The Alpha King's Human Mate by HC Dolores

Chapter 38

“Your first love is your first love. It cannot be analyzed, explained, or forgotten.”

Aisling Bea

My mom had been right about the little cafe in town ~ it was cute and cozy. They also just had good coffee, much better

than the black sludge that Steve was drinking in his thermos every morning.

After I’d gone with her that first night, I started going there on my own. Sometimes I’d take a book to read, and other

times I would just people-watch with steaming hot coffee in my hand. \°)

Yorba Linda was definitely a small town, there was no denying that. Besides a grocery store, a movie theater, a library, and

the little cafe, there were just houses here. (*

But it was also peaceful and the people were nice but not intrusive. I was used to living in a small town — if you could

call the Blacktooth Pack a town ~ but the pack had never felt peaceful.

Everyone had heightened emotions, mates were all over each other, and people thought they were entitled to know

every aspect of your life. It probably had to do with their “mind link,” but as a human, it wasn’t great. Yorba Linda

might’ve been small, but nobody bothered you. People

went about their business and didn’t inquire about yours. It was nice. )

After ten days in the little town, I found myself spending another afternoon in the coffee shop. This time, I was equipped

with some mystery novel I’d pulled off mom’s bookshelf. Her collection was sparse, so I would need to make a run to the

local library soon.

I walked up to the coffee shop counter to place my order. The shop was a little busy, and I watched the barista ~ a

college-aged girl with dyed purple hair whose nametag read Amber ~ multitask like a pro.

Geez, she really moves fast. (: She slid someone’s mocha down the counter and then turned to me. Despite how quickly

she seemed to be working, there wasn’t a hair out

of place. She didn’t seem to be breaking a sweat. (=

“What can I get you?” she asked with a bright smile, and I saw her eyes

widen when she looked at me. “Woah,” she muttered under her breath. )

My cheeks instantly flushed. Why is she staring at me like that? “What?” I couldn’t help but ask. She was still staring. “Do

I have still

swiped my shirt sleeve across my face several times. “Oh, no,”

I’m sorry ~ I wasn’t trying to stare. It’s just…you reminded

you

guess,” I said, “She’s a redhead with freckles? We kind of all

Sorry. I didn’t mean to make you feel awkward. Anyway, what can I get

hot Americano with

I settled into one of the armchairs by

was nearly fifty pages in when a voice broke through the silence.

high alert. I took a sharp

“Aiden?”

last time I’d seen him two years ago. I could tell he was taller, his hair was

he was less scrawny

no mistaking the same blue eyes and fluffy blonde hair. ) This was

on knowing about, and interrogated me about whether Aiden had

at him with wide eyes. Of

— but where had he come from?

Just a friendly reminder that if you’re not reading this book on n𝘰𝚟el5s.com, you might

there to dive into the next

Yorba Linda?

see you,” Aiden said with a bright smile and he plopped down on the

walked in. I thought

even bluer than I remembered them to be and I couldn’t help but blush. Suddenly, I felt

my hair was or how big Steve’s jacket must’ve looked

when I look like I

me,” I told him, “You’re not seeing things…but what are

a second. “In this coffee shop or Yorba Linda, you

see you. I

you know,” he grinned, “Last I remember, you were living in Washington with your dad. But to

I’ve been going to the local college a town over, but

coffee ~ nothing

remembered about him, his parents frequently moved for his dad’s job.

in California when we were kids, relocated to Oregon when we

back in California. ‘)

time for me to

own drink, “How’d you end up in Yorba Linda? Last I remember,

strict about your whereabouts.”

I said, “We’re catching up.” It wasn’t technically a lie, I

and I saw him glance at his phone. “Shoot…I’ve got to go. I’ve got class in twenty,” he said, and

“But I don’t suppose I could see you again? It’s been two years –

do too.” \”)

he asking

Aiden was cute, we had a brief history together, and he

I knew in the area, Could going

not reading this

story. Head over there to dive

nagging at me – some sort of gut feeling telling me that going