Bonded to My Ex's Alpha Brother Chapter 209

Erin's POV

Derek stared at me with cold, calculating eyes, his posture straight and dominant despite the wound I had inflicted moments ago. He sat in sofa like it was a throne, one leg crossed over the other, fingers drumming rhythmically on the armrest.

Derek's lips curved into a slight smile, his jaw clenching briefly. "What am I going to do?" he echoed my question, then snapped his fingers at Delta Mark who stood beside him. "Bring me the new file."

Mark nodded and quickly left the room, returning moments later with a folder which he handed to Derek with a slight bow. Derek flipped through the pages, his movements precise and controlled, before suddenly tossing the folder onto the floor in front of me.

"Sign it," he commanded, his voice filled with fury that made me flinch. His pupils dilated slightly, golden flecks appearing in his irises – a sign his wolf was close to the surface.

I swallowed hard, trying to calm my racing heart. "Have you told the doctors to start my mother's surgery?" I asked, my voice steadier than I felt.

Beta Tom stepped forward, his face tight with anger. "How dare you stab the Alpha and then expect him to help your mother?" he growled at me.

Derek raised his hand sharply, silencing Tom without even looking at him. Tom stepped back immediately, his posture instantly submissive. I noticed his quick compliance with confusion. Tom had never shown such immediate deference to Derek in my presence before.

"Everything was planned by your respected Alpha," I said, my voice shaking. "You made my mother sick... You're not a man, you're a devil."

Derek leaned forward suddenly, the movement so quick I instinctively pulled back. His golden eyes fixed on me with an intensity that seemed almost feverish. "You're right," he said softly, a strange smile playing on his lips. "I am the devil... and you released it today. Now it's free."

I bit my lip hard, avoiding Derek's gaze. My hand trembled as I reached for the folder. I expected him to force me to cancel my binding ceremony with Alexander in exchange for my mother's life—a terrible choice, but one I was prepared to make.

But as my eyes scanned the document, shock hit me. The heading read "Marriage Contract," and beneath it were terms stating I would become Derek Stone's wife and the Luna of the Darkwood Pack. I could not divorce without Derek's consent.

"I will never marry you," I said, looking him straight in the eyes.

"Why not? Isn't that what you've always wanted? To be the Luna of the Darkwood Pack?" His voice dropped lower as he loomed over me, his shadow falling across my face. "Now I'm going to show you what that really costs."

Tears filled my eyes as I looked at him. The worst part wasn't his cruelty—it was remembering how I had once admired him. How I had once wanted him to look at me the way he was looking at me now, with his full attention. But not like this. Never like this.

"I regret ever looking up to you, Derek Stone. You are the worst person I've ever met. I hate you."

Derek's expression didn't change as he pulled out his phone and dialed a number, putting it on speaker. "Has her mother's treatment started yet?" he asked when someone answered.

"Yes, Alpha," came the reply.

"Then stop the treatment. Kill her instead." He said it so casually, like ordering coffee, his eyes never leaving my face, watching for my reaction.

"No!" I screamed, lunging toward him to grab his phone. My heart raced with panic. "Don't stop my mother's treatment! She's innocent. You can hurt me, but don't hurt her."

Derek pushed me away with one hand, his strength effortless. His hand shot out and grabbed my chin, fingers digging into my skin as he forced me to look at him. His touch sent an unwanted jolt through me. His pupils were fully dilated now, the gold in his eyes more prominent than I'd ever seen.

"Very good. You're now worthy of being my enemy. It seems you have to marry your enemy now." His breath was hot against my face, his scent surrounding me.

I glared at him through my tears. "One day I will kill you," I said, shoving at his chest. The brief contact with him made my fingers tingle, and I hated my body's betrayal even more than I hated him in that moment. His chest was solid under my hands, and I could feel his heart beating rapidly – whether from anger or something else, I couldn't tell.

Tom and Mark immediately put their hands on their weapons, but Derek didn't move, just looked at me with an expression I couldn't read. There was anger there, yes, but something else too—something that made my stomach tighten. His lips twitched in a half-smile that didn't reach his eyes.

"Arrange a party, guys," Derek announced to his men, spreading his arms wide in a grandiose gesture that seemed both mocking and genuine. "Your Alpha has a new Luna."

His eyes returned to me, narrowing slightly. He leaned down, placing both hands on the arms of my chair, caging me in. "Or should I cancel the party? Decide quickly. My doctor is waiting in the operating room, you know."

He tapped one finger impatiently against the chair, the rhythm matching my thundering heartbeat. I looked at the phone still in his hand, realizing the line was still open. With a choked sound, I grabbed the contract again, my hands shaking.

Tom handed me a pen without meeting my eyes.

I signed my name, feeling like I was signing away everything. My freedom. My future. My chance at a life I chose. In that moment, I hated Derek with every fiber of my being.

"Continue the treatment," Derek spoke into the phone, his voice suddenly calm and businesslike, the shift jarring after his earlier intensity. "It seems her daughter is smart enough to save her life."

As the call ended, I felt empty. I had saved my mother, but I was now trapped. Trapped with the one person who could make me feel so much—hatred, anger, and something else I refused to name.

Tom passed the folder to Derek, who signed the document with a flourish, his movements once again controlled and precise. His fingers gripped the pen tightly, the only indication of his tension. Tom and Mark exchanged uneasy glances.

"From now on, respect her," Derek commanded them, his voice ringing with authority as he straightened to his full height, shoulders back, chin lifted slightly. "She is my mate now."