Bonded to My Ex's Alpha Brother Chapter 139

Erin's POV

"I want you to accompany me," Alexander said, his expression turning serious. His gaze was intense, unwavering. Then he added with a suggestive smirk, leaning slightly closer, "Maybe in bed."

"Shut up," I said coldly, turning my face away from him.

"You're cold to everyone except Derek," Alexander observed, watching me with calculating eyes.

"I can be coldest to him if I want to," I replied. And I meant it.

Alexander leaned closer, his movements deliberate, his presence filling the confined space of the car. "Let's destroy that man together." His voice dropped to a near whisper, intimate and conspiratorial.

I stared at him in shock. The offer was tempting, I had to admit. Part of me wanted to hurt Derek the way he had hurt me. But I couldn't bring myself to do it. I shook my head firmly. "Even if he betrayed me, I won't betray him."

Alexander's eyes narrowed as he studied me, his head tilting slightly to one side. "The fire in your eyes when you talk about him tells me you're the one who can destroy Derek." He sat back, a small, knowing smile playing at his lips.

---

I got out of the car, pushing the door open with more force than necessary. The entrance to the forest was just across the street, and I headed toward it, my steps quick and purposeful. "I need to clear my head in the forest."

Alexander followed me, his stride long and confident as he easily kept pace. His presence was commanding, drawing glances from passersby. "My father doesn't want me to rule the Silverpine Pack. That's why he'd rather give half the territory to Derek."

"And you want to take that part of the territory?" I asked, not really caring about the answer. Alpha politics seemed so meaningless now.

"After meeting you, I changed my mind," Alexander replied, offering me a handkerchief. His movements were smooth, practiced, as he pulled it from his pocket.

I laughed coldly, ignoring the handkerchief with a dismissive wave of my hand. "I don't care what you think."

"I'm going to leave him," I said firmly. The decision had been forming in my mind ever since Derek had revealed his true feelings. I stopped walking and faced Alexander directly. "A man who doesn't love me shouldn't be my soul mate. But that doesn't mean I'll come to you to destroy him... I'll start a new life without him." I pushed my hair back from my face, a gesture of determination.

"You think he'll let you go? Only one person can save you from him." He paused, his eyes locking with mine, intense and unwavering. "You already know who that is."

After Alexander left, striding away with the confident gait of an Alpha, I walked deeper into the forest, not caring where I was going. I just needed to keep moving. My feet crunched on fallen leaves and twigs. "I feel so lost," I whispered to myself, my voice barely audible.

Moonlight filtered through the trees, illuminating the path ahead. My eyes shifted to amber as I checked that I was alone before allowing my body to transform. My clothes fell away as my form changed, replaced by brown fur. I stood on four paws, feeling the earth beneath me, the scents of the forest sharp and clear in my heightened senses.

I ran, pushing my muscles to their limit, trying to outrun the pain. My paws pounded against the earth, my breath coming in rapid pants. But memories chased me—Derek's rare moments of tenderness, the feel of his arms around me, the cruel words he'd spoken tonight: "I never loved you."

I stopped at the edge of a lake, my chest heaving from exertion. I stared at my reflection in the moonlit water, seeing the wolf with amber eyes looking back at me. Why was I so weak? I hadn't always been this way. I thought about how I'd handled difficult situations in the past. I'd been strong when I broke up with Bradley, when I told Derek about our soul bond, when I sacrificed for my brother.

Looking up at the moon, I felt anger rising within me. I pawed at the ground, digging into the soft earth. "You think I'm weak? Just because I showed you my care and love... you call me weak?"

I wasn't weak. I had trusted Derek, and he had exploited that trust. "He just used my love and trust." I shook my head, my fur rustling with the movement.

A painful howl tore from my throat, echoing through the forest. The howl transformed into a growl as my anger grew. I felt something hardening inside me, a resolve forming. My muscles tensed, ready for action.

Derek had misjudged me. He thought I would always be there, waiting for him no matter what. I paced along the edge of the lake, my movements agitated. "He thought I would wait for him forever, but he was wrong."

I thought about everything I had lost because of him—my pride, my self-respect, my innocence, my happiness. "How do I fix this broken heart?" I sat on my haunches, looking up at the moon.

The dream of running beside Derek had been just that—a dream, and mine alone. "It was just my one-sided dream all along." I lowered my head, a whimper escaping me.

I decided I wouldn't stand in Derek's way anymore. If he was happy with Mya and his pack, then so be it. "If he's happy with Mya, with his pack, then let him be." I stood up, shaking out my fur, a new determination filling me.

---

As the sun rose, I remained by the lake, watching the water sparkle in the morning light. I'd spent the entire night there, thinking, processing, grieving. The morning air was cool against my fur.

I leaped into the water in wolf form, the cold shocking my system, clearing my head. Then I shifted back to human, putting on my wrinkled clothes with trembling hands. Making my way back to the road, I checked my phone and saw twenty missed calls from my brother Aaron and several from Derek.

I ignored Derek's calls and called Aaron back. My finger hovered over Derek's name for a moment. Part of me wanted to call him, to hear his voice one more time. But I resolutely turned away from it, pressing Aaron's name instead. That chapter of my life was over.

"Erin!" Aaron's voice was a mixture of anger and relief. "Where are you? I've been looking for you all night!"

"I'm fine," I said, my voice sounding strange even to my own ears. I cleared my throat, trying to sound more normal.

Aaron immediately picked up on it. "Your voice doesn't sound right. What happened?"

"Nothing," I lied, kicking at a pebble on the ground.

"I called Alpha last night," Aaron said. "He said you weren't with him."

At the mention of Derek, I felt a twinge in my chest, but my voice remained steady. I straightened my shoulders, taking a deep breath. "Brother, it's over between Derek and me. There's nothing between us anymore."