Bonded to My Ex's Alpha Brother (by CalebWhite) novel Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Erin’s POV

“Is that him?” whispered Amy, leaning close enough that only I could hear, “Your soul bond?”

I could only manage a tight nod, not trusting my voice. My throat had closed up, making it difficult to breathe normally.

Amy’s eyes widened. “He’s… intense.”

Derek Stone didn’t just command attention–he demanded it. As he took his position at the judges‘ table, I noticed that two unfamiliar men in expensive sults had followed him onto the stage, along with four Enforcers.

My heart sank when I realized Aaron wasn’t among them. Had Derek deliberately left him behind?

“Thank you for the warm welcome,” Derek’s deep voice resonated through the speakers, sending involuntary shivers down my spine. “Silvermoon Academy has always been at the forefront of innovation, and I look forward to seeing what the next generation has to offer.”

His gaze swept across the auditorium, and for a split second, our eyes met. Though his expression remained impassive, I felt a jolt of recognition pass between us. My wolf howled in triumph, while I sank lower in eiy seat, wishing I could disappear entirely.

All around me, students straightened in their chairs, heads bowed slightly in instinctive submission to the Alpha.

“Did you know he was going to be here? Jack whispered, looking genuinely terrified.

“No,” I murmured, still reeling from the shock. “No idea.”

The crowd’s whispers grew louder, a constant buzz of excitement and speculation.

“I heard his binding ceremony with the Silverpine Alpha’s daughter was postponed…”

…something about a Soul Bond claim…”

poor Mya, after all that planning…..”

Each snippet felt like a knife twisting in my stomach. Six months later, and people were still gossiping about that night, even if they didn’t realize I was sitting right there among them

“Erin,” Amy turned around with wide eyes. “Quick, lower your head. The Alpha is looking this way.”

I ducked my gaze immediately, heart hammering against my ribs. Was he deliberately seeking me out, or was it my paranoia?

The Dean cleared his throat, reclaiming everyone’s attention. “Our first presenter will begin in five minutes. Contestants, please make your final preparations,”

I fumbled with my notes, trying to focus on the speech I’d practiced countless times. The words blurred on the page as my supposed to concentrate with Derek sitting mere feet away, his presence flooding my senses?

“You’ll do great,” Amy reassured me, squeezing my arm. “Just breathe.”

Easy for her to say. She wasn’t fighting a primal urge to run across the room and throw herself at the feet of the most powerful wolf in the territory.

The first presenter was a brilliant human student majoring in business analytics. As he approached the podium, his usual confidence seemed to evaporate under Derek’s unwavering gare. His hands trembled visibly as he fumbled with his notes, and twice he dropped his laser pointer.

“G–good morning,” Thomas began, his voice cracking. He cleared his throat and tried again. “I’m here to p–present my project on optimizing supply chain management for multi regional businesses.

He stumbled over simple words and lost his train of thought nud–sentence several times. Sweat beaded on his forehead, and his eyes kept darting nervously to Derek, whose expression remained impassive.

When he finished his presentation, the applause was polite but muted. He practically ran back to his seat, face flushed with embarrassment,

“That was tough,” Jack whispered. “I’ve never seen he mess up like that before.”