Bonded to My Ex's Alpha Brother Chapter 187

Erin's POV

Derek's words about Alexander lingered in the air between us, sharp and accusatory. I stared at him in shock, not immediately responding as I processed what he'd said.

Deep down, I had to admit Derek might be right about the women around Alexander. Alexander himself had hinted at it before. I wasn't naive—I knew what kind of man he was. But I had convinced myself he might change for me. And even if he didn't, I wasn't marrying him for love anyway. As long as we didn't interfere in each other's lives after marriage, I would be fine.

"If you can have mistresses, why can't he?" I finally challenged, my voice steady despite the storm of emotions inside me.

Derek's eyes narrowed. "So you have no problem with that?"

"No," I answered firmly, masking any uncertainty I felt.

I crossed my arms and stared directly at him. "I know Alexander better than you think. At least he doesn't deceive me. He intends to marry me directly, not make me his mistress. Soon, I will be his wife—"

Before I could finish, Derek grabbed my arm and pulled me closer, his eyes flashing with anger. The sudden movement startled me, but I quickly recovered, pushing against his chest to create distance between us.

"Why are you so angry?" I demanded, glaring up at him. "You thought he and I were just pretending in front of you, didn't you? I bet you never expected us to prepare for binding so soon."

Derek took a deep breath, visibly trying to calm himself. His voice was low and controlled when he spoke. "Don't let anger cloud your judgment, Erin. Your desire for revenge makes you vulnerable to manipulation, putting you in potentially fatal danger."

His words made me stop struggling. I studied his face, searching for any sign of insincerity. "For the past year, you've never cared about me while happily living with another woman and planning a binding ceremony with her. Now you're here pretending to care about me. Why?"

Derek's jaw tightened. He released me and took a step back. "What happened to you? Do you think my concern for you right now is fake? Has Alexander misled you?" He was clearly trying to change the subject.

"What grudge does he have against you?" I asked, my curiosity piqued. "Why do you hate him so much? If you're the one encroaching on his territory, he should be the one hating you, not the other way around."

Derek's expression softened slightly, and I pressed on, sensing I was touching on something important.

"Were you expelled from that pack?" My voice dropped to just above a whisper. "What crime did you commit that led to your expulsion, Derek?"

He avoided my gaze, looking uncomfortable. This was interesting—I'd never seen Derek Stone lose his composure like this before.

"Why are you nervous, Derek?" I asked, stepping closer.

He met my eyes with a sharp look. "I'm not nervous. I'm forbidden from discussing the matter. Why don't you ask your... supposed fiancé instead of me?"

I felt my inner wolf stir with curiosity. Why would any pack exile another Alpha? That seemed extreme, even in the hierarchical world of werewolves.

Without responding, I walked toward the door. "When he wants to tell me the truth, he will. Your exile has nothing to do with me or my binding ceremony with Alexander. I just want you to leave me alone and let me sleep in peace."

---

Derek moved faster than I expected, blocking my path to the door. "Even if you're marrying him, I'm still your Alpha. You need to show respect. If nothing else, you shouldn't treat me like that in public."

I turned to face him, a mocking smile playing on my lips. "I'm just an ill-mannered Omega. What are you going to do about it? Punish me?"

A smile curved Derek's mouth, sending an unwelcome shiver down my spine. "Punish you? Do you know how much I want to punish you, little Omega? You've grown too bold in a year."

Memories of his previous "punishments" flashed through my mind—his dominating presence, the way he'd made me feel so small yet somehow safe at the same time. I felt heat rise to my cheeks.

"Sh-shut up," I stammered, hating how easily he could affect me.

Derek stepped closer, reaching out to gently stroke my cheek. I glared at him but didn't push his hand away. My inner wolf was responding to his touch, making it difficult to move.

"Every time he touches you," Derek whispered, his voice dropping to a dangerous tone, "I have to fight the urge to cut off his fingers."

His eyes darkened, gold flashing in his pupils. "Of course, you've touched him willingly too. For that, I must punish you. If you continue, I'm not sure how long I can control myself."

"What will you do?" I challenged. "Kill me?"

Derek didn't answer my question. Instead, he traced my lips with his knuckles. "You overthink things. How could I ever kill you?"

I felt my heart race traitorously. My wolf was pushing against my control, yearning for Derek's touch. I could feel the soul bond between us pulling me toward him, but I refused to acknowledge it. It was just an ancient curse, not love.

"Two weeks from now, I'll be gone forever," I declared, injecting confidence into my voice. "You won't be able to punish me anymore."

Derek's eyes shifted fully to wolf form. "You think I'll let you go?"

I pushed his hand away and leaned against the door. "You can't stop me. I have no obligation to be at your beck and call. You claimed you released me a year ago, so why are you here now?"

He moved closer, invading my personal space again. "What about you? Have you released me, Erin Blackwood? I admit letting you go was the worst choice I ever made... Now, there's one thing I can't give up. That's you."

I couldn't find words to respond. My inner voice warned me: This man was an expert at manipulation. I couldn't fall into his trap. The soul mate connection between us was just a curse.

I remembered all the pain he had caused me—mocking my feelings, rejecting me on my eighteenth birthday, leaving me behind, planning a binding ceremony with Mya. My anger returned, hot and clarifying.

"Your game is over, Derek Stone," I said, pushing him away forcefully. "I'm not the same Erin anymore. You're only here because you realized Alexander won me... How selfish!" I opened the door, gesturing for him to leave.

Derek stared at the door, not moving. "My binding ceremony with Mya was an agreement I had to honor no matter what. I was bound, but you weren't. I can't watch you bind with another wolf. I will never let you do that."

I laughed bitterly. "Do you really think I'm that stupid? You've come up with so many excuses for me to cancel the binding ceremony, as if you have feelings for me, as if we're really soul mates."

Derek's voice deepened. "What if I told you I do have feelings for you, and that's why I don't want this binding ceremony? Would you believe me? Our soul mate connection is real."

I stared at him for several seconds before bursting into laughter. "How amazing! A binding ceremony has shaken you so much that a cold-blooded Alpha starts talking about feelings and soul mates!"

Derek watched me laugh, his expression softening. "Erin, keep smiling like that. It suits you better than anger."

I grabbed his arm and pushed him toward the open door. "Stop bothering me."

Derek caught the edge of the door, preventing me from closing it. "Get used to it. I'll keep bothering you until you cancel the binding ceremony. I won't let my soul mate bind with someone else."

"In your dreams," I retorted.

"You're right," Derek said, his voice dropping to a whisper. "You appear in my dreams sometimes. Would you like to know what I do to you in those dreams—"

I bit his hand, forcing him to release the door, and slammed it shut. "Go away! I hate you!" I shouted from behind the closed door.

I heard his footsteps retreating and finally allowed myself to breathe. Panting, I walked to my bed and collapsed, covering my face with my hands as I tried to calm down.

My thoughts returned to the moment Derek talked about having feelings for me and our soul mate connection. His words hadn't moved me—I wasn't a fool anymore, and I wouldn't be swayed by his words.

Derek Stone, you're such a coward, I thought to myself. Did you ever imagine you'd one day tell me you like me?