Alpha's Regret, Begging My Convict Luna Back novel Chapter 6

Aria's POV

"Stop right there! Who are you?"

The security guard's sharp voice pierced through the fog in my head, yanking me back to reality. My wolf stirred uneasily under my skin, sensing tension before I even processed his words.

I frowned, trying to keep my voice steady. "I was here this afternoon—I live in Building Three. Don't you remember?"

He shifted from one foot to the other, avoiding my gaze.

"Yeah, I let you in myself," he said finally. "But we just got orders. Your apartment's been seized by your creditors. I can't let you in without their okay."

For a heartbeat, I thought I'd misheard him. "What?" My voice came out thin, trembling. "That's my apartment. How can I not be allowed in?"

My wolf bristled at the injustice, claws itching to surface. That house was mine. I'd paid for it in full. It had nothing to do with Nathan.

The guard's eyes flicked to the bundle in my arms, my pub, Lana, and his tone turned cold. "Look, you've got a kid, so I won't make this harder than it needs to be. Just leave."

"You can't do this!" My words cracked with desperation. "My things are in there—my luggage, everything!"

He just shrugged, unmoved. "Do you have a court order to lift the freeze? Without that or authorization from your creditor, I can't let you in. Those are management's rules."

"Creditor?" I echoed, my voice barely a whisper. My lips felt numb from the cold, or maybe from the shock. "I don't even know what you're talking about..."

"Figure it out," he said, turning back toward his booth as if I were nothing more than a nuisance.

The icy wind cut through my thin coat, but the real chill came from within. I could almost picture Nathan's merciless stance as he signed the order to seize everything I owned. Legally, he had the right to do that, using my conviction and prison sentence as grounds for claiming damages.

With one command, he had stripped me bare of my accounts and my home.

Just how much did you hate me, Nathan?

I'd served my time. I'd paid the price for the crimes levied against me. Wasn't that enough?

"Nathan, you're heartless," I whispered, clutching Lana tighter against my chest.

The guard barked at me again, telling me to move away from the entrance, that I was an eyesore to Shevron Estates' pristine image. My wolf growled low in my chest, but I forced her back. Losing control now would only make things worse.

So I stepped away, out into the empty street. The night wind howled around me, sharp as knives. My hands shook, not from the cold, but from the rage simmering beneath my skin. My wolf paced inside me, snarling, wanting to lash out, to break through those gates and reclaim what was ours.

But I couldn't. Not now. Not with Lana in my arms.

I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. I had to move forward for her, for us.

Seconds later, a scrap of paper danced through the wind and landed at my feet. I crouched, my fingers stiff and trembling as I picked it up.

It read:

Cleaner wanted. Room and board included, two meals daily, $1000/month.

I stared at it for a long moment. My pride whimpered, but my wolf was silent. Even she understood.

With a criminal record, no one would hire me. Not even as a waitress. But a cleaner… a roof over my head, food, a chance to start over—that was something.

I held Lana close, her soft whimper muffled against my chest.

One last time, I looked up at the gates of Shevron Estates, a symbol of everything Nathan had taken from me. My wolf snarled softly, promising retribution.

Then I turned away.

Nathan's POV

The early dawn crept over Hemsworth's Villa as my car rolled past the iron gates. I leaned back in the leather seat, closing my eyes for a moment's peace. My wolf stirred, uneasy. He'd been that way ever since yesterday night… ever since I'd sensed her in our home.

The car stopped briefly at County Estates. The faint scent of expensive perfume hit me before the door opened.

"Alpha Nathan, look what I brought you!" Sophia's voice was light, cheerful, far too bright for this hour.

Her light brown curls were perfectly in place, her designer suit crisp, and the diamond-studded gold watch on her wrist glittered in the morning sun.

I gave her a brief glance, my expression unreadable, and went back to scrolling through the tablet in my hand.

She leaned forward, offering a neatly packed breakfast box. "I thought you might want something homemade. You've been working so much lately."

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify