THE ALPHA'S FORBIDDEN VOWS

Chapter One The Night Everything Changed Aria Vale had always believed that some things were better left untouched. Secrets. Old promises. And especially the heart of an Alpha. Unfortunately, fate had never been particularly interested in what Aria believed. The night everything changed began with rain. Not the gentle kind that whispered against windows. This rain came down hard enough to turn the roads of Silvermoon Pack into rivers, drumming against rooftops and making the ancient trees surrounding the territory sway violently in the wind. Aria stood beneath the covered entrance of the pack hall, staring into the darkness. She hugged her arms around herself. "You're going to catch a cold." Aria turned. Her best friend, Lila, stood behind her with two steaming cups in her hands. Aria accepted one. "I'm fine." "You've said that three times tonight." "Because I am fine." Lila raised an eyebrow. "Then why have you been staring at the forest for the past twenty minutes?" Aria glanced back outside. "I don't know." That was the truth. Something felt different tonight. She couldn't explain it. The Silvermoon Pack had always felt like home to her. She had grown up surrounded by wolves, hunters, warriors and families who had known each other for generations. But tonight, the familiar territory felt strangely unfamiliar. Like something was approaching. Something she wasn't prepared for. Lila nudged her. "Stop looking like you're waiting for someone." "I'm not." "You are." "I'm literally standing here drinking tea." "That doesn't make you less suspicious." Aria laughed softly. "You're annoying." "And you're avoiding the question." Before Aria could answer, the sound of approaching vehicles came from beyond the gates. Several black SUVs emerged from the darkness. The conversation around them slowly died. People began turning toward the entrance. Lila's smile disappeared. "Oh." Aria frowned. "What?" Lila lowered her voice. "The Alpha is back." Aria's fingers tightened around the cup. The Alpha. Adrian Blackwood. Even before she saw him, she could feel the shift in the atmosphere. People straightened. Warriors moved aside. Conversations became whispers. Everyone knew what his arrival meant. Adrian wasn't simply the Alpha of Silvermoon. He was one of the most feared Alphas in the region. Young. Powerful. Wealthy. And painfully difficult to read. The first SUV stopped. Two warriors stepped out. Then another. Finally, the back door opened. Adrian Blackwood emerged. Aria had seen him before. From a distance. At pack gatherings. During ceremonies. Across crowded rooms. But she had never really looked at him. Not like this. He was dressed entirely in black, his dark hair slightly damp from the rain. His expression was unreadable, his posture calm and commanding. He didn't need to raise his voice to make people move. They simply did. His eyes swept across the crowd. Then stopped. On her. Aria forgot how to breathe. Something happened. Something impossible. A strange warmth spread through her chest. Her heart stumbled. Once. Twice. Then began beating so violently she was convinced everyone around her could hear it. Adrian's expression changed. Only slightly. His eyes narrowed. He stared at her as though he'd just seen a ghost. Aria couldn't understand why. Then she smelled it. His scent. Cold rain. Pine. Something dark and warm beneath it. Her entire body reacted before her mind could understand. A strange pull settled between them. A connection. Invisible. Unmistakable. Lila whispered beside her. "Aria?" Aria didn't answer. Adrian took one step toward her. Then another. The crowd seemed to disappear. There was only him. Only her. Only that impossible feeling pulling them toward each other. Adrian stopped several feet away. His jaw tightened. His eyes remained fixed on hers. Then, suddenly, his expression hardened. The warmth disappeared. He looked away. "Alpha," one of the warriors greeted. Adrian didn't respond immediately. He continued staring at Aria. Finally, he said, "Who is she?" Aria blinked. Lila looked between them. "That's Aria Vale." Adrian's gaze returned to her. "Vale?" "Yes." Something flashed across his face. Recognition. Fear. No. Not fear. Something much closer to panic. Aria frowned. "Have we met before?" Adrian's eyes darkened. "No." The answer came too quickly. Aria felt strangely disappointed. She didn't know why. He turned away. "Prepare the eastern wing. I want the reports on my desk before midnight." The warriors immediately obeyed. Aria watched him walk away. Lila slowly turned toward her. "Okay." Aria looked at her. "What?" "Tell me you felt that." "Felt what?" "Whatever just happened." "Nothing happened." Lila stared at her. "Aria." "I don't know what you're talking about." "Neither do I." They stood in silence. Then Lila whispered, "Why was the Alpha looking at you like that?" Aria looked toward the doorway where Adrian had disappeared. "I don't know." But deep down, she knew something had happened. She just didn't know what. Later That Night Aria couldn't sleep. She lay beneath her blankets, staring at the ceiling. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw him. Adrian. His eyes. His expression. The strange moment when he'd looked at her as though the world had suddenly shifted beneath his feet. She rolled onto her side. "This is ridiculous." She had barely finished speaking when a sharp pain moved through her chest. Aria gasped. She sat upright. The pain disappeared. Then came the pull. That same invisible sensation from earlier. Stronger now. She stood. Her feet carried her toward the window. She pulled back the curtains. The forest stretched beneath the moonlight. And there he was. Adrian. Standing alone among the trees. Aria's heart raced. Why was he there? Before she could think better of it, she grabbed her jacket. Five minutes later, she was outside. The rain had stopped. The forest was quiet. "Adrian?" No answer. She walked farther between the trees. "Alpha?" Still nothing. Then a voice came from behind her. "You shouldn't be here." Aria spun around. Adrian stood several feet away. His expression was colder than before. Aria swallowed. "I could say the same about you." "This is my territory." "And I'm part of your pack." "That doesn't mean you should wander through the forest alone at night." "Then why are you here?" He said nothing. Aria crossed her arms. "That's what I thought." Adrian's jaw tightened. "You need to go home." "Why?" "Because I said so." She stared at him. "That's not an answer." "It is when I'm your Alpha." Aria took a step closer. "You're avoiding me." His eyes immediately met hers. "Yes." The honesty caught her off guard. "Why?" "Because I need to." "That makes no sense." "It doesn't have to." She studied him. "Did I do something?" "No." "Then why do you look at me like you hate me?" Adrian's expression shifted. "I don't hate you." "Then what?" He looked away. For the first time, Aria noticed something behind his anger. Pain. "You wouldn't understand." "Try me." Silence. Then Adrian whispered, "You're my weakness." Aria's heart stopped. "What?" He looked at her again. His eyes were no longer cold. They were tired. Almost desperate. "Go home, Aria." She didn't move. "Why am I your weakness?" He took a slow breath. "Because I made a promise." "What kind of promise?" "A promise I intend to keep." "To whom?" "Myself." Aria stared at him. "And what does that have to do with me?" Adrian's eyes closed briefly. Everything. That was what his silence seemed to say. Everything. He opened his eyes. "You need to stay away from me." Aria's chest tightened. "Fine." She turned. "Aria." She stopped. His voice sounded different. Softer. She looked over her shoulder. Adrian was watching her. For one brief moment, the powerful Alpha disappeared. There was only a man struggling with something he couldn't control. "Don't make me regret letting you walk away." Aria frowned. "What does that mean?" He didn't answer. She left. But neither of them knew that those words would become the beginning of a love neither of them had planned for. Adrian Adrian remained beneath the trees long after Aria disappeared. His hands clenched at his sides. "No." He shook his head. This couldn't be happening. Not now. Not after everything. He had spent years building walls around himself. He had made a vow. A sacred vow. He would never take a mate. He would never allow himself to love someone deeply enough to give them the power to destroy him. He had watched what love had done to his family. He knew exactly what it could cost. And now fate had decided to mock him. Because the one woman he could never allow himself to love... was his mate. Adrian looked toward the path where Aria had disappeared. His wolf stirred beneath his skin. Mate. The word echoed inside his mind. Adrian clenched his jaw. "No." His wolf refused to listen. Our mate. "No." Protect her. "I said no." But his body had already betrayed him. Every instinct screamed to follow her. To make sure she reached home safely. To stand between her and every danger. To keep her close. Adrian closed his eyes. For years, he had feared only one thing. Not death. Not enemies. Not rival Alphas. Love. Because love had the power to make even the strongest man weak. And tonight, fate had placed that weakness directly in front of him. Aria Vale. The woman he had sworn never to love. The woman who had somehow become impossible to ignore. His mate. His forbidden love. And the one person who could make him break the vow he had built his entire life around. Adrian opened his eyes. "This will never happen." But somewhere deep inside him, his wolf answered. It already has