Bonded to My Ex's Alpha Brother Chapter 186

Erin's POV

Derek's face hardened at the mention of his brother, but he didn't react as I expected. Instead, he sat on my bed again, taking out a cigarette and lighter.

I grabbed the cigarette from between his lips before he could light it and threw it on the floor. My fingers brushed his lips in the process, and the brief contact made my fingertips tingle. "You're such a chimney!"

Derek closed the lighter and put it down, sighing. "What am I supposed to do? I came here to talk, and you won't let me do that."

"I don't want to hear you talk," I said angrily. "Leave my house. If you really want to smoke, go to Mya Windsor's place..."

My words finally broke through his calm. Derek's eyes flashed with irritation as he stared at me. "Why bring her into this conversation? Should I bring up the fact that you've been crossing boundaries with Alexander recently?"

His jealousy was obvious, and part of me was glad to see it. Let him feel even a fraction of what I had felt.

I raised my eyebrows. "What did you just say? Now it's you who cross the line."

Derek noticed how angry I was getting and lowered his voice. He stood up again, moving closer to me. "Listen, I didn't come here to argue with you."

Having him so close was affecting my ability to think clearly. I could feel heat coming from his body, see the pulse in his throat.

"Of course not," I said sarcastically, struggling to keep my voice steady. "You came here to order me not to marry Alexander and expected me to bow my head and follow your command."

Derek stared at me, looking hurt by my sharp tone. Without warning, he grabbed my wrist and pulled me toward him. My body crashed against his, his strength easily overcoming my resistance. His arm wrapped around my waist, and he rested his head against my chest, holding me tightly.

The sudden embrace caught me completely off guard. The familiar feeling of our soul bond flared to life, sending shivers through my body. Heat spread everywhere our bodies touched, and my breathing quickened. My inner wolf responded immediately, recognizing her mate.

I felt his breath through my thin nightshirt, the steady beat of his heart against mine. His scent was all around me, familiar and intoxicating.

"I've missed you," Derek whispered against my collarbone. His lips brushed my skin as he spoke, making goosebumps rise on my arms.

I blinked rapidly, fighting the emotions threatening to surface. I grabbed his arms, trying to push him away, but he held me firmly.

"Stop talking nonsense," I said coldly, staring at the wall behind him. "There's nothing between us for you to miss."

His arms loosened slightly, and he looked up at me with a furrowed brow. "Nothing between us?"

The hurt in his eyes almost made me waver. Almost. I reminded myself of all the times he had hurt me, all the times he had chosen his position, his power, over our bond.

"Do you mean the things that promised to sleep with you in order to keep my brother's position?" I countered.

Derek clenched his jaw, avoiding my direct question. His hands still rested on my waist, the heat from them burning through my clothes. "Don't marry him," he repeated, almost pleading this time.

---

"I will marry him," I stated firmly.

Derek looked at me in disbelief. "You told me you loved me. How can you marry another man?"

His words brought back painful memories—how vulnerable I had been, confessing my love to him, and how coldly he had dismissed my feelings.

I leaned down, bringing my face closer to his, giving him a mocking smile. Our faces were just inches apart, and I saw his eyes drop to my lips before returning to my eyes. "That was just my past foolishness. And love? In this world, love doesn't matter, only power does. Isn't that what you told me a year ago, Alpha Derek? I'm just walking the same path as you."

---

The air between us felt charged with tension. Our eyes locked in silent communication—mine cold and defiant, his unexpectedly soft and wounded. Our positions had reversed. Now I was the one wielding emotional power, and he was the one affected by it.

I patted Derek's shoulder dismissively and straightened my posture, pleased that I'd managed to say those cutting words without my voice betraying me. I took a step back, putting distance between us, trying to cool the heat that had built in my body.

"Let's not drag this out any longer," I said. "You should go. I have no interest in building a friendly relationship with my competitor... and by the way, my fiancé will not be as mean as you and ask you for half of the territory."

"Fiancé, huh? You rejected my offer to make you my soul mate, yet you accepted the position of that man's mate. Do you even know him? Because I don't see the difference," he said, emphasizing my future title bitterly.

I glared at him, unable to believe he was comparing being a soul mate with being a pack mate. The comparison made me furious. A soul mate was a life partner, chosen by fate. What he had offered me was to be his secret lover, hidden away while he married for political advantage.

"Are you joking?" I asked in disbelief. "You think these two positions are the same now? Or did you come here to brainwash me with this nonsense?... You're the one who brought me to this point."

Derek stepped forward, and I instinctively stepped back. My back hit the wall, leaving me nowhere to go. My heart started racing again, partly from anger and partly from unwanted arousal.

"Don't come any closer," I warned. "My fiancé wouldn't like it. As you said, he's dangerous. He would be angry."

Derek scoffed. "What right does he have to be angry in front of me?"

He took another step closer. I could feel heat radiating from his body, smell his distinct scent. My inner wolf stirred again, responding to his nearness in ways I couldn't control.

"Don't talk about him like that in front of me," I retorted, my anger flaring. "When he stands in front of you, you can't even speak properly. He's always one step ahead of you."

"Is that what you really think?" Derek asked, moving even closer.

Derek stopped just inches from me. I could see the tiny flecks of gold in his dark eyes, his wolf nature just below the surface. His gaze dropped to my lips, then back to my eyes, and I felt an answering pull low in my stomach.

"Two weeks is enough time for you to regret it. He's a playboy who can't live without a woman for a second. For you, Luna's position is nothing but a title."