Bonded to My Ex's Alpha Brother Chapter 50

Derek's POV

I watched as Erin slipped past Bradley and disappeared down the hallway, her scent lingering in my nostrils.

My jaw clenched when I noticed how Bradley's gaze followed her, his eyes filled with possessiveness that made my wolf growl in anger. Seeing my brother look at her that way sparked something primal and fierce in my chest.

Mine.

The thought came unbidden, its intensity shocking. I pushed it down, uncomfortable with its implications. Erin wasn't mine—she was merely my employee, my Soul Bond through some mistake, nothing more. Yet that territorial feeling still crawled like fire beneath my skin.

Bradley nervously shifted his weight, clearing his throat. "I should go. I have somewhere to be," he said, already turning to follow Erin's footsteps.

"Come in," I commanded.

The air thickened with my power, and Bradley's shoulders immediately dropped in submission. He reluctantly entered my office, closing the door behind him. His anxious scent filled the room. He sat on the leather sofa across from my desk, fingers drumming a restless rhythm on his thigh.

I remained standing, deliberately using my height advantage to reinforce my dominance. Making him feel small. Reminding him exactly who held power between us.

Bradley had never been patient, unable to tolerate extended silence. As expected, he spoke first, "I didn't expect her to be here so late," he attempted casual conversation.

"What are you doing at Stone Group?" I asked directly, ignoring his comment. My voice remained calm, controlled, betraying none of the irritation brewing beneath the surface.

Bradley's eyes darted around the room, avoiding direct contact with mine. "I came to see you, actually."

I raised an eyebrow, waiting for him to continue. I moved to sit behind my desk, maintaining eye contact throughout. "You rarely visit my office."

"You've hardly been at Darkwood Estate lately," he countered. "Mother's been asking about you."

The mention of our mother sparked a flicker of annoyance. We both knew this visit had nothing to do with her concern. Bradley shifted uncomfortably under my scrutiny, his confidence visibly waning in my presence. Good. He should be uncomfortable.

I leaned back in my chair, with calculated casualness said, "Speak your mind."

Bradley took a deep breath, gathering his courage. When he finally spoke, his voice had regained some strength.

"Why did you make her your personal secretary?"

The question didn't surprise me. In fact, I'd been expecting it since the moment I promoted Erin. What surprised me was my own internal reaction—a sense of satisfaction that Erin was where I could protect her, where she belonged.

"Why does it concern you?" I countered.

Anger flashed in Bradley's eyes. "She's my girlfriend."

"Ex-girlfriend," I corrected him coldly.

His jaw tightened at my deliberate emphasis on the prefix. "That's temporary. We'll be back together soon."

At his declaration, my wolf suddenly surged to consciousness, anger flooding my system so quickly that I had to grip the edge of my desk to remain seated. The wood creaked under my fingers. The possessiveness I felt was overwhelming, unreasonable—and completely undeniable. I forced myself to breathe evenly.

"You seem confident," I remarked.

"I know Erin," Bradley insisted. "She's forgiven me before. She'll forgive me again."

I studied him carefully, contempt rising within me. My brother had always been this way—entitled, believing the world would bend to his desires. As children, our parents indulged his every whim while expecting responsibility and leadership from me. The pattern continued into adulthood—Bradley taking what he wanted without consideration for consequences.

I could still smell Erin's scent—how it had turned to pain when she saw Bradley. How dare he assume she would forgive him? How dare he speak of her as if she were a possession to be reclaimed?

"Tell me about her betrayal," I suddenly said, watching his reaction closely.

Bradley's expression faltered. "What?"

"The night of the Binding Ceremony, you told us she betrayed you," I reminded him. "That was your explanation for your breakup. I want to hear exactly what happened."

"I... I lied, brother," his gaze dropped to the floor, guilt washing over his features.

The admission didn't surprise me, but hearing it directly from his lips made my blood run cold. My voice lowered dangerously. "What specifically did you lie about?"

Bradley ran a hand through his hair, a nervous habit he'd had since childhood. "That night, I was in a terrible mood. She refused to take me back, and I was angry."

"So you fabricated a story that she betrayed you?" I pressed, fingers tightening on the armrests of my chair. The leather creaked under my grip, my claws beginning to emerge under unconscious command.

The image of proud, capable Erin being disgraced because of my brother's lies sparked something dark and violent inside me. I remembered how the Pack had shunned her, how rumors and gossip had followed her. How much of her pain had been caused by Bradley's selfishness?

Bradley flinched at my tone. "I didn't think it would spread so far. I was just angry."

"She didn't betray you," I stated, making it clear this wasn't a question. "You betrayed her."

"Lily seduced me," he explained weakly. "She'd been flirting for weeks, and that night, I just... couldn't control myself. My wolf took over."

His attempt to blame his wolf nature made my own wolf bristle with fury. I had spent my entire life controlling my instincts, suppressing desires, putting the Pack's needs before my own impulses. My voice dropped to a dangerous growl. "Are you suggesting your urges are stronger than the Pack Alpha's?"

Bradley looked up, realizing his mistake, horror flashing across his face. "No, of course not—"

"Then don't blame your wolf for your human failings," I cut him off, each word dripping with contempt. "Shifting responsibility to your nature rather than accepting it is not what a real man does."

My brother cringed. In some ways, my words might have hurt more than any physical blow. Bradley had always craved my approval, even while resenting my authority.

"I regret it every day," he admitted quietly.

After a moment of silence, Bradley leaned forward, his expression earnest. "Derek, I need your help. I want her back."

He betrayed her, lied about her, and now expected me to help him reclaim her like some lost property. My wolf surged forward violently, and I couldn't control the change in my eyes, gold completely replacing gray as I stared at my brother.

"She is someone else's Soul Bond," I growled, the words emerging from deep in my chest, more rumble than speech.

Bradley's eyes widened at my reaction, finally understanding how close he was to triggering something primal and dangerous. Yet he persisted. "That doesn't matter. Soul Bonds can be resisted, can be broken. You and I both know that."

I rose slowly to my full height, letting my Alpha aura fill the room until the air itself seemed to press down on him. Bradley visibly shrank back, his wolf instinctively displaying submission to such overwhelming dominance.

"Stop wasting your time on her," I commanded, my voice carrying the weight of Alpha authority. "She doesn't love you anymore."

Bradley's face paled. He searched my expression, perhaps looking for any sign that I was being deliberately cruel rather than truthful. Finding none, his shoulders slumped in defeat.

"How can you be so sure?" he asked, his voice small.

I turned away, unwilling to explain how I knew—how I noticed Erin's pulse quicken when I entered a room, how her scent changed when I stood near her, how her pupils subtly dilated when our eyes met.

How I saw her wolf respond to mine, even as she tried to hide it. Even now, with her gone from the room, I could still feel the faint pull of our bond tugging at something deep inside me.

The truth was, I knew because my own responses mirrored hers. Because despite my efforts to deny it, to resist it, the Soul Bond between us was strengthening every day. Because the thought of Bradley touching her, possessing her, made my wolf howl with possessiveness in a way I had never experienced before.

"Go home, Bradley," I said instead, disguising these dangerous thoughts beneath cold authority. "I won't help you pursue Erin."