The Human Girl Who Tamed Alpha King Chapter 22

"What kind of wrong?"

"Magic. Dark magic. This isn't just a kidnapping." He met my eyes, and I saw my own fear reflected there.

Phantom roared in my mind, demanding blood. The trees around us began to crack under the pressure of my barely contained power. I let some of his fury bleed into my voice. "Then we end this now."

I pulled out my phone and sent a quick message to Gabriel and my second-in-command: Found her. Abandoned chemical plant, Route 47 South. Bring backup. Come armed.

"What's the plan, Alpha?" Caleb asked, his eyes already glowing amber in the fading light.

I bared my teeth in a feral grin, feeling my canines extend. "We go in fast and hard. I want whoever's in charge alive long enough to tell me who sent them. Everyone else dies."

Then, cutting through the air with devastating clarity, came a sound that nearly brought me to my knees.

Aria's scream.

Raw. Agonized. Terrified.

I was moving before I realized it, Phantom taking partial control as I sprinted toward the building. Caleb's shouts for me to wait, to be careful, fell on deaf ears.

They were hurting her. Right now. And I was going to tear them apart with my bare hands.

*Coming, little one*, I thought desperately, hoping somehow she could feel me getting closer. *Hold on just a little longer.*

Another scream echoed through the night, and this time, I let Phantom's howl answer it.

We were coming.

ARIA

My phone buzzed as Gabriel and I finished our morning workout, and I nearly tripped over my own feet rushing to check it.

[Hey, meet me at the eastern falls at 2 PM. Want to work on some advanced defense techniques with you privately. - Jace]

Holy shit. A private training session? With Jace?

I stared at the message, my heart doing this stupid little flutter thing. Gabriel had been pushing me hard in group training, but one-on-one time with the Alpha was... well, it was huge. It meant he thought I was ready for more advanced stuff.

Or maybe he just wanted to spend time with me.

But something nagged at me. The wording felt off—too casual for Jace's usual blunt style. Still, I couldn't pass up this chance, even if doubt whispered warnings I tried to ignore.

I texted back quickly [Sounds great! See you there.]

The rest of lunch was a blur. I could barely focus on Lucas rambling about some new video game. All I could think about was impressing Jace, showing him how much I'd improved since that first disastrous week.

"Earth to Aria," Lucas waved a hand in front of my face. "You're practically glowing. What's got you so happy?"

"Private training session with Jace," I said, trying to sound casual and failing miserably.

Lucas raised an eyebrow. "Ooh, private training. Is that what we're calling it now?"

"Shut up," I laughed, throwing a piece of bread at him. "It's actual training, you pervert."

But honestly? Part of me hoped it might be a little more than that.

I left early, wanting to scope out the area and maybe pick some of those wildflowers that grew near the waterfall. Jace had mentioned once that he liked them. Not that I was trying to impress him or anything.

Okay, I was totally trying to impress him.

The hike to the waterfall was gorgeous. Sunlight filtered through the trees, and everything smelled like pine and fresh water. I felt strong, confident. Gabriel's training had really paid off. I could move through the forest quietly now, my senses sharper than they'd ever been.

When I reached the waterfall, though, it was empty.

I checked my phone. 2:10 PM. Maybe Jace was running late? Council meetings could drag on forever.

I settled on a fallen log to wait, picking at the wildflowers I'd gathered. The sound of rushing water was soothing, and I found myself daydreaming about what techniques he might teach me. Maybe some of those advanced combat moves I'd seen him use during pack demonstrations.

Twenty minutes passed. Then thirty.

My stomach started to twist with disappointment. Had he forgotten? Or maybe something important had come up. Being Alpha meant constant interruptions.

I was just pulling out my phone to text him when I heard footsteps behind me.

"Finally," I said, turning with a smile. "I was starting to think you'd—"

The words died in my throat.

Four men emerged from the tree line, and they definitely weren't pack members. They were human, dressed in dark tactical gear, and the way they moved... predatory. Wrong.

"Well, well," the tallest one said, his voice carrying a slight Southern drawl. "Look what we caught."

My training kicked in instantly. Gabriel's voice echoed in my head: When outnumbered, create distance. Find an escape route. Never let them surround you.

I dropped the flowers and backed toward the water, my hand moving to the knife at my belt. "I don't know who you are, but you're on private property. You need to leave. Now."

The man laughed, and the sound made my skin crawl. "Oh, we know exactly where we are, sweetheart. And we know exactly who you are."

Shit. Shit, shit, shit.

"What do you want?" I kept backing up, calculating distances. The waterfall was behind me, but the drop was too steep. I'd have to go through them.

"Just a little blood sample," the leader said conversationally. "Nothing too painful. Well, not at first."

That's when I ran.

I bolted left, toward the thickest part of the forest. If I could reach pack territory, if I could get close enough to the packhouse for someone to hear me scream...

I made it maybe fifty yards before something slammed into my back, sending me crashing into a tree. Pain exploded through my shoulder, but I rolled and came up swinging.

I got my knife out and managed to slash one of them across the arm before another grabbed my wrist. I drove my knee up, heard him grunt in pain, twisted free.

"Feisty little bitch," someone snarled.

I was holding my own, actually. Four against one wasn't great odds, but I was faster, and they seemed surprised by my skill level. I managed to break another one's nose with a solid right hook.

But then I felt a sharp sting in my neck.

"Got her," someone said, and I saw one of them holding a syringe.

No. No, no, no.

The world started to blur around the edges. My legs felt like jelly, and my knife clattered to the ground as my fingers went numb.

"That's it, sweetheart. Just go to sleep."

I tried to fight it, tried to stay conscious, but the drug was too strong. The last thing I remembered was being lifted off the ground and the sound of a vehicle starting.