บททั้งหมดของ THE CAMPUS ALPHA’S WOLFLESS MATE : บทที่ 11 - บทที่ 20

“I’m not coming to your office,” I said.Marcus’s laugh was sharp. “You think you have a choice?”“Yes.”“Interesting. And here I thought you were smart.”My hand tightened on the phone. Around me, the coffee shop continued its morning rush—steam hissing. Cups clinking. Normal sounds for a morning that felt anything but normal.“I made my decision,” I said. “There’s nothing left to discuss.”“You made the wrong decision. I’m giving you a chance to fix it.”“I don’t want to fix it.”“Then you’re a fool.” His voice dropped lower. Dangerous. “Do you have any idea what you’ve just done?”“I chose not to be bribed.”“You chose to make an enemy. Me. And Madison. And everyone else who understands how things work in this world.”“I’ll take my chances.”“Will you? Because I’ve already made three phone calls this morning. Your library position? Gone by the end of the week. Your housing? There’s suddenly a waiting list for dorm rooms. Very inconvenient timing.”Ice flooded my veins. “You can’t d

“What kind of problem?” Lycian asked.“Marcus Blackthorn just left my office. He’s not happy about your little declaration this morning.”“That’s not my concern.”“It is when he’s threatening to pull Blackthorn Industries’ funding from three of our pack businesses.” Thaddeus’s voice was sharp. Cold. “That’s twelve million dollars annually, Lycian. Money we can’t afford to lose.”My stomach twisted. This was my fault—all of it.“He’s bluffing,” Lycian said.“No. He’s not. I’ve known Marcus for thirty years. When he makes a threat, he follows through.”“Then let him pull his funding. We’ll survive.”“Will we? The Riverside development depends on Blackthorn Capital. Without it, we lose everything we’ve invested. And the pack loses jobs. Homes. Security.”Lycian’s jaw clenched. I could see the muscle jumping under his skin.“What do you want me to do?” he asked.“End whatever this is with the human girl.”I flinched. The human girl. Like I wasn’t even a person. Just a problem to be solved

The penthouse felt like a museum.I stood in the guest bedroom with my duffel bag at my feet, afraid to touch anything. The bed was massive, covered in white sheets that probably cost more than my entire wardrobe. Everything gleamed. The floors, the windows, even the air smelled expensive.My reflection stared back at me. I looked small. Out of place.“You can rearrange anything you want.”I jumped. Lycian stood in the doorway, not coming in.“It’s your room now. Make it yours.”“For three days. Until the pack meeting.”“You’re staying longer than three days.”“We don’t know that.”“I do.”I crouched and unzipped my duffel bag. Everything I owned fit inside. Three shirts. Two pairs of jeans. Cheap underwear. A borrowed sweater. A laptop held together with duct tape.I opened the dresser drawer slowly. Inside was fancy lined paper that smelled like lavender.Who the hell lines their drawers? Rich people.I set my shirt inside. It looked ridiculous.“I know this is weird,” Lycian said b

“How could I have done this?” My voice came out too high. “Lycian, I was with you all night. I didn’t do this.”He was already calling Cade. The phone rang twice before he picked up.“Where is she?” Lycian’s voice was hard. Cold. Nothing like the soft tone he’d used an hour ago over dinner.“St. Mary’s Hospital. Fourth floor. Her father’s losing it,” Cade said, tense. “Lycian, he’s calling everyone. Every pack member. Every ally. He’s saying Elowen attacked her out of jealousy.”My stomach dropped. The perfect dinner. The kiss. The moment I’d felt happy. All gone in seconds.“That’s insane. Why would I attack her?”“Because you’re the wolfless human who stole her mate,” Cade said. “That’s what Marcus is telling everyone.”“But I was with Lycian. All night. We went to Rosa’s. We just got back.”“Can Rosa confirm that?” Cade asked.Lycian’s jaw tightened. “She closed the restaurant for us. No other customers. No witnesses except her.”“And she’s human. Her testimony won’t mean much to t

We made it back to the hospital in fifteen minutes. Lycian drove like death was chasing us.Maybe it was.The fourth floor was quieter now. Past visiting hours. Just a few nurses at their stations. They looked up when we passed but didn’t stop us.Madison’s room. Door closed. No guards. No Marcus.Lycian pushed it open without knocking.Madison was awake. Sitting up. Looking at her phone. She dropped it when she saw us.“Get out,” she said.“No.” Lycian closed the door behind us. Locked it. The click echoed. “We need to talk.”“I have nothing to say to either of you.”“Really? Because I just watched security footage from Rosewood Bar.” He pulled out his phone. “Saw you get attacked by a man. A tall man. Definitely not Elowen.”Her face went pale. Actually pale.“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”“Yes, you do. You were meeting someone. On the phone with them. Arguing about a plan.” Lycian moved closer to her bed. “Who was it, Madison? Who did your father hire to attack you?”“No