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Home / Werewolf / THE ALPHA’S DEBT / Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

All Chapters of THE ALPHA’S DEBT: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

70 Chapters

11

I lay in the expansive, cold bed of the Wolfe Crest Estate, my eyes tracing the jagged lines of lightning through the window.The truth was, I hadn’t been fully asleep. I’d seen the glow of his phone a notification from Serena’s manager. I didn't reach out to stop him as he dressed. I knew the futility of it. My body still ached from the phantom weight of him, and the scars on my feet from years of dancing to his tune hadn't fully faded. Why invite more shame?A moment later, the predatory roar of his modified engine tore through the silence of the grounds. I kicked off the covers and stood by the glass. The storm had finally broken, rain falling in heavy, vertical sheets. I watched the twin red stars of his taillights vanish into the mountain mist.He was racing through a deluge to get to another man’s sister."Liar," I whispered to the empty room. He’d used the ghost of our childhood to trick me into lowering my guard, only to abandon the den the moment she called.Restless and burn

12

Serena was clutching a cold compress to her face, her scent spiking with an artificial, sharp distress. "I’m just so envious," she hissed, her voice trembling with practiced fragility. "Lanka has you so completely wrapped around his finger that he lets him act this recklessly without a single consequence."She was overplaying her hand. Even her assistant, April, seemed to realize the display was becoming too transparent. April shot Serena a warning look, then turned to Andrew with a diplomatic, practiced smile."Is that breakfast for Serena, Mr. Wolfe? That is incredibly thoughtful of you. Her stomach has been so sensitive this morning, and we were just about to look for something light."She reached out to take the thermal bag from Andrew’s hand. In truth, Andrew had picked up the meal for Lucas, but he had just seen me entering Lucas's room with a bag of my own. Rather than explain or engage in a petty correction, he simply let go of the strap and allowed April to take it.Serena pe

13

The realization that Andrew considered Serena’s unborn pup "important" was the final silver stake through my heart."So, that’s it," I whispered into the phone, my vision blurring as I stood outside the dance studio I’d just been exiled from. "It wasn't that you didn't want an heir, Andrew. You just didn't want one with me."For two years, I had lived in a state of beautiful, pathetic denial. I refused to believe the Alpha who had once shared his bed and his protection with a broken eight-year-old could be this monstrous. But the truth was stripped bare now."Lanka, enough with the dramatics," Andrew’s voice came through the line, cold as a winter frost. "Quit these games and get back to the estate. I’ve told you a thousand times that prancing around a studio isn't a life for a member of the Wolfe family."When Serena appeared at six years old and began systematically stripping away my place in the Hawthorne pack, I’d told myself it was just fate. Now, she was taking my husband, my fu

14

The silence in that cramped bathroom was deafening as a second, faint pink line began to crawl across the plastic. It was pale, barely a shadow, but in the world of the supernatural, there was no such thing as a "maybe."I was carrying a wolf.My knees hit the floor. I sat on the closed toilet lid, staring into the void, my mind trapped on that thin streak of color.Carllo snatched the test from my hand, her face contorting into a mask of pure, unadulterated rage. "Gods above, did Andrew Wolfe skip the lesson on basic decency? Knocking up two men at the same time? That bastard is a goddamn menace!" She dropped into a squat, wrapping her arms around my shaking shoulders. "Lanka, talk to me. What’s the move? Are you keeping the Alpha’s pup?"I didn't have an answer.I had promised Andrew when we bonded that we wouldn't have children—he had made it a condition of our "arrangement." But in the quiet, lonely hours of the night, I had secretly craved it. I’d spent two years thinking a pup m

15

Serena wore a mask of pure, trembling contrition as she stepped toward me, her scent projecting a faint, sickly sweet submissiveness."Lanka, are you still harboring bitterness over what happened at the hospital? I’m so sorry, truly. My pregnancy has been playing havoc with my system. I was so weak and my sugar was so low... I just lost my footing. Andrew only thought you pushed me because he’s so protective of the pup. Please, can you find it in your heart to forgive me?"She was thin as a willow branch, her features plain when taken individually, but together they formed the perfect "wounded bird" aesthetic that Alphas instinctively want to cage and protect. She looked the picture of sincerity, making it nearly impossible for a bystander to call her out.But I knew better. I remembered the first day she entered the Hawthorne estate. She had run straight to me for a hug, only to pull back with a panicked gasp. "Lanka, I’m so sorry! Did I get dirt on your silk tunic? I didn't mean to,

16

I glared at him, my eyes narrowing until they felt like they might spark. "Can’t you tell I’m talking about swallowing gunpowder? I'm five seconds away from exploding."Andrew barely moved, though one corner of his mouth twitched upward. "If you’re so full of fire, Lanka, just try not to blow me up with you."I was fuming, my chest heaving with indignation, but the head nurse—a woman in her late forties who had clearly seen her share of stubborn Alphas—couldn’t help but let out a soft chuckle.As she reached for his arm, I felt my protective instincts flare. "Easy does it," I warned, my voice tight.The nurse smiled at me, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "You’re all bark and no bite, aren't you, sweetie? Relax, I’m a pro. I won’t hurt your boyfriend. Besides, he’s a big boy—he can handle a little scratch."By then, the nurse had cut through the expensive silk of his sleeve, exposing the damage. It was a jagged, ten-centimeter gash. The skin was peeled back, raw and crimson, a sight

17

The figure stepped out of the shadows, and for a heartbeat, my breath hitched. It was Elara Hawthorne.I steadied my rattling lungs, wiped the sweat from my brow, and stood tall. "Mrs. Hawthorne."She gave a curt nod, retrieved a towel from the front row of the empty theatre seats, and handed it to me. "Thanks," I muttered, turning my head as I wiped my face, desperate to hide how much I had just unraveled on that stage."Lanka, I want to have a chat with you."I knew why she was here. I could feel the cold intent rolling off her like a winter mist. "I’ll change and be right back," I said. After a quick, scalding shower that didn't wash away the exhaustion, I returned to the stage.Elara was staring up at the spotlights. "You remember, don't you? You won your first gold medal on this very stage when you were five. You were so small, but your form was rock-solid. You blew everyone away. I was so proud."Back then, I was the prince of the Hawthorne Pack. Everyone said I was a prodigy, t

18

I stood in the center of the third-floor activity room, staring at the massive, vintage claw machine.I had gotten this when I was nine, thanks to Andrew. I couldn’t quite recall why I’d been so miserable back then, but Andrew had taken me to a carnival to try and cheer me up. We’d blown through over 200 copper coins and didn't snag a single tuft of fur. I had teased him relentlessly for his "pathetic Alpha skills," but he just barked back that the machine was rigged.The very next day, my hyper-competitive brother-in-law had lugged this exact machine into the Hawthorne estate, having rewired it so the win-rate was a solid 100%. He’d snagged me a sofa’s worth of plushies in minutes. Later, he even coded a little app on his phone so he could tweak the difficulty whenever he wanted.From then on, this machine became my personal sanctuary. If I was blue, I’d play for a pick-me-up. If I was happy, I’d take a shot and see what "surprise" he’d hidden inside. After we married and moved to Wo

19

Serena scrambled off the sofa, her scent sharp with a metallic, envious tang. She began throwing wild, weak punches at the air where I had been standing, her desperation clawing through her sweet facade.I didn't stay to watch. I vaulted into Carllo’s battered old Chevy, the engine roaring to life. As I peeled out of the yard, the headlights cut a jagged path through the mist of the estate. In the rearview mirror, I saw Andrew dash out of the villa, his silk pajamas fluttering in the freezing wind, his silhouette a frantic, dark shape against the gold light of the foyer.He was drenched in a fresh, feverish sweat, the silver moonlight catching the silver-white of his bared teeth as the cold air hit his lungs."Alpha! What the hell is happening? Let me get you inside!"Cedric came sprinting from the shadows where his car had been idling. He’d seen me arrive and figured his mission was a success. He’d even set an alarm to check on us in an hour, thinking he could finally catch some slee

20

I watched the grainy feed on the pack-link. Andrew must have shifted his strategy and caught a flight in the middle of the night. In the video, his heavy wool trench coat flapped in the salt-heavy sea breeze as he moved through the frantic construction crews. He looked frigid, his Alpha aura commanding even through a screen.I let out a jagged sigh. There was no telling when he’d return to Zion City. It was crystal clear: this divorce wasn't being finalized today.Right then, my phone buzzed with a text from Carllo.[Don’t come back to the apartment yet.]I waited, pacing the sidewalk for thirty minutes until a second message gave me the all-clear. I rushed home, bursting through the door before I’d even turned the key fully. "What happened? Were there Enforcers here?""People from the Hawthorne Group," Carllo said, nodding toward the coffee table.Laid out among the half-empty takeout containers were a sleek business card and several thick contracts. It was the licensing inquiry for

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