk to me."

I couldn't help but smile through my tears. "Thanks, Atlas."

He stepped forward and hugged me awkwardly. "That's what brothers are for, right? To tell you when you're being ridiculous." He squeezed my shoulders before letting go. "Besides, Lawrence would probably go ballistic if he heard you blaming yourself."

Just as he pulled away, the door opened. Mom and Dad stood there, smiling at us.

Atlas sighed. "You heard."

Dad nodded. "Yes, son. Your door wasn't completely closed."

Mom crossed the room and knelt beside me. "Atlas is right, sweetheart. None of this is your fault. Vanessa made her choices. You didn't."

"Lawrence already told us," Dad added, leaning against the doorframe. "We ran into him coming out of the forest."

"He was covering someone's patrol," I explained.

Dad nodded. "Yes, he told us that too. He also told us about you discovering Vanessa and this whole situation. Your brother is right—it's not your fault. Lawrence said you feel guilty, but he doesn't want you to. He's always known someday someone would want to hurt him and discover the truth."

"But if I hadn't gone looking for her—" I started.

"Then you wouldn't have met Lawrence, and he wouldn't have met you," Mom interrupted gently. "Everything happens for a reason, sweetheart."

Her words sank in, and I felt something inside me release. They were right. If I hadn't gone looking for Vanessa, I never would have found Lawrence. And despite everything that had happened, I couldn't regret that.

"I think I can stop blaming myself now," I said quietly. "I'm going to focus on being the best mate and mother I can be."

Mom smiled, but Dad frowned. "How did you find her anyway? I know Leonard and Alexander talked, and no one knew how she was found. Alexander didn't even know before."

I took a deep breath. Time for more honesty.

"I should have told you, but I didn't think I'd actually call him," I admitted. "Montgomery. Vanessa's son. My half-brother. He lives in Alexander's territory."

Dad's eyebrows shot up. "She has a son."

"Yeah. Lawrence received a letter from him apologizing for what she did, with his number. Montgomery is..." I hesitated, trying to find the right words. "Vanessa wasn't good to him either. Alpha Alexander raised him. He's not even eighteen yet."

"Poor child," Mom murmured.

"Alexander treats him well," I assured them. "Really well. Like his own son."

Dad relaxed a little. "That's good to hear."

We talked for hours after that. I told them more about Montgomery—how Alexander had taken him in after Vanessa basically abandoned him, how he'd reached out to Lawrence to apologize for Vanessa's actions, how he seemed like a decent person despite everything.

"Maybe you could invite him to visit sometime," Mom suggested. "If you want to get to know him better."

"Really?" I asked, surprised. "You wouldn't mind?"

"Of course not," Dad said. "If he's important to you, we'd like to meet him."

Atlas nodded in agreement. "Sounds cool. Another brother to boss around."

I rolled my eyes at him. "I'll think about it. I want to talk to Lawrence first. He's still suspicious of anyone connected to Vanessa."

"Understandable," Dad said. "Take your time."

As I left Atlas's room that evening, I felt lighter than I had in days. The guilt I'd been carrying was finally easing. My family had my back, and they'd accepted Lawrence completely. Whatever happened with Charles and his false accusations, we'd handle it together. For the first time since hearing about the accusation, I felt hope instead of dread.

I headed to find Lawrence, ready to tell him everything would be okay.