Bonded to My Ex's Alpha Brother Chapter 27

Erin's POV

"Oh, and one more thing," she added. "The room next door will be your private office."

I blinked in surprise. "I—I have a private office?"

"Yes," she confirmed with a slight smile. "You can go check it out now. Someone will come get you when the training begins."

"Thank you very much," I said, still trying to process the reality—me, an Omega wolf with no corporate experience, having a private office in the Pack Alpha's executive suite.

Following Claire's directions, I easily found my office. I paused at the door, my breath catching when I saw the polished nameplate: \[Assistant Secretary to the Pack Alpha.\]

My fingers reached out to touch the engraved letters, tracing them lightly as if to confirm they were real. Seeing my position officially displayed sent a small thrill through me.

The office was smaller than Claire's but equally impressive—cozy and pleasant with freshly painted white walls, a spacious redwood desk, and a comfortable leather chair. I slowly walked around the perimeter, running my hand along the smooth walls.

I carefully placed my purse on the desk, a smile spreading across my face as I looked around. I sat in the chair, giving it a spin to test it out, then ran my hands over the smooth desktop.

Having my own office felt like a dream come true, especially after feeling invisible and insignificant for the past six months. I opened and closed each drawer, adjusted the position of the desk lamp, and fiddled with the chair height.

As I continued exploring the room, I noticed one wall seemed different from the others. I approached it cautiously, squinting. It looked like a window with a dark glass coating, though I couldn't see through to the other side.

A strange sensation spread down my spine—goosebumps rising on my arms, the hair on the back of my neck standing up. My wolf suddenly became alert, her awareness enhancing my senses. I instinctively sniffed the air, then felt foolish for doing so.

"Who would be watching me?" I muttered to myself, shaking my head and rubbing my arms vigorously to dispel the goosebumps. "I'm overthinking things. The Pack Alpha wouldn't care about an Omega wolf's daily work."

On the desk, I found several folders with handwritten notes, all stamped with the Pack insignia. They appeared to need computer processing, likely my first task once I gained access to a computer.

While waiting for the training to begin, I took out my phone and sent a message to Amy in our group chat.

\[First day at the new job. I have my own office!\]

Amy's reply came almost instantly: \[OMG! Send pictures!\]

Grinning, I took a selfie with my office in the background and sent it to her.

She replied, followed by a string of excited emojis: \[So awesome! I told you this would be great!\]

I replied, still cautious about getting my hopes too high: \[We'll see.\]

Amy asked, adding a winking emoji that made me roll my eyes: \[Did you remember to bring "his" jacket?\]

I was about to reply when a knock at the door interrupted me. I quickly put away my phone and called out, "Come in."

\---

At lunchtime, I followed directions to the company cafeteria. It was spacious and elegant, completely different from the chaotic university dining hall I was used to. When I entered, conversations temporarily lowered as dozens of wolves turned to observe the newcomer.

Their gazes followed me as I walked to the food line, their nostrils subtly flaring to catch my Omega scent. I kept my head high, though my inner wolf grew increasingly uncomfortable with the attention.

"Ignore them," I whispered to her as I selected a salad and sandwich from the available options.

I found an empty table by the window, positioning myself with my back half-turned to the room, hoping to avoid further scrutiny. But I had barely taken two bites when a shadow fell across my table.

"You're the new Omega girl that the Alpha personally interviewed, right?" a female voice asked.

I looked up to see a brunette wolf in her twenties, eyeing me with undisguised curiosity. Two other female wolves stood slightly behind her, their expressions ranging from curious to suspicious.

I nodded, not quite trusting my voice.

"What did the Alpha ask you? How did you get this job?" she pressed, sliding into the seat across from me without waiting for an invitation.

"Nothing special," I answered vaguely, unwilling to share the humiliating details of my interview.

One of her companions, a sharp-faced redhead, snorted derisively. "Don't get so high and mighty just because you got a higher position. We've been serving this Pack for years."

I blinked, surprised by the hostility. "When did I say anything like that?"

"You didn't," the redhead admitted with a slight shrug. "But we wanted to give you a heads-up early. Hierarchy matters here."

"Thank you for telling me, sisters," I said sincerely, offering a small smile.

My response seemed to catch them off guard.

As the women returned to their table, I noticed Claire sitting with a group of high-ranking female wolves on the other side of the cafeteria. Their laughter carried across the room as they shared some private joke, their body language expressing a power and confidence I could only dream of possessing.

\---

After a tour of the first and second floors of the building, I understood why Stone Group was like a separate community. Everyone in the organization had their role. I saw two muscular Enforcers walk by, and everyone—including Betas—slightly lowered their heads in respect. My heart skipped a beat, remembering that my brother was an Enforcer. I wished he were here now.

I felt nostalgic, thinking about how I, a simple Omega werewolf, had become part of Stone Group. However, before the privileges of my position could make me too dizzy, I realized I had spent a long time getting familiar with the place, and Derek's jacket was still in my office. I'd better return it before leaving.

Back in my office, I had barely sat down when the phone rang. I was surprised to see Claire's name on the display.

"I've left some files on your desk. Process them. As for your first day, I have no doubt this will be a simple task for you," she said briskly.

"Okay," I answered, looking at the stack of what appeared to be Pack event records, which would likely occupy most of my remaining workday.

After a mental struggle, I decided to return Derek's jacket to him first, then start on today's work. As I had seen, Derek's office was adjacent to mine.

I wiped my sweaty palms on my skirt, then straightened my shoulders. Taking a deep breath to steady myself, I walked to his door and knocked firmly three times, my knuckles rapping quickly against the heavy door.

"Come in," his deep voice commanded from inside. The sound traveled through the door straight to my core, and despite my determination to remain professional, I couldn't help the shiver that ran down my spine. My hand froze on the doorknob for a moment as I gathered my courage.

I pushed the heavy door open, feeling the resistance against my muscles, and stepped inside. Despite the large windows, the office was dimly lit, with heavy curtains blocking most of the natural light.

I paused just inside the doorway, blinking as I tried to adjust from the bright hallway to the darkened environment. The darkness immediately made me feel vulnerable. I squinted, trying to locate him in the shadows.

"Who are you looking for?" the deep voice came from my right, startling me. My shoulder bumped against the doorframe as I clutched the paper bag, making a distinct rustling sound in the quiet room.

"This is your suit jacket. I'm returning it to you," I explained, holding up the paper bag as my eyes slowly adjusted to the dim light. My voice was higher than normal, and I swallowed hard, trying to regain my composure.

Derek was lounging on a black leather couch against the wall, one arm stretched along the back. A thin wisp of smoke rose from the cigarette between his fingers, curling upward before dissipating.

His legs were stretched out in front of him, one ankle crossed over the other. His posture was relaxed, almost casual, but his eyes watched me with unwavering attention. I felt the intensity of his gaze, my skin prickling under his scrutiny.

I tried to avoid his eyes but found myself drawn to him involuntarily. He wore a crisp white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, exposing his strong forearms. His tie was loosened, and the top button of his shirt was undone, giving him a dangerously disheveled appearance that made my lips go dry.

"Put it down and leave," he said dismissively, taking another drag from his cigarette.

I walked forward and placed the bag on the edge of his desk. "I also wanted to thank you for giving me this job opportunity," I added, my voice steadier than I had expected.

He made a noncommittal sound, his gaze never leaving me. My wolf fidgeted restlessly.

I nodded stiffly and turned to leave, my legs feeling wooden as they moved. I had only taken two steps when the edge of my clothing caught on the sharp corner of the desk. I instinctively tugged at it, not realizing how unstable my balance was in high heels.

Before I could react, Derek moved with superhuman speed, reaching out to grab my clothing, pulling me toward him. My high heels slid on the polished floor, one ankle twisting painfully.

My heart stopped. I threw my arms out, fingers grasping at air, trying to maintain balance as I stumbled forward toward where he sat.

I tried to brace myself, my body tensing in preparation for impact, but momentum carried me forward until I fell—landing directly on Derek's lap.