Arduino L298N USB power supply

I have set up my L298N motor driver with my arduino mega. I powered the motor with a 12V battery. In most connections I have seen the L298n powers the Arduino. I want to connect my USB cable to read from the serial monitor while the motor is actively running. I suspect plugging in the USB cable would destroy the Arduino. How do I get readings while running the motor?

Should we try to guess which Arduino and which L298N module you have, and how you have them wired, or are you willing to supply a little more information?

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