The Alpha`s Forbidden Mate

Chapter 1 — The Forbidden Bond The full moon hung above the Silver Moon Pack like a giant silver eye. Its pale light washed over the ceremonial grounds, illuminating hundreds of wolves gathered beneath the ancient trees. Torches burned along the stone pathway, their flames flickering whenever the cold wind passed through the clearing. Tonight was the annual Moon Ceremony. For most wolves, it was a night of celebration. For those who had reached adulthood, it was something more. It was the night the Moon Goddess could reveal their fated mate. Aria stood among the unmated wolves, trying to steady her breathing. Her heart had been racing since sunset. She had heard stories about the mate bond all her life. Some described it as warmth spreading through the body. Others said it felt like lightning striking the soul. Aria had secretly wondered what it would feel like. Now, standing beneath the full moon, she was terrified to find out. The Moon Priestess stepped onto the raised stone platform. She wore a long white robe embroidered with silver symbols, and an ancient moonstone hung around her neck. "Tonight," she announced, her voice carrying across the clearing, "the Moon Goddess will reveal the bonds that have been written in destiny." The pack fell silent. Aria clasped her hands together. Please, she thought. She didn't ask for the strongest wolf. She didn't ask for the most handsome. She only wanted someone who would choose her. Someone who wouldn't make her feel like she was always alone. The Moon Priestess lifted the moonstone toward the sky. "Let the Goddess reveal what is hidden." A sudden breeze swept through the clearing. The torches bent sideways. Then Aria felt it. A sharp warmth exploded inside her chest. She gasped. Her heartbeat stopped for half a second before pounding violently. Her wolf stirred. Mate. Aria's eyes widened. "No..." She slowly turned toward the source of the bond. And saw him. Alpha Damien. He stood near the front of the gathering, surrounded by his Beta and several guards. Every wolf in the pack knew him. Damien was feared even by neighboring Alphas. He was young for a ruler, but his strength had earned him the title of the most dangerous Alpha in the region. Tall. Broad-shouldered. Dark-haired. His expression was always controlled, almost unreadable. Until now. The moment Aria's eyes met his, his entire body froze. The connection between them became stronger. Her wolf cried out inside her. Mate! Aria could barely breathe. Damien's eyes flashed gold. The crowd noticed. Whispers immediately spread through the clearing. "The Alpha found his mate." "Who is she?" "Look at him." "She's the one." Aria felt tears gathering in her eyes. She had never felt anything like this. It was as if an invisible thread had suddenly connected her soul to his. Every instinct inside her screamed to walk toward him. So she did. One step. Then another. Damien didn't move. His face had gone pale. Aria stopped several feet away from him. "Damien?" His eyes remained fixed on her. Something was wrong. This wasn't the expression of a man who had just found the woman destined to be his. It was the expression of a man who had just discovered a ghost. His lips parted. And in a voice so quiet only she could hear, he whispered, "No... it can't be you." Aria's heart sank. "What?" Damien took a step backward. The crowd became completely silent. The Moon Priestess looked between them. "Alpha Damien," she said, "the bond has been revealed." Damien didn't answer. His wolf was fighting beneath his skin. Aria could feel it. The pull between them was almost painful now. She reached for him instinctively. "You're my mate." Damien closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them again, they were cold. "No." Aria stared at him. "What do you mean?" He stepped closer. His voice became harder. "I reject this bond." A gasp swept through the crowd. Aria couldn't move. For a moment, she wasn't sure she had heard him correctly. "Reject..." Damien's jaw tightened. "I reject you as my mate." The words shattered something inside her. Her wolf let out a painful cry. Aria staggered backward, pressing a hand against her chest. The pain was unbearable. It felt as though someone had reached inside her soul and ripped something apart. Tears filled her eyes. "Why?" Damien said nothing. "Why are you doing this?" His expression remained emotionless, but his hands were clenched tightly at his sides. Aria searched his face for some explanation. There had to be one. Perhaps he didn't know her. Perhaps he was afraid. Perhaps— "Because our bond can never happen." His words were barely audible. Aria swallowed. "Why?" Damien looked directly into her eyes. For a brief moment, his cold expression cracked. She saw fear. Not disgust. Not hatred. Fear. Then it disappeared. "You need to leave the pack." Aria stared at him. "What?" "Leave before sunrise." "Damien, you're not making sense." "I said leave." His Alpha voice shook the clearing. Several wolves lowered their heads immediately. Aria didn't. She couldn't. She stood there with tears running down her cheeks. "Tell me why." Damien looked away. But before he could answer, one of the elders stepped forward. The old man's eyes widened when he looked at Aria. His face suddenly drained of color. "No..." he whispered. Damien immediately turned toward him. "What did you say?" The elder took a frightened step backward. "It's impossible." Aria looked between them. "What is impossible?" Neither man answered. Then the elder whispered words that made Damien's face turn cold. "Her bloodline." Aria frowned. "My bloodline?" The entire council had suddenly become tense. Damien walked toward the elder. "We will discuss this later." But Aria stepped forward. "No." Everyone looked at her. She wiped the tears from her face. "I deserve an explanation." Damien stared at her. For several seconds, neither of them spoke. Then somewhere deep within the forest, a wolf howled. Another answered. Then another. The pack turned toward the trees. Something was approaching. Damien's expression changed instantly. His eyes flashed gold. He moved in front of Aria. "Everyone inside," he ordered. The wolves began moving. Aria remained where she was. "What is happening?" Damien didn't look at her. "Don't ask questions." "Damien—" He finally turned toward her. His face was filled with something she had never seen before. Fear. "Aria," he whispered, "whatever happens tonight, don't trust anyone." Another howl echoed through the forest. Much closer this time. Aria's heart pounded. Damien stepped toward the darkness, his wolf beginning to surface. She watched him disappear among the guards. Only one thought remained in her mind. He had rejected her. But he wasn't afraid of their bond. He was afraid of what their bond would reveal. And somewhere in the darkness, someone already knew the truth.