Bonded to My Ex's Alpha Brother Chapter 82

Erin's POV

I gasped, fingers gripping the windowsill tightly. "Who told you?"

"That's not important," Aaron's voice sharpened. "What matters is why you're in that dangerous place. That's not an ordinary company, Erin, that's Alpha Derek's territory! The most dangerous werewolf in the Darkwood Pack!"

I frowned. "I was only trying to help, brother. I thought... I thought it would help our family..."

"Help?" Aaron scoffed. "Do you know what Derek Stone has done during full moons? Do you understand how dangerous that man is? For Moon's sake, Erin, you've barely completed your first transformation!"

I bit my lip. "Don't worry, brother. I'll quit. I've already submitted my resignation."

Aaron was silent for a moment, his voice suddenly dropping lower. "There's something else you need to know. Derek has given me leave, what he calls 'a gesture of goodwill.'" His voice was thick with sarcasm. "I'll be back tomorrow."

A wave of dizziness hit me. "Tomorrow?"

"Don't tell Mom," Aaron said quickly, "I want to surprise her. We'll discuss this in detail when we meet, understand?"

I hung up the phone and stood frozen, as if struck by lightning. I recalled Derek's words that night at Moonlight Restaurant, finally understanding the meaning behind his cold smile. "Within two days, Blackwood, you'll crawl back on your own, begging me to take back your resignation letter. Remember my words."

I threw my phone down as if electrocuted, my trembling hands covering my mouth to prevent myself from screaming out loud.

"This was his arrangement," I whispered to the empty room, "all of this was his plan." I slowly slid down to the floor, arms wrapped tightly around myself. "He's going to use Aaron to threaten me... if I don't go back, Aaron will lose his position as Pack Enforcer."

Anger surged through me like a tidal wave. I jumped to my feet, slamming my fist on the dressing table, sending perfume bottles and jewelry boxes clattering to the floor. I grabbed my hair, tears streaming down my cheeks. "How dare he! What am I going to do? Moon Goddess, what am I going to do?"

I pulled back the curtains and looked toward the distant forest, as if I could see crimson eyes watching me from the darkness. Derek Stone was clearly more dangerous, more calculating than I had imagined.

I couldn't sleep that night. I sat on the edge of my bed, a cup of coffee in my hands, watching the blinds gradually brighten as dawn approached. My thoughts raced through possibilities, each more desperate than the last.

What if I was late to the office? What if I couldn't save Aaron's position? The memory of begging Derek to reinstate my brother haunted me—I had promised to do anything. Now he was collecting on that promise.

I set down my coffee cup, determination solidifying like ice in my veins. I would accept Derek's proposition. The thought of becoming someone's plaything made me physically ill, but for my brother, for my mother's heart condition that could worsen with stress... I had no choice.

The wolf inside me grew restless, conflicted and confused. Part of her recoiled at the thought of submitting under these circumstances, while another part still yearned for Derek. Every time I thought of him—his touch, his scent, the intensity in his eyes when he looked at me—a warmth spread through my body.

---

Standing before my closet Sunday morning, I stared at the designer clothes Derek had given me. Each garment now seemed to mock me, reminding me of how foolishly I had believed in what might have been a genuine connection.

My phone rang, interrupting my dark thoughts. Amy's name flashed on the screen.

"Erin! Don't forget we have Professor Wilson's lecture on wolf bloodline genetics today! It's crucial for our semester grade!"

I closed my eyes, pinching the bridge of my nose. "I can't make it today."

"What? Why not?" Amy's voice was clearly surprised.

"I need to go to the office early. I have important work to handle." The lie tasted bitter on my tongue.

Amy paused, and I could sense her detecting something was wrong, but she didn't press. "Alright, but tomorrow at Silvermoon Academy I want all the details, okay?"

I showered quickly and deliberately chose an old dress from the back of my closet—nothing Derek had given me. I wouldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing me wearing his gifts while lowering my dignity.

I slipped out of the house while my mother was still sleeping, not wanting to wake her. The morning air was fresh and cool, carrying the scent of leaves and distant rain.

The bus ride to Stone Group felt both long and short. As time passed, my stomach knotted tighter, anxiety and fear building inside me like a storm.

I arrived an hour earlier than normal working hours, but the lobby wasn't empty. A few employees had come early to meet deadlines, their tired faces illuminated by computer screens.

As I walked toward the elevator, I felt their glances, heard the whispers. Some probably remembered Lily's gossip about my relationship with the Stone brothers. Others may have seen the photos from the party, Derek and I standing so close. The thought of being viewed as just another girl throwing herself at the Stone brothers made my cheeks burn with humiliation.

I entered the elevator and pressed the button for the executive floor where Derek's office was located. As the doors closed, I caught sight of my reflection in the mirrored walls—flushed face, tense posture.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart. What would happen when I saw him again? Could I maintain my composure, or would my body betray me as it always did? Even now, just thinking about being alone with him made my skin tingle with unwilling anticipation.

---

Derek's office was dark and empty when I arrived. I turned on the lights, half-expecting to find him sitting in his chair with that infuriating smirk on his face. But there was only silence.

I walked to his desk, my fingers lightly touching the polished wood. It was here that he had first kissed me, here that he had grabbed my waist and pulled me to him. I could almost feel his hands on me now, my body responding with a rush of heat that made me angry with myself. How could I still want him after how he had treated me?

I tried calling him, but he didn't answer. My frustration growing, I retreated to my own office to wait, pacing back and forth. As time passed, my anxiety increased. I kept thinking of what to say when I saw him, how to look into his eyes and accept his proposition without completely surrendering my dignity.

Two hours passed with no sign of Derek. My patience vanished. I stormed back to his office, determined to be there waiting when he arrived. The longer I waited, the more convinced I became that he was doing this deliberately—making me wait, allowing my anxiety to build until I was desperate enough to agree to anything.

I was gripping my phone tightly, about to dial again, when I heard a deep vibration behind me. I spun around, my phone slipping from my hand in shock.

Derek was leaning against the doorframe, hands casually tucked into his suit pockets, his gaze locked on me. His phone vibrated in his inner pocket, the screen's light faintly visible through the fabric. His eyes traveled down my body, and despite everything, a rush of heat passed through me.

"A...Alpha," I stammered, my voice barely audible. I instinctively stepped backward, feeling the cold edge of his desk press against my back. My heart raced, and I cursed my body's involuntary response to his presence.

Derek gently pushed the door closed, the metal lock making a crisp clicking sound. The small noise made my stomach tighten. Now we were completely alone.

He walked forward with unhurried steps, his powerful frame seeming to fill the entire office. He stopped close enough that I could smell his cologne mixed with his natural scent. The familiar smell evoked memories—his hand on my waist, his lips on my neck.

Sunlight streamed through the window, highlighting the hard line of his jaw and the intensity in his eyes. I caught a flash of gold—his wolf close to the surface, watching me. Something primitive inside me responded to that, making my skin flush and my breathing quicken.

My thighs pressed together involuntarily as I struggled with the conflicting emotions surging through me—anger at his manipulation, fear of his power, and a stubborn, unwilling desire that refused to disappear no matter how hard I tried to suppress it.

I hated how my body betrayed me around him, how even now I noticed the way his shirt stretched across his chest, how his presence seemed to electrify every inch of space between us.

"Miss Blackwood," he said, unbuttoning his suit jacket. I couldn't help but notice how the fabric strained across his broad shoulders. "So eager to see me? I'm curious what makes you so... urgent on a Sunday morning."