The Human Girl Who Tamed Alpha King Chapter 42

ARIA

I wake up feeling as if I'm floating. Looking around, I realize I'm in Jace's arms as he carries me through the forest. I'm dressed in his buttoned shirt, and I can see he has my dress draped over his shoulder.

Then it happens again—that strange whisper I've heard occasionally since arriving at Moon Shadow Pack. But this time, it's stronger, clearer.

*Hello, Aria. Finally, we can truly speak.*

I stiffen in Jace's arms. "There it is again. That voice."

Jace stops walking, his eyes scanning the forest. "What voice?"

*He can't hear me now. Only you can. I have always been with you, but the Blood Moon and your soul binding have awakened me fully. I am a gift from the Moon Goddess herself.*

My heartbeat accelerates.

"The voice in my head," I stammer, clutching Jace's shirt. "I've heard whispers before, but never this clearly. She says she's always been with me."

Jace's expression shifts from confusion to alertness. "What else is she saying?"

*I am Sage. I am your wolf spirit, dormant until now, awakened by the Blood Moon and your bond with your true mate. I am a Primal Wolf.*

"Her name is Sage, a Primal Wolf," I say. "She says she's my wolf. The Blood Moon ceremony woke her up."

Jace sets me down but keeps his hands on my shoulders.

*Your devotion to the pack and love for Jace called to the Moon Goddess,* Sage explains. *She thought you worthy of awakening what was always inside you.*

I tell Jace this, and his face fills with wonder.

"A blessing from the Moon Goddess herself," he says. "You've always had a wolf, Aria. The ceremony just woke her up."

"But I can't shift," I say, feeling a strange disappointment. "I don't feel any different physically."

*Not until the next full moon,* Sage explains. *The Blood Moon broke the barrier between us, but I need the power of another full cycle to manifest completely. Until then, I'll grow stronger within you each day.*

I share this with Jace, who pulls me against his chest, his heartbeat strong and rapid against my ear.

"The Moon Goddess has honored our union beyond all expectation," he murmurs into my hair.

Suddenly, Jace's entire body tenses, his breathing becoming shallow.

"What is it?" I ask, alarmed.

"Phantom is overwhelmed," Jace says, his voice filled with awe. "He's connecting with Sage. I've never felt him this excited before—it's like he's found something he's been searching for his entire life."

*Yes,* Sage whispers within me, a warmth coloring her voice. *Our spirits have known each other since the beginning. Let me speak to him through you—open the mate bond.*

"How do I do that?" I ask aloud.

*Close your eyes. Use the connection formed during your binding. It's already there, a bridge between souls.*

I close my eyes, leaning my forehead against Jace's chest, and try to recreate that feeling of openness from our ceremony. A strange tingling spreads through me, and suddenly I can feel another presence—ancient, powerful, distinctly male, vibrating with barely contained excitement.

*At last, my mate's spirit-sister awakens,* comes a deep, rumbling voice that must be Phantom. *We have waited countless moons for you.*

*I am here now,* Sage responds through me, her voice carrying equal parts strength and tenderness. *The time of waiting is over. I will protect her as you protect him. Together we will be stronger than either alone.*

The exchange feels intimate, primal—two ancient spirits reuniting after an eternity apart.

When I open my eyes, Jace is staring at me with wonder and something deeper—recognition.

"Did you feel that?" he asks softly.

"I felt them... connecting," I say, still processing the experience. "Like long-lost soulmates finding each other."

"That's exactly what they are," Jace says, cupping my face. "Wolf spirits recognize their destined companions instantly. Phantom has been restless since the moment we met you—now I understand why."

"I don't know how to be a wolf," I admit, fear creeping into my voice. "What if I can't control it when the shift comes?"

*We will learn together,* Sage assures me. *I am not separate from you—I am the wild heart that has always beaten within your chest. The part of you that has always known the call of the moon, even when you couldn't name it.*

"She says we'll learn together," I tell Jace, finding comfort in Sage's confidence. "That she's always been part of me, just... dormant."

Jace's thumb traces my cheekbone. "The warrior spirit I fell in love with makes sense now. You've always had the soul of a wolf, Aria. The Moon Goddess simply recognized what was already there."

I close my eyes, focusing inward, trying to sense this other presence that shares my body. There's a warmth there, like embers waiting to ignite into flame.

"Can you feel her?" Jace asks softly.

"Yes," I whisper. "She feels... ancient. Powerful, but distant, like she's viewing everything through a fog."

*The fog will clear with each passing day,* Sage promises. *By the full moon, we will be one in truth.*

As Jace gazes into the distance, seemingly lost in communication with Phantom, Sage's voice drops to a whisper in my mind.

*I have a secret to share with you alone, Aria. I am immune to silver. Tell no one, not even your mate. This gift may save us both someday, but such knowledge could be dangerous in the wrong hands.*

I manage to keep my expression neutral despite my shock. Silver immunity? That's unheard of among werewolves. I give a subtle nod, acknowledging her secret while Jace remains distracted by his own wolf.

I take a deep breath, trying to process everything. "So I'm going to be a werewolf. Your Luna."

A slow smile spreads across Jace's face, his eyes still gleaming with Phantom's excitement. "My Luna with the Moon Goddess's blessing. The pack will be in awe."

"Or they'll think I've lost my mind," I mutter.

*They won't feel my presence until I can shift,* Sage assures me. *I'm still too weak. We'll have time to prepare.*

I relay this to Jace, who nods. "This changes everything—not just for us, but for the entire pack."

The weight of his words settles over me. I've gone from human warrior to future werewolf in one night.

"One step at a time," I say. "First, we go back to the pack. Then... we figure out what this means."

Jace kisses my forehead. "Together."