All Chapters of THE ALPHA’S DEBT: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

"So, I gave you my answer when you told me to choose, didn't you? I made my pick. Why do you care if I’m buying these to wear or to bury the heel in some low-rent stray’s face? What’s the matter, Serena? Didn’t get enough last time? Already forgot how it feels to bleed?"Serena’s eyes widened as the memory of the welts I’d left on her with the duster seemed to throb beneath her skin. She recoiled, her face souring with a mix of fear and hatred.Carllo didn't miss a beat. He grabbed a heavy-soled loafer from the shelf and swung it through the air with a lethal whistle. "Can’t lie, Lanka, these have some real weight to them. Bet they’d leave a hell of a mark on a home-wrecker’s jaw."Serena shrunk back further, but Shirley Wolfe—incensed that a 'commoner' like Carllo would speak to them that way—stepped into my space. "Who are you calling a home-wrecker!?""Whoever the collar fits, sweetheart! Why bother asking if you aren't feeling the itch?" Carllo rolled his eyes, leaning back agains

Carllo realized his "tough-love" routine was hitting a wall with a teenager and quickly backpedaled, “Hey, I was just messing with you, kid; don't take it to heart.”Lucas gave him a sharp eye roll, sporting a smug look that said as if I’m as gullible as you.At the sight of them bickering, my lips curled slightly. For a brief second, the weight on my chest lifted.At the hospital, Carllo got an urgent call from his director to head back to the studio, leaving me to pace the sterile hallway outside the ER alone. The doctors did their assessment and soon had Lucas moved to a private suite for observation.Maren Cole rushed in, her scent sharp with anxiety, and immediately lit into me. “I told you to watch over him! How the hell did you let Lucas end up fainting and hospitalized? Can you do anything right, Lanka?”Seeing me catch heat, Lucas hopped off the bed in a jiffy, his "weakness" vanishing. “I’m fine, Maren; lay off Lanka. This was my play; blame me.”Maren, freaked out by his su

I held my breath, the sterile scent of the infirmary fading as the heavy, musky aroma of cedar and rain—Andrew’s scent—filled my senses."If I wasn't concerned about you, Lanka, why would I be standing here?"His voice was nonchalant, but it sent my pulse into a frantic, erratic rhythm. That protective streak, that flash of heat in his silver eyes... it sparked a tiny, dangerous ember of hope in my chest.My eyes misted over before I could stop them. "When I drew blood from Serena last time, did you feel sorry for her then, too? Did you press ice to her face and hold her like this?"Andrew let out a low, dark chuckle. "Take a guess, little wolf."He didn't say no. That meant he had.I felt a surge of white-hot irritation. I wanted to smash the ice pack against his skull. I tried to twist away in anger, but Andrew stepped into my personal space, his powerful frame caging me against the cold tiles of the bathroom wall. I had to tilt my head back just to glare at him.His lips curved int

Serena buried her face in the thick furs of the hospital bed, her shoulders shaking with a jagged, rhythmic grief. Her voice was a hoarse, desperate rasp.“You’re lying to me. Andrew isn’t coming. He only has eyes for Lanka. I’m so bitter, Damon. I'm drowning in it. How does that stray get a man like Andrew to cherish him with his whole soul?”She choked on a sob, clutching the sheets. “Just leave me. My wrist is shattered, but my heart is in pieces. I’ll be fine once I’ve bled this out.”Damon Hawthorne glanced at Andrew, gestured toward the door with a weary flick of his hand, and retreated into the hall with Lydiasa.Andrew took a few slow, heavy steps forward. His dark brows were knit with a sharp, visible impatience. He didn't offer a hug; he didn't even reach out. He just spoke.“That’s enough. Stop the performance.”Serena’s trembling frame went rigid. She spent a moment smoothing her hair against the pillow before looking up at him. She didn't say a word; she let the tears do

I felt the brutal pressure on my chest, a rhythmic, crushing force that finally forced the lake water from my lungs. I lurched sideways, choking and retching as air burned its way back into my throat.I was leaning against someone’s solid frame, my vision a watery, fractured mess. Through the haze and the rain, I saw a familiar silhouette—Andrew. He was carrying Serena toward the manor, his stride long and urgent. He didn't break his pace. He didn't even glance back at the dark water where I had just been drifting toward death."Lanka! Stop playing dead. You’re a Monroe; you practically grew up in the river. Talk to me."The voice behind me was sharp, lacking any real warmth. I blinked, wiping the sting from my eyes, and realized my savior was Julian Park.He was Andrew’s rival, a high-ranking Alpha from a neighboring territory who had always viewed the Wolfe-Hawthorne alliance with suspicion. He’d made it clear in the past that he thought I was nothing more than a social climber who