The Human Girl Who Tamed Alpha King Chapter 214

AURORA

I was awakened by a strong kick in my belly. My little boy, reminding me he was still there. I gently rubbed my swollen stomach, feeling his movements beneath my fingers.

"Shh, mommy's here, little one," I whispered, trying to soothe him. "We'll be okay."

I turned to look at Atlas, still unconscious and chained to the wall. Damn it, I hated seeing him like this – pale and helpless. He was in this situation because he tried to protect me.

"Atlas, please wake up," I called softly, noticing his fingers twitch slightly. "Atlas, please." No response.

I felt my strength slowly returning, though I was still weak. Whatever these bastards injected us with was powerful stuff. I needed to keep my head clear. I had to figure out how to protect both of us and my baby.

I shifted uncomfortably on the cold floor, my back aching from the hard surface. Every time I moved, my joints protested. The small amount of padding my captors had thrown on the floor might as well have been nothing.

I closed my eyes and reached out in my mind.

'Kaila? Are you there?'

'I'm here,' she responded weakly.

'God, are you okay?' I asked worriedly.

'Not great, but I'll manage,' she answered, her voice exhausted. 'The wolfsbane is hard to fight, but in a day or two I should regain some strength.'

'Okay, I won't ask for much, but please don't leave me alone through this,' I begged. I couldn't lose my connection with her. Not now.

'I'll never leave you,' she promised. 'They came while you were sleeping. One of them took pictures.'

'Probably for Lawrence or my father,' I said. Lawrence must be going insane right now. The thought of him seeing me like this, helpless and chained, made my heart ache. He would blame himself, even though none of this was his fault.

'They were also talking about the Alpha arriving,' Kaila continued. 'I'm guessing their Alpha, the one from Italy.'

'Definitely Charles Huntington,' I confirmed. The monster who killed Lawrence's parents was now coming after us.

'I need to rest and regain my strength,' Kaila said tiredly, then retreated deeper into my consciousness.

I tried to stretch my legs, wincing as my muscles protested. The chains allowed some movement, but not enough to get comfortable. The metal cuffs had rubbed my wrists raw, leaving angry red marks that stung with every movement. I examined the lock, but it was solid – no chance of picking it open.

Hours later, I heard footsteps and voices outside, followed by a man's angry roar.

"You idiot, you sent this? Don't you think her mate will recognize you? How could you be stupid enough to take a photo without making sure they couldn't see you? For your sake, I hope they're more focused on the bitch and her brother."

I froze. That voice sounded familiar. There was a broken mirror in the corner of the room – the photographer must have accidentally caught himself in the reflection. What a complete moron.

I heard a woman's soft murmur, and Kaila growled a warning in my mind. That had to be Vanessa. Was she behind all this? That woman would never truly let us go.

"Aurora?"

Atlas's weak voice interrupted my thoughts. I looked up to see his eyes open.

"Atlas!" I wanted to rush to him, but he immediately stopped me.

"No, be careful. These chains are coated with wolfsbane."

"Atlas, I'm so sorry my mess with Lawrence dragged you into this," I felt a wave of guilt wash over me.

"Don't worry, sis," he tried to comfort me despite his weakness. "A few chains won't kill me. It's just uncomfortable. I'll be fine."

I studied his face, noting the dark circles under his eyes and the pallor of his skin. He was trying to be brave for me, but I could see how much pain he was in. Atlas had always been my protector, even when we were kids. Now here he was, suffering because of me.

"How long have we been here?" he asked, his voice hoarse.

"I'm not sure. A day, maybe two? It's hard to tell in this place." I glanced around at our windowless prison.

The door suddenly burst open, and a tall figure blocked the light from outside. Charles Huntington walked in, his presence suffocating.

"So the so-called true king is awake," he said mockingly, his cold gaze sweeping over Atlas. "I expected more from someone who's supposed to rule all werewolves." Then he turned to me, "And this is the girl everyone seems to be fascinated with."

I looked straight into his eyes. "What do you want from us?" I refused to show fear to this asshole.

Charles sneered, "I don't want anything from you. You're just bait. What I want is to make your annoying mate and your father, who thinks he's smarter than everyone, suffer. As for how much suffering, I haven't decided yet." He let out a harsh laugh.

Vanessa walked in and stood beside Charles, her expression complex as she looked at me, but she remained silent. Perfect, my birth mother standing with the man who wanted my mate dead. She was never a real mother anyway.

I noticed how her eyes lingered on my pregnant belly for a moment before looking away. Did I see regret there? Or just more of her endless indifference? It didn't matter. She'd made her choice years ago when she abandoned me.

A wolf warrior entered and bowed to Charles. "It's done. I buried him."

"Good," Charles said coldly. "The idiot exposed himself, now he can join the friends he kept talking about."

I stared at him in shock. He'd killed his own man without a second thought. If he was this cruel to his own people, what would he do to us?

Vanessa spoke softly to Charles, "Make sure they get food. She's pregnant after all."

Charles glared at Vanessa, then smirked, "Yes, make sure the princess gets food." Then they left the room.

Despair washed over me. We were just bait to lure Lawrence and my father. I instinctively touched my belly, feeling my baby move. I had to protect my child, no matter what.

Soon after, a warrior brought in two pieces of toast with cheese, placed them in front of me, and left without a word.

"Here, brother, you need to eat," I tried to hand a piece to Atlas.

"No," he firmly refused. "That woman was right. You're pregnant. You need the food more than I do."

"But you're hurt. You need your strength," I argued.

"You have to eat for two," he insisted. "Eat, Aurora."

I sighed and reluctantly ate the toast to ease his worry. The food tasted like nothing in my mouth, but I knew he was right. I needed to keep up my strength.

The room grew darker as night fell. Atlas spoke softly until I drifted off from exhaustion. I hoped to wake up and find this was all a nightmare, but I knew it was just beginning.

Lawrence, find us. I closed my eyes and prayed in the darkness.