Bonded to My Ex's Alpha Brother Chapter 144

Erin's POV

I turned my head away the moment I saw Derek enter the orphanage. My heart hammered against my ribs, each beat a painful reminder of our confrontation at his office just hours ago. The memory of his proposition—to be his mistress while he married Mya—cut deeper than any physical wound.

Aaron squeezed my shoulder reassuringly. "Are you okay?" he whispered.

I nodded weakly, though the fever still burned through me, making the room spin slightly. The bruise on my stomach throbbed where Mr. Morell had kicked me.

"Why is he here?" I whispered to Aaron, unable to even say Derek's name.

"I was with the Alpha when you called," Aaron explained apologetically. "He was right beside me."

Great. Just great. I'd fled from Derek only to have him show up here, in the middle of this mess.

Aaron's brow furrowed as he touched my forehead. "You're burning up. What were you doing out here anyway? You should be resting."

What could I tell him? That I'd come here because of Derek? That I was trying to escape everything that reminded me of the man who'd broken my heart? That I wanted to sever any connection to the Darkwood Pack and its Alpha?

The elderly man who seemed to be in charge of the orphanage was sobbing now, his body trembling as he knelt before Derek. "My Alpha, please forgive us," he pleaded.

Derek's cold gaze swept over the room before landing on Aaron. "What happened here?" His voice was controlled, but I could sense the tension beneath it.

"Erin says this orphanage was selling the underage Omega to this man," Aaron replied, gesturing toward Mr. Morell, who was still on the floor, his face pale with fear.

Mr. Morell quickly spoke up, his voice quavering. "Alpha, I am the one adopting her. I have all the proper documentation."

Derek's eyes narrowed as he studied Mr. Morell. He moved to a nearby chair and sat down, pulling out a cigarette. The casual action somehow made him seem even more dangerous. "And why would a married man with grown children want to adopt a teenage Omega girl?"

Aaron stood behind Derek, while I remained where I was, still refusing to look directly at the Alpha. My entire body ached—from the fever, from the physical assault, and from the emotional wounds Derek had inflicted just hours ago.

"Search the director's office for the adoption papers," Derek ordered one of his men, who immediately disappeared down a hallway.

Derek turned his attention back to the elderly director. "What's the file number?"

The old man stuttered, "3-321, Alpha."

Derek's expression darkened. "You mean the 321st Omega girl you've sold?"

My stomach churned at the implication. Three hundred and twenty-one girls. How long had this been going on?

The man returned with a folder, which Derek opened and studied carefully, his brow furrowing deeper with each page he turned.

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Derek's POV

The documents in my hands confirmed my worst suspicions. This wasn't an adoption—it was a sale. Human trafficking disguised as charity work. And it had been happening right under my nose, in my territory.

I looked up at Morell, disgust churning in my gut. "Just one thousand dollars?" I asked, my voice dangerously soft.

Morell's eyes lit up, misinterpreting my question. He thought I was negotiating. "Alpha, we can work something out," he said, a sickening eagerness in his voice. "Allow me to have this Omega." His gaze flicked toward the terrified girl huddled in the corner.

Aaron strode forward and kicked Morell hard in the side. "How dare you speak about a child that way?" he growled.

"Aaron," I said sharply. When he turned to me, I continued, "Control your emotions. You're an enforcer of this pack."

Aaron stepped back, though his eyes still burned with rage. I understood his anger—it mirrored my own. But we had to handle this properly.

I turned back to Morell. "Ten million dollars."

From the corner of my eye, I saw Erin's head snap up, her expression a mixture of shock and disgust. I could almost read her thoughts—she believed I was negotiating a higher price for the girl.

"That's what you'll pay," I continued, my voice like ice, "for conducting illegal business in my territory."

Relief flickered across Erin's face, quickly replaced by something like shame. Did she really think I was that kind of monster?

Morell began pleading, as did the orphanage director and his assistant. "Alpha, please, we can't possibly—"

"I've been donating to this orphanage to support it, not to profit from it," I cut them off, my voice rising slightly. "How dare you traffic children from here?"

I gestured to my men. "You know what to do with them."

A sudden gasp drew my attention. Erin had tried to stand but doubled over in pain, clutching her stomach. Aaron rushed to her side, supporting her weight as she swayed.

"Erin!" The concern in Aaron's voice mirrored the sudden spike of alarm I felt.

My eyes locked on her, then traveled to where her hands pressed against her abdomen. Something dangerous stirred inside me, my wolf rising to the surface. "Did someone hurt you?" The question came out soft, but there was nothing gentle about the rage building inside me.

The Omega girl pointed at Morell. "Alpha, that man kicked her in the stomach," she said timidly.

My vision washed with gold as I turned to Morell. The temperature in the room seemed to drop several degrees. "You dared to touch her?"

In one fluid motion, I pulled out my gun and shot Morell in the leg. The man screamed, collapsing to the floor. I felt no remorse—only a savage satisfaction that was quickly overshadowed by concern as I watched Erin's eyes roll back, her body going limp in Aaron's arms.

I crossed the room in three strides and took her from him. She felt too light, too fragile, her skin burning with fever against my chest. The sight of her pale face, the knowledge that she'd been hurt while I'd let her walk away from me earlier today, made my wolf howl with protective fury.

"Alpha, she's sick," Aaron said urgently. "She has a high fever. I was about to take her to the hospital."

I nodded, adjusting my hold on her. "I'll take her to the Darkwood hospital."

I turned to Aaron, gesturing toward Morell who was writhing on the floor, clutching his bleeding leg. "I don't want to see him standing again."

Aaron's expression hardened with understanding. He walked over to Morell and began methodically kicking his injured leg, each blow punctuated by Morell's screams.

"Contact Delta Mark," I instructed one of my men. "Tell him to appoint a new director for this orphanage immediately. And make sure the girl is properly cared for."