Bonded to My Ex's Alpha Brother Chapter 28

Erin's POV

A small gasp escaped my lips as I found myself sprawled across his lap, my hands against his chest, our faces suddenly only inches apart.

His hand was now gripping my waist tightly, his fingers pressing into my flesh through the thin fabric of my blouse. Every point of contact burned until my entire body felt aflame. I could feel each finger individually pressed against me, holding me firmly in place.

Our eyes locked together. His pupils visibly dilated, expanding until only a ring of steel gray remained, and then gold light temporarily replaced them—his wolf responding to the proximity of mine.

I should have apologized profusely and fled. But my body seemed frozen, my breath caught in my throat.

Derek moved with deliberate slowness to reach for the ashtray on the side table, extinguishing his cigarette without breaking our eye contact. The movement shifted his body beneath mine, sending a tremor of awareness through my entire being. My wolf surged forward violently, making me bite my lip to prevent a gasp from escaping.

"It's only your first day," Derek said, his voice dropping to a dangerously low pitch that melted my insides, "and you're already trying to seduce me?"

His tone was ice cold, but the hand on my back was burning hot. The accusation snapped me out of my paralysis, shame flooding my cheeks, staining them deep red.

"I-I didn't mean to," I stammered, my voice barely louder than a whisper. I pushed against his chest, trying to stand, but his arm remained firmly wound around my waist, keeping me in place.

My heart pounded violently against my ribs, so loud I was certain he could hear it. Being this close to him sent electric currents through my body, a reaction I'd never experienced with anyone—not even Bradley.

Why was I reacting this way? This man had insulted me, rejected me, given me nothing but cold disdain. Yet my body betrayed me, responding to his proximity.

"I should go," I finally said, avoiding his gaze. "I'm sorry, Alpha."

I tried to stand again, placing my hands on his shoulders for support. But when I put weight on my injured ankle, a sharp pain shot up my leg. I gasped, losing my balance once more, falling back onto his lap, even closer than before, our chests nearly touching.

My wolf whimpered deep inside, not from pain, but from satisfaction at being so close to our mate. The sound almost escaped my lips before I swallowed it back.

Derek's jaw visibly tightened, the muscles straining beneath his skin. His pupils dilated further, nearly obliterating the steel gray of his irises. His scent intensified, enveloping me.

"I said I was sorry," I repeated, my voice trembling as I tried again to stand.

"Be quiet," he commanded, his voice so low it was almost a growl, sending shivers down my spine.

I fell silent immediately, my eyes dropping to my hands, now curled into small fists on my knees. I dared not look into his eyes.

Despite my fear, my body responded to him in ways I couldn't control. My skin felt feverish where he touched me. My wolf paced anxiously beneath the surface, urging me to lean into him, to press against the solid plane of his chest, to bury my face in the curve of his neck and breathe in his scent.

Just as my face was about to bury itself in his shoulder, a knock on the door startled me. I quickly stood up, ignoring the pain in my ankle, putting as much distance between us as possible. My hands frantically smoothed down my skirt and blouse.

Derek watched me, his expression unreadable. He seemed angrier about me jumping away from him than about me falling on him in the first place.

"What are you afraid of?" he asked, his voice deceptively gentle. "Weren't you just trying to seduce me? Why are you suddenly concerned about others? Does Miss Blackwood want to maintain a good reputation in front of others?"

I blinked rapidly, tears blurring my vision. I wasn't trying to seduce him—I had genuinely fallen. But I had been sitting on his knee.

My wolf whimpered, desperate to prove our innocence. She didn't understand why we needed to hide what she considered natural and right.

"Alpha, may I come in?" Claire's voice came from the other side of the door.

Derek's eyes remained fixed on me before he spoke again, the intense moment stretching between us. "Yes, come in."

Claire walked into the office, her confident stride faltering slightly when she saw me standing there. Her gaze moved between Derek and me, curiosity evident in her expression.

"You're here?" she asked, unable to hide her surprise.

"I-I was just-" I began, uncertain how to explain my presence without making things worse.

"I called her in," Derek interrupted smoothly, the lie surprising me.

Relief flooded through my body. He could have humiliated me, exposing my awkward situation to Claire, but he didn't. Why?

"I brought the quarterly reports you requested, Alpha," Claire said, holding up a folder.

I seized the opportunity, bowing my head respectfully to Derek. "I'll take my leave, Alpha," I said formally, forcing my voice to remain steady despite my emotional turmoil.

As I turned to leave, I suddenly realized how little respect I had shown the Pack Alpha earlier. In my panic, I had forgotten the proper etiquette when facing the Pack Alpha. No wonder he was angry. That, plus the fact that I had actually fallen onto his lap, must have looked like deliberate disrespect or manipulation.

\---

I slipped out of the office, gently closing the door behind me, leaning against the wall for a moment to collect myself. My heart was still racing, my legs unsteady. I touched my burning cheeks with trembling fingers, feeling the heat still lingering there.

"Are you alright?" a male voice asked, startling me.

I whirled around to find a young man watching me curiously. He was tall and lean, exuding a casual confidence that immediately marked him as a higher-ranking wolf. His scent confirmed it—not an Alpha, but definitely more than a Beta.

"I'm fine," I managed to say, straightening my posture, trying to appear composed. "Thank you."

He studied me for a moment, his head slightly tilted as he caught my scent. "You're the new assistant secretary, right? The Omega?"

I nodded, my hand automatically extending in formal greeting. "Erin Blackwood."

"I'm Delta Mark," he replied, taking my hand briefly before releasing it. His grip was firm but not intimidating.

The name triggered a memory. Mark. I'd seen him before, that night at Amy's birthday at Club Moonshade. He had been sitting with Derek in the VIP section when I was drunk and disoriented, mistaking Derek for Bradley.

Realization must have shown on my face, because Mark smiled slightly. "You must have seen me that night at Club Moonshade."

I felt heat crawl up my cheeks again. Another reminder of my humiliating behavior under the influence of alcohol. Did everyone in this Pack know about my embarrassing moments with their Alpha?

"Yes," I admitted, seeing no point in denying it. "At Amy's birthday celebration."

"Shall we walk?" Mark suggested, gesturing down the hallway.

Confused but curious, I nodded, falling into step beside him. My ankle still ached slightly from the earlier twist, but the pain was manageable.

As we walked through the corridors of Stone Group, I felt the gazes of other employees following us. An Omega walking and talking with a Delta wolf was clearly an unusual sight. I forced myself to keep my head high, ignoring the whispers behind us.

"Why did you do that?" I finally asked when we reached a quieter area.

Mark looked at me with genuine confusion. "Do what?"

"That night. You sent me to your Alpha," I clarified, my voice instinctively lowering. The memory still made me cringe—me, drunk and vulnerable, being directed to Derek by one of the Pack's Deltas.

"Oh, please. The Alpha asked to see you," Mark dismissed with a wave of his hand. "So you're the one who called him Bradley. Haven't you gotten over your ex yet?"

I stopped in my tracks, shocked. "How do you know about that?"

Mark turned to face me, a hint of amusement in his eyes. "I'm Derek's friend. Of course I know what happens in the Stone household. Bradley is like a brother to me."

The mention of Bradley's name made me look away. If Mark was Bradley's friend, then he probably shared the same view as everyone else—that I was just a power-hungry Omega who had tried to climb the Pack hierarchy through Bradley, and when that failed, I'd set my sights on his brother.

"I was drunk that night," I explained. "It was my first time drinking."

"I know," Mark replied. "By the way, I wanted to tell you something about your brother."

My head snapped up, all thoughts of embarrassment forgotten. "You know Aaron? How is he?"

It had been months since I'd seen my brother. We spoke on the phone regularly, but our conversations were always brief and guarded. I knew Enforcer training was intense, and communication with family was limited during that period.

Mark's expression softened slightly. "You seem like a good sister. He's a very hard worker. There was a reason he was chosen as our Enforcer. He's a main warrior, and Derek personally trains him, giving him the best preparation."

I blinked, processing this information. "So the closed training is... for Aaron's benefit?" The question came out tentatively, revealing my uncertainty.

"Of course," Mark confirmed, looking at me curiously. "What did you think?"

I lowered my gaze, embarrassed by my assumptions. For months, I had believed Derek isolated Aaron from me as punishment for my Soul Bond claim. I had carried that guilt, that resentment, and hated Derek for it.

"You weren't the reason," Mark added, as if reading my thoughts. "If that's what you've been thinking."