Bonded to My Ex's Alpha Brother Chapter 140

Erin's POV

I stepped out of the taxi, my body heavy with exhaustion. My eyes felt swollen from crying, my hair still damp from the lake, and my clothes bore large mud stains from my night in the forest. As I paid the driver, I noticed Aaron rushing out of our house, his face etched with worry.

"Oh my God, Erin, what happened to you?" Aaron's voice was strained as he approached me, his eyes scanning my disheveled appearance.

"Nothing," I replied flatly, attempting to walk past him toward the house. I couldn't muster the energy to explain or even feel anything beyond the hollow emptiness in my chest.

Aaron grabbed my wrist, stopping me. "Nothing? Look at you! You're a mess!"

I sighed, my shoulders slumping. The weight of the past twenty-four hours pressed down on me. I just wanted to go inside, lock myself in my room, and sleep.

"I really mean it, nothing happened. I just ran in the forest for a while last night." I could see the tension in Aaron's shoulders ease slightly at my explanation.

"What did you mean when you said 'it's over'? And what was that thing you wanted to share with me?" Aaron pressed, not letting go of my wrist.

Tears suddenly welled up in my eyes, catching me off guard. I hadn't expected to cry again. I thought I'd cried myself dry by the lake. "I tried, brother," I choked out, my composure cracking. "Brother, I tried to move on, start a new life, take this relationship seriously. But..."

Aaron's expression darkened with anger. "Who broke your heart this time? Was it Alpha?" His protective instinct flared, his body tensing as if ready to fight.

I suddenly realized I couldn't tell him everything. If Aaron knew the full truth, he might resign from his position as pack enforcer in protest. I couldn't let him sacrifice his career for me. I wiped my tears with the back of my hand, trying to regain control.

"I wanted to start a new life with the soul bond the Moon Goddess chose for me," I said carefully, sharing only half the truth. "But he doesn't want me, brother."

Aaron stared at me, dumbfounded. "How could you expect to be with him? His binding partner was decided a long time ago."

My head snapped up in shock. I felt like someone had punched me in the stomach. "You-you knew about this?"

"Of course I knew. I'm the pack enforcer," Aaron replied matter-of-factly.

"Seems like everyone knew except me," I whispered brokenly, my shoulders slumping further. I felt stupid, naive. The last person to know the truth about my own life.

Aaron pulled me inside the house, closing the door behind us. I followed him mechanically, too numb to resist. The familiar surroundings of our home did little to comfort me as my brother guided me to the living room sofa.

"I was angry when you joined Stone Group," Aaron explained, sitting beside me. "I was worried Alpha Derek would hurt you because I knew he was already engaged." His voice was gentle but firm. "Derek is a good Alpha for the pack, but he's not good enough for you as a mate. You're too good for him."

Aaron ran a hand through his hair, frustration evident in his movements. "I always thought you loved Bradley, so it never crossed my mind that you would fall for Alpha."

"Because he's my soul mate," I murmured, staring at my hands. I noticed they were still dirty from my night in the forest. Dirt under my fingernails, scratches on my palms.

"The life of a pack leader is cruel, Erin," Aaron warned, his voice taking on a serious tone. "It's all about power, not heart."

I wanted to laugh. If only Aaron knew how right he was. Derek had proven that his power was more important than our bond, more important than me. I felt hollow inside, empty.

I stood up, ready to retreat to my room. I needed to be alone with my thoughts, away from Aaron's concerned gaze.

---

At the foot of the stairs, I paused and turned back to face my brother. "You know that if he marries someone else, he has to reject me; and if he does that, I'll die." My voice was surprisingly calm as I stated this fact. I'd accepted it now.

Aaron's expression remained serene. "On my first day as enforcer, Derek came to talk to me about this."

My heart skipped a beat. I gripped the banister to steady myself. "What did he say?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

Aaron smiled slightly. "He said there's a way to break the soul mate bond. Only he knows about it. He also promised me that you wouldn't be hurt by it."

I stared at my brother, stunned by this revelation. My mind went blank. Without another word, I turned and climbed the stairs to my room. My legs felt heavy, each step an effort. Once inside, I closed the door and collapsed against it, sliding down to the floor as my legs gave way.

"He knows a way to break the soul bond?" I whispered to myself, my mind reeling with this new information. I wrapped my arms around my knees, pulling them close to my chest.

Outside my door, I could hear Aaron's footsteps as he lingered for a moment before walking away. I knew he was worried, but I couldn't face him now.

My sobs grew louder as I sat there on the floor. "If you had a way to solve the soul bond issue, then why did you allow me to get close to you?" I asked the empty room, as if Derek could hear me. "How could you do this to me?"

Every moment we'd shared played through my mind like a movie. The way he'd look at me when no one else was watching. The possessiveness in his touch. The jealousy when other men approached me. Had it all been a game to him?

"You just played with me," I whispered, pressing my palms against my temples. My head was pounding, a dull ache that matched the pain in my chest. "You just enjoyed my company as long as it suited you."

I crawled to my bed, not bothering to take off my dirty clothes. I pulled the covers over me, shivering despite the room's warmth. My body ached, not just from my night in the forest, but from the weight of everything that had happened.

"I want to forget you," I whispered, closing my eyes. Exhaustion pulled me under.