Bonded to My Ex's Alpha Brother Chapter 77

Erin's POV

I felt as if I'd been slapped. My lungs contracted, making breathing difficult. My vision blurred at the edges as I struggled to comprehend his words. I swallowed hard, my throat painfully dry.

"W-what do you mean?" I finally asked, my voice barely audible. My fingers curled into fists at my sides, nails digging deep into my palms until I could feel the sting of breaking skin. The wolf inside me whimpered, confused and hurt.

Derek casually brushed a strand of dark hair from his forehead, his silver-gray eyes hard in the moonlight. "Be my companion. Stay by my side."

Words that should have made my heart soar instead made it sink. My legs weakened beneath me, and I leaned back, desperately seeking support. The rough bark of the silver birch tree dug into my back through the thin fabric of my dress.

My breathing became short and shallow. The beautiful meal we had shared churned in my stomach. I could feel the vein at my temple pulsing as I struggled to maintain composure.

"Is this about accepting our Soul Bond, or just satisfying your desires?" My voice sounded foreign to my own ears, hollow and strained.

Derek's knuckles rapped lightly against the stone balustrade of the terrace. The sharp sound made me flinch. "The wolf inside me craves you. It calls your name day and night." He spoke dispassionately, as if discussing a business transaction.

My trembling hand went to my heart. Each beat felt like a hammer striking against my ribs. I could feel my wolf pacing anxiously within, desperate to understand why her mate was causing us such pain. "And what about you? Where is your heart in all this? Does it call for me too?"

Derek let out a cold laugh that echoed across the terrace. His shoulders tensed beneath his tailored suit, the fabric straining across his broad back. "Erin Blackwood, you are so naive." He enunciated each word with precise cruelty.

His words hit me with such force that I physically staggered backward. Nausea rose in my throat. I gripped the tree trunk harder, feeling the rough bark cutting into my palms.

I blinked, tears blurring my vision. My jaw was clenched so tightly I worried my teeth might crack. I forced myself to breathe steadily, in through my nose, slowly out through my mouth. I would not give him the satisfaction of seeing me cry. I wouldn't.

Derek walked to the edge of the terrace with measured steps, his polished shoes tapping against the ground. Moonlight outlined his perfect profile, casting half his face in shadow. His jaw was tight, eyes narrowed as he looked down at the valley below.

"Do you remember how Bradley hurt you?" he said without turning, his voice cutting into the night air. "That foolish boy didn't even recognize your worth."

"Yet you remain so naive," he continued, finally turning to face me. His eyes were colder than I'd ever seen them. "Thinking the noble Pack Alpha would genuinely fall in love with a little wolf girl who has barely learned to transform?"

The wolf inside me growled, offended and hurt. I pressed a hand to my abdomen, trying to soothe her. My throat convulsed as I swallowed back a sob.

Despite the crushing pain in my chest, I found myself walking toward him.

"Please..." The word escaped my lips, almost without sound. My mouth was too dry to speak properly.

Now I stood before him, close enough to smell his scent. I lowered my lashes, unable to meet his gaze, looking instead at the tears gathering on my eyelashes, glimmering but not yet falling.

"Have I displeased you?" I asked, my voice breaking. "Did I do something wrong? Please forgive me, won't you? Don't treat me like this..."

My trembling fingers reached forward, lightly touching the expensive fabric of his sleeve.

Derek yanked his arm away from my touch, his entire body recoiling as if burned. His nostrils flared, eyes flashing gold—his wolf rising to the surface, agitated and angry.

"How could you be naive enough to believe I harbored genuine feelings for you?" he spat, each word dripping with contempt. His hands were clenched into fists at his sides. "Hasn't every action, every touch made it clear this was merely a game?"

I wrapped my arms around myself, suddenly cold despite the warm night air. My shoulders hunched forward, an instinctive attempt to protect my vital organs.

I lifted my head, the tears finally spilling over, running down my cheeks. I angrily wiped them away with the back of my hand, but they kept coming. Despite the tears, I forced steel into my voice. "Why can't you accept the Soul Bond between us? The Moon itself chose us..."

The growl that erupted from Derek's chest was primal, feral—a sound that didn't belong in this elegant setting. The hair on the back of my neck stood up, my wolf instinctively wanting to cower and submit. I resisted the urge, planting my feet more firmly on the ground.

Derek bared his perfect white teeth, canines slightly elongated—a warning display. "Don't be like the other she-wolves, thinking this pathetic tactic will win you the position of Pack Alpha's mate."

His scent surrounded me—stronger now, with traces of aggression and anger mixed with his natural smell. I forced myself not to flinch away, though every instinct screamed at me to run.

His hand shot out, roughly grabbing my chin. His fingers pressed into my skin with enough force to leave marks. I gasped at the sudden contact, my hands automatically grasping his wrist.

"Remember this, Erin," he whispered, his voice dropping to a dangerous octave that vibrated through my bones. "Making someone want you and making someone love you are two entirely different things. The former is so simple..." his thumb roughly grazed my lower lip. "But the latter... for me, it's impossible."

He released me with a light push, and I stumbled backward. My tears now flowed freely, beyond my control, streaming down my cheeks and dropping onto my silver-blue dress. Each drop left a dark stain on the delicate fabric.

My fingers unconsciously went to the side of my neck, where Derek had once kissed me. The skin still tingled at the memory, my own body's betrayal, filling me with self-loathing.

---

A hot flush spread across my chest and neck as anger finally broke through my shock and hurt. I clenched my jaw, so tight I heard it click. My breathing quickened, nostrils flaring with each exhale.

"What am I to you?" My voice cracked and trembled, pitch rising with surging emotions. I finally looked up, forcing myself to meet his gaze. "Your personal plaything? Your exclusive breeding tool? Is that what this 'proposition' means?"

My fingers clutched the silk material of my dress, bunching it between clenched fists. I could feel the expensive fabric straining at the seams, close to tearing. I didn't care.

Derek's eyes narrowed to slits, dangerous golden light flickering in his gray irises like warning signals. The muscle in his jaw twitched as he deliberately took a step toward me, shoulders squared. Instead of backing away, I pressed myself more firmly against the tree, as if I could meld into the bark.

"You weren't so proud in my office," he said, his voice deep and threatening. "Tears streaming down your face, begging me not to expel that disrespectful brother of yours."

His fingers lightly touched the obsidian tie clip at his throat, slowly twisting it. The gesture was casual, but his eyes remained locked on mine, observing every flicker of emotion. I swallowed hard, remembering that day with painful clarity—how desperate I had been, how willing to do anything.

His lips curved into a sneer that never reached his eyes. "Where is that promise now? In which corner have you thrown it?"

My stomach lurched. The beautiful meal we had shared earlier threatened to come back up. I pressed my hand to my mouth, breathing rapidly through my nose until the nausea passed.

"So... all of this..." my voice was thin and raspy, scraping past the lump in my throat. I gestured helplessly between us. "Those tender looks, those 'accidental' touches, those kisses..." my voice broke on the last word, vivid memories flooding my mind—his mouth on mine, his hands at my waist, how I had melted against him. "Just to lure me into your trap?"

My teeth began to chatter, despite the warmth of the evening. My body shook with the effort of containing so many turbulent emotions. I hugged myself tightly, nails digging into my upper arms deeply enough to leave crescent-shaped marks.

Bradley's warning echoed in my mind, each word painfully clear. “Erin, you've only seen Derek the CEO in his suit, the polite businessman in the boardroom. You've never truly faced Derek the Alpha of the Darkwood Pack, the predator who leads the entire pack on hunts during full moons. He will bring you pain a thousand times deeper than I ever could. Remember my warning, Erin. Run while you still can.”

The truth of his words hit me now with stunning force. The man before me was nothing like the one I thought I knew. This was the real Derek Stone—cold, calculating, manipulative. A predator in the truest sense.

I felt something shift inside me. The desperation and heartbreak didn't disappear, but they were joined by something else—an anger burning through my veins that brought clarity. I straightened my spine, no longer leaning on the tree for support. The wolf inside me awakened, no longer whimpering but more alert, sensing the change in my emotions.

I lifted my chin, meeting Derek's gaze directly. I knew my amber eyes were shimmering with tears, but I also knew they were flashing with stubborn determination. I wiped the tears from my face with the back of my hand, clearing them away.

"Derek Stone," I said, my voice low and intense. It still trembled slightly, but beneath it was a strength I didn't know I possessed. "You may be the most powerful Alpha in this city." I took a step toward him instead of away. "You may be the leader of the Darkwood Pack." Another step. "You may control the destinies of countless people."

I was close enough now to see his eyes widen slightly—surprised at my courage. "But you've chosen the wrong person."

I pointed my finger at his chest, not quite touching him but making my point. "I will never be anyone's accessory or breeding tool—even if you are my Soul Bond, even if it means defying the Moon's design."