Claimed by My Ex's Half-Brother-Chapter 213 I saw everything tonight,

Victoria’s POV

After dropping Grace off, Damien and I headed home together. The night air carried a crisp autumn scent, mingling with Damien’s intoxicating smoky cedar aroma that always made my wolf Nora stir with anticipation.

Once he parked in our driveway, Damien took my hand, his touch sending familiar electricity through my skin as we walked upstairs together. The moment the door closed behind us, he moved in for a kiss, and I didn’t resist. Instead, I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him closer as our lips met with hungry intensity.

After several breathless moments, he finally pulled back just enough to cup my face between his hands. His eyes, dark with desire, searched mine.

"I saw everything tonight," he murmured, his voice deliciously rough.

"What exactly did you see?" I asked, genuinely curious.

His thumb traced my bottom lip. "All those men watching you. How everyone responded to you." A possessive growl rumbled in his chest. "I’m glad I arrived early. Someone else might have stolen you away otherwise."

I couldn’t help but laugh. "Then why didn’t you come even earlier? If I’d met you first, I never would have wasted time with that jerk Ethan." The memory made me cringe. "God, thinking about how long I spent with him makes me want to claw my own eyes out."

It was my personal black mark—falling for Ethan Sterling’s lies. Many women fall for bad men in their youth, but looking back, I couldn’t believe how easily I’d been fooled by his hollow promises and fake devotion.

"So tell me," Damien’s voice dropped lower, "what do you feel for me now?"

"Are you really asking me to be that direct, Mr. Sterling?" I teased, looking up into those intense eyes that seemed to see straight through me.

"What if I am?" His challenge hung between us, his wolf Arthur’s presence making the air around us thicken with tension.

I considered for a moment, then made my decision. Rising on my tiptoes, I hooked my arms around his neck and pressed my lips against his in a bold, claiming kiss. I rarely initiated, and the surprise in his response was palpable before he melted into it.

When I finally pulled away, I whispered, "Does that answer your question?"

The look that came over his face was predatory, pure wolf. My breath hitched as his eyes darkened. I knew that look—it promised delicious trouble.

Before I could react, he scooped me up in one swift motion, making me yelp in surprise. My wolf Nora howled with delight inside me as he tossed me onto the bed and covered my body with his. His kiss consumed me, hot and demanding, like he could never get enough.

My unique scent—what he called "sweet sunshine and wild berries"—mixed with the lingering whiskey on my breath, creating an intoxicating combination that seemed to drive him wild.

His lips traced a burning path from my mouth to my neck, each kiss making my skin tingle with anticipation.

"Damien..." I gasped. "You—AH! Don’t bite!"

He nipped at my collarbone, not painful but sending shockwaves of pleasure through my body that made me curl into him instinctively.

"Don’t—mmm—do that," I protested weakly.

"You started it," he growled against my skin. "You’re the one who tempted me."

What ridiculous logic! I never did anything of the sort. He’d been the one kissing me the moment we walked through the door. But arguing with Damien about this was pointless—in his mind, everything I did was an invitation.

At twenty-nine, he was in his prime, and his wolf was equally dominant. Now that I was officially his girlfriend, Damien saw no reason to hold back. Honestly, neither did I. My wolf Nora had recognized him as our potential mate long ago, even if I’d been slow to admit it.

I wasn’t particularly conservative about physical intimacy. Not with Damien’s perfect combination of rugged good looks, skillful touch, and the fact that we were now officially together. What reason did I have to resist?

I became more responsive, and the atmosphere in the room grew heavy with desire. My participation only spurred him on, and he took me again and again until my legs turned to jelly and my back arched with pleasure.

Damien had absolutely no sense of moderation! My body felt wonderfully used, muscles aching in the most satisfying way as I finally drifted to sleep in his arms.

The next morning, I was still deep in slumber when my phone started ringing. Half-conscious, I fumbled around blindly, only to find my fingers connecting with warm, smooth skin stretched over hard muscle.

The firm chest beneath my fingertips felt too good to resist, and I couldn’t help but explore a little more, tracing the defined ridges of his abs.

"Your phone’s ringing," Damien’s morning-rough voice rumbled as he handed me my cell.

I reluctantly accepted it with one hand while continuing my exploration with the other. These muscles were just too perfect not to touch. Who knew when I might lose the privilege?

"Hello?" I answered groggily, still shamelessly caressing Damien’s chest.

"Victoria." My grandfather’s voice came through the line.

I froze instantly, yanking my hand back as if burned. Something about hearing my grandfather’s voice triggered an instinctive panic, like a teenager caught making out on the couch. My entire body tensed, heart pounding in my chest.

"Grandpa! Good morning—wait, with the time difference, it must be evening for you?" I suddenly remembered Grandpa William was supposed to be overseas, with several hours between us.

"It’s actually morning here too," he chuckled. "I forgot to tell you I’ve returned to the country. I’m outside your door right now. It’s been too long since I’ve seen my little Victoria, and I’ve brought you some gifts."

My brain short-circuited completely.

"What? You’re at my door?" Panic surged through me, every muscle in my body tensing.

If Grandpa came in now, he’d find Damien—not just in my house, but in my bed! And we were very obviously naked and tangled together in a way that left nothing to the imagination.

"Yes, dear. Now come let your grandfather in. I’ve missed you terribly and brought you presents from my travels." His cheerful voice continued through the phone.

My mind went blank. I glanced at Damien, completely at a loss for what to do.

In my state of shock, I automatically responded, "Oh! Um, okay, Grandpa. Just give me a minute."

The moment I said it, I wanted to bite my tongue off. What was I thinking? I should have told him I wasn’t home—that I was at Grace’s place—and asked him to go back to his estate until I could meet him properly.

But it was too late. Grandpa had already hung up.

I turned to Damien, panic evident in my expression. "My grandfather’s back and standing outside my door right now."

The room was quiet enough that Damien had clearly heard both sides of the conversation.

He raised an eyebrow. "So... you don’t want to introduce me to him?"

I scrambled to collect our scattered clothes from the floor, tossing his pants and shirt at him. "Now is definitely not the time! If Grandpa sees you here, he’ll tear you apart. You need to hide—in the bathroom or closet—until he leaves." I was speaking rapidly, anxiety flooding my system. "Or maybe you can sneak out when he’s not looking. Your place is just upstairs, it’s not far."

Damien didn’t move a muscle, watching me with an unreadable expression.

"Why aren’t you getting dressed?" I demanded, frantically pulling on my own clothes.

His lips curved into a lazy smirk. "This feels an awful lot like we’re having an affair."