Bonded to My Ex's Alpha Brother Chapter 48

Erin's POV

I stared blankly at a point over Bradley's shoulder, unwilling to meet his desperate gaze. The secluded hallway was empty, other students having dispersed after the confrontation with Lily, leaving just the two of us in this tense standoff.

"I loved you once," I said, my voice steady despite the turmoil inside. "I gave you everything. But you hurt me, Bradley. You shattered my heart. Even if you wanted to, you can't fix what's already broken."

Bradley stepped closer, taking my face in his hands. This familiar gesture that once brought comfort now felt like an intrusion. His touch was gentle, but I had to resist the urge to step back.

"Do you remember what you said when we officially started dating?" His voice lowered to an emotional whisper. "You promised you would never leave me. When I asked what you would do if I did something wrong, you said you'd give me a chance because you believed in my love for you."

The memory hit me like a tidal wave, powerful and painful. I had said those things, with all my heart. I had been so naive, so blindly in love with him that my brother Aaron often referred to Bradley as my weakness.

"I was such a fool," I whispered, my eyes blurring with unshed tears.

I saw a spark of hope flicker in Bradley's eyes, a small flame igniting as he sensed my momentary weakness. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. But the moment my eyelids closed, I felt the phantom sensation of gray eyes watching me, and I immediately opened them, suddenly breathless, as if my wolf was reminding me of who I truly belonged to.

The realization made me bite my lip as I pushed Bradley's hands away again.

"Why?" he asked, disbelief evident in his voice. "Why can't you give us another chance?"

I turned to leave, eager to escape this suffocating conversation, but Bradley's next question stopped me in my tracks.

"What if I make you fall in love with me again?"

A chill ran through my entire body. "That's impossible," I answered without turning around.

I could feel Bradley's gaze on me, studying my reaction, looking for any sign of hesitation or doubt. Finding none, he remained silent, giving me the opportunity to leave without another word.

---

As I hurried to class, my heart was beating so fast I could feel each pulse throbbing in my throat. I couldn't stop thinking about the heartbroken expression on Bradley's face, that naked pain in his eyes. It troubled me more than I wanted to admit.

Was there still room in my heart for him? Despite everything he'd done, despite the Soul Bond with Derek, despite my wolf no longer responding to Bradley's presence, was there still a part of me that cared for him?

Why couldn't I respond to him with the same cruelty he had shown me that day at Lily's? If our positions were reversed, would he have forgiven me so quickly?

I remembered Derek's warning about staying away from his brother, and my body began to tremble. The thought shifted my mind in a new direction: I was someone else's Soul Bond now. If I was still thinking about another man, wasn't that a betrayal too?

The conflict gave me a headache. I pushed thoughts of Bradley from my mind, determined to focus on my classes. But once seated, I found my thoughts drifting to Derek instead—that intensity in his eyes when he looked at me, the gentle way he had healed my bruise, that surprising apology that had fallen from his lips.

What was happening between us? One moment cold and distant, the next possessive and almost caring. The memories were driving me crazy.

---

During the lecture, my phone vibrated in my pocket. I checked it discreetly, finding a message from Amy: [Just saw Lily's post! WTF?? Are you okay?]

I quickly typed back under the desk: [I'm fine. Had a confrontation with her. Will tell you details later.]

Amy's reply came immediately: [That bitch! How dare she? I swear I'm going to make her pay!]

I couldn't help smiling at Amy's protective anger: [Where are you? Didn't see you today.]

[Jack and I went to the aquarium. Skipping classes today! Sorry I wasn't there to back you up.]

I assured her it was fine and wished them a good time. At least someone was having a pleasant day. As I slipped my phone back into my pocket, I tried to refocus on the lecture, but my thoughts kept wandering to what awaited me at Stone Group later.

---

After class, I headed straight to Stone Group. The reception I received upon entering the building was notably different from my previous experiences. Employees smiled and greeted me respectfully, some even going out of their way to hold doors open for me. Strange how my new position seemed to have earned me respect.

I walked into my new office and set down my backpack. The space still felt foreign, too large and elegant for someone like me. But the leather chair was comfortable, and the view of the city skyline was definitely superior to my previous office.

Deciding I needed caffeine before tackling the stack of files on my desk, I headed to the break room to make coffee. As I waited for the machine to finish brewing, the rich aroma filling my nostrils, temporarily distracting my chaotic thoughts.

Just as I was about to leave with my steaming cup, I heard female laughter around the corner. I instinctively moved closer, hovering behind a pillar.

"That's the third time today the Pack Alpha has asked about Erin," one woman said, her voice lowered but excited.

"I know. I heard he even had lunch with her yesterday," another replied.

"What do you think?" a third voice chimed in. "Maybe he has an interest in that girl."

"We can't imagine such a thing. He's our Pack Alpha. But we've never seen him so angry. Did you all see what he did to Claire?"

"Of course. She was so scared she confessed to her wrongdoing."

"I wonder what he did to her to make her do that."

"The company has fired so many employees. But the Pack Alpha has never cared about their situation like he cares about Erin's."

I stared at my coffee, realizing that if I stood there any longer, it would get cold. I needed to deliver some files to Derek's office anyway, so I should get moving.

As I began walking toward Derek's office, I heard one final comment that stopped me in my tracks.

"I think the Pack Alpha likes his young Omega secretary. People do these things when they're in love, you know."

I paused in the hallway, slowly lifting my gaze to look down the corridor at Derek's office door. Could it be true? Did Derek really have feelings for me beyond the obligation of our Soul Bond?

Before I could think about it too much, I decided to bring the coffee to Derek. It might be a small gesture, but it would give me an excuse to observe his behavior more closely.

---

I knocked lightly on Derek's door, entering when his deep voice commanded me to. The sight that greeted me was somewhat unexpected—the usually immaculate Derek surrounded by piles of documents, folders, and reports cluttering his desk.

He looked up as I entered, those sharp gray eyes immediately finding mine. For a moment, I thought I saw something flicker in those eyes—perhaps relief or satisfaction at seeing me. But it disappeared so quickly I might have imagined it.

"Why are you late?" he asked, his tone flat but not angry.

The question surprised me, reminding me of the conversation I'd overheard. Had he really been asking about me all day? Waiting for me to arrive? The thought made my pulse quicken.

I lowered my eyes. "I had an extra class today, so I came directly after it finished."

I approached his desk, trying to find somewhere to place the coffee among the sea of papers, but there was simply no room. Every surface was occupied. I stood there awkwardly, unsure where to set the cup.

Derek rose from his chair, his height and presence immediately dominating the room. Standing this close to him, I was once again struck by his tallness—I had to tilt my head back to meet his eyes.

"I need you to organize all these files and handle some of them," he said.

Though his tone was businesslike, I found myself studying his face, looking for any sign that the workplace gossip might be true. Was his interest in me beyond professional concern? My wolf certainly seemed to think so, stirring hopefully within me.

My eyes lingered on him longer than necessary. Was this why he had been asking about me? For work? The thought was inexplicably disappointing. I had started to hope his attention might have another reason.

He came toward me, reaching for the coffee cup. When his fingers brushed against mine during the exchange, my heart skipped several beats, a feeling that was becoming frustratingly familiar whenever we touched.

I swallowed hard. "Your coffee, Alpha," I said, then quickly turned toward the desk to begin organizing the scattered files.

Derek walked to the sofa on the other side of his office, sitting down and leaning back as he drank the coffee. Though it wasn't hot enough, he made no comment about it, seeming content to watch me work.

I could feel his gaze on me, tracking my every movement as I methodically organized the chaos on his desk.