Bonded to My Ex's Alpha Brother (by CalebWhite) novel Chapter 120

Chapter 120

Derek sat behind the wheel, not even glancing my way. I couldn’t help but notice his attire–instead of his perfectly tailored business suit, he wore dark gray casual clothes that somehow made him look even more dangerous. The faint scent of cigarettes clung to him.

My eyes caught the unfamiliar platinum watch on his wrist, gleaming in the dim light. He had actually changed clothes to come find me?

Silence filled the car, broken only by the soft purr of the engine. I sat motionless, afraid to speak or move. His knuckles were white where he gripped the steering wheel, and the muscles in his jaw worked as he clenched and unclenched his teeth.

“Alpha?” I finally whispered, my voice sounding ridiculously small.

Derek didn’t speak, just started the car and pulled away from the curb with terrifying smoothness. We drove in complete silence, the tension in the air making it almost impossible to breathe. I couldn’t help stealing glances at his profile–the sharp line of his jaw, his perfect nose, how the passing streetlights cast shadows across his face, emphasizing each hard angle

My pulse quickened when he suddenly turned onto a secluded uphill road. He drove to a lookout point that offered a panoramic view of the entire city, lights spread out below us like fallen stars.

He killed the engine, leaving us in darkness broken only by the soft blue glow from the dashboard. When he finally turned to look at me, I had to bite my lip to keep from gasping. His eyes seemed to pierce straight through to my soul–they remained their normal stormy gray, but something wild and dangerous lurked beneath the surface. My wolf immediately responded, restlessly turning within me.

“Alpha?” I tried again, my gaze falling on his long fingers as they tapped a steady, threatening rhythm on the steering

wheel.

Without a word, Derek took a photo from the center console and thrust it at me. In the dim light, I could make out a clear

image of Tomas and me in the department store, our heads close together as we examined jewelry at the counter. The photo had clearly been taken without our knowledge.

“Explain this,” he said, his voice unnervingly calm. “What is my personal secretary doing with another man after hours?”

I stared at the photo in shock, then looked up at Derek. “You had someone follow me?”

A flash of gold passed through his eyes, his wolf close to the surface. “That’s what you’re concerned about? Not why you’re shopping with him?”

“We were buying his mother a birthday gift,” I explained, trying to keep my voice steady despite the anger growing inside me. “I was just helping him choose something appropriate.”

Derek’s expression remained cold and skeptical. “And that required you to stay at his house until midnight?”

“It was her birthday celebration,” I said, feeling increasingly defensive. “Tomas asked me to help organize the party, and since our mothers are friends, I-”

I noticed Derek was no longer looking at me. His gaze had locked onto the small box that had fallen from my purse. While I’d been distracted by his anger, he’d already picked it up and opened it, revealing the delicate crystal necklace inside–the gift I’d selected for my mother.

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Chapter 120

His expression darkened. His jaw clenched so tightly I could see the muscles jumping beneath his skin.

“So this is the gift you were shopping for with him?” he said in a dangerously soft voice, turning the box in his fingers.

“That’s for my mother,” I explained quickly, reaching for the box.

Derek moved it away from my grasp, removing the necklace to examine it in the dim light. How… ordinary. So this is your price?”

“What?” I stared at him in shock, momentarily not understanding his meaning.

As my personal secretary, I would have expected better taste,” he said coldly, his fingers tracing the crystal pendant. “Or does Tomas know you prefer simple things? He knows you that well already?”

“How dare you,” I whispered, my voice trembling with emotion. “Tomas and I are just friends!”

The corner of Derek’s mouth turned up in a cold, humorless smile. “Friends… of course. That explains why you stayed at his home until midnight? You did all this for a necklace.”

“It was his mother’s birthday party!” I cried, tears of anger and hurt stinging my eyes. “How could you imagine that I would -that we would—”

Before I could say more, my phone rang again. Derek grabbed it before I could react, checking the caller ID.