Bonded to My Ex's Alpha Brother Chapter 37

Erin's POV

I looked around at the gathered students, making eye contact with as many as I could before speaking. "Did you all hear what Bradley just said?"

The crowd fell silent, dozens of eyes fixed on me.

"Lily stole my research for the speech competition," I continued, my voice growing more confident with each word. "She took my work, presented it as her own, and used it to secure an internship at Stone Group."

Murmurs spread through the crowd as students exchanged glances. I saw several expressions shift from curiosity to disgust, their gazes turning toward Lily with contempt.

"That's not true!" Lily shouted, anger flushing her face crimson. "You're just jealous I got the internship and you didn't!"

"After you plagiarized my work, I didn't hold you accountable because I was kinder," I said calmly, addressing the crowd. "But I won't stand here and let you call me a liar when you're the one who deceived everyone."

Lily's eyes widened with fury. She pointed a finger at me, her voice rising to a shriek. "You've been spreading lies about me behind my back! You've brainwashed Bradley against me!"

I shook my head, maintaining my composure. "I haven't said anything today. You dragged me into this. I was just sitting over there, minding my own business."

Amy moved closer to me, her presence reassuring. Several students nodded in agreement, having witnessed me sitting quietly with Amy before the commotion began.

Lily's face contorted with rage. "You think you're so innocent, don't you? Little Omega Erin, always the victim."

"I'm just stating facts," I replied calmly.

Lily seemed to snap. She let out a snarl, revealing slightly elongated canines, and lunged toward me. Her Beta strength propelled her forward with alarming speed, her claw-like fingers aimed at my face.

I instinctively stepped back, my wolf rising to protect us, but before I could react, a strong hand grabbed my wrist, pulling me back and shielding me behind a solid body.

The familiar scent hit me immediately—Bradley. He stood between Lily and me, his Beta aura extending protectively. His shoulders were tense, his stance wide as he faced Lily.

"Don't you dare," he growled, his tone unmistakably warning.

Lily froze, her eyes widening with shock. "Bradley, you wouldn't..."

"If you touch her," Bradley said softly, his voice low and dangerous, "if you even think about hurting her, I promise you'll regret it."

The crowd was completely silent now, everyone straining to hear every word of the confrontation. I stood stiffly behind Bradley, my pulse racing, torn between gratitude for his protection and discomfort at his presumption.

"Why do you still care about her?" Lily demanded, her voice breaking with emotion. "She rejected you!"

Bradley stepped forward. He quickly reached out, grasping Lily's chin between his thumb and forefinger, tilting her face up to his. His grip wasn't painful, but the gesture was clearly dominating.

"This is all because of you," he said, his voice barely above a whisper but carrying far in the silence. "I was such a fool to be deceived by you."

Lily's eyes flashed with anger, her hands balling into fists at her sides. "Who did I do all this for? Yes, I seduced you, but weren't you also easily hooked while dating Erin?"

I saw Amy's eyes widen beside me. She leaned close, whispering in my ear: "Perfect. She just admitted everything herself."

Around us, students quietly pulled out their phones, recording the confrontation. I knew within hours, this scene would be circulating through the Pack's social networks.

As I watched Bradley grip Lily's chin, an uncomfortable feeling churned inside me. The gesture was too reminiscent of Derek—the way he had cornered me in his office, his intimidating presence, his body dominance. The similarity between the brothers was unsettling.

Without thinking, I stepped forward, placing my hand on Bradley's arm. "Let her go," I said firmly. "I don't need this kind of protection."

Bradley turned to me, confusion evident on his face. I met his gaze steadily.

"What are you doing?" I continued, keeping my voice level. "You can't treat a girl like that."

His hand dropped from Lily's chin, his brow furrowing with confusion. "After she stole your research, you still care about her? But you just can't forgive me, can you?"

I shook my head slowly, feeling dozens of eyes on us. "She's nothing to me. I'm doing this because it's the right thing to do, regardless of who it is."

Bradley stared at me for a long moment, emotions flashing across his face too quickly to identify. Finally, his jaw tightened, and without another word, he turned and strode away.

As he disappeared into the crowd, the whispers erupted around us. I could hear fragments of conversations as students discussed what they had just witnessed—an Omega standing up not only to a Beta female but challenging a Beta male from the Pack Alpha's family. In our strict hierarchy, this was unprecedented, almost unthinkable.

Lily stood frozen, her cheeks burning with humiliation, angry tears glistening in her eyes. The crowd's attention had shifted, their expressions ranging from disdain to outright disgust as they looked at her. Her actions had been thoroughly exposed.

Amy tugged gently at my elbow. "Come on," she said quietly. "Let's get out of here."

As we made our way through the crowd, I felt several hands pat my shoulder, heard whispers of support and admiration. The tension that had been coiling in my chest for months began to unwind, replaced by a sense of calm.

---

"I can't believe you just did that," Amy said, her arm linked with mine as we walked away from the basketball courts. "Standing up to Lily, then even scolding Bradley when he was protecting you."

I shrugged, still processing what had happened. "It wasn't planned. I just... reacted."

"Well, your reaction was amazing," Amy grinned. "Did you see everyone's faces? An Omega standing up to a Beta, then challenging a Beta from the Pack Alpha's family? That's not something people see every day."

A smile tugged at my lips. "I guess not."

"Hey, Erin! Amy! Wait up!"

We turned to see Jack running toward us, his usual easy-going smile on his face. He fell into step beside us, his lanky frame towering over both Amy and me.

"That was quite a show back there," he said, nodding in the direction of the basketball courts. "Never thought I'd see Erin at the center of Pack drama."

I rolled my eyes but couldn't help smiling. "Believe me, it wasn't intentional."

Jack laughed, the sound warm and genuine. "The best drama never is." He paused, then added more seriously. "But seriously, you handled yourself well. Most Omegas would have cowered or sought protection."

"I'm not most Omegas," I replied without thinking.

"Clearly," Jack agreed, amusement dancing in his eyes. "Anyway, I wanted to catch you before you disappeared. We're having a gathering at the cabin by the forest edge this weekend. Last weekend before the full moon. You both should come."

I hesitated, automatically thinking of the workload waiting for me at Stone Group. "I don't know, Jack. Work is really busy right now."

"He said this weekend," Amy interjected before Jack could respond. "You can't keep yourself locked in that office all the time."

I bit my lip, considering. It had been over a month since I'd done anything purely for enjoyment.

My wolf stirred restlessly inside me at the thought of the gathering. The approaching full moon made her more active, more eager for connection and community. She longed to run freely with friends before the moon reached its peak.

"Alright," I conceded with a smile. "I'll try to make it."

Jack beamed. "Great! I promise it'll be fun. Some friends from the Ridgeclaw Pack will be there too."

Amy nudged me playfully. "You should invite your new friend Thomas as well."

I shot her a warning glance, but Jack immediately perked up with interest.

"Who's Thomas?" he asked, his tone casual but his eyes suddenly alert.

"Just my mom's friend's son," I explained quickly. "He works in the finance department at Stone Group."

"You absolutely should invite him," Jack said. "As your friends, we need to make sure he has no ill intentions toward you."

I crossed my arms. "He's just my mom's friend's son, not a potential mate. You don't need to vet him."

"Omegas need protection," Jack insisted, his tone becoming more serious. "We can't trust strange wolves, especially Betas."

I wanted to argue further, to tell him I was perfectly capable of judging character on my own, but Amy placed her hand gently on my arm.

"It's just concern, Erin," she said softly. "Let's invite him. If he's as nice as you say, Jack will see for himself."

I sighed, knowing I was outnumbered. "Fine, I'll invite him. But it's out of politeness, not because I need your approval."

---

When I arrived at Stone Group that afternoon, the atmosphere was immediately different. Employees hurried through hallways with lowered heads, conversations conducted in hushed whispers that abruptly stopped when others approached.

Higher-ranking wolves exchanged worried glances, their usually well-controlled scents tinged with anxiety. Even the Beta wolves, typically the most composed group, carried tension in their shoulders.

As I walked toward my office, the air seemed to grow thicker with each step, filled with the scent of aggression and barely controlled anger. My wolf instinctively cowered, pressing tightly against my internal barriers, whimpering softly.

I had just reached my office door when a deep, unfamiliar voice spoke from behind me. "Excuse me, I'm looking for someone who can direct me to the Pack Alpha's office."