Chapter 10

Pinakabagong kabanata

• Bound by Blood: The Alpha's Forbidden Mate    Chapter 17

  Chapter 17 – LoveCrystal’s POV“Exactly like that.” His voice dropped, frustration curling at the edges.“And she’s picked me, hasn’t she?” I said with a dry laugh. “Typical.”His gaze snapped to mine. “It’s not what you think. I didn’t say yes. I never would, not like that.”Something tugged in my chest, but I buried it. We were friends. We were nothing else.“Then say what you do mean, Roberto. Because right now, you’re dragging me out here like we’re about to rewrite fate.”His jaw clenched. “There’s someone else. I’m in love with her.”The words settled like peace in my heart. I didn’t flinch. I just stared at him, waiting for him to continue talking.“She’s human,” he continued, voice softer now. “Her name is Sophia. She’s everything I want and need in my woman. She studied in England, works in a publishing house. She knows nothing about werewolf traditions or how we live. But I know she’s trying. And the most important thing is she’s mine.”“And your grandma doesn’t approve,” I

• Bound by Blood: The Alpha's Forbidden Mate    Chapter 16

  Chapter 16Crystal’s POVI stared at my phone for a full minute, thumb hovering over the call button like it might bite me. My stomach twisted, nerves fluttering because I was anxious and uncertain about making this call.Then I pressed the call button.“Ring ring.” My phone vibrated once, twice and a voice responded at the other end of the call.“Crystal?” Roberto's voice cracked through the speaker. He sounded surprised, but not cold.“Hey…” I cleared my throat. “I was wondering if… I could come by. I want to check up on your grandmother.”A pause, like he was processing what I just said.“Of course,” he said at last. “She’ll be thrilled. Can you come for lunch?”I hesitated, heart skipping. “Yeah. Lunch is fine.”Later that day, the gates were already open when I arrived, like they'd been expecting me.The scent of rosemary and garlic hit me before the door did. The aroma, rich, and deeply nostalgic. My fingers curled into fists by my side.It smelled like Sunday evenings back home

• Bound by Blood: The Alpha's Forbidden Mate    Chapter 15

  Chapter 15ALEJANDRO’S POVCrimson Apex was neutral territory on paper. It's the boundary between human territory and the Crimson pack. But it smelled like an ambush.Tension clung to the pine thick air, and my wolf paced beneath my skin like it was hunting something I couldn’t see.“I hate this place,” I muttered.Roberto snorted beside me. “You hate every place that’s not our home, Abuela.”“No,” I said, scanning the patrol lines ahead. “I hate liars in silk suits pretending to talk peace.”We stood at the edge of a half constructed building, a supposed “joint territory post” for Crimson apex and our pack. Bullshit. Everyone knew it was a silent battle for dominance. We weren’t here for deals. We were here to show our presence and power.Roberto was doing most of the talking with the Crimson apex reps. I stayed with him watching and listening to anything that seemed off.But every time I closed my eyes, I saw her.Not her face, just fragments.A laugh I didn’t recognize anymore. A

• Bound by Blood: The Alpha's Forbidden Mate    Chapter 14

  Chapter 14 : The Day Everything ChangedCrystal’s POVThe café buzzed with midmorning chatter, customers coming in and going out, people ordering their meals and having their conversations while eating. The aroma of sweet cinnamon buns thick in the air. I wiped down a table, barely listening to the hum of voices, until someone leaned in, whispering near my ear.“That old woman who comes every day—Mrs Pancho. She’s outside in her car. She has been there for over thirty minutes, she hasn't moved and she looks like she's sleeping but… Something feels off.”My stomach clenched.Mrs Pancho never stayed in her car. She always came in with that bright, commanding stride—like even the Moon bowed for her.Without thinking, I yanked off my apron. “Cover for me,” I muttered to a coworker and rushed out.The sun was blinding. Her car was parked by the curb. It was so still and that made me very uncomfortable. Not wanting to submit to my thoughts, which at this moment screamed negativity.I dart

• Bound by Blood: The Alpha's Forbidden Mate    Chapter 13

  Chapter 13 : New Beginning Crystal – POVThe bus hissed to a stop like it was exhaling my past.I stepped down onto the dusty gravel road of Crimson Apex, clutching a bag that held everything I owned and nothing that mattered.The wind here smelled cleaner and wilder.A strange mix of pine, baked earth, and the distant heartbeat of wolves I hadn’t met yet.But none of them knew me. That was the point.I dragged my feet toward the only building that stood out in the quiet street—a two-story café with sun aged wood and bold red trim, the sign swaying slightly in the breeze.Vine & Hearth CaféUnder it, another smaller board:Server Wanted. Must Be Clean. Must Be Quiet.It was exactly what I needed for a start. A decent job, where I can hide without anyone recognising me. Far away from the Garcia pack and the pain it reminds me of. Inside, the café pulsed with warmth, golden light, soft chatter, and the clatter of plates. It smelled like cinnamon and sugar, and for a heartbeat, I f

• Bound by Blood: The Alpha's Forbidden Mate    Chapter 12

  Chapter 12 : Family That Chose UsAlejandro’s POV Crimson Pack looked like a painting.Sunlight spilled through the mist-draped cliffs, casting gold on every rooftop. The river snaked through the valley like silver thread, and the old stone towers stood tall like silent sentinels carved into the mountainside.It was beauty you didn’t expect in a world like ours.It was soft, serene and beautiful.The kind of beauty that masked the blood that flowed like a river beneath it. I know this because this was my home for two years. When I was trying to find my feet after my father’s, Elisabetta and Giovanni’s betrayal. The royal villa had not changed, but the wolves had.Roberto stood like an Alpha in waiting, with Deniro beside him, coiled like a loaded weapon. And in the middle of them all is Mrs Pancho.Her presence hadn’t dimmed, not even after all these years.She looked at me like no time had passed.“Let him through,” she said.I walked in.No words. My boots echoed against polishe