Bonded to My Ex's Alpha Brother Chapter 111

Erin's POV

"Alex," I repeated, frowning slightly. I'd never heard Derek mention anyone by that name, and it seemed strange that a wolf of his apparent status wouldn't be known to me.

Before I could ask anything else, a hotel employee rushed forward to help with my bags. I thanked "Alex" once more and entered the lobby, still puzzled by the mysterious man.

"Miss!" The receptionist called out as I crossed the lobby. "You're finally here! We've been worried."

"Is Derek in our room?" I asked hopefully.

"No, he left about an hour ago," she replied. "But we'll notify him immediately that you've arrived. He's been asking about you."

My heart sank a little, but I thanked her and headed up to our suite, determined to make everything perfect before Derek returned.

---

Once inside the suite, I plugged in my dead phone and began decorating. I arranged the scented candles around the cake on the dining table and scattered more throughout the bedroom. The fairy lights went around the headboard of the bed, creating a soft, romantic glow.

Satisfied with the decorations, I went to unpack my other purchases and realized with horror that the tie I'd bought for Derek was missing. I searched frantically through all the bags, but it was nowhere to be found.

"No, no, no," I muttered, retracing my steps mentally. I must have left it in Alex's car when I transferred my bags. But I had no way to contact him—I didn't even know his full name or which pack he belonged to.

Frustrated with myself, I checked my now-charged phone and was overwhelmed by the flood of notifications—dozens of missed calls and messages from both my mother and Derek.

I quickly messaged my mother first: [I'm fine, Mom. Just had some phone issues. I'm back at the hotel now.]

Then I scrolled through Derek's messages, my stomach tightening as I read them:

[Where are you?]

[Why aren't you at the hotel?]

[Why is your phone turned off?]

[You're such a careless girl!]

[I will find you and punish you. Wait for me.]

The last message had been sent three hours ago. I quickly typed a response: [Alpha, I'm at the hotel, don't worry. I'm fine.] Then added: [Derek, can you come to the hotel right away?]

I called his number, my heart pounding. He answered, but didn't speak.

"Derek? Where are you?" I asked. "I'm back at the hotel."

The line went dead. He'd hung up on me.

I stared at the phone, my heart racing. Was he angry? Worried? Both? The silence felt more ominous than his threatening texts.

Pushing aside my concerns, I decided to continue with my plan. I showered quickly and slipped into the sparkling dress, applying makeup more carefully than I ever had before. Looking in the mirror, I felt self-conscious about the revealing neckline but pleased with the overall effect.

I lit all the candles in both the bedroom and living room, creating a warm, intimate atmosphere. The cake waited on the table, surrounded by flickering candlelight.

Checking my phone again, I saw no response from Derek. It was already past midnight—technically his birthday had begun. Where was he?

---

By one in the morning, I was still waiting, sitting on the edge of the bed in my sparkly dress. I'd called Derek multiple times, but he hadn't answered. The candles were burning low, and tears threatened to spill from my eyes.

"Derek, where are you?" I whispered to the empty room.

A sudden knock at the door made my heart leap. I rushed to open it, relief washing over me.

A dark silhouette filled the doorway. Before I could speak, strong hands gripped my throat, pushing me against the wall inside the suite. Derek's eyes glowed gold in the dim light, his face contorted with fury.

"Erin," he growled, his voice barely human. "Who gave you the courage to leave the hotel without my permission?"

I gasped for breath, pain radiating from where his fingers dug into my neck. Fear coursed through me, but I forced myself to meet his gaze steadily.

"I-I just—" I tried to explain, but his grip tightened.

"Do you know how worried I was?" he snarled.

Despite the pain, my heart warmed slightly at his words. He'd been worried about me.

"Shut up!" he snapped, as if reading my thoughts. "I almost invaded Silverpine Pack's territory because of you!"

The severity of what he was saying finally registered. Invading another pack's territory could start a war. His voice had turned cold, calculating, and I trembled at the implications.

"You have no idea where you are, do you?" he continued, his grip still firm on my throat. "Do you think we're still in our own pack's territory? As long as you're with me, you're safe. But the moment you leave my sight..."

Tears slipped down my cheeks, both from physical pain and the realization of how reckless I'd been.

"Why are you crying?" he demanded, his eyes still blazing gold.

"You're hurting me," I whispered.

Something flickered in his expression. He closed his eyes for a moment, visibly struggling to control his anger. When he opened them again, they had returned to their normal gray.

He loosened his grip but didn't let go entirely, his thumb now resting against my pulse point.

"Open your eyes," he commanded, his voice softer but still authoritative.

I hadn't realized I'd closed them. "You're scaring me now," I said through my tears.

"Where did you go?" he asked, his tone more controlled.

I opened my eyes, tears still clinging to my lashes. "I just wanted to surprise you."

"Surprise me?" he repeated, confusion replacing anger.

"Happy birthday, soul mate," I whispered.

His hand froze against my chin.

I stepped away from him, moving toward the living room. "I wanted to do something special for you, but..."

Derek followed me, his eyes widening as he took in the decorated suite—the cake surrounded by candles, the fairy lights casting a soft glow over everything. His hand fell away from my face completely.

The realization of what I'd done seemed to hit him all at once. I couldn't bear to look at him anymore and rushed to the bed, burying my face in my hands as tears flowed freely.

I felt the mattress dip as Derek sat beside me. "Erin," he said softly, regret evident in his voice. "I didn't know."

"You didn't let me explain," I sobbed.

"I was worried," he said, his voice uncharacteristically gentle. "When I couldn't find you, I thought the worst. This isn't our territory. There are packs here that would consider it a victory to harm someone connected to me."

I looked up at him through my tears. "I just wanted to make your birthday special."

His eyes traveled down to my dress, noticing it for the first time. The sparkly fabric caught the light as I moved, drawing attention to every curve. His expression changed, darkening with a different kind of intensity.

"Stand up," he said quietly.

I obeyed, wiping away tears as I rose. Derek's eyes traced the length of my body, lingering on the plunging neckline and the hem that barely covered the tops of my thighs.

He moved behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist and pulling me against his chest. His lips found my ear.

"Don't cry," he whispered, his breath warm against my skin.

"I don't want to talk to you," I said, still hurt by his reaction.

His eyes fell to the fading red marks on my neck, and a flash of self-loathing crossed his face. Gently, he brushed his lips against the tender skin, a silent apology.

"I'm sorry, little Omega," he murmured against my throat.

I froze in shock. Derek Stone, the powerful Alpha of the Darkwood Pack, was apologizing to me.