Claimed by My Ex's Half-Brother-Chapter 191 Who sent you?

Damian’s POV

I faced the people who had been tracking me, unable to hide the killing intent in my eyes. "Who sent you?"

The bodyguards visibly tensed, stiff as stones under my scrutiny. I could smell the fear on them—that subtle scent change wolves could identify, representing submission. They were all well-trained professionals, yet they stood frozen before me, perhaps wondering why someone of my power would need protection.

"Miss Lancaster sent us, sir," one finally answered, his voice barely steady.

"Victoria?" I frowned, and at her name, my wolf Arthur stirred within me. Then anger surged again. "You dare use Victoria’s name as cover? Take them out!" I signaled to my security team, who immediately stepped forward.

"Using her as an excuse was a terrible choice," I growled low. "She would never arrange to have me killed."

"No, Mr. Sterling!" The lead bodyguard’s heartbeat quickened but remained steady—I knew he wasn’t lying. "We truly are here to protect you under orders. Miss Lancaster arranged for us to secretly guard you. We were told not to reveal ourselves unless there was danger."

I paused, my anger gradually transforming into another emotion. "Victoria arranged protection... for me?"

Could this be real? Would she truly care about my safety enough to deploy her own security personnel?

"Yes, sir. Miss Lancaster recently mentioned you might be in danger. Our orders are to only intervene when necessary, otherwise remain undetected." The man’s scent confirmed his honesty, and Arthur rumbled with satisfaction within me.

"Victoria really sent you?" I needed to hear it again, savoring this news like a fine delicacy.

"Yes, Mr. Sterling. Miss Lancaster arranged it personally."

Warmth flooded through me—a feeling I hadn’t experienced in decades. So Victoria wasn’t as cold and indifferent as she pretended to be. She cared about me—she’d been thinking of me. Despite her surface hostility, deep down she worried about my safety.

My wolf was practically beside itself with excitement. From the moment we first caught Victoria’s scent, Arthur had known she was ours, even though she couldn’t sense it because of that damned concealment bracelet. This proved that on some level, she too felt the attraction between us.

"Then continue your mission," I said, barely concealing my satisfaction. My earlier plan to arrange protection for Victoria now seemed almost comical—we’d thought of the same thing without realizing it.

"However, I have one condition," I added, a plan forming in my mind.

"What would that be, sir?" the lead bodyguard asked cautiously.

I smiled, knowing this would drive Victoria crazy. "You must report my whereabouts to Victoria regularly—in fact, several times a day. Everything I do, everywhere I go, tell her about it. Make sure she’s completely informed."

If she wanted to know what I was doing, I’d give her far more information than she bargained for. Let her pretend not to care while receiving hourly updates on my life. The thought of maintaining this roundabout connection with her made my wolf rumble with excitement.

Soon, she’d have to admit what I already knew—we were meant to be together.

The Moon Goddess had made us for each other, and even Victoria Lancaster’s stubborn resistance couldn’t change that fundamental truth.

Victoria’s POV

I had indeed arranged protection for Damian.

I received updates about Damian every day. Though we were apart, it felt like spending every day with him.

Emotionally cowardly as I was, I couldn’t resist love’s pull—I yearned to know everything about him.

Especially after we’d made love.

My assigned security personnel sent updates on his whereabouts every thirty minutes—where he was, who he met, what he ate, even when he went to the bathroom. I hadn’t seen him once, yet I knew his every move.

At noon today, my phone buzzed with another message. "Mr. Sterling is having lunch with a lady," my security reported.

My wolf Nora stirred restlessly within me, bringing an inexplicable unease. I took a deep breath, trying to ignore the sudden tightness in my chest.

"You don’t need to report such trivial details," I replied, gripping my phone tightly. "I hired you to protect him, not monitor his every move. Stop reporting things like this."

Who Damian had lunch with was his private business. I didn’t want to invade his privacy—at least that’s what I told myself, though my inner wolf was pacing anxiously.

"But Miss Lancaster, Mr. Sterling seems very friendly with her. They’re laughing and talking, appearing quite intimate," the guard continued.

"Everyone has friends of the opposite sex," I countered, though my wolf growled in protest. "Damian knows many businesswomen. Good relationships are natural."

"He’s also serving food onto her plate."

My heartbeat skipped. That... that did suggest some level of intimacy. Especially for someone like Damian. He wasn’t the type to casually dine with just anyone, much less personally serve them food.

I suddenly became curious about this woman. What kind of person could make Damian Sterling so attentive? My inner wolf released a possessive snarl.

"Enough," I said firmly, swallowing the bitterness rising in my throat. "I don’t need any more reports about Damian’s private affairs."

What I didn’t know was that the guard immediately relayed my response to Damian himself: "Alpha Sterling, Miss Lancaster didn’t seem to react much."

In reality, Damian had been dining alone. He’d instructed the security to fabricate the story.

Damian frowned, his face full of frustration. She had no reaction? How could she not be jealous?

Did Victoria truly not care about him at all?

The thought sent a sharp pain through his chest, but Damian’s resilience was legendary. If this method didn’t work, he’d try another.

---

That evening, I returned to my apartment building after a long day’s work. Before I even saw him, the scent of cedar and midnight roses hit me. Damian was waiting outside my door, dressed casually yet devastatingly handsome—a rare sight indeed. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

"What are you doing here?" I asked, surprise evident in my voice. Those supposedly thorough guards hadn’t told me Damian was lurking outside my door like a predator lying in wait.

"Waiting for you," he replied, his voice deep and husky, sending shivers down my spine. Without another word, he grabbed my wrist and pulled me toward him. "Come with me."

His touch electrified me, Nora howling approval within me. "Where are we going?" I barely managed to ask as he practically dragged me into the elevator.

"My place," he answered, his thumb casually stroking the inside of my wrist. His touch made my heart race.

"Why are we going to your place?" I asked, but he still gripped my hand tightly, our fingers intertwined.

The elevator was fast, rising only one floor. Within seconds we reached Damian’s level, and he led me directly to his apartment door.

Once inside, he guided me to the dining area, where I stopped and stared. The table was laden with an elaborate spread—steak, roasted vegetables, pasta that looked absolutely divine, and what appeared to be freshly baked bread.

"You said my cooking wasn’t fit for dogs," Damian said, a hint of vulnerability showing through his usually impenetrable exterior. "I spent the afternoon practicing. Will you be my food critic?"

I noticed small burn marks on the backs of his hands—evidence of his struggles in the kitchen. Realizing he’d taken my offhand comment to heart sent warmth flooding through me.

"You made all of this yourself?" I asked softly, staring at the elaborate dinner.

Food had never been particularly important to me, but seeing this table brought back memories of Ethan. I used to carefully prepare meals and wait for him at home, but most nights he wouldn’t show up. I’d sit alone facing all that food, my efforts wasted because he couldn’t appreciate them.

Only someone who’d cooked could understand the effort required to prepare such a feast. Ethan had never cooked for me—not once. He always said cooking and housework were "women’s responsibilities." I’d thought it was complete bullshit even then, but I’d loved him too much to argue. And now, here was Damian Sterling, willing to learn to cook just because of something I’d said.

The contrast couldn’t be starker. My wolf purred with satisfaction, sensing what I still refused to acknowledge—this man was doing everything possible to prove himself worthy of being my mate.