All Chapters of THE ALPHA’S DEBT: Chapter 121 - Chapter 129

"Andrew, wait," I started, the image of that news article flashing in my mind like a warning flare. "In that photo from the bell-ringing... Quinn was bundled up in a heavy coat and a mask. I thought he just had a nasty flu and didn't want to infect the pack elders. He was always such a gentleman, looking out for others."I looked up at Andrew, my heart sinking. His face was a mask of jagged pain, his eyes darker than I had ever seen them."Was that a stand-in at the ceremony?" I whispered, the realization hitting me like a physical blow.Andrew nodded slowly. "NovaTech is the West family’s legacy. It’s the cornerstone of their territory's future. Quinn built that entire operation from nothing. If the news of his death had broken right before the launch, the pack would have been torn apart by rivals. His father, Martin, had to make a choice. He had to use a shadow-double to keep the peace.""But hiding the death of a territory leader... isn't that a violation of the Council's laws?""I

"Maren, get your things and leave," Lydiasa barked, her voice cutting through the heavy tension of the medical room like a silver blade. She turned her gaze to me, her wrinkled face softening instantly. "Lanka, I rushed here the moment the scouts brought word. I didn't even bring a proper blessing token for our little pup. I will make sure the pack elders prepare a grand ceremony next full moon.""There is no need to rush, Lydiasa," I said, a breathless laugh escaping me as I tried to soothe the old matriarch's fretting. "Wait until Lucas is safely born into the world. It is still very early in the cycle."Lydiasa chuckled softly, her rough, calloused palm resting gently against my flat stomach. "So the little one's name is Lucas? A strong name for a wolf. Lucas, I am your great-grandmother. You grow quickly and strongly, little alpha, so you can run with the pack soon."I looked down at my waist, a tender, fragile warmth flooding my chest. I didn't even notice that Andrew was staring

"Lanka, you saw Paige Gardner's scouts just now, didn't you?" Serena barked, stepping directly into my path as I moved toward the elevator shaft. She shoved her hands onto her hips, her eyes flashing beneath her mask. "Your old pack elders are practically rotting in the lower marshes because they can't afford the healing herbs for their silver-burns. You carry the pure Monroe lineage, yet you stay up here in the high towers pretending they don't exist. That is a disgusting lack of loyalty to your blood, isn't it?"I ground my boots to a halt, looking down at Serena's trembling frame before letting a cold smile touch my lips. "Well, you are standing right here, Serena. Since your heart bleeds so deeply for the rogue factions, why don't you empty your personal gold reserves for them? After all, those exact rebels shielded your secret camp for six winters and kept your dirty secrets."I took a step to brush past her shoulder, but Serena’s fingers clamped hard around my forearm."Lanka, d

"The lower-ranking packs always whisper that Beta Martin West cannot even control a minor border squabble, claiming his old age has softened his claws," Carllo muttered, his chest rumbling as he watched the old warrior tend to his mate."Any omega in the northern valleys would give their life-force to be claimed by a warrior like Martin," I replied softly, my eyes fixed on the couple. "Through all the seasons of Barbara's blindness and her failing inner beast, his devotion has never wavered.""The only curse on their den was losing Alpha Quentin," Carllo whispered back. "A tragedy that makes even the strongest packs weep."I took a slow breath, stepping closer to the recovery furs. "Matriarch Barbara, you must preserve your health. Only then can Quentin's spirit rest in the upper skies, knowing his pack-mother is whole."Barbara’s head snapped toward the sound of my voice, her sightless eyes widening. "Andrew, whose scent is that in our den?"Andrew stepped forward, his massive hand l