Bonded to My Ex's Alpha Brother Chapter 163

Derek's POV

Mya gasped. "You can't do that! It would start a war between our packs."

I turned to her, my expression cold. "Isn't that exactly what your brother wants?"

Tears welled in her eyes, spilling over as she pressed herself against the car door, as far from me as possible. Her fear was palpable, filling the car with the acrid scent of her distress.

"Don't cry in front of me," I said flatly. "I'm not good at comforting people, so don't expect it."

She wiped her tears quickly, straightening her posture. "Of course, Alpha. I apologize."

The title felt hollow coming from her lips. Empty, just like our arrangement.

When we arrived at Darkwood Estate, I stepped out of the car without waiting for Mya, striding toward the entrance with purposeful steps.

Behind me, I heard Tom approach Mya as she exited the car.

"I wouldn't bother him right now," Tom advised her. "The Alpha is... not in a good mood."

"Because of my brother?" Mya asked.

Tom hesitated. "He's angry because he saw his soul bond with someone else."

I didn't need to turn around to know Mya's expression had darkened.

"His soul bond?" she scoffed. "You mean that secretary? She's nothing to him."

Tom's response was quiet but clear. "That's what he thinks. But perhaps the reality is different."

Her words stoked the fire burning in my chest. Erin was far from nothing to me. She was everything I couldn't have, everything I had pushed away. And now Windsor thought he could take her.

"Listen carefully," Tom continued, his voice dropping lower. "If you hurt Erin Blackwood in any way, you'll have to answer not only to the Alpha but to me and every other wolf who respects the soul bond."

"How dare you?" Mya hissed. "She's just an omega. She doesn't deserve—"

"Careful," Tom warned. "Remember where you are and who you're speaking about."

---

Late that night, I stood by the window in my office, a glass of whiskey in one hand, cigarette in the other. The moon hung large and bright in the sky, reminding me that the ceremony was approaching. The phone on my desk rang, breaking the silence.

"Alpha," came the voice of one of my security team. "She just returned home. An unfamiliar car dropped her off."

My muscles tensed. Had Windsor touched her? Kissed her? The thought sent a surge of possessive anger through me.

"Is she still wearing his jacket?" I asked, my voice tight.

"No, Alpha. Just the white shirt."

I closed my eyes briefly, picturing her in that shirt, remembering how it had clung to her curves at the airport. My body hardened instantly at the memory. I took a deep breath, fighting for control.

"From now on, make sure she's watched closely. I want to know everywhere she goes, everyone she talks to."

"Understood, Alpha."

I hung up and turned back to the window, staring out at the moonlit grounds of Darkwood Estate. My territory. My pack. My rules.

And somewhere out there, my mate—in the company of my enemy.

---

Erin's POV

I closed the front door behind me, leaning against it for a moment to gather my thoughts. The evening with Alexander had been intense, revealing, and somehow exhausting. My head spun with new information and possibilities, plans forming and dissolving with each passing moment.

My shirt had dried, but I could still feel the phantom touch of Derek's eyes on me at the airport. The way he'd looked at me—possessive, angry, hungry—had sent heat pooling low in my belly despite all my efforts to hate him. I hated how my body refused to forget him, how it still responded to his presence even when my mind screamed in protest.

"Erin? Is that you?"

My mother's voice drew me into the living room, where I found her seated beside Aaron, whose expression was thunderous.

"Where's your car?" he demanded without preamble.

I straightened my shoulders. "Still at the airport parking lot. I'll get it tomorrow."

"The airport?" Aaron stood, his tall frame rigid with tension. "What were you doing there?"

"Picking up a friend," I replied, keeping my voice casual.

"Alex," my mother said softly, her eyes worried.

Aaron's head snapped toward her, then back to me. "Alex? Do you mean Alexander Windsor? The Alpha of Silverpine Pack?"

My mother paled. "Alpha? I didn't know..."

I lifted my chin. "Yes, I picked him up. He's a friend."

Aaron's growl filled the room. "A friend? He's the rival of our pack's Alpha! Have you lost your mind, Erin?" He turned to our mother. "This is what happens when you don't control her!"

"Don't blame Mom," I snapped. "I make my own decisions."

My mother rose shakily. "Erin, please stay away from him. If he truly is the Alpha of another pack, especially one that rivals Darkwood—"

"Derek doesn't like him because Alexander is the only Alpha who dares to stand up to him," I interrupted. "That doesn't make him a bad person."

Aaron's eyes flashed with anger. "The Alpha is displeased with your behavior, Erin."

I laughed bitterly. "I don't live to please Derek Stone."

Though as the words left my mouth, I remembered how he had watched me at the airport, his eyes dark with something more than anger. The memory sent an unwelcome pulse of desire through me that I quickly suppressed.

"Promise me you'll stay away from Windsor," Aaron demanded, stepping closer.

"No," I said firmly. "Alexander won't hurt me. Unlike Derek, who's proven time and again that I'm not safe around him."

Not safe in a completely different way. Not safe because my body betrayed me whenever he was near, because something in me still responded to him despite all the pain he had caused.

Aaron's frustration was palpable. "You're being reckless. Deliberately provoking the Alpha—"

"By the way," I cut in, changing the subject, "where are the invitations for the party? I need to know what to wear."

A heavy silence fell over the room. Aaron's expression shifted from anger to something like regret.

"The Alpha has canceled our family's invitations," he said finally. "He told me specifically that you would not be attending the party."