Claimed by My Ex's Half-Brother-Chapter 203 Come here

Damien’s kiss was nothing like the perfunctory ones I’d given before. While I had expected just a brief contact of lips, he kissed me like he intended to devour me completely. My wolf, Nora, stirred inside me, recognizing something primal in his touch that made my skin tingle.

By the time he finally released me, I found myself breathless and leaning against his chest for support. His hand remained on my cheek, his stormy eyes filled with emotions I couldn’t quite decipher. The scent of his cedar and midnight rose cologne wrapped around me, making my head spin.

When I finally caught my breath, I gripped the collar of his shirt. "Now that you’ve thoroughly kissed me, are you going to tell me who those people were last night?"

"Howard Reiner’s men," he replied, his voice low and husky.

"Howard Reiner?" I blinked in surprise. "The leader of the Viper Pack? The biggest crime syndicate overseas?"

A black market arms dealer wanting me dead? If my memory served me correctly, Howard had actually saved me once when I was in America. He’d even shot Ethan—one of the bullets had been from his gun. Yet I’d never actually met Howard Reiner, so why would he want to kill me now?

"Yes," Damien nodded, his thumb absently stroking my cheek. "Those men were good at covering their tracks, but I managed to find enough evidence. They’re definitely Reiner’s people. I just don’t know what their objective is." His eyes darkened with concern. "Be careful these days. You’re so busy placing bodyguards around me, but you need to watch your own back. Find yourself some trustworthy assistants, or..." he paused, his lips curving into a slight smile, "I’m fairly free these days. I could protect you."

"You knew I placed bodyguards around you? Why didn’t you say anything?" I’d thought my arrangements were flawless. None of the bodyguards had mentioned Damien discovering them. When had he figured it out?

"Why would I object when you’re showing concern for me?" He smirked, his eyes gleaming. "After all, it means I have a place in your heart, doesn’t it?"

I playfully swatted his arm. "Don’t flatter yourself." I could feel heat rising to my cheeks. "I need to get up, and you need to change your bandage."

I escaped to the bathroom to wash up while Damien got out of bed. This was my house, but he hadn’t left after we returned yesterday. Not that it mattered—we’d shared living spaces before. And now that we’d defined our relationship, staying together seemed natural.

When I emerged from the bathroom, I found Damien in the kitchen, attempting to prepare breakfast despite his injury. I walked over and placed my hand on his uninjured arm.

"You’re wounded and you’re trying to cook?" I gently guided him away from the counter. "Go clean up and then sit down like a good patient. I’ll handle this."

After breaking up with Ethan, I hadn’t spent much time in kitchens. I certainly hadn’t cooked for Damien often. Ironically, Damien—who was practically hopeless in the kitchen—had prepared meals for me more times than I had for him.

Still, making porridge was simple enough. I moved around the kitchen with practiced ease, setting the pot to simmer while gathering what I needed for a couple of side dishes.

By the time Damien returned, freshly showered and changed, the porridge was bubbling nicely. I gestured for him to sit and brought out the medical supplies.

"Come here," I instructed. "Let’s change your bandage first."

Damien sat obediently as I unwrapped the bandage around his arm. The wound looked red and swollen, with small traces of blood seeping through. I carefully cleaned around the injury, trying not to cause him any additional pain now that the anesthetic had worn off.

"This arm is off-limits for now," I warned, my voice soft but firm as I applied antiseptic. "No using it, and definitely no offering it as my pillow. If you don’t follow doctor’s orders, I’ll assume you don’t want this arm anymore and I’ll remove it myself."

Despite my threat, my touch remained gentle. I could feel Damien’s eyes on my face as I worked, his gaze intense enough to make my wolf preen.

"Then I’ll give this arm to you," he murmured, his voice rich with affection. "It’s exclusively yours from now on."

I couldn’t help the smile that curved my lips. "I’ll hold you to that."

The moment I smiled, I caught the way Damien’s breath hitched, his pupils dilating slightly. My wolf hummed with satisfaction at his reaction.

After finishing the bandaging, I returned to the stove to check on our breakfast. The porridge had reached the perfect consistency, and paired with the simple side dishes I’d prepared, it made for a satisfying meal.

Damien ate with obvious appreciation, consuming every last bit I’d prepared. I noticed the way his eyes lit up with each spoonful, as if he’d never tasted something so simple yet so good before.

Just as I began clearing the dishes, my phone rang. Checking the display, I saw it was my grandfather. I stepped onto the balcony to take the call, where William asked if I was alright after last night’s incident.

After assuring him I was fine, I asked when he’d be returning.

"Probably in a couple of days," he replied. "America is quite pleasant. I think I’ll stay a bit longer."

"Alright, but when you get back, I have news for you," I said, wanting to tell him about Damien and me in person.

"What news? Can’t you tell me now?" Curiosity laced his voice.

"No, it needs to wait until you’re back. I want to tell you face to face."

"Very well, I’ll try to return quickly then."

After ending the call, I turned to find Damien watching me from across the room. He hadn’t tried to eavesdrop, but his eyes had never left me during the conversation.

I walked over to him with deliberate slowness, enjoying the way his eyes tracked my movement. When I reached him, I tilted his chin up with my finger, a playful gesture.

"Why are you staring at me?" I asked, my voice low.

"Because you’re beautiful," he answered without hesitation.

"Beautiful how?" I challenged, enjoying our banter.

Damien’s lips curved into that smile that always made my heart race. "Every inch of you is beautiful."

He caught the hand I’d used to tilt his chin, bringing it to his lips for a soft kiss that sent shivers down my spine.

For the rest of the day, I stayed home with Damien, keeping an eye on his recovery while handling some work remotely. I also decided to share our relationship news with my best friend, Grace. She and I told each other everything.

I texted her: "I have a secret to tell you."

Before I could even type my next message, a barrage of replies flooded in.

"What secret what secret??" 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

Grace, ever the gossip enthusiast, couldn’t handle suspense. My phone started ringing almost immediately—she was calling instead of waiting for my text.

I declined the call since Damien was right beside me, and I’d planned to tell Grace privately. She immediately resumed her text assault:

"Come on, Victoria, tell me already!"

"Does this have something to do with last night? What do you know?"

"The suspense is killing me!"

I couldn’t help but smile at her enthusiasm as I began composing my response, already anticipating her reaction when she learned about Damien and me.