Claimed by My Ex's Half-Brother-Chapter 135 Where is she?

Victoria’s POV

I arrived home earlier than usual tonight, not because work ended early, but because I’d heard about a new late-night eatery worth trying. I swung by on my way home to pick up some food, carrying the containers with me as I entered our upscale neighborhood.

At this hour, Victoria would surely still be awake. I wasn’t certain if she’d eaten dinner, so the food would come in handy either way. With the warm containers in hand, I headed straight up to her place.

Although I knew the security code to Victoria’s home, I never entered without permission.

That wasn’t the kind of relationship we had—at least not yet. My wolf, Arthur, paced restlessly inside me, always eager to be near her.

I pressed the doorbell and waited patiently outside her door. After half a minute passed without response, I frowned. Had she gone to bed already? It seemed too early for that. Perhaps she was working late at the office?

I pressed the doorbell again and waited. Finally, I heard movement inside. I straightened my posture, a smile forming on my face as the door began to open.

"Victoria, I brought some late dinner. I thought we could—" My words died in my throat, and the smile instantly vanished from my face.

Standing before me wasn’t Victoria but a man with wet hair, wearing only a towel, bare-chested and dripping. Patrick Wagner—the arrogant prick I’d met before and instantly disliked.

My wolf growled inside me, territorial rage flooding my system. The food containers nearly crushed in my grip as my knuckles turned white.

"What the hell are you doing in Victoria’s apartment?" I demanded, my voice dropping to a dangerous register. "Where is she? What have you done to her?"

The pressure of my Alpha presence filled the hallway, oppressive and threatening. Every instinct in me wanted to tear this half-naked intruder apart. The unspoken implication of his attire, of him being here at all, ignited a fresh surge of fury.

My wolf Arthur was snarling, demanding to be released. I could feel my canines lengthening slightly, my control slipping.

Patrick looked surprised to see me but quickly recovered, leaning casually against the doorframe. "I don’t need your permission to be here," he said with a smirk. "This is Victoria’s place, and she invited me. My relationship with Victoria is far more intimate than you could imagine. What we do together is none of your business."

The veins in my forehead throbbed visibly as my rage intensified. My wolf clawed at my insides, demanding to be let out so he could rip this man’s throat out.

Patrick continued, his smile growing more smug. "From the look on your face, I’m sure you can guess what Victoria and I were just doing. We’ve known each other since childhood—we’re practically soulmates. Everyone who knows us has always seen us as a pair." He gestured vaguely toward the bedroom. "Unfortunately, Victoria’s quite exhausted after our... activities. She’s already asleep. What are you doing here so late anyway?"

Every word from his mouth was designed to emphasize his supposed intimacy with Victoria. He was clearly trying to tell me I meant nothing to her, that they were destined for each other.

"Impossible!" I growled, the wolf in me refusing to believe it.

Victoria wouldn’t just sleep with some random man. This had to be coercion. A horrible thought struck me—what if he had forced himself on her? Victoria was strong, but she might not have been able to fight him off if caught by surprise.

The mere thought of this man forcing himself on my mate—though she didn’t yet know we were mates—sent me over the edge. Before I could stop myself, my fist connected with his face, sending him stumbling backward several steps.

I charged past him into the apartment, heading straight for Victoria’s bedroom. When I reached her door, I found it locked from the inside.

"What have you done to her?" I demanded, my voice barely human now, my eyes beginning to glow with the amber light of my wolf.

Patrick touched his jaw where I’d struck him. "What do you think happened? Exactly what you’re imagining. She’s tired and needs rest. Now, who the hell are you to Victoria anyway? I suggest you get out before I call the police."

"You’d call the police?" I snarled, my lips pulling back to reveal teeth that were definitely sharper than human. "Go ahead. See if they arrive before I tear you apart."

I didn’t waste any more time on him. I was worried about Victoria’s safety. If she was just tired, why hadn’t she responded to all the commotion?

I tried the door again, then stepped back and kicked it hard. The door was sturdy—too sturdy to break down with just a kick, even with my enhanced strength.

I knew Victoria’s apartment well enough to locate her toolbox. I grabbed a hammer while Patrick watched nervously from a distance. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

"What are you doing?" he asked, a note of genuine fear entering his voice.

"I’m going to smash your skull if you don’t tell me what you did to her," I growled, my voice inhuman.

Patrick backed away, genuinely afraid now. I approached Victoria’s door and began hammering at the lock. I had zero patience left—I needed to get inside and ensure she was safe.

If anything had happened to Victoria, I wouldn’t show any mercy to this man. The bond between potential mates might not have been fully formed yet, but my wolf recognized her as ours. The need to protect her overrode everything else.

"Stop it! This is Victoria’s home! You have no right to destroy her property!" Patrick shouted.

I ignored him completely, focusing on breaking the lock. After two powerful strikes, the mechanism gave way. I pushed the door open and rushed inside.

The bedroom was empty. The bed was perfectly made—no sign of anyone having slept in it recently.

I turned slowly, my eyes now fully glowing amber, claws extending from my fingertips as I lost more control over my shift. "Where is she?" I asked, my voice a dangerous rumble as I advanced on Patrick.