Bonded to My Ex's Alpha Brother Chapter 14

Erin’s POV

"Come on, everyone," Lily called out, her voice deliberately theatrical as she addressed the growing audience. "Gather round for the juiciest Pack gossip."

Students pressed closer, their expressions ranging from eager curiosity to malicious anticipation. The scent of their collective excitement made my nose wrinkle.

"First, she latched onto Bradley Stone—the Alpha's brother—thinking that would give her status." Lily's voice dripped with mock sympathy. "But when Bradley finally saw through her and dumped her pathetic ass, she set her sights even higher."

She stepped closer, her amber eyes gleaming with malice. "She actually had the audacity to claim she was the Alpha's Soul Bond. Can you imagine? This nobody," she gestured dismissively at me, "claiming Derek Stone—the most powerful Alpha in three territories—as her destined mate?"

The crowd's whispers grew louder, and someone let out a low whistle. I could feel my wolf pushing against my control, growling deep in my chest, demanding to be let out to defend our honor.

“Stay calm”, I told her silently. “This is exactly what Lily wants—to provoke us into losing control.”

"It would be sad if it weren't so pathetic," Lily continued, circling me like a shark sensing blood. "A desperate omega who doesn't understand how our world works."

Her condescending tone made my blood boil. I'd taken her abuse silently for too long. Every insult, every humiliation had been building up inside me like a pressure cooker ready to explode.

"Are you done?" I asked quietly, my voice somehow steadier than I expected.

Lily blinked, clearly surprised that I hadn't crumbled or fled. Her momentary confusion gave me the courage to continue.

"Because if you're finished with your little performance, I'd like to get to class."

Her eyes narrowed dangerously, and she stepped even closer until we were nearly nose to nose. "I'm just getting started, you omega bitch. By the time I'm done with you, you'll wish you'd never set foot in this school."

Her hand shot out, fingers wrapping around my throat. The move was so sudden that several students gasped.

"You're nothing," she whispered, her voice so low only I could hear it. "The only reason anyone ever paid attention to you was because I allowed it. I let you hang around me out of pity."

Something in me snapped. Six months of bottled rage, humiliation, and grief surged through me in a white-hot wave. My wolf, tired of being restrained, snarled and rushed to the surface.

“ENOUGH!” she growled inside me. “We are not prey!”

Before I could stop myself, my hand shot up, grabbing a fistful of Lily's perfect blonde hair and yanking hard. She shrieked, her grip on my throat loosening as she stumbled backward.

"Don't you dare touch me," I snarled, my voice deepening with the influence of my wolf. I could feel my canines lengthening slightly, my vision sharpening as my wolf lent me her strength.

Lily recovered quickly, her wolf rising to meet the challenge. We collided hard, grappling in the middle of the hallway as students scrambled back, forming a wider circle. Some cheered, others pulled out phones, eager to capture the fight.

"Omega trash!" Lily spat, trying to grab my hair.

I dodged, my reactions quicker than they had any right to be. My wolf was fully alert now, her instincts guiding my movements. I might be an omega, but I wasn't without strength.

"Fight! Fight! Fight!" The chant rose from the crowd, their excitement thick in the air, fueling both our wolves.

Lily's nails raked across my cheek, drawing blood. The sharp sting only intensified my rage. I shoved her hard, sending her stumbling back into the lockers with a satisfying crash.

"Stop it! Both of you!"

A male voice cut through the chaos, and suddenly someone was between us. Jack, his lanky frame hardly imposing, but his expression deadly serious as he grabbed Lily's wrist before she could lunge at me again.

"Get your hands off me, omega boy," Lily snarled, jerking her arm away from Jack's grip.

Whispers rippled through the crowd. "Did you see that? The omega male touched a Beta female." "He's gonna get it now..."

Jack stood his ground, though I could smell his fear beneath his determined expression. "This has gone far enough, Lily. You've made your point."

Then he turned to me, placing a steadying arm around my waist as he tried to calm me down. "Erin, come on. She's not worth it."

\---

His courage gave me strength. If Jack could stand up to her, so could I. Taking a deep breath, I stepped forward, my voice somehow steady despite the adrenaline coursing through me.

"You know what, Lily? I'm done letting you control the narrative." I looked around at the watching students, meeting their curious gazes directly. "You all want the truth? Here it is."

I turned back to Lily, whose confident smirk had faltered slightly. "Lily was my best friend for years. I trusted her with everything—my secrets, my fears, my dreams. And how did she repay that trust? By sleeping with my boyfriend behind my back."

Murmurs spread through the crowd. Some expressions shifted from mocking to uncomfortable.

"But that wasn't enough for her," I continued, finding power in finally speaking my truth. "Yesterday, she stole my research project—work I've been developing for months—and presented it as her own at the speech competition."

Lily's face paled slightly. "That's ridiculous. You're just jealous because—"

"She sabotaged my presentation," I cut her off, my voice growing stronger. "She replaced my slides with personal photos, and added those disgusting captions. All to humiliate me in front of everyone."

The whispers around us grew louder. I could see doubt creeping into some faces, students glancing at Lily with new suspicion.

"You have no proof," Lily snapped, but her voice lacked its usual confidence.

"Don't I?" I countered. "I'm sure there are security cameras in the submission room where your friend took my USB drive."

Lily's expression flickered with genuine alarm for the first time. I'd hit a nerve.

"You're pathetic. No one will believe you over me." she shouted.

"Maybe they won't," I acknowledged. "But at least now they've heard both sides. They can decide for themselves who's telling the truth."

Something changed in the atmosphere around us. The mocking amusement had shifted to uncomfortable tension. Some students were looking at Lily differently now, their expressions thoughtful.

Suddenly, the crowd parted, and a familiar figure strode forward. My heart sank as Bradley emerged, his handsome face set in lines of displeasure as he surveyed the scene.

His eyes darted between Jack, who was still standing protectively near me, and Lily, whose expression had transformed into one of wounded innocence the moment she spotted him.

"What's going on here?" Bradley demanded, his voice carrying the authority of the Alpha's brother.

Before either of us could answer, Bradley's gaze fixed on Jack, narrowing dangerously. "Why are you touching her?" he growled, moving toward Jack with predatory intent.

"I was just trying to break up the fight," Jack explained, taking a step back.

"You put your hands on what's mine?" Bradley growled, grabbing Jack by the collar and slamming him against the lockers.

"Bradley, stop it!" I shouted, lunging forward to grab his arm. "Jack was helping!"

Bradley ignored me, his eyes flashing gold as he glared at Jack. "You ever touch her again, and I'll tear your throat out. Got it, omega?"

Jack nodded, his face pale but his eyes defiant. Bradley released him with a contemptuous shove before turning to me.

"Are you okay?" he asked, his voice softening slightly.

Bradley turned to face me fully, his expression unreadable. "Erin," he said, his voice lower. "Can we talk privately?"

"Anything you have to say to me, you can say right here," I replied, gesturing to the crowd still watching avidly. "I'm done with secrets."

Bradley's jaw tightened, but to my surprise, he nodded. "Fine. I want you to know that what happened with Lily was just a mistake."

From the corner of my eye, I saw Lily's expression shift from smug confidence to shock.

"A mistake?" she repeated, her voice rising. "Bradley, you told me—"

His eyes remained fixed on me. He cut her off without even looking at her. "Erin, I was wrong. I never should have betrayed you like that. You were always the one I wanted."

The sincerity in his voice might have melted my heart once. But now, all I felt was a hollow ache when I looked at him.

"It's too late, Bradley," I said quietly.

"Don't say that." He stepped closer. "We were good together. We can be again. I miss you, Erin. Every day since we broke up, I've regretted what I did."

I studied his face—the earnest expression, the pleading in his eyes. Once, I would have given anything to hear these words. Now, they left me cold.

"I see what this is really about," I continued. "This isn't about me at all. It's about your brother."

Bradley's face darkened. "Leave Derek out of this."

"Why? Because you're jealous?" The words poured out of me, sharp and true.

"Careful, Erin," Bradley warned, his voice dropping to a dangerous growl. "You're crossing a line."

"No, Bradley. You crossed the line when you betrayed me. I'm done being a pawn in whatever game you and your brother are playing."

Bradley's hands clenched into fists at his sides. "You don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't I?" I challenged. "You're not upset because you lost me. You're upset because you lost to Derek—even if he doesn't want me either."

Bradley snarled, finally revealing his true feelings. "He would just use you and discard you. At least with me, you had something real."

I looked between Bradley and Lily, seeing them clearly for perhaps the first time. They deserved each other—two selfish, entitled wolves who cared more about status and appearance than genuine connection.

"I am not your property," I said firmly, my voice carrying through the hushed hallway. "I'm not yours to claim, and I'm not Derek's problem to solve. I'm my own person, with or without a mate."

Bradley stared at me, his expression a mix of shock and anger. He wasn't used to being denied what he wanted, especially not by an omega wolf.

"You're making a mistake," he said finally, his voice low. "One you'll regret."

"The only mistake I made was believing you ever respected me. You're not my mate, so keep your distance from me." I replied.