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

face?” Before she could reply, I swiped my shirt sleeve across my face several times. “Oh, no,”

wasn’t trying to stare. It’s just…you reminded

thought you were

with freckles? We

it. Sorry. I didn’t mean to make you feel awkward.

with cream.” “Coming

into one of the armchairs by the window to

a voice broke through the silence. “Clark? Clark Marshall? Is

alert. I took a sharp inhale when I saw

“Aiden?”

him two years

he was less scrawny

was no mistaking the same blue eyes and

one who Griffin insisted on knowing about, and

with wide eyes.

he come from? What was he doing

not reading this book on n𝘰𝚟el5s.com, you

dive into

Yorba Linda?

said with a bright smile and he plopped down on the empty chair

when I walked in. I thought I was seeing things.”

I remembered them to be and I couldn’t help but blush. Suddenly,

hair was or how big

into somebody I know when I look like

I told him, “You’re not seeing things…but

“In this coffee shop or Yorba

happy to see you. I guess I just really wasn’t expecting you.”

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

ago. I’ve been going to

coffee ~ nothing

remembered about him, his parents frequently moved for

kids, relocated to Oregon when we

back in California. ‘)

in time for me to run into him, it

turn,” Aiden said, sipping his own drink, “How’d you end up in Yorba Linda? Last I remember, your

strict about your whereabouts.”

for a while,” I said, “We’re catching up.” It wasn’t

at his phone. “Shoot…I’ve got to go. I’ve got class in twenty,” he

been two years – I’m sure you and I have a

do too.” \”)

asking me

cheeks. Aiden was cute, we had a brief history together,

knew in the area, Could going out

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

to dive

something was nagging at me – some sort of gut feeling telling me that