Claimed by My Ex's Half-Brother-Chapter 100 That’s wonderful

Damien’s POV

I watched as Victoria and Patrick continued their conversation, trying to ignore the burning sensation in my chest. Arthur was becoming increasingly agitated, his growls reverberating through my mind with each laugh they shared.

"You don’t recognize him either?" Grace asked, clutching Brian’s jacket tighter against her chest.

"No," she admitted. "Victoria and I met years ago in Crescent territory, long before her grandfather officially brought her back into the pack. We lost touch for a while when her family went through that crisis."

Grace paused, her eyes drifting to Victoria and Patrick. "After we reconnected, I learned she was part of the Lancaster legacy, but she rarely talked about her early life in Alpha territory. I don’t know much about who she knew before."

I kept my eyes fixed on Victoria and Patrick, watching every interaction with predatory focus. Her smile was radiant—too radiant—as she laughed at something he said. The sight made Arthur thrash beneath my skin, demanding to separate them.

What could they possibly have to talk about that was so amusing? And that childhood promise to mate with him? Ridiculous. Puphood promises meant nothing in our world. Arranged matings were outdated concepts even among traditional packs, let alone casual childhood declarations.

I once had a cousin who declared she wanted to mate with our family’s guard dog. The dog died years ago, and obviously, no mating ceremony ever took place. This was equally absurd.

From what little I could hear, Patrick was reminiscing about their shared childhood adventures. Victoria seemed genuinely entertained, laughing as if those memories were precious to her. The sound of her laughter, usually so pleasing to my ears, now grated against my nerves when directed at another male.

"Are you planning to stay in Alpha territory now?" I heard Victoria ask as their conversation shifted to more current matters.

Patrick’s voice carried just enough for me to catch his response: "Not certain yet. I plan to expand my business into the Crescent Territory. . It’s the fastest-growing region among the packs right now, and I want to test those waters."

"That’s wonderful," Victoria replied with enthusiasm that made my jaw clench. "Crescent territory is truly amazing—more comfortable than Alpha lands. It’s why I chose to return when I turned eighteen."

The ambient noise of the ballroom drowned out portions of their conversation, leaving me with fragmented phrases that my mind eagerly twisted into worst-case scenarios. What was wonderful? Who did she like? What was she enjoying?

My mood darkened considerably. When some clueless Beta approached, likely hoping to discuss business opportunities, I dismissed him with a single growled word: "Leave."

Another female wolf sauntered toward me, her scent deliberately sweetened to attract attention. She positioned herself directly in my line of sight.

"Mr. Sterling," she purred, lowering her eyes in a show of submission that might have worked on lesser Alphas. "Would you care to share a drink? I’ve heard so much about you. I never imagined you’d be so young and... impressive. Are you currently unattached? Perhaps we could get to know each other better."

I barely registered her words, my attention still fixed on Victoria. I grunted something noncommittal, which the female apparently took as encouragement.

"Really? That’s wonderful," she moved closer, her perfume overwhelming my senses. "How about tonight, after the gala? We could have a private drink somewhere..."

She was tall for a female wolf, made taller by stiletto heels, and deliberately positioned herself to block my view of Victoria. I stepped aside, trying to maintain visual contact with my target, but she persisted, moving into my path again.

The commotion caught Victoria’s attention. Her eyes flicked toward us, and in that moment, I stopped trying to evade the female.

If Victoria could enjoy herself with another male, why shouldn’t I entertain female company? Two could play this territorial game.

"What did you say?" I asked the female, finally acknowledging her presence.

"I was suggesting that after the gala, we could—"

My attention snapped away from her mid-sentence. Patrick had leaned in toward Victoria, his hand reaching for her face. My wolf erupted with such force that I nearly lost control.

I strode across the room, abandoning the female mid-conversation, and called out sharply: "Victoria!"

In one fluid motion, I positioned myself between her and Patrick, pulling Victoria slightly behind me in a move that was pure Alpha possessiveness. Arthur howled his approval inside me.

"What?" Victoria looked startled by my sudden appearance, confusion crossing her features as the distance between her and Patrick widened.

Patrick’s hand hung awkwardly in the air between us. "Victoria had something on her cheek," he explained, his eyes narrowing at my intervention. "I was just going to remove it for her."

I felt my upper lip curl slightly. "Does she look incapable of doing that herself? Are you the only one with hands?" My voice carried a dangerous edge that any wolf would recognize as a warning.

"You’re right, I can manage it myself," Victoria said, tugging at my sleeve. "What’s wrong with you? Did you swallow gunpowder or something? Your words are so harsh. And why did you come over here anyway?"

Victoria seemed genuinely confused by my behavior. She glanced toward where I’d been standing moments before, probably wondering why I’d abandoned my conversation with the female wolf.

"Joseph is looking for you," I improvised, creating an excuse to separate her from Patrick. Joseph Miller was a respected human ally of the Crescent Dawn Pack and a plausible reason for urgency.

"Really? I should go see what he needs." Victoria accepted my explanation without question, which pleased both me and my wolf immensely.

"Patrick, I need to check in with Joseph," she said politely. "We’ll catch up more later."

Patrick nodded with practiced charm. "Of course. We’ll talk again soon. Stay in touch, Vic."

Once Victoria had moved away toward where Joseph might reasonably be found, Patrick and I were left alone, the tension between us palpable enough that nearby wolves subtly created distance around us.

"That was deliberate, wasn’t it, Sterling?" Patrick’s voice remained pleasant, though his scent had turned sharp with challenge. "Sending her away like that. What’s your agenda here?"

"I could ask you the same question," I replied coldly, not bothering to deny the accusation.

"My agenda? Victoria and I have history. We grew up together, shared countless experiences. Our lives were intertwined from childhood." His smile was calculated to provoke me. "Our bond goes back years."

"You said it yourself—that was childhood," I countered, my voice laced with dismissal. "That proves nothing. Only the useless cling to the past."

Patrick’s eyes hardened despite his maintained smile. "That may be, but Victoria and I have an emotional foundation. We’ll be seeing each other frequently moving forward. As for you—you’re not her mate, are you? Victoria just told me she barely knows you. Said she doesn’t particularly like you, actually. Finds you quite annoying."

His words were clearly fabricated to provoke me. Victoria wasn’t here to contradict him, so he felt free to invent whatever narrative suited him. As a fellow Alpha male, I understood exactly what he was doing—testing for weaknesses in my claim on Victoria, implied or otherwise.

Arthur snarled furiously inside me, demanding I physically challenge this rival, but I maintained my composure.

"Is that so?" I replied with deliberate indifference. "Interesting that she spent your entire conversation talking about me, then. When she’s with me, your name never comes up. In fact, until today, I wasn’t aware you existed at all."

The subtle flicker in Patrick’s expression told me my counterattack had landed. In wolf terms, I’d not only deflected his challenge but returned it with interest.