Bonded to My Ex's Alpha Brother Chapter 20

Erin's POV

I woke up staring at an unfamiliar ceiling, my head pounding mercilessly. Sunlight stabbed through the thin curtains, making me wince and groan as I slowly realized I was in Amy's room.

"Look who's finally awake," Amy's voice came from somewhere nearby, and then her face appeared in my field of vision, looking unnaturally chipper and pleased. "How's the head feeling?"

"Like it's about to explode," I rasped, my throat as dry as sandpaper as I struggled to prop myself up. The movement triggered a wave of nausea so intense that for one horrible moment, I genuinely thought I might throw up.

Amy sat on the edge of the bed, mercifully handing me a glass of water and two pain relievers. "You really don't remember? You disappeared from the club, and Jack and I spent a solid hour searching frantically for you. And then—get this—the Alpha of the Darkwood Pack personally showed up with you passed out in the backseat of his ridiculously expensive car."

The water glass stopped halfway to my lips as my brain struggled to process her words. "What?"

Memories started flooding back in disjointed, mortifying fragments.

"Oh. My. God." My heart raced faster as more details surfaced. "Derek Stone. I saw him watching me from the VIP section."

"Yeah, and apparently you decided to go up and join him," Amy said, raising one eyebrow with a smirk that made me want to crawl under the bed and die.

Another memory hit me—strong arms holding me, that intoxicating scent of cedar and leather wrapping around me like a blanket. My cheeks burned hot enough to fry an egg. "Did I... did we... please tell me we didn't..."

"Relax, the Alpha didn't do anything to you," Amy laughed, patting my knee reassuringly. "Jack carried you in from the car, and I was the one who changed you into pajamas."

I sighed with relief, until another memory surfaced with vivid clarity—sitting in the luxury car, my head actually resting on Derek Stone's shoulder, his masculine scent filling my lungs like the most addictive perfume. Worse, the things I'd said to him when I thought he was Bradley.

"I told the Alpha of our Pack, to his face, that he was the most arrogant man I'd ever met," I whispered in horror.

Amy's eyes widened dramatically. "You called the Alpha arrogant to his face? Oh my God, Erin! How are you still breathing?"

"It gets worse," I groaned, covering my face with my hands, wishing I could just disappear into the mattress. "I told him he was my Soul Bond. Said it wasn't my fault."

Amy sat up straighter, momentarily struck speechless. "Well... he clearly didn't rip your throat out for it. That's... something good, right?"

"He accused me of playing men, said I wasn't as drunk as I was acting. Like I'd planned the whole humiliating disaster just to get close to him again," I continued as the memories became clearer and more mortifying with each passing moment.

"Honestly," Amy continued thoughtfully, "the Alpha behaved surprisingly... decent. I mean, he could have dumped your drunk ass at the club or called the Enforcers to deal with you. Instead, he personally delivered you here, making sure you were safe."

The thought was perplexing. Derek Stone, the cold, dismissive Alpha who had made it clear I was nothing but an annoying complication to him, had taken the time to personally ensure I got home safely.

"Anyway," Amy continued, her voice brightening. "Enough about Derek Stone. I have news. Jack and I are officially together. Last night during the countdown, under the blue lights, my wolf recognized him as my Soul Bond."

Though I already knew this, I was still thrilled for them. "Amy, that's amazing! I'm so happy for both of you."

She nodded, a dreamy smile spreading across her face. "It feels like everything suddenly makes sense. Like I was missing a part of myself all along and didn't know until now."

"Jack is something special," I said sincerely. "You couldn't find a better mate."

"I know," Amy agreed, squeezing my hand. "It's all still sinking in. Anyway, you should probably go shower. My parents are making breakfast, and they insist you eat with us before going home."

\---

Thirty minutes later, showered and dressed in clothes Amy had lent me, I felt almost human again. The headache had subsided to a dull throb, and the nausea had mostly retreated.

When we came downstairs, Amy's parents were in the kitchen, her father reading a newspaper at the island counter while her mother arranged fresh fruit on plates.

"There she is!" Amy's mother smiled warmly. "How are you feeling this morning, dear?"

"Much better, thank you," I answered, trying not to let my embarrassment show. "I'm sorry about last night."

"Nonsense," she waved away my apology. "Everyone has a first experience with alcohol. Sit. Breakfast is almost ready."

I slid onto a stool at the island counter, the smell of pancakes and bacon making my stomach growl.

"So, Erin," Amy's father set down his newspaper. "Amy tells me you had quite a bit of trouble at that speech competition."

I tensed, not expecting this topic at breakfast. "Yes, sir. It didn't go as planned."

"That's putting it mildly," he shook his head. "Academic plagiarism is a serious offense. Have you considered reporting it to the school administration?"

"I..." I hesitated. "There wouldn't be any point. Lily's family has higher standing in the Pack."

He frowned, "That doesn't make it right. Amy showed me some of your research. It's impressive—especially for an undergraduate."

A warmth spread through my chest at the unexpected praise. "Thank you."

"What are your plans after graduation?" he asked, accepting a cup of coffee from his wife.

"I'm not entirely sure yet," I admitted.

He nodded thoughtfully. "I know people in environmental resource management. If you're interested, I could make some introductions."

The offer was generous, even tempting. But independence had always been important to me—perhaps because, as an Omega, so much was already decided by forces I couldn't control.

"That's very kind of you," I said carefully. "But I'd like to try finding my own path first. I do appreciate the offer, though."

As we ate, the conversation shifted to lighter topics. After breakfast, Amy's father insisted their driver take me home. "No arguments," he said firmly. "Amy has errands to run with her mother, and you look like you need rest."

\---

The next day at school, something felt different. As I walked to my locker, I noticed the whispers and stares had changed. They were still watching, still talking, but the malice seemed to have diminished.

"Did you hear?" I caught fragments of conversations. "Lily might have been lying all along..."

"I heard she really did steal Erin's research..."

"Maybe Erin wasn't chasing after the Alpha at all..."

I kept my head high, pretending not to hear as I collected my books for first period. The shift in attitude was unexpected but welcome.

"Erin!" Amy's voice came from down the hall. She hurried toward me, Jack following behind, their fingers loosely intertwined. My heart warmed seeing them together.

"Hey, guys," I greeted them with a genuine smile.

"How are you feeling?" Jack asked, concern filling his eyes.

"Much better," I assured him. "Listen, I wanted to thank you both for taking care of me that night."

Jack shrugged, his cheeks slightly flushed. "That's what friends are for."

"I'm happy for you two," I said sincerely, gesturing to their connected hands. "You fit perfectly together—in all the best ways."

Amy beamed, leaning into Jack. "It still feels like a dream. Like, how did I not see it before?"

"Sometimes the right person is right in front of you all along," Jack said softly, looking down at her with such a tender expression that my heart ached.

"Promise me something? No matter what happens with this Soul Bond thing, we'll always be friends?" I asked, looking at them both.

"Are you kidding?" Amy laughed, throwing her arms around me. "You're stuck with us for life, Blackwood."

Jack joined the hug, his lanky arms encircling us both. "Face it, you're never getting rid of us."

The warning bell rang, interrupting our moment. As we pulled apart, a passing student called out, "Erin! Professor wants you in his office right away!"