Claimed By The Alpha, Marked By The Biker-Chapter 43: Shattered Dreams

Kianna’s POV

The nurse’s footsteps faded down the hall, leaving the dorm room in a heavy silence broken only by Lesley’s soft breathing as she dozed in her chair. My head throbbed like a distant drum, the world still tilting slightly on its axis.

Lysander sat there, forehead still pressed to the blanket and his quiet sobs were the only sound cutting through the haze.

I stared at him, trying to make sense of the boy who’d become a stranger, now here like nothing had changed.

"Lys," I whispered again, my voice rough from the water I’d swallowed, from the screams that had echoed in my mind as I slipped under. "What... what are you doing here?"

He lifted his head slowly, wiping his face with the back of his sleeve. His eyes were swollen, red, the kind of rawness that came from hours of crying, not minutes.

"I saw you," he said, voice thick with emotion.

"From the rooftop. I was up there...thinking, and I spotted you climbing the steps to the dorm. You looked destroyed, like you’d been crying your eyes out. I wanted to come down, to ask what happened, to make sure you were okay. But after whatever happened the last time I couldn’t bring myself to face you..."

He paused, then picked a handkerchief from his pocket to wipe his tears. Before continuing.

"...then I saw Maddox in the car that dropped you off. I thought... I thought he was bullying you again. So I rushed here to check up on you without thinking about the consequences anymore. I don’t know why but when it comes to you it’s impossible to ignore Kianna... My instinct told me something isn’t right, so I broke the door and entered after knocking and yelling your name severally... that’s when I heard the water running too long."

I blinked, processing what I’ve just heard. He was standing at the rooftop watching me from above, like some guardian angel who’d fallen from grace.

It should’ve felt creepy, but at this moment, with my body aching and my mind fractured, it just felt... complicated. "You broke the door?" I emphasized again.

He nodded, his wet shirt dripping onto the floor. "I panicked, I was literally running wild when I was at it. I thought—I thought I’d lost you for good this time."

The words hung there, heavy with everything unsaid. I sat up a little more, the blanket slipping down. "Lys, I... I can’t do this right now. After what happened on the rooftop, after everything you said..."

"I know," he interrupted, his voice breaking. "I know I messed up. I got carried away with my feelings. Lost myself in the anger, the hurt. I was so mad at you for choosing him, for pushing me away like I was nothing. But that’s no excuse. I was wrong, Kianna. For whatever I said at the rooftop, for the girl I scared, for all of it. I’m sorry. Truly, deeply sorry."

I couldn’t do anything anymore but stare at him in awe.His apology landed like a stone in still water, rippling through me.

Part of me wanted to forgive him, to pull him into a hug and pretend the last few weeks hadn’t happened.

But the other part—the one still raw from his cruelty held back. "I’m already going through hell, Lys. I need rest, we can talk later." I finally muttered, trying to avoid eye contact with him.

He nodded, standing slowly, water puddling at his feet. "Okay. I’ll go. Just... take care of yourself."

He hesitated at the door, looking back with eyes full of regret, then slipped out.

The room felt emptier without him, the silence heavier. Lesley stirred in her chair, blinking awake. "You okay?"

"Yeah," I lied, sinking back into the pillows. But as the night wore on, sleep evaded me.

I lay there in the dark, staring at the ceiling, the what-ifs swirling like smoke. What if I’d really drowned in that bathtub? What if the water had claimed me, pulling me under until there was nothing left but silence?

Would anyone have missed me? Would Mordred have blamed himself, his secrets finally spilling out too late? Would Lysander have regretted his words on the rooftop? Would Maddox have felt the weight of his role in starting this chain of pain?

The thoughts spiraled, dragging me into memories of laughter with Lesley, sketches with Lysander and rides with Mordred.

A life half-lived and cut short because I couldn’t hold it together. Tears slipped down my cheeks, hot and silent, soaking into the pillow.

I buried my face in it to muffle the sobs, not wanting to wake Lesley. She didn’t need my darkness on top of her own.

The night stretched endless, broken only by the occasional buzz of my phone—Mordred’s texts lighting up the screen like desperate beacons.

"We need to talk."

"Please, let me explain, I can’t lose you."

I just stared at it for a brief moment, getting tempted to reply but didn’t.I was done being a toy for his entertainment, done with the secrets and the tracking.

All of it made me wish I had died in that tub, it made me wish the only one to save me should have been someone else and not the very person I told to stay away.

I tossed and turned on my bed, desperately yearning for sleep but got none. I spent the whole night thinking about my life, I didn’t even realize when sleep got hold of me.

The next morning, I woke up early. I did whatever I had to do and left for class without waking Lesley up.

The day was a blur of lectures I barely heard, lunches I didn’t eat and a few gossips about what had happened to me last night in my room.

Lesley tried cheering me up, dragging me to a volleyball game in the gym, where the thwack of the ball and cheers from the stands were supposed to distract me.

"Come on, Kiki...live a little!" she yelled over the crowd.

We followed it with the arcade off-campus, her feeding quarters into a pinball machine while I half-heartedly played Skee-Ball. Lights flashed, bells rang, but none of it touched the numbness inside.

I felt broken, splintered into pieces that didn’t fit anymore. The only person I’d thought could love me had betrayed me in the worst way. And now Lysander, pulling me from death’s edge... it all tangled into a knot I couldn’t untie.

We were leaving the arcade when Maddox appeared—flanked by a couple of his friends, but breaking away the moment he spotted me.

"Kianna," he said, voice soft, eyes searching mine. "You okay? After last night I thought..."

"I’m fine," I lied, but my voice wavered.

He nodded, glancing at Lesley. "Glad you’re both alright. Look, if you need anything..."

Before he could finish, a shadow fell over us—Mordred, storming up from the parking lot, helmet in hand, face twisted in fury.

"What the hell are you doing here?" he snarled at Maddox, grabbing his collar and shoving him back.

Maddox stumbled but caught himself.

"And what the heck are you also doing here? I thought Kianna told you to stay away from her." he shot back.

Mordred’s fist clenched as he stared down on Maddox like a monster looking at its predator. " Want to know what I’m doing here? Wait lemme show you."

He grabbed him by collar and punched him on the face, Maddox also responded with a punch which he dodged flexibly.

Lesley crunched my shirt desperately and pleaded. "Kiki, do something...this is getting out of hand."

I didn’t want to interrupt, didn’t want to tell them to stop or ask Mordred why he’s here and how he found me. Everything wasn’t a surprise anymore.

Definitely did what he normally does, tracked my location. But I couldn’t let him beat Maddox to death because of his terrible anger control.

"Stop!" I shouted, stepping between them, my hands on Mordred’s chest. He froze, eyes meeting mine as the rage cracked into something pained. "Mordred, please... enough. Enough of the torture, let him go."

He blinked back a year as he finally released Maddox with a shove, stepping back with ragged breath. "Kianna..."

"Go," I said, my voice breaking. "I told you I need space. Leave me alone, don’t let me call security on you."

He looked like I’d slapped him, but he nodded once and walked away as he clutched his helmet like a lifeline.

Maddox straightened his shirt and wiped blood from his bleeding lips with his thumb. "You didn’t have to..."

"I did," I said, exhausted. "Just... leave it."

He nodded, then muttered he’s leaving too as his friends came to pull him away.

Lesley looped her arm through mine cheerfully." You did a good job Kianna, Now let’s get you home."

I gave her a faint fake smile then followed her lead as she dragged me to the parking lot for an Uber she’d ordered.

The dorm was quiet when we returned, the day finally ending in a merciful dusk.

I collapsed onto my bed, the weight of it all pressing down until sleep claimed me in a fitful manner, and haunted by faces and bloodied knives.