THE BILLIONAIRE ALPHA’S FORBIDDEN MATE

CHAPTER ONE THE MAN IN THE BLACK CAR The rain came down harder than Luna Hart had ever seen it. She pulled the hood of her jacket over her head and hurried down the nearly empty street, clutching the small paper bag containing the last meal she could afford. It had been a terrible day. Her manager had reduced her hours at the café. Her landlord had reminded her that her rent was due in three days. And, to make matters worse, her phone had fallen into a puddle. “Perfect,” Luna muttered. She stepped off the pavement without looking. A loud horn suddenly blared. Luna froze. A black luxury car stopped inches away from her. Her heart nearly jumped out of her chest. The driver's door opened. A tall man stepped out. He wore a perfectly fitted black suit, his dark hair slightly wet from the rain. His face was expressionless, but there was something frightening about his eyes. They were almost silver. “Are you trying to get yourself killed?” he asked. Luna stared at him. “I'm sorry.” “Sorry?” “Yes.” “You walked directly in front of my car.” “I said I'm sorry!” The man's expression hardened. Luna suddenly noticed several expensive cars behind him. Men in black suits stood beside them, watching silently. She knew that face. Everyone did. Adrian Blackwood. The billionaire. The man whose companies seemed to own half the city. Rumors followed him everywhere. Some people said he was ruthless. Others said he had connections nobody dared investigate. But none of the rumors explained why Luna suddenly felt as though something inside her was screaming. Run. Adrian stared at her. Then his face changed. For the first time, the cold billionaire looked genuinely shocked. His breathing stopped. Something moved behind his eyes. His wolf had awakened. Mate. Adrian's fists tightened. No. It couldn't be. Not her. Not a Hart. Luna frowned. “Are you okay?” Adrian didn't answer. He simply stared at her. Then his gaze dropped to the silver necklace around her neck. A small crescent moon hung from it. His eyes widened. “Where did you get that?” Luna touched the necklace. “This?” “Yes.” “My mother gave it to me.” Adrian's expression became terrifying. “Your mother?” Luna nodded. “I don't remember much about her. She died when I was little.” “What was her name?” Luna hesitated. “Why?” “Tell me.” “Amelia Hart.” The world seemed to stop. Adrian stepped backward. One of his guards whispered, “Sir?” Adrian raised his hand. Silence. He looked at Luna again. “What is your name?” “Luna.” “Your full name.” “Luna Hart.” Adrian's jaw tightened. The daughter of the people he had sworn to hate. His mate. The Moon Goddess had a cruel sense of humor. “Get in the car,” he said. Luna stared at him. “Excuse me?” “Someone is following you.” She looked behind herself. Nobody was there. When she turned around again, Adrian was already walking toward his car. “I'm not getting into a stranger's car.” Adrian stopped. For a moment, he almost smiled. “You're right.” He looked toward one of his guards. “Take her home.” Luna blinked. “Wait. What?” But before she could ask another question, Adrian entered his car. As it drove away, Luna noticed something strange. For one brief second, the billionaire's eyes had turned completely black. And somewhere inside the darkness of the night, something growled. To be continue.....