Claimed by My Ex's Half-Brother-Chapter 128 She was faking!

Victoria’s POV

I heard gasps ripple through the crowd as Marcia Cross collapsed to the marble floor of the Crescent Dawn Pack’s headquarters lobby.

"She’s fainted! She’s fainted!" someone shouted, though no one dared approach her.

I felt my wolf, Nora, stir within me, a ripple of dry amusement.

This display was pathetic even by human standards, let alone for a wolf—especially one mated to the Alpha of the Northstream Pack.

"Should someone call an ambulance?" a voice called out. "What if something happens to her?"

Another voice, sharper and more accusatory: "Victoria Lancaster made her faint! If anything happens to her, it’s Victoria’s fault!"

I watched as the crowd collectively took a step back, distancing themselves from the situation. Typical pack maneuvering—no one wanted to be caught in the crossfire between rival Alphas.

Kane appeared at my side, his loyalty unwavering as always. Since my grandfather had taken him and his sister Elena in as orphaned cubs, he’d been my most trusted ally.

"Alpha," he murmured, using my proper title despite my insistence that he call me Victoria in public. "Should we send her to the hospital? If something happens, the media will have a field day. They’ll turn it against you."

I let out a cold laugh. Did Marcia really think such a juvenile tactic would work on me? After surviving her son Ethan’s betrayal, nothing this pathetic could touch me.

"She’s faking," I said, my enhanced senses picking up the subtle indicators.

"What?" Kane looked doubtful as he studied the woman sprawled dramatically on the floor.

"Look at her eyelids. They’re trembling," I explained, my wolf vision catching the micro-movements no human could detect.

Kane focused, then raised his eyebrows in surprise. "You’re right."

The crowd was getting restless. Someone called out, "Aren’t you going to help her? What if she dies? Even if she’s wrong about whatever happened, she doesn’t deserve to die!"

Another added, "If you let her die, I’ll never buy anything from Crescent Dawn again!"

The accusations stung, not because they were true, but because my grandfather had taught me that an Alpha’s reputation was everything. I addressed the crowd with confidence.

"I assure you all, I’m not the type to let someone suffer needlessly. If this were genuine, I’d be the first to call for medical help. But I won’t allow everyone to be deceived by this performance," I announced, my voice carrying the natural authority of an Alpha. "I can prove she’s faking, and I guarantee she’ll be jumping up in no time."

I leaned close to Kane’s ear, keeping my voice low. "Get me a cup of regular tea. And make your return look... significant."

Kane nodded and slipped away while I addressed the crowd again. "Everyone, please be patient. This will only take a moment."

On the floor, Marcia remained still, committed to her act.

I could smell her emotions—anticipation and malice. She was waiting for me to do something drastic, something she could use against me. If I tried to physically rouse her, she’d claim assault. If I left her there, I’d be cruel and negligent. A classic trap.

But she’d forgotten one thing: I wasn’t just Victoria Lancaster, CEO of Lancaster Enterprises. I was the Alpha of the Crescent Dawn Pack, with a bloodline stretching back centuries. My wolf, Nora, growled in satisfaction as I planned my counter-move.

The crowd waited, tension building in the air. Even those who weren’t wolves could feel it—the silent power struggle playing out before them.

Kane returned quickly, carrying a simple white teacup with visible distaste on his face, playing his part perfectly.

"Your request, Alpha," he said, handing me the cup.

"Thank you," I replied, taking it from him. The crowd leaned forward collectively, curious about what I was holding.

I crouched beside Marcia’s "unconscious" form, holding the cup near her face. Then, in a voice only she could hear, I whispered, "Marcia, since you’re ’unconscious,’ I have the perfect remedy. It’s a special concoction just for you."

I brought the cup closer to her lips and continued in that same soft, threatening tone. "Oh, you probably don’t know what’s in here, do you?

It’s nothing special—just urine collected from the pack’s bathroom. And to make it extra special for you, I had them mix in some feces as well. Your first time tasting such a delicacy! Don’t thank me. I’ll make sure everyone knows that the Luna of the Northstream Pack drinks piss and eats shit in public."

I tilted the cup, letting a drop touch her lips.

The reaction was instantaneous. Marcia’s eyes flew open, and she violently pushed me away, scrambling to her knees and retching dramatically.

"Disgusting! Disgusting!" she gagged, her face contorted in revulsion.

I stood up smoothly, not a drop spilled from my cup, and turned to the watching crowd. "As you can see, she’s made a miraculous recovery."

The crowd erupted in chatter.

"She was faking the whole time!"

"See? She’s just plain nasty, always has been!"

"Can someone please deal with this entire Sterling family? They’re nothing but trouble!"

People began recounting all the dirty dealings of the Northstream Pack over the years, proving that public memory was longer than the Sterlings might have hoped.

Marcia continued to retch until she finally caught her breath. Then she pointed at me, her finger shaking with rage. "It wasn’t me! It was her! She tried to force me to drink urine with feces in it! She would do this to anyone, even an older woman! Everyone saw!"

She was desperate to turn the tide against me, to expose some imagined cruelty.

I laughed coldly. "I have no idea what you’re talking about. Everyone has been watching. Where would I even get such things?"

"Don’t try to deny it!" Marcia shrieked. "It’s right there in your hand! Everyone, look! The mighty heir of the Crescent Dawn Pack forcing people to drink filth!"

I held up the cup calmly. "You mean this?"

"Yes!" she pointed accusingly. "That’s it! Everyone, look! It’s urine with feces mixed in!"

I walked around the circle of onlookers, letting everyone see clearly what was in my cup. I even approached the media representatives, allowing their cameras to capture the contents clearly.

"This is simply tea," I explained, my voice carrying throughout the lobby. "There are even tea leaves visible. When you ’fainted,’ I was concerned you might be suffering from heat exhaustion, so I asked for tea to help revive you. How interesting that you immediately assumed it was excrement. Is that what you believe you deserve to drink, Marcia?"

"No! Impossible!" she cried out. "I smelled it! It was filth!"

I smiled. "Don’t believe me? Then I’ll drink it myself."

Without hesitation, I tilted my head back and took a long sip of the tea. It was perfectly brewed jasmine—Kane always got the details right.

"Would anyone else like to verify? If you don’t mind sharing after me, please confirm for Mrs. Sterling that this is ordinary tea."

"I will!" A young woman from the crowd stepped forward.

I handed her the cup, and she took a careful sip before nodding. "It’s definitely tea. Jasmine, I believe."

"No... no..." Marcia was shaking her head frantically. "You switched it! You must have switched it somehow!"

I looked at her with pity. "That’s absurd. Everyone was watching the entire time. The media has been filming continuously. There was no switch. Perhaps you’re suffering from delusions, Mrs. Sterling? Should we call that ambulance after all—for a psychiatric evaluation?"

My wolf, Nora, purred with satisfaction inside me. The Northstream Pack had tried to humiliate me once again, but they’d only succeeded in embarrassing themselves. First Ethan’s betrayal, now his mother’s pathetic display—the Sterling family was digging their own grave in pack society.

And I would be there, watching them fall, one by one.