Bonded to My Ex's Alpha Brother Chapter 231

Erin's POV

The idea that Derek had saved my mother—the man I'd been so convinced was behind her illness—left me momentarily speechless.

"Luna?" the doctor prompted gently, bringing me back to reality. "Your mother should be fully conscious soon. You can stay with her while she wakes."

I nodded, unable to form words as Aaron and I moved to Mom's bedside. Her eyelids fluttered more persistently now, and within minutes, she was looking up at us, her gaze unfocused at first, then clearing as recognition dawned.

"Erin," she whispered, her voice raspy from disuse. "Aaron."

"Mom," I managed, carefully taking her hand as relief washed through me again. Her fingers curled weakly around mine, but the gesture held purpose—she was truly awake.

"My daughter," she murmured, a small smile forming on her lips. "The Luna of Black Forest Pack."

My chest tightened at her words. "You know?"

She nodded slowly. "I just heard the doctor call you Luna." Her eyes, though tired, held a warmth I hadn't seen in months. "Come here, child."

I leaned forward, and she wrapped her arms around me in a fragile embrace. The familiar scent of her brought fresh tears to my eyes.

"I'm so relieved," she whispered against my hair. "So relieved the Moon Goddess answered my prayers."

I pulled back slightly, confused. "What do you mean?"

Her expression turned serious. "That you're with Alpha Derek Stone and not Alpha Alexander Windsor." She squeezed my hand. "I never liked that Alexander. There was always something... wrong about him."

Aaron, who had been standing quietly beside us, stepped closer. "Mom, do you think Alexander might have done something to you? To cause your heart problems?"

Mom's brow furrowed. "I... I'm not sure. He did visit me, talking about arrangements for your binding ceremony." She looked at me. "I went to the kitchen to get him coffee while we discussed details. When I returned, he was standing by my medicine cabinet."

A chill ran down my spine. "You think he tampered with your medication?"

"It's possible," Aaron said grimly. "The doctor found traces of a substance in your system that would have aggravated your heart condition."

I clenched my fists, the reality of Alexander's betrayal cutting deeper with each revelation. Not just a manipulator, but someone who had deliberately endangered my mother's life.

"I need some air," I muttered, rising from my chair. "I'll be back soon, Mom."

She nodded, already looking tired from our brief conversation. "Be careful, my Luna."

I stepped into the corridor, my mind racing. Alexander had been willing to harm my mother—possibly kill her—just to force me into a binding with him. The thought made my stomach turn.

---

As I walked aimlessly down the hospital hallway, trying to process this latest revelation, I noticed a door slightly ajar on the floor below my mother's. Something drew me toward it—perhaps my wolf's heightened senses detecting a familiar scent.

I peered through the gap and froze. Lying on the hospital bed was a young girl, probably just eighteen years old, her body covered in bandages and bruises. But beneath the injuries, I recognized her face immediately. It was the girl from the orphanage a year ago—the one Morell had tried to take away before I intervened, and later Derek had arrived to handle the situation.

Without thinking, I pushed the door open wider. "It's you," I whispered. "What happened? Why are you..." My voice caught as I took in the extent of her injuries. Bite marks covered her neck and shoulders, and dark bruises circled her wrists and ankles.

The girl's eyes flew open at the sound of my voice. She stared at me for a long moment before recognition dawned. "The lady from the orphanage," she whispered, her voice breaking. "The one who saved me from Mr. Morell."

I moved to her bedside, tears filling my eyes. "Yes. I'm Erin."

"You really did save me that day," she said, her lower lip trembling. "But then..." A sob escaped her, and without thinking, I gathered her gently in my arms. She clung to me, her thin body shaking with the force of her tears.

"Sister?" she whimpered against my shoulder.

The word broke something inside me. "I'm here," I said, stroking her matted hair. "What happened to you? Who did this?"

She pulled back, her eyes hollow with despair. "I don't want to live anymore, sister. Please... kill me. End my suffering."

Her words chilled me to the bone. "No," I said firmly, gripping her shoulders as gently as I could while still conveying my conviction. "Don't say that. You're safe now."

"I'll never be safe," she whispered. "Not from him."

I took a deep breath, steeling myself. "Tell me who did this to you. I swear they'll pay for it."

Her entire body trembled as she forced the name past her lips. "A-Alexander."

For a moment, I couldn't breathe. "Alexander Windsor?" I asked, though I already knew the answer.

She nodded, tears streaming down her face. "Mr. Morell wanted revenge," she explained haltingly. "Because you and then that Alpha stopped him from taking me last year. He... he was punished after that. Lost both his legs." She shuddered. "So he sent his men to get me from the orphanage. They sold me to Alexander for a lot of money."

My claws extended involuntarily, digging into my palms as rage boiled inside me. "What did he do to you?"

Her eyes glazed over, as if she was retreating from the memory even as she spoke. "I heard he does this a lot. Buys underage omega girls and..." she swallowed hard. "He gets pleasure from hurting us. After he was done, he let his men..." She couldn't continue.

"You don't have to say more," I whispered, my voice thick with emotion. "I understand."

"They left me in the forest to die after they were done," she continued, seemingly unable to stop now that she had started. "A woman found me and brought me here."

She reached for my hand, her grip surprisingly strong. "He's not human, sister. He's a monster." She struggled to sit up, wincing in pain, and pulled her hospital gown aside to reveal her back. I gasped at the sight of criss-crossing welts from what could only have been a whip.

"Please," she begged, "don't have anything to do with him. Promise me."

I squeezed her hand. "I'm with Alpha Derek of the Darkwood Pack now," I told her. "He's my soul bond. I'm not with Alexander, and I never will be."