The Alpha King’s Human Mate by HC Dolores
Chapter 112

The Alpha King's Human Mate

Bonus Chapter - Aria & Sebastian (12) Bonus Chapter - Aria & Sebastian (12)

"You could fill three lifetimes with the things people say about you when you're not there."

Stewart Stafford

Aria woke with a jolt to someone stroking her hair. For half-a-second, her sleep-addled brain thought she was back in Liam's domain, stuck in her bunk bed or his bedroom

Her anxiety spiked but only for a moment until she realized she wasn't with Liam anymore, but her mate. The comforting scent enveloping her was Sebastian as was the soft touch to her hair

"Are you okay? I didn't mean to startle you." He must've realized she was awake because his hand stilled in her hair, and Aria had to bite back a whimper. She liked his touch

She shifted to look at him, rubbing the sleepiness of her eyes. "No, it's alright. I didn't mean to actually fall asleep, but I guess I was more tired than I thought from the trip."

Sebastian, who was sitting on the edge of the bed and still dressed in the same clothes, gave her a cheeky grin. "Oh, I have no complaints

You did fall asleep in my bed, after all."

Bonus Chapter - Aria & Sebastian (12)

What? Aria shot up like a wire. "Wait, this is your room?"

She glanced at her surroundings, and berated herself for not realizing it before she'd passed out. The room was all dark, neutral colors but the personal touches were undeniably Sebastian: several family photos of him with both his sisters, a photo of his parents, and a couple of unwashed t-shirts scattered on the floor

As if that wasn't enough confirmation, the room reeked of him. Not in an unpleasant way - - more like a wanting-to-roll-around-in-his-sheets-

forever kind of way

She flushed. She hadn't meant to end up in his bedroom, but after rushing out of Clark's room, she'd just followed the comforting scent to...here

Sebastian must've seen the red decorating her face because he said, "Hey, there's no need to be embarrassed. Finding you up here, wrapped in my sheets, was like waking up on Christmas morning. You looked beautiful.”

Her cheeks became redder, and she couldn't bring herself to look at him as she asked, "Do you think I could have some water? My throat is feeling a little dry." It wasn't true, but it was the first thing she could think of to change the subject

"Of course," Sebastian said, and then he stood up, "There's still some

Bonus Chapter - Aria & Sebastian (12)

pack members mingling downstairs with my parents, so I'll get it for you." He shot her another smile before stepping out of the room, leaving the door cracked

She waited until his footsteps echoed into the soft noise of voices downstairs before she grabbed the pillow - his pillow - and inhaled deeply

Her eyes fluttered shut

He smelled so good

She could live in these sheets, in this bed

"T can't believe our future Alpha has a mate now."

Aria's eyes popped open at the unfamiliar, tinkling female voice she could hear coming from down the hall. She didn't recognize it, and she hadn't seen anyone on the second floor but maybe one of the guests had wandered up?

"Yeah, and did you see her?" A second female voice joined in, just as distant as the first

Did they know she was also upstairs? She didn't think so, not if they were all the way down the hall

"Yeah, more like a mouse than a future Luna," the first girl replied, her voice mocking. "You know what I heard?"

Bonus Chapter - Aria & Sebastian (12)

"What?"

Aria's stomach clenched. She knew she could've gotten up and walked out of the bedroom to alert them of her presence anytime she wanted, but she didn't. She curled further under the covers, and strained her ears to listen to what they had to say about her

"T heard," it was the first girl's voice, and she could hear the smirk. "She came from weird traditionalist pack all the way down in Texas, and Sebastian pulled her out of Alpha Liam's cult."

"No way! Really?"

"Yeah, apparently, she's all traumatized and shit. That's why she was hiding behind Sebastian downstairs, and wouldn't talk to anyone."

Aria flinched. So this is what Sebastian's pack thought of her, how they saw her. She knew she was pathetic, but to hear strangers talk about it so openly..

"Poor Sebastian," the second girl's was syrupy with faux-pity. "He's been waiting so long for his mate and our future Luna, and then he gets stuck with someone who probably flinches at shadows."

"Yeah, something tells me he'll be more of a caregiver and less of a mate," she sighed, "Oh, well. He's stuck with her now. Nothing he can do to change it." That was the last thing they said before they moved on to gossiping about another member of their pack

Bonus Chapter - Aria & Sebastian (12)

Underneath the covers, Aria felt paralyzed

It felt like her worst fear come to life

Since leaving Liam's pack and meeting Sebastian, Aria had spent many nights, laying awake and agonizing over the fact that she didn't deserve a mate, let alone one as good as Sebastian

And though he'd denied it, the girls gossiping in the hallway only proved that others saw how undeserving she was too

They're right. Sebastian takes care of me, makes sure I'm okay, soothes my anxieties, and does all of it without complaint

He's the most patient man I've ever met, and what have I ever done for him? Ignore him and express my doubts?

He's been the best mate there is, and all I've ever done is be an ungrateful burden. Those girls are right. He might as well be my caretaker

And although she knew Sebastian didn't see it that way, some part of her wondered if, deep down, he felt that way. Some part of him - even a small part — had to be tired of constantly being patient, of constantly looking after her. And if he wasn't, she was sure he would be

"Here's your water," Sebastian's voice suddenly cut through her spiral as he swung the door open, and strode up to the bed, a full glass of water in his hands. "Sorry it took me so long. I got roped into a conversation with one of the Elders who wanted my opinion on border

Bonus Chapter - Aria & Sebastian (12)

disputes. It was absolutely riveting, if you can imagine." He sat down on the edge, sitting the glass on the nightstand

Aria grabbed the glass of water and drank greedily to hide the fact that she couldn't even force a smile

All she could hear was those girls' words circling in her brain, of Sebastian being stuck as her caretaker for the rest of his life

Her heart pounded furiously

He'd probably never complain, but how long until he began to resent her? Began to resent that he gave her everything, and she had nothing to offer him?

Well...there was one thing she could offer him

As suddenly as the thought came, she didn't hesitate

She plunked the glass back on the nightstand so fast that water sloshed over the sides, closed the distance between her and Sebastian, and pressed her lips to his

The feeling was almost indescribable

Her lips molded to his like they were meant to, and her entire body tingled with something warm and pleasant until the feeling settled in her lower belly

Sebastian was frozen for a moment, and then, he started to kiss her

Bonus Chapter - Aria & Sebastian (12)

back

The Alpha King's Human Mate

Bonus Chapter - Aria & Sebastian (12) Bonus Chapter - Aria & Sebastian (12)

"You could fill three lifetimes with the things people say about you when you're not there."

Stewart Stafford

Aria woke with a jolt to someone stroking her hair. For half-a-second, her sleep-addled brain thought she was back in Liam's domain, stuck in her bunk bed or his bedroom

Her anxiety spiked but only for a moment until she realized she wasn't with Liam anymore, but her mate. The comforting scent enveloping her was Sebastian as was the soft touch to her hair

"Are you okay? I didn't mean to startle you." He must've realized she was awake because his hand stilled in her hair, and Aria had to bite back a whimper. She liked his touch

She shifted to look at him, rubbing the sleepiness of her eyes. "No, it's alright. I didn't mean to actually fall asleep, but I guess I was more tired than I thought from the trip."

Sebastian, who was sitting on the edge of the bed and still dressed in the same clothes, gave her a cheeky grin. "Oh, I have no complaints

You did fall asleep in my bed, after all."

Bonus Chapter - Aria & Sebastian (12)

What? Aria shot up like a wire. "Wait, this is your room?"

She glanced at her surroundings, and berated herself for not realizing it before she'd passed out. The room was all dark, neutral colors but the personal touches were undeniably Sebastian: several family photos of him with both his sisters, a photo of his parents, and a couple of unwashed t-shirts scattered on the floor

As if that wasn't enough confirmation, the room reeked of him. Not in an unpleasant way - more like a wanting-to-roll-around-in-his-sheets-

forever kind of

way

She flushed. She hadn't meant to end up in his bedroom, but after rushing out of Clark's room, she'd just followed the comforting scent to...here

Sebastian must've seen the red decorating her face because he said, "Hey, there's no need to be embarrassed. Finding you up here, wrapped in my sheets, was like waking up on Christmas morning. You looked beautiful."

Her cheeks became redder, and she couldn't bring herself to look at him as she asked, "Do you think I could have some water? My throat is feeling a little dry." It wasn't true, but it was the first thing she could think of to change the subject

"Of course," Sebastian said, and then he stood up, "There's still some

Bonus Chapter - Aria & Sebastian (12)

pack members mingling downstairs with my parents, so I'll get it for you." He shot her another smile before stepping out of the room, leaving the door cracked

She waited until his footsteps echoed into the soft noise of voices downstairs before she grabbed the pillow — his pillow

Her eyes fluttered shut

He smelled so good

She could live in these sheets, in this bed

"T can't believe our future Alpha has a mate now."

and inhaled deeply

Aria's eyes popped open at the unfamiliar, tinkling female voice she could hear coming from down the hall. She didn't recognize it, and she hadn't seen anyone on the second floor but maybe one of the guests had wandered up?

"Yeah, and did you see her?" A second female voice joined in, just as distant as the first

Did they know she was also upstairs? She didn't think so, not if they were all the way down the hall

"Yeah, more like a mouse than a future Luna," the first girl replied, her voice mocking. "You know what I heard?"

Bonus Chapter - Aria & Sebastian (12)

"What?"

Aria's stomach clenched. She knew she could've gotten up and walked out of the bedroom to alert them of her presence anytime she wanted, but she didn't. She curled further under the covers, and strained her ears to listen to what they had

to say about her

"T heard," it was the first girl's voice, and she could hear the smirk. "She came from weird traditionalist pack all the way down in Texas, and Sebastian pulled her out of Alpha Liam's cult."

"No way! Really?"

"Yeah, apparently, she's all traumatized and shit. That's why she was hiding behind Sebastian downstairs, and wouldn't talk to anyone."

Aria flinched. So this is what Sebastian's pack thought of her, how they saw her. She knew she was pathetic, but to hear strangers talk about it so openly..

"Poor Sebastian," the second girl's was syrupy with faux-pity. "He's been waiting so long for his mate and our future Luna, and then he gets stuck with someone who probably flinches at shadows."

"Yeah, something tells me he'll be more of a caregiver and less of a mate," she sighed, "Oh, well. He's stuck with her now. Nothing he can do to change it." That was the last thing they said before they moved on to gossiping about another

member of their pack

Bonus Chapter - Aria & Sebastian (12)

Underneath the covers, Aria felt paralyzed

It felt like her worst fear come to life

Since leaving Liam's pack and meeting Sebastian, Aria had spent many nights, laying awake and agonizing over the fact that she didn't deserve a mate, let alone one as good as Sebastian

And though he'd denied it, the girls gossiping in the hallway only proved that others saw how undeserving she was too

They're right. Sebastian takes care of me, makes sure I'm okay, soothes my anxieties, and does all of it without complaint

He's the most patient man I've ever met, and what have I ever done for him? Ignore him and express my doubts?