The Human Girl Who Tamed Alpha King Chapter 71

ARIA

Alpha Marcus's voice echoed through the ancient arena. I couldn't contain the excitement bubbling inside me. My first Sacred Moonlight Gathering, my first time attending such an event as a member of the Moon Shadow Pack. God, I wanted to jump out of my seat.

Cheers erupted from the stands as everyone went wild with applause and howls. Jace squeezed my hand. I stole a glance at his profile, strong and confident.

"Nervous?" he asked.

"Nervous? Me? Please, I'm just thinking about how many competitions Moon Shadow is going to win." I raised an eyebrow, trying to mask my unease. Despite living with the Moon Shadow Pack for months, this was my first time standing beside Jace in front of so many werewolves.

Alpha Marcus stepped down from the central platform. Elder Thorn slowly walked forward, his wrinkled face even more serious than usual. He had been entrusted with the honor of serving as the officiant for this momentous gathering, a responsibility that weighed visibly in his measured steps and solemn demeanor.

"The first competition: Moon Chase," his voice was aged but powerful. "Competitors, gather in the center of the arena."

About twenty werewolves walked toward the center, all muscular males wearing their packs' distinctive clothing. Wait, not all—there was one female. I counted twice to be sure.

"Only one female competitor?" I whispered to Jace.

He nodded. "Most packs still believe these competitions are exclusively for males. Traditional views change slowly."

I clenched my fists. This was one reason I trained so hard. If a human girl could participate in these competitions, then other female werewolves should certainly have that right.

"Someday, I'll compete too," I said firmly.

Jace raised his eyebrows at me but said nothing.

Elder Thorn raised his hand. "The rules of Moon Chase are simple. Competitors must complete the course through the Sacred Grove. Whoever finishes first wins. Any cheating will be punished by the Moon Goddess herself."

The arena fell silent as Elder Thorn's voice resonated through the air. "Three, two, one, GO!"

The competitors sprinted away, disappearing into the Sacred Grove entrance at the edge of the arena. Eliana and I jumped to our feet in excitement, holding hands and cheering loudly for Conner.

*Seeing you like this is both amusing and adorable.* Jace's voice echoed in my mind.

I frowned in response: *Amusing? What does that mean?*

*In a good way, like a little girl full of innocence and energy.* His voice carried a smile.

I rolled my eyes, but my heart felt warm. That was Jace's magic—he always made me feel both cherished and respected.

The race in the grove was mostly invisible to spectators. I anxiously looked around. "How do they make sure no one cheats in there?"

"There are wolves monitoring throughout the grove. Nobody can pull any tricks," Jace explained, his hands resting casually on his knees.

"Right, of course they thought of that." I sat back down, but my foot kept tapping the ground.

About twenty minutes into the race, the atmosphere in the stands grew increasingly tense. Finally, two figures appeared at the grove exit—Conner and a female werewolf, holding hands!

"Who's that?" I asked, surprised to see them overtaking the other competitors ahead.

"Olivia, from the Ravenwood Pack," Jace suddenly smiled. "Looks like they're true mates."

The crowd erupted into even louder cheers when they saw this. Ethan and Olivia crossed the finish line together, their expressions saying everything—they had found each other.

I followed Jace down to the arena floor, joining others in congratulating them. Alpha Marcus and Luna Seraphina were already standing by the finish line, smiling.

"I believe this calls for celebration," Alpha Marcus patted Ethan's shoulder.

Olivia lowered her head. "Alpha, I'm sorry I didn't fight harder to win alone for our pack."

"Olivia, don't think that way," Alpha Marcus shook his head. "I'm certain both Alpha Jace and I are pleased with this shared victory."

"Absolutely," Jace interjected. "Seeing you two find each other is truly remarkable."

During the short break, the results were carved into ancient stone tablets. I watched other pack Alphas surrounding Jace and Marcus, congratulating them on sharing first place. Clearly a good sign—friendship between two powerful packs.

The next competition was about to begin. Competitors were preparing, including Alex, one of our pack's best trackers. He waved at me, and I gave him a thumbs-up for encouragement.

Elder Thorn walked to the center of the arena again. "The second competition: Hunting Challenge. Thirty warriors will pursue prey in the Sacred Grove. The first five to capture and return with their prey will win."

"BEGIN!"

The competitors rushed into the grove as three ancient crystal orbs appeared in the center of the arena, showing scenes from within. I stared intently at the orbs, searching for Alex.

Suddenly, a disturbing image appeared in one of the orbs—several warriors in black weren't chasing prey but were instead stalking Alex!

"Jace!" I grabbed his arm, pointing at the orb.

He stood immediately, exchanging a glance with Alpha Marcus. "I'll be right back," he told Lucas. "Don't let her out of your sight, Lucas."

I wanted to follow, but Lucas blocked me. "Don't worry, he'll handle it."

In the crystal orb, I watched as Black Forest Pack warriors suddenly charged at Alex, but before they could strike, a silver blur appeared—Jace! His movements were so fast they were almost indistinct as he quickly subdued the attacker. The other Black Forest warriors retreated immediately.

Minutes later, Jace dragged the attacker to the edge of the grove. Dylan Warren was waiting there, his face showing clear anger and embarrassment.

"Control your people!" Even from this distance, I could see Jace's fury.

Dylan reprimanded the warrior, then nodded respectfully to Jace. The attacker was disqualified and escorted away by two guards.

Jace returned to the stands and briefly explained the situation. "Warren's people tried to cause trouble but got caught. I'll explain more later."

The competition continued. About thirty minutes later, a warrior from another pack emerged from the grove with prey. Twenty minutes after that, Alex finally appeared, his hunt successful!

"Good. We still have a respectable position," Jace said, standing and taking my hand.

We headed toward Alex to celebrate his win. Pushing through the crowd, I caught Richard Warren staring at me from across the arena. His eyes locked on mine, his lips moving silently. I could read them: "Wait and see. You'll be mine soon."

I got goosebumps. I squeezed Jace's hand harder.