Bonded to My Ex's Alpha Brother Chapter 195

Erin's POV

I stormed out of the administrative office, my blood practically boiling in my veins. The nerve of Derek Stone—using my education as leverage to get what he wanted.

I needed that transfer certificate to continue my education at Silverpine University after the binding ceremony with Alexander. Without it, I'd be stuck with incomplete credentials, exactly as Derek intended. He was trying to trap me, to limit my options. The realization made my jaw clench so tight my teeth ached.

As I pushed through the building's main doors and stepped outside, the bright morning light momentarily blinded me. When my vision cleared, I froze.

There, leaning against a sleek black luxury car with tinted windows, stood Derek Stone. My pulse spiked instantly. Students passing by kept stealing glances at him, some whispering behind their hands. An Alpha always commanded attention, but Derek's presence was particularly magnetic.

I squared my shoulders and marched toward him, refusing to show any hesitation. "You did this on purpose, didn't you?" I demanded when I reached him. "You're trying to use my education to blackmail me into not marrying Alexander."

Derek didn't respond to my accusation. Instead, he stepped away from the car and opened the passenger door. "Get in," he said, his voice carrying that unmistakable note of Alpha command.

I crossed my arms over my chest. "You seem awfully confident that I'll agree to this, Derek."

His eyes—those piercing grey eyes that could shift to gold when his wolf rose—studied me with unsettling intensity. The way he looked at me made my skin warm despite my anger. I shifted uncomfortably under his gaze, hating my body's involuntary reaction.

"You want your transfer certificate, don't you?" he asked, his voice lower than before.

I glared at him, hating that he had this power over me. "I'll remember this," I said through gritted teeth. "When I become Luna of the Silverpine Pack, I'll make sure to return the favor."

Something flickered across his face—not quite anger or coldness, but something more complex. "Get in the car, Erin."

With a deep breath, I slid into the passenger seat, noting with surprise that there was no driver. Derek closed my door and walked around to the driver's side. I watched his confident stride, the way his suit jacket stretched across his shoulders. I quickly looked away, annoyed at myself for noticing.

Behind us, I could hear the whispers growing louder.

"Why is she getting into Alpha Derek's car?"

"What a two-timer. Isn't she supposed to become Silver-whatever Pack's Luna soon?"

"I thought her binding ceremony with that other Alpha was this weekend."

"Didn't Alpha Derek have a fiancée? What about Mya Windsor?"

"She used to be his secretary, remember? Maybe she's still working for him."

"Shut up, man. If the Alpha hears us, we're dead."

I closed my eyes briefly, trying to ignore the gossip. When I opened them, Derek was sliding into the driver's seat, his scent immediately filling the confined space. In the small confines of the car, I couldn't escape it. The scent wrapped around me, making my heart beat faster despite my anger. I pressed myself against the door, trying to create as much distance as possible between us.

As he started the engine and pulled away from the curb, silence stretched between us. My anger cooled slightly, replaced by curiosity about what this day would entail. I was acutely aware of his presence beside me—the steady rhythm of his breathing, the casual strength in his hands as they gripped the steering wheel, the way his profile looked against the passing scenery.

"What am I supposed to do with you all day?" I finally asked, turning to look at his profile.

Derek's lips curled into a slight smile. He didn't answer, instead guiding the car away from campus and toward a part of town I hadn't visited before. When we turned onto a narrow road leading into the dense forest that bordered pack territory, unease crept up my spine.

"Where are you taking me?" I asked, my voice sharper than intended as I tried to mask my nervousness. "What are you planning?"

Derek glanced at me, and I saw a flash of gold in his eyes—his wolf peering out. That brief glimpse of his other nature sent a shiver through me that wasn't entirely fear. "Since you won't listen to reason, this is my last resort."

"What are you talking about?"

"I have to kill you, Erin Blackwood."

I froze, my body going rigid. A chill swept through me, but it wasn't entirely fear. Part of me remembered Alexander's lessons about facing death without fear. Both Alphas underestimated me, but I wouldn't cower before either of them.

"What if I kill you first?" I asked, my voice surprisingly steady.

Derek's smile vanished, his eyes returning to my face with an expression I couldn't quite read—almost as if he hadn't expected that response. The tension between us shifted, becoming something different, almost electric.

"You can't kill me," he said flatly, but his eyes remained fixed on me with an intensity that made my breath catch.

"Why not? You think I'd spare you?" I challenged, holding his gaze despite the heat rising in my face.

"You really think I'd kill you?" His voice softened slightly, and he was close enough that I could feel his breath on my cheek. "I was just—"

He didn't finish, letting the sentence hang in the air between us. The car grew quiet except for the soft purr of the engine. I was suddenly very aware of how alone we were, isolated from everything except each other.

"Just joking?" I finished for him, my tone bitter. "I wouldn't put it past you. You're so afraid of this binding ceremony that I wouldn't be surprised if you had planned something like that."

I studied his profile, thinking how power had warped him. Killing me probably wouldn't even register as a significant act in his mind. Yet the thought didn't frighten me as much as it should have. Instead, it made me hyperaware of him—his strength, his unpredictability, his undeniable effect on me.

"If I wanted to kill you," he said quietly, "I could have done it two years ago."

"That night, I told you to kill me," I reminded him. "But you chose to release me. I know what you want, Derek. You want both—a mate and a lover."

His hands tightened on the steering wheel, knuckles whitening slightly. I couldn't help but imagine those hands on my skin, and the unwanted thought made me clench my jaw in frustration.

"If you become Luna, would you want another man besides your husband?" he asked, his voice rougher than before.