Bonded to My Ex's Alpha Brother Chapter 19

Derek's POV

I turned to look at her, shocked by her casual criticism of me.

She had her eyes closed, her long lashes casting shadows on her cheeks in the moonlight. That mouth—full and slightly parted—was just inches from mine, close enough that I could feel the warmth of her breath.

For the first time, I truly looked at her as a woman. My gaze traced the delicate arch of her eyebrows, her high cheekbones, the vulnerable line of her neck disappearing into the shadow of my jacket. I couldn't help but imagine how that skin would taste beneath my tongue, how she would respond if I pressed my lips to the curve of her throat.

She was beautiful, not in the calculated, sophisticated way of Mya or the other high-ranking females who had hunted for my attention, with their perfect makeup and designer clothes.

Erin's beauty was both delicate and wild, a contradictory yet captivating combination. Compared to the women I usually encountered, there was something real about her that made others seem artificial and fake.

My gaze lingered on her lips, my body unconsciously leaning slightly forward, guided by an impulse I neither understood nor could resist. My wolf growled in anticipation, urging me to go further. I snapped back to awareness, shocked by my momentary loss of control.

But was this beauty genuine? Was the innocence she displayed merely a carefully crafted facade?

"You think I'm arrogant?" I asked, my jaw clenched to control my growing agitation.

Her eyes fluttered open, meeting mine directly, with a frankness few dared attempt. After a moment of confusion, her gaze grew more focused as she studied my features. Then, realization suddenly dawned, and she gasped.

"You're not Bradley," she whispered, her expression shifting from confusion to horror. "You're... Derek. The Alpha."

"How perceptive," I responded sarcastically.

"Why do you hate me so much?" she suddenly asked, her voice quiet but surprisingly direct. "I'm your Soul Bond. It's not my fault."

My wolf surged forward, instinctively responding to her declaration. It howled in recognition, frantically fighting for control, filling my body with a hunger so intense it was almost painful.

Anger flared alongside desire—not just at her bold claim, but at my own inability to control my response. My want for her was becoming difficult to disguise, my body betraying my will in the most fundamental way. I needed distance before I did something irreversible.

I pushed her away forcefully, harder than I'd intended, my hands trembling slightly with the effort of restraint. "Stop pretending," I growled, my voice rough and deep, betraying the wolf churning beneath the surface. "You're not nearly as drunk as you're acting. This is all part of your elaborate plan to get close to me again."

She blinked, the push seeming to sober her slightly. She straightened, leaning against her side of the seat, her expression growing wary.

"Where would you like to go, Alpha?" the driver asked again, clearly uncomfortable with the tension in the backseat.

"Take her home," I commanded.

Erin's eyes snapped open at the sound of my voice, the pulse at her throat visibly quickening. I narrowed my eyes at her, noting the way she swallowed hard before meeting my gaze.

"I'm sorry, Alpha," her voice was hoarse. "I've offended you."

"Where do you live?" I asked coldly.

She looked down, seeming to notice her surroundings for the first time. "My bag... my phone. I must have left them at the club."

"How careless," I commented dryly.

"I can't go home like this," she gestured weakly at herself. "My mother... she'll worry. She hasn't been well lately."

"So you want me to take you to someone else's house?" I couldn't help the sarcasm. Dressed like this, she wanted to spend the night at another man's home. Which man? My dear brother? Or that boy classmate she'd been close to?

To my surprise, she nodded innocently. "Yes, please."

My anger flared instantly. "Just how many men are you playing with, Erin? First my brother, now who? You're quite bold for an Omega."

Her eyes widened with genuine confusion, then understanding dawned. "No! I mean Amy's house! My friend, the birthday girl. She said I could stay with her tonight."

An inexplicable sense of relief washed over me, which I immediately suppressed. Why should I care whether she was meeting a male companion?

"Fine," I said curtly. "Where does this Amy live?"

Erin gave the driver the address, then fell silent, her gaze downcast. I could smell the shame and embarrassment radiating from her. Once again, I had made her feel small, insignificant. The realization brought a sensation I couldn't quite identify—not quite guilt, but definitely discomfort.

I turned to say something—though I wasn't sure what—only to find she had fallen asleep, her head resting against the window, my jacket still wrapped around her shoulders. In sleep, she looked so young and vulnerable.

Asleep, her features relaxed into an innocence that made my chest ache in an unfamiliar way. A strand of dark hair had fallen across her cheek, and I found myself reaching out to gently brush it away. My fingers lingered on the softness of her skin, tracing the elegant line of her jaw with a tenderness that surprised even me.

My wolf whined, urging me to pull her close, to wrap my arms around her and protect her from the world. The impulse was so strong that my arms had actually begun to lift before I caught myself. I jerked my hand back as if burned.

The space between us in the backseat suddenly seemed both too wide and not nearly wide enough. I forced myself to look away, focusing on the streetlights passing outside, but my body remained acutely aware of her presence—her even breathing, her subtle scent, and the curves barely visible beneath my jacket.

What was happening to me? I had spent years building these walls, perfectly controlling my wolf and my desires. And now this slip of a girl had breached my defenses effortlessly, without even trying. The discovery was both terrifying and infuriating.

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Twenty minutes later, we pulled up in front of a neat suburban home. Two people were standing anxiously on the sidewalk—the redheaded girl and the tall, skinny boy from the club.

"Stop here," I instructed the driver.

The pair turned toward the car, their expressions shifting from worry to shock as they recognized who was delivering their friend. They immediately lowered their heads, the instinctive response of lower-ranking wolves in the presence of their Alpha.

"Alpha," they murmured in unison, their voices barely audible.

The boy's gaze quickly darted to the backseat, the redhead following his line of sight, gasping when she saw Erin asleep.

"Erin!" she exclaimed, rushing forward. "Is she okay?"

"She's fine," I answered coldly. "Just drunk. Get her out of my car."

The redhead—Amy, presumably—nodded quickly. "Of course, Alpha. Thank you for bringing her to us. We've been so worried. After she disappeared from the club, we looked everywhere. We brought her bag and phone back, hoping she'd come too."

The boy approached carefully, gently opening the car door. He reached in, lifting Erin with surprising tenderness. Something about the genuine care and affection he showed her ignited an inexplicable anger in my chest.

"Thank you, Alpha," Amy spoke again as the boy carried Erin toward the house. "We'll take good care of her."

I nodded curtly, my eyes following Erin's form until they disappeared inside.

A fierce possessiveness struck me when the boy carried her away. My hand unconsciously clenched into a fist, my jaw tightening with a fury I couldn't fully comprehend.

The urge to go after her and take her back was so powerful it almost choked me. My wolf growled in agreement, experiencing her loss as a physical pain. This instinctual reaction deeply troubled me.

Yet even as she was taken away, I knew with certainty that sleep would elude me tonight. My bed would feel empty and cold, my skin restless with unfulfilled desire.

"Where to next, sir?" the driver asked softly.

I reached for a cigarette, my fingers slightly unsteady, taking a deep drag before answering. The smoke temporarily masked that lingering scent of wild honey and summer rain that seemed to have permeated every corner of the car.

"Darkwood Estate," I finally said, tearing my gaze from the house where Erin now slept. I needed to return to my territory, needed to regain control of myself.