Bonded to My Ex's Alpha Brother Chapter 16

Erin's POV

The laughter burst from deep inside me, surprising us both. God, when was the last time I'd laughed like that?

"What?" Amy glanced at me, pretending to be offended, one eyebrow perfectly arched.

"Nothing," I answered, shaking my head, my lips still curving upward involuntarily. "Just... a new werewolf boy is absolutely the last thing my mess of a life needs right now."

My wolf whimpered in agreement. My reality was already a tangled web. The thought of adding another werewolf to this poisoned cocktail made my stomach churn violently.

I couldn't possibly explain all this to Amy. She only knew that I claimed to be Derek's Soul Bond, not that it was actually true.

"Just wait," Amy continued, completely oblivious to my internal monologue. "By the end of tonight, you'll have completely forgotten Bradley Stone."

If only it were that simple.

Amy's home was spacious and beautifully decorated. I'd been here a few times before, but each visit still made me acutely aware of the gulf between our worlds. My wolf always felt oddly constrained here, as if she needed to be on her best behavior among all these shiny, breakable things.

The scent of fresh herbs and sautéed onions guided us to the kitchen, where Amy's mother was preparing dinner with practiced precision while her father focused on important business on his tablet.

"Mom, Dad, you remember Erin?" Amy said.

Her mother looked up, knife pausing mid-air, a genuine smile transforming her elegant features. "Of course! How could we forget? Lovely to see you again, dear."

She put down the knife and came over, surprising me by gently touching my hair. My wolf immediately tensed at the contact from another female, but I forced myself to remain still.

"You're such a pretty girl," she said, her eyes filled with genuine warmth. "Those eyes are just captivating—so unique."

Heat crawled up my neck and into my cheeks. I never knew how to respond to compliments, especially from someone so elegant.

"She certainly is," Amy's father agreed, finally looking up from his tablet with an approving nod. "You've picked a good friend, Amy."

"Dad!" Amy groaned, but her lips quirked upward. I could smell her affection.

"What? I'm just saying your friend is lovely," he defended, winking at me exaggeratedly, a gesture that was both awkward and endearing.

"Come on," Amy said, grabbing my hand. "Let's go get ready before my parents embarrass me so much you'll never come back."

\---

"Your parents really like me," I said once we were in Amy's bedroom.

We both burst into laughter, laughing until our stomachs hurt and tears formed in our eyes.

"Yes," Amy confirmed, wiping her eyes. "Mom's been asking when you'd come back since your last visit."

I smiled, feeling a warmth spread through my chest. Despite being the daughter of one of the city's most prominent businessmen, Amy had never made me feel inferior. She had welcomed me into her circle after Lily made sure I was unwelcome in our former group of friends.

"Now," Amy said, dramatically throwing open her closet doors, "let's find you something to wear that will make every wolf in the club drool."

She pulled out a little black dress that was more like a scrap of fabric than an actual garment.

"No," I said immediately, shaking my head.

"Too conservative?" Amy grinned mischievously, reaching deeper into her closet for something even shorter and tighter.

"The first one is fine!" I quickly grabbed it before she could suggest something worse.

Amy laughed, clearly pleased with herself. "That's what I thought. Now, for me..." She pulled out a stunning blue dress that perfectly complemented her pale skin and red hair.

Twenty minutes later, I stood in front of Amy's full-length mirror and held my breath as I stared at my reflection.

I barely recognized myself. The black dress hugged my body, showcasing my slender waist and full breasts perfectly. The cut accentuated my curves in all the right places, making my hips look rounder and more pronounced.

My arms and shoulders were completely bare, the years of Pack training evident in the lean, powerful muscle definition. The deep V neckline perfectly highlighted the elegant line of my collarbones and gave just a hint of cleavage. The hemline stopped about two inches above my knees, showing off my long legs, with each movement offering a glimpse of thigh.

My wolf was pleased with our appearance. Looking at the sexy, confident woman in the mirror, I could hardly believe it was me. This wasn't the Omega girl everyone was used to seeing hiding behind baggy clothes, but a seductive woman.

Thankfully, I'd had the foresight to wear heels today. Amy's shoes would have been too small for me, at least a size too small, and if I had tried to squeeze into her stilettos, my toes would have been in agony.

"Our birthday girl looks absolutely beautiful," I said, turning to Amy, who was focused on dabbing something sparkly onto her cheeks.

She caught my eye in the mirror, her face breaking into a smile that reached her eyes.

"Thank you, Erin," she said softly. "You know, as awful as that whole drama with Lily and Bradley was... in a weird way, I'm kind of glad it happened."

My eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"Because of you," she quickly clarified, turning to face me directly. "I got the best friend I could ask for."

Something inside me softened as I looked at Amy's sincere face. This girl wasn't Lily.

After the Soul Bond disaster, when I was hiding from whispers and contemptuous glances, she had found me in the library. She'd sat down at my table uninvited and started chatting about the chemistry assignment as if we'd been friends for years.

She introduced me to Jack, and slowly, cautiously, I'd lowered the walls I'd built. The three of us formed a friendship with substance that I'd never had with Lily.

"Oh! I almost forgot," I said, reaching for my bag. "I got you a present."

I handed her the small gift box, suddenly nervous. What if she didn't like it?

Amy opened it and gasped in surprise as she lifted the pearl necklace from its velvet cushion. "Oh my god, it's gorgeous! I'm putting it on right now."

She fastened the necklace around her neck, her face glowing with delight. "How does it look?"

"Perfect," I said honestly. The pearls shimmered softly against her skin, elegant and understated.

Amy hugged me tightly. "Thank you. I love it."

We finished our styling—my hair elegantly pinned up with a few tendrils framing my face, Amy's in loose waves—and said goodbye to her parents before heading out.

\---

Jack was waiting for us outside Moonshade, waving enthusiastically as we approached. When he saw me, his eyes widened.

"Wow, Erin! You look... wow."

I smiled, feeling a bit self-conscious. "Thanks. You cleaned up pretty well yourself."

He grinned, then turned to embrace Amy. "Happy birthday, beautiful. You know, you're late to your own party."

"The star makes a grand entrance," Amy declared, striking a pose that made us all laugh.

Together, we walked into Moonshade, and I tried to ignore the nervous flutter in my stomach.

The club immediately assaulted all my senses—flashing lights that made my sensitive eyes squint, music so loud I could feel the bass vibrating in my chest, and a mixture of scents that made my nose twitch: cologne, perfume, alcohol, desire, and the unmistakable musk of wolves on the prowl.

Through the artificial fog and flashing lights, I glimpsed couples in dark corners, so absorbed in each other they might as well have been alone. Several making out, hands wandering to places that made me blush and look away.

It seemed Amy had invited half of Silvermoon Academy. Students called out her name as we passed, raising glasses and bottles in celebration.

Within minutes, Jack and Amy were swallowed by a crowd of chattering classmates, leaving me awkwardly standing alone with my water. I sipped it, trying to look casual while scanning the room, though my wolf felt tense at being surrounded by so many unfamiliar scents and sounds. The music was deafening, making it difficult to concentrate.

A prickling sensation at the back of my neck—the feeling of being watched—made my spine straighten. My wolf suddenly became alert, her attention focusing outward. That's when I realized I was being stared at, and not just by one person.

Several males were watching me from different corners of the room, their gazes heavy with interest and something more primal that made my skin uncomfortably hot. I quickly averted my eyes, my pulse quickening.

Desperate to look anywhere else, my gaze traveled upward to the second floor—the exclusive VIP section visible through stylish glass walls, allowing the elite to observe the common folk below while maintaining separation. My casual scan came to an abrupt halt, my entire body going rigid as electricity shot through my system.

There, lounging on a black leather couch with the casual confidence of someone who owned the world, surrounded by high-ranking wolves who seemed to hang on his every word, was Derek Stone.

His steel-gray eyes locked directly onto mine, his stare so intense that it felt like a physical touch across the distance.