Semua Bab THE ALPHA'S FORBIDDEN MATE : Bab 1 - Bab 10

---Chapter One: A New BeginningThe bus groaned to a stop with a loud hiss, and Aria Gray blinked awake, her head jerking slightly from the windowpane. Outside, fog clung to the trees like fingers, wrapping the small town of Crescent Ridge in a soft, ghostly shroud. It wasn’t exactly welcoming, but that was the point. She wanted quiet. She wanted hidden.Dragging her suitcase off the bus, she adjusted her leather jacket against the cold bite in the air. Her boots crunched on gravel as the vehicle pulled away, leaving her standing in front of an old wooden sign with faded white paint: Welcome to Crescent Ridge. It felt more like a warning than a greeting.She rolled her suitcase along the narrow path leading to the cabin she’d rented online. Her landlord, a woman named Mrs. Briar, had told her it was “private and peaceful”—just what Aria had wanted. A place to escape the city, her old life, and the ex who shattered her trust.Aria’s life had been spiraling for the last year. Her job g

---Chapter Three: The Alpha’s GazeThe man was gone.Aria stared at the spot where he’d stood just moments before, her chest rising and falling in shallow breaths. Her heart pounded against her ribs like it was trying to escape. She was shaking, but not from fear. No. What coursed through her veins was something else entirely—something darker, deeper.Desire.Need.Recognition.She didn’t even see his face clearly. Just the outline of his body in the mist, the strength in his stance, the intensity in his presence. But she knew—whoever he was, he was not just some guy from town.He wasn’t ordinary.And something inside her stirred in response to him, like a key sliding into the right lock after years of searching.Still gripping the curtain, she stepped back from the window, breathless. Her mind raced.You need to calm down. Get control of yourself.But it was too late. The pull was already there. And it wasn’t letting go.She bent to pick up the broken mug on the floor, her fingers t

---Chapter Five: Secrets in the ShadowsThe wind howled through the trees that night, carrying a strange energy with it—a pulse that throbbed through the earth and found its way under Aria’s skin. She couldn't sleep. Not after what Kade had said.You’re my mate.The words haunted her, whispered through her thoughts like a chant she couldn’t silence. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw his golden gaze, felt the heat of his presence, remembered how his voice made her blood hum like an ancient song.The bond.What did it even mean? That her fate was tied to his? That her heart wasn’t her own anymore?She didn’t even know him… and yet something inside her did.Aria wrapped her blanket tighter around her shoulders as she sat curled on the old couch in front of the dying fire. The shadows flickered across the walls, dancing like they knew something she didn’t.Her fingers brushed the spine of the book she’d brought home from the library. The Crescent Ridge Chronicles. She’d read more o

---Chapter Seven: The Wolf WithinThe first time Aria dreamed of running through the forest, it felt like freedom. The wind in her hair, the cool earth beneath her bare feet, and the sound of distant howls calling her home. But when she woke, tangled in sheets soaked with sweat and moonlight, she knew it wasn’t just a dream.Something inside her had shifted.She lay still in bed, heart pounding like a drum. Kade was beside her, one arm draped protectively over her waist, his bare chest rising and falling with deep, even breaths. But even in sleep, he held her like she might vanish at any moment.And maybe she would.The mark hadn’t been made yet. But the bond between them had deepened. She could feel him now. Not just physically—emotionally, spiritually. His soul had become an echo inside hers. When his mood shifted, so did hers. When he felt rage, her chest tightened. When he longed for her, heat bloomed low in her belly, even when they weren’t touching.And now, something darker st

---Chapter Nine: The Blood Moon RisingThe weight of the night was oppressive. The moon, now full and glowing red, hung low in the sky like a judgment, casting long, eerie shadows over the forest. It was a Blood Moon—a rare celestial event that Aria had only heard about in whispered legends. But she hadn’t known how much darker and more dangerous it would feel until it was right above her.She stood on the balcony of Kade’s cabin, her fingers gripping the railing, eyes fixed on the crimson moon. Something about it called to her. It felt as if it was alive, aware, watching her—waiting.“You’re still out here.”Kade’s voice broke through the silence. He stood behind her, his frame massive and imposing against the dim light, but his eyes softened as he approached. His presence was a comfort, a shield against the ominous energy in the air.“I had to,” she whispered, her voice barely audible against the rustling of the trees. “The moon… it’s different tonight.”“It’s the Blood Moon,” he r