Bonded to My Ex's Alpha Brother Chapter 46

Erin's POV

The tension in the cafeteria was thick enough to cut with a knife. All eyes were on us—Lily, me, and the mysterious voice that had just declared my new position to everyone within earshot.

I turned around slowly, my heart skipping a beat when I saw who had spoken. Delta Mark stood behind me, his tall frame radiating the quiet authority that came with his high rank in the pack hierarchy.

"Mark," I said, relief flooding through me as I recognized a friendly face in this increasingly uncomfortable situation.

But Lily, still riding high on her earlier aggression, completely ignored the respectful tone in my voice. She turned to Mark with the same contemptuous expression she'd been directing at me.

"And who exactly are you?" she snapped at Mark, her voice dripping with disdain. "Some random employee trying to play hero? This is between me and this pathetic Omega."

The finance women accompanying me gasped audibly, their faces going pale with horror. Several other employees nearby stopped their conversations, sensing the dangerous shift in atmosphere.

Mark's expression didn't change, but I noticed his jaw tighten slightly. When he spoke, his voice was deceptively calm. "Hey! How have you been?" he asked me, completely ignoring Lily's question as if she hadn't spoken at all.

I smiled back, glad to see a familiar, friendly face. "Good. I haven't seen you in a long time."

"Indeed," he agreed. "I've been busy with Pack matters lately."

Lily's eyes narrowed further, clearly irritated. Without Mark's reply, she turned to me, her voice growing even more grating, apparently deciding to dismiss Mark entirely. "Well, well, Erin, I heard you got a promotion. The Pack Alpha's personal secretary? Ridiculous! Alpha wouldn't even have you as his maid. An Omega could never be a personal secretary."

My jaw tightened, feeling both angry and slightly unsettled. There was a time when I would have believed her words myself—it did seem impossible for an Omega like me to work directly for the Pack Alpha. But the reality was that I had become Derek's secretary.

Despite everything, he trusted me with this responsibility, and I wouldn't let Lily's venom make me doubt that. After everything that had happened between Derek and me—the accusations, the apology, the healing—I felt a strange new confidence forming. I forced myself to remain calm, unwilling to give Lily the satisfaction of seeing me flustered.

"If you want to know how I got this position, you can go directly to Alpha," I replied calmly, preparing to walk away. I didn't want to create a scene at my workplace.

Lily's hand shot out, gripping my wrist tightly, preventing me from leaving. "A little Omega like you dares to talk back to a Beta? Just because you somehow tricked your way into a new position, you've forgotten your place?"

I tried to pull away, but her grip tightened. "Let me go, Lily."

"Everyone should know about your history with the Pack Alpha's brother," she began raising her voice. "How you—"

"You speak too much," Mark coldly interrupted her. "What rank are you?"

He reached out and firmly took my hand, effortlessly rescuing it from Lily's grasp. The movement was smooth but decisive, clearly a protective gesture that wasn't missed by observers.

Lily's face flushed with anger. "Who do you think you are to interfere?"

Mark's expression didn't change, but his voice carried unmistakable authority. "I am the Delta of the Darkwood Pack."

Lily's eyes widened, pupils contracting with fear. The women standing nearby audibly gasped, some even instinctively stepping back. In our hierarchy, a Delta was second only to the Betas, serving directly under the Pack Alpha—a position that commanded immense power and respect.

"D-Delta?" Lily stammered, her earlier confidence completely evaporated.

Mark's gaze remained fixed on Lily, who was now visibly trembling under his scrutiny. The power he emanated was palpable—not as overwhelming as Derek's Alpha aura, but still intimidating enough, especially to someone of Lily's rank.

"I...I'm sorry," Lily finally said, her head lowering in submission. "I didn't know who you were."

"Does that make it acceptable to treat anyone as you please?" Mark asked, his voice dangerously soft. "Who do you think you are? The daughter of another Pack's Alpha?"

Lily's face burned with humiliation. Her gaze flew to me, perhaps hoping for intervention, but I deliberately maintained a neutral expression. After everything she'd done, I couldn't feel sympathy for her current predicament.

"She's a new intern," I told Mark, deciding to be somewhat merciful despite lingering resentment. "She's not very familiar with the rules yet."

Mark raised an eyebrow. "Perhaps I should report her behavior to the Pack Alpha. Such disrespect toward his personal secretary shouldn't be tolerated."

"No," I said quickly, surprising even myself. "Let it go."

---

I walked straight past Lily without another glance, though inwardly I felt a twinge of concern. Lily and I attended Silvermoon Academy together. Now that she knew about my new position, what rumors would she spread around campus? My life was complicated enough without dealing with more gossip.

Mark and I sat at a table away from the crowd.

"Why not let me teach her a lesson?" he asked, curious rather than accusatory. "She clearly doesn't respect you."

I sighed, absently stirring my salad. "She used to be my best friend." I paused, almost adding that she was also the one who slept with Bradley, but something stopped me from revealing that connection. "It's complicated."

"So," Mark said, turning his attention back to me, "how's your first day going?"

"Fine," I shrugged in response. "Pretty much the same as before."

Mark laughed, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "Really? Being Derek's personal secretary is the same as being his assistant secretary? I bet now you have to be his nanny, wash his clothes, cook his food, feed him..."

The image of feeding Derek like a child made me burst into laughter. I held my stomach, amused by the absurdity of the scene. "Can you imagine his face if I tried to feed him?"

Mark joined in the laughter, both of us thoroughly enjoying the thought.

"Having fun at my expense?"

That deep, commanding voice immediately silenced our laughter. I looked up to see Derek standing behind Mark's chair, his expression tight, jaw clenched. His eyes, however, weren't on Mark—they were fixed directly on me, their intensity burning with an emotion I couldn't identify.

I immediately stood up, my heart hammering against my ribs. "Alpha."

My wolf, previously resting quietly, suddenly became alert, circling excitedly within me at Derek's presence. My physical reaction to him was so swift it embarrassed me—my palms beginning to sweat, cheeks heating.

"Alpha, please join us," Mark invited calmly, seemingly unaffected by Derek's sudden appearance.

Derek completely ignored Mark's invitation. His gaze never left me as he said, "You're my secretary, yet you're having lunch with my Delta."

Was there... jealousy in his tone? No, that couldn't be right. Derek wouldn't be jealous, especially not over an Omega like me. Yet the possessive way he said "my secretary" made me nervous.

I blinked in confusion, unsure how to respond. Did he expect me to have lunch with him? The thought sent a nervous flutter through me that I desperately tried to suppress. "I didn't realize... I mean, should I have..."

Derek's gaze intensified, making it difficult to breathe. I noticed his scent had changed slightly—the cedar and leather smell was still there, but mixed with something sharper, more primal. I remembered how his scent had surrounded me in the bathroom last night, how his tongue had felt against my skin, and my face grew even warmer.

"My office. Five minutes," he said curtly before turning and walking away.

I watched him leave, unable to tear my gaze from his retreating form. His shoulders were tight beneath his perfectly tailored suit, his stride purposeful and powerful. Everyone in the cafeteria seemed to shrink back as he passed, automatically clearing a path without him having to say a word.

Mark whistled softly under his breath. "Someone's in a mood today."

I sank back into my chair, my appetite gone, thoughts racing. What exactly was happening between Derek and me? One moment he was healing my bruise with unexpected tenderness, the next he was ordering me around like any other employee. These mixed signals were driving me crazy.

"Did I do something wrong?" I asked, more to myself than to Mark.

"Nothing," Mark assured me. "You'd better not keep him waiting too long, though."