The Human Girl Who Tamed Alpha King Chapter 23

Silver Blade Hunters

They call me "The Master" now, but I was born Edmund, the most gifted Elder the Silver Blade Hunters has seen in three generations. My intellect has always been my greatest weapon—that and my unwavering dedication to our cause.

Thirty years of hunting the supernatural has taught me one truth: we are losing this war. The creatures grow stronger while we remain fragile, mortal. But I discovered the solution in an ancient Sumerian text hidden beneath a monastery in Tibet. The blood of healers—those rare humans with regenerative abilities—could be weaponized against the supernatural.

Aria Silverbrooks's parents were brilliant researchers, though they hid behind the façade of pharmaceutical work. In reality, they were developing an enhancement serum that aligned perfectly with my discovery. Their formula could extract and stabilize the potent properties from healer bloodlines, creating a compound that would make our weapons devastatingly effective against supernatural creatures. This serum was the missing component I needed for my ultimate creation: the Purgation Device.

I approached them professionally at first, explained the importance of our work. They refused. Idealists, concerned about "ethical implications" and "genocide of species." As if these monsters deserve consideration. The formula would have died with them, but I knew their genetics held the key.

Their deaths were regrettable but necessary. The blood samples we harvested showed promise, but proved insufficient. My experiments failed repeatedly—the compound degrading too quickly, the potency inadequate. I've nearly exhausted their supply.

Then I discovered their daughter, Aria. Her genetic markers suggest her blood carries twice the potency of her parents'. The perfect catalyst for the enhancement serum, which would then power the Purgation Device. But timing is everything. The Sumerian text was specific—the blood reaches maximum potency only after the carrier reaches maturity and undergoes significant stress. I've been patient, tracking her for years, waiting for precisely the right moment.

With her blood, we'll extract the enhancement compound, perfect the serum, and complete the Purgation Device—a weapon that can neutralize supernatural abilities across vast distances, render them mortal, vulnerable. A weapon that can turn the tide.

I've watched her for months. She has no idea of her potential, of what flows through her veins. She believes herself ordinary, thinks her parents were working on treatments for rare diseases. How naïve. How amusing.

Some might call my methods cruel. History will call me savior. When humanity is finally free from the shadow of these abominations, when children no longer disappear in the night, they will understand my sacrifice.

The girl is secured now. Soon, very soon, my life's work will be complete.

And the hunt will finally end.

ARIA

I woke up to the worst headache of my life and the taste of copper in my mouth.

My wrists were zip-tied to a metal chair in what looked like an abandoned warehouse. The air smelled like rust and old chemicals, and fluorescent lights flickered overhead, casting everything in sickly yellow light.

"She's awake," someone called out.

Two men approached—not the ones from the forest. These guys looked like they'd stepped out of some military handbook. Buzz cuts, tactical gear, the works.

"Boss wants to see her," the first one said. "But he's still setting up the equipment."

"Good," the second one replied. "Maybe now we can finally get some answers."

The first guy glanced at me with cold eyes. "Don't try anything stupid. Nobody knows you're here, and nobody's coming for you."

I tested the zip ties, but they were too tight. The chair was bolted to the floor. I was trapped.

Footsteps echoed through the warehouse, and both men straightened.

"Boss is coming."

The man who walked into the light was not what I'd expected. He was small, maybe five-foot-six, with thinning gray hair and thick glasses. He looked like someone's creepy uncle, not a kidnapper.

But his eyes... his eyes were dead. Cold. Like looking into a shark's gaze.

"Aria Silverbrook," he said, his voice soft and cultured. "You have no idea how long I've been waiting to meet you."

"Go fuck yourself," I spat.

He smiled, and it was worse than if he'd gotten angry. "Such spirit. Just like your mother. She fought until the very end, you know."

My blood turned to ice. "What do you know about my mother?"

"I know everything about your parents, Aria." He circled my chair slowly. "I've been watching you for years, waiting for the right moment. Your parents were... special. And that makes you special too."

"You killed them." It wasn't a question.

His expression didn't change. "I did what was necessary. They refused to cooperate, refused to see the bigger picture. Their stubbornness left me no choice."

Rage exploded through me, hot and consuming. This monster had killed my parents.

"What do you want from me?" I demanded.

"You're the missing piece, Aria. The final component I need to complete what your parents started." He gestured to his men, who began wheeling in equipment. Medical equipment. Including several very large syringes and what looked like a blood bag setup.

"The beauty of it is that we don't need to kill you," he continued conversationally. "We can keep you alive indefinitely. A renewable resource."

"You're insane."

"I'm practical." He pulled on latex gloves with practiced efficiency. "Now, this will hurt quite a bit, but I need you conscious."

One of his men grabbed my arm, and I struggled against the restraints. The zip ties cut into my wrists, but I didn't care. I wasn't going down without a fight.

"Hold her still," the old man ordered, approaching with a needle that looked way too big.

That's when the lights went out.

Emergency lighting kicked in a second later, bathing everything in red. Shouts echoed through the warehouse, followed by the sound of gunfire.

"What the hell—" one of the men started to say.

The warehouse door exploded inward with a sound like thunder. And through the smoke and debris, I saw the most beautiful sight of my life.

Jace.

But this wasn't the controlled, diplomatic Alpha I knew. This was something primal and terrifying. His eyes glowed gold in the red light, his canines were fully extended, and the air around him practically vibrated with barely contained power.

He looked like an avenging angel. A very pissed off avenging angel.

"Get away from her," he snarled, his voice carrying that Alpha command that made even humans want to submit. "Now."

The old man stumbled backward, his face pale. "Impossible. How did you find—"

"I said GET AWAY FROM HER!"

The force of his voice shattered the remaining fluorescent lights. Glass rained down as Jace stalked forward, and I swear the temperature in the room dropped ten degrees.

One of the men raised a gun, but Jace moved faster than humanly possible. There was a wet tearing sound, and suddenly the guy was on the ground, his throat opened.

The second man tried to run. Jace caught him before he made it five steps. Another wet sound, another body hitting the floor.

"Please," the old man whimpered, backing against a wall. "I can pay you. Whatever you want. Money, information—"

"You killed her parents," Jace said quietly, and somehow that was more terrifying than his earlier roar.

"They were in my way! They wouldn't listen!"

"No," Jace said, his claws extending. "You are the one who wouldn't listen."

I closed my eyes as Jace lunged forward. The old man's scream cut off abruptly.

When I opened them again, Jace was kneeling beside my chair, his claws making quick work of the zip ties. His eyes had returned to their normal blue, but his hands were shaking as he freed my wrists.