The Alpha King's Human Mate by HC Dolores

The Alpha King’s Human Mate AKHM – Bonus Chapter – Aria & Sebastian (9) Bonus Chapter – Aria & Sebastian (9)

“Changing is what people do when they have no options left.” Holly Black

Victim or survivor?

Those three words rattled through Aria’s brain for the next few days as she avoided anyone with a pulse, including her mate. She knew that it hurt him ~ he’d knocked on her door a few times per day, but after several minutes of no reply

from her, she’d always hear his footsteps echo away.

Victim or survivor?

Aria wondered if it was really that simple. Alessia had made it sound so easy like flipping a switch.

And maybe it was, but Aria had no idea where that switch was.

On day three of her self-imposed isolation, Sebastian came knocking

again — and this time, he didn’t take no for an answer.

“aria,” he said, and she swore she could hear the frustration in his voice, “I know you’re in there, I know you don’t want to

talk to me…or

anyone else, but we need to.” AKHM – Bonus Chapter – Aria & Sebastian (9) She laid in the guest bed, curled into the

fetal position and ready to wait till he left, but his next words made her freeze.

“aria, I’m leaving.”

Her breath caught ~ leaving?

She didn’t say it out loud, but he answered her unasked question anyway. “I don’t want to, but I’ve been here much

longer than I was supposed to,” he explained, his muffled voice floating through the closed door. “My father and my

pack need me, and I can’t delay any

longer. I have to leave in the morning.”

Something cold and paralyzing shot through her as her wolf howled inside her head ~ he’d be gone in less than twentyfour hours.

He was leaving. Leaving her.

Sebastian’s voice cut through her internal spiral once more. “I came to ask if you’d come with me,” he said, and there was a new tinge of nervousness to his tone. “I know that we’ve had a…rocky start, but

we’re mates. We’re meant to be together. I want to show you my home. I

want it to feel like yours.” So, he wasn’t leaving her. He wanted her to come.

There was a moment of relief as she realized he didn’t intend to leave AKHM – Bonus Chapter – Aria & Sebastian (9)

her there ~ only to have it followed by crushing fear.

Flashes of her father and mother ran through her head, of the way her mother was never allowed to leave the grounds

without their father’s permission.

And then flashes of her, just as trapped at Liam’s pack. Is that what it would be like with Sebastian? She wondered.

For the first time in days, Aria spoke just loud enough for him to hear it through the door. “A-are you ordering me to

come?” She asked, and she barely recognized her own voice.

of course she would – but the thought of

she could handle it. There was silence on the other

to wonder if he’d heard her, he answered. His voice was quiet and sad, like a kicked

“Order? No,” he said.

“After all this time, you still think I’d order you to do something

choice is yours, it was always yours. I thought…” He paused. “I thought you might want

willing to

Bonus Chapter – Aria &

replaced by guilt as she realized that Sebastian

way she’d been with Liam. He hadn’t been trying

whole life.

give her a choice, let her choose to come solely

wasn’t sure what ~ when

want to be alone,” he murmured, “So…ll leave

his footsteps echo through the halls, and a massive lump swelled in her

had she said that? He’d proposed it like a question, not an order. She’d been the only one to call it

Liam or her father ~ he hadn’t acted like either of them for a single

a monster, and she wasn’t sure why her brain constantly made

say, Aria did not

tossed and turned with only one thing on her mind: Sebastian’s AKHM – Bonus Chapter –

offer.

good intentions. He was offering her to come with him because he wanted to work

sure how to “work things

life felt like a mismatched puzzle, half of the pieces missing, and she wasn’t sure how to put

been willing to try, but he’d give

Victim or survivor?

sliced through

that if you’re not reading this book on n𝘰𝚟el5s.com, you might be missing

dive

it really

just decide she wanted to be a survivor, and that’d

would a survivor do in this situation? Probably swallow down all their

leave with Sebastian.

surely she couldn’t

her wondered if she’d been choosing that since the moment she arrived

castle.

I be if I continued to stay here? A

thought sent a chill down her spine. As safe as her isolated

it wasn’t feasible

day, she was going to want to venture outside, to see if she could put the pieces of her

it could be too late

knew she had

the rays of dawn filtered through her window, the

a victim

I’m too late?

him to be some monster, was enough for her to open

door for the first time in days. She was only wearing pajamas, but that hardly

through the hallways.

was no sign of

turned a corner and nearly ran into what looked like

Has he left yet?” AKHM – Bonus

guard looked startled by the abrupt question as well as her urgency, but

gate last time

onto her next question because he added, “I

and let