Claimed by My Ex's Half-Brother-Chapter 136 Are you serious?

Victoria’s POV

I slammed my car door shut and made my way up to Grace’s apartment, exhaustion creeping through my bones after the day I’d had. I’d texted her earlier asking if she could put me up for a few nights, and true to form, my best friend had enthusiastically agreed. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

Grace swung open the door before I could even knock, her face lighting up. "Victoria! Finally! I’ve been waiting forever," she exclaimed, pulling me into a tight hug before ushering me inside.

The warm aroma of food hit me as I stepped in, and I noticed she’d set out a spread of late-night snacks and a bottle of wine on her coffee table.

"You didn’t have to wait to eat," I said, dropping my overnight bag by the couch.

"What’s the fun in eating alone?" Grace pushed a glass of wine into my hand. "Now, care to explain what ’need shelter’ means? Your text was cryptically brief."

"It means exactly what it sounds like," I sighed, sinking into her plush sofa. "I need a place to crash for a few days."

"Mi casa es su casa—always. But what happened to your place? Did your pipes burst or something?"

I took a long sip of wine, letting the rich flavor coat my tongue before answering. "I sort of... lent it to someone else."

Grace’s eyebrows shot up, and I knew I wouldn’t escape without explaining. She always had a way of digging until she got to the truth. I reluctantly filled her in about Patrick staying at my place.

"Are you serious?" Grace nearly choked on her wine. "Patrick Wagner? The guy we met last month? That doesn’t sound right. He seemed decent when we met him, but what’s this nonsense about not being comfortable in hotels? The presidential suites at The Grand are nicer than most people’s homes!"

She leaned forward, eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Victoria, I think he’s playing you. This has ’ulterior motive’ written all over it. Is he into you?"

"You’re absolutely right," I admitted, rubbing my temples. "My grandfather seems hell-bent on me finding a suitable mate soon to produce the next Crescent Dawn heir. And he thinks Patrick would be an excellent candidate."

"He’s rushing you?" Grace frowned, concern etching her features.

"I understand his position. I’ve accepted my role as the alpha heir—that comes with certain expectations and pressures."

Grace took my hand, squeezing it gently. "It breaks my heart that you don’t have the freedom to choose your own path."

I exhaled slowly, feeling the weight of my responsibilities. "The problem is with the Wolf Alliance’s outdated systems. This world is unfair—most alphas are male, and they hold the majority of leadership positions. Grandfather faced tremendous opposition just for naming me his successor."

My wolf, Nora, stirred restlessly inside me, sensing my frustration.

"I need to make our pack stronger, gain more influence. Maybe then I can actually change the rules." The determination in my voice surprised even me.

"I believe in you, sweetheart," Grace said, wrapping an arm around my shoulders.

I’d barely taken two bites of food when my phone rang. Glancing at the screen, I saw Damien’s name flash across it.

Why would Damien be calling this late? Unless...

Had he gone to my apartment? Where Patrick was staying? The thought of those two alpha males crossing paths made my stomach drop.

"Damien?" I answered quickly.

By the time I rushed back to my apartment, the tension was thick enough to choke on. Damien sat rigidly on my sofa, radiating cold fury, while Patrick stood by the balcony door, maintaining as much distance as possible between them.

They looked like two rival predators sizing each other up, neither willing to turn their back on the other.

Then I noticed my bedroom door—or what remained of it. The lock was completely destroyed, wood splintered around the frame.

"Which one of you did this?" I demanded, my voice low and dangerous.

"I did," Damien admitted without hesitation, his smoky cedar scent laced with anger.

"What possessed you to break down my door in the middle of the night?" I asked, barely containing my frustration.

Instead of answering, Damien nodded toward Patrick. "Who is he?"

"You’ve met him before," I said tersely. "Patrick Wagner, my friend."

"I meant, why is he here?" Damien’s voice dropped to a near growl, his eyes darkening. Arthur, his wolf, was clearly close to the surface.

"I could ask you the same question about being in my apartment," I countered. "The door—I won’t make you replace it, but it’s late. You should go home."

"I asked why he’s here," Damien persisted, his jaw clenched tight. "He was in your home, half-naked. What exactly is going on between you two?"

Nora rumbled inside me, bristling at his possessive tone. No matter how attractive he was when jealous, he had no claim on me.

"We have no relationship beyond friendship," I stated firmly. "And he’s fully dressed, as you can see."

Patrick chose that moment to interject. "Victoria, is this friend of yours always so unhinged? He broke your door and threw a punch at me. You should be more careful about who you associate with—some men who display violence toward others eventually direct it at those closest to them."

I knew Damien wasn’t usually violent. If he’d damaged my door, he must have been concerned something had happened to me. And if he’d hit Patrick... well, Patrick must have provoked him somehow.

"Patrick, I don’t need your assessment of my friendships," I said coolly. "Yes, breaking my door was inappropriate, but Damien wouldn’t have hit you without reason. I’ve known him long enough to be certain of that."

Patrick’s eyes flashed with something—disappointment? "Victoria, you’re defending him without knowing what happened? Just like that?"

Damien’s tension seemed to ease slightly at my words, the corner of his mouth twitching upward.

"I’m not defending anyone," I clarified. "I’m stating facts. This was clearly a misunderstanding. You two should apologize and move past this."

"Absolutely not," Damien refused immediately, voice hard as steel. "How long is he planning to stay here?"

"I don’t know—until he finds his own place," I said. "And don’t worry, I’m staying at Grace’s in the meantime."

I added that last part quickly, not wanting Damien to think I was sharing my home with another male. Despite my independence, wolf society still held certain expectations about unmated females living with males outside their pack.

"Unacceptable," Damien stated flatly.

"Excuse me?" I raised an eyebrow. "You’re overstepping, Mr. Sterling."

Damien’s eyes never left Patrick as he spoke. "He can stay at my place if he needs somewhere. If not, he can get the hell out."

The blatant hypocrisy was almost laughable. Damien had stayed here himself before. But something about his intensity suggested this was about more than propriety.

"Victoria," Patrick said smoothly, "your friend seems awfully controlling for ’just a friend.’ This is your home, not his. What right does he have to make arrangements for you? Victoria, you should tell him to leave."

His repeated use of my first name was clearly irritating Damien, whose scent had taken on a sharper edge.

"Both of you, enough," I said firmly. "Patrick, staying here isn’t appropriate. I’ll arrange for my driver to take you to my grandfather’s estate. I’ll speak with him about the situation."

I turned to Damien next. "And you—it’s late. Shouldn’t you be heading home?"

"Not until he’s gone," Damien replied, eyes tracking Patrick’s every movement.

"Victoria, your grandfather specifically arranged for me to stay here," Patrick protested, his voice smooth but with an undercurrent of displeasure.

"I understand that, and I’ll discuss it with him. I’m sure he’ll understand my position." I pulled out my phone and called William.

He sighed when I explained but didn’t argue. Within twenty minutes, my driver arrived to take Patrick to the Lancaster estate.

Once he was gone, I faced Damien, who at least had the decency to look slightly apologetic.

"I’ll have your door fixed tomorrow," he said. "I didn’t mean to damage it. I brought you a late dinner, and when I knocked and got no answer, I saw him through the window in just a towel. I thought he might have..." He didn’t finish the sentence, but the implication was clear.

I’d planned to lecture him about boundaries and property damage, but knowing he’d acted out of concern for my safety dissolved my anger. My wolf, Nora, seemed almost pleased by his protective instinct.

"Where’s this dinner you mentioned?" I asked instead.

I should have been eating with Grace, but I’d barely started before Damien’s call sent me rushing back here.

"Here." He quickly retrieved a bag I hadn’t noticed before.

"It’s probably cold by now," I observed.

"I can order something fresh—"

"Don’t bother. It just needs reheating. You can do that," I directed, pointing toward my kitchen.

"Right away." His expression brightened immediately as he headed to the kitchen, looking entirely too pleased with himself.

I watched him move confidently around my kitchen, turning on the stove and preparing to reheat our food. Despite my irritation at the evening’s drama, there was something strangely satisfying about having Damien Sterling, notorious alpha bachelor, heating up my dinner like it was the most important task in the world.