Claimed by My Ex's Half-Brother-Chapter 22 You’re jealous of me

Author’s POV:

The Silver Bullet raced through the night, its engine roaring like a beast unleashed upon the track. No one in the crowd knew that Victoria Lancaster sat behind the wheel, her golden hair tied back tightly against her scalp, her knuckles white as she gripped the steering wheel.

Victoria’s piercing eyes were fixed on the car ahead, where a professional racer was deliberately kicking up clouds of exhaust, creating a wall of smoke that obscured the path. It was a dirty tactic that had forced most competitors to slow down, unwilling to risk a crash at such high speeds.

But Victoria wasn’t most people. Her wolf, Nora, growled contentedly inside her, thriving on the adrenaline that pumped through their veins. Where others saw danger, they scented opportunity.

"He thinks he can intimidate us," Victoria whispered to herself, the corner of her mouth lifting in a half-smile. "Little does he know who he’s dealing with."

She was essentially driving at breakneck speed through fog, unable to see the road clearly yet refusing to slow down. One wrong move and she could crash into the barriers lining the track. The danger was exhilarating.

From his position in third place, Felix Morgan watched in disbelief as the mysterious second-place driver maintained their speed despite the hazardous conditions.

"Holy shit," he muttered, his wolf Arthur pacing anxiously within. "Whoever that is has either got a death wish or skills that make the rest of us look like amateurs."

The professional racer in first place felt the pressure mounting. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he constantly checked his rearview mirror, searching for any sign that his pursuer was faltering. His wolf was agitated, sensing a stronger predator on their tail.

"Just hold on," he told himself. "The finish line’s coming up. Just need to keep this lunatic behind me."

The track ahead featured a single jump - not steep enough for most drivers to attempt anything risky. All he needed to do was maintain his position, and victory would be his. He was already imagining the champagne shower, the trophy in his hands.

Then, inexplicably, the second-place car disappeared from his mirrors.

"What the hell?" His eyes darted frantically around. "Where did they go?"

The answer came with a thunderous impact that shook his vehicle. Something had landed on the track ahead of him with enough force to make his car shudder. His jaw dropped as he watched the formerly second-place vehicle soar over his head in a perfect arc, landing cleanly on the track in front of him.

The professional racer couldn’t believe what he was seeing. That kind of overhead pass was legendary - attempted by few and mastered by fewer. The jump wasn’t even steep enough to make it a natural maneuver. One miscalculation and both cars would have been crushed in a fatal collision.

Yet whoever was driving had calculated the angle and timing perfectly, executing the pass with terrifying precision. All he could do was watch helplessly as the silver car crossed the finish line ahead of him, claiming first place.

Inside her vehicle, Victoria removed her helmet, allowing her golden hair to cascade down her shoulders. She felt Nora purring with satisfaction inside her. Their bond had grown stronger since she’d stopped suppressing her true nature. No longer hiding behind the façade of a meek Omega, Victoria was finally embracing her Alpha heritage.

"That’s how it’s done," she murmured, a rare genuine smile crossing her face. For those few minutes on the track, she’d forgotten about Ethan’s betrayal, about Scarlett’s smug face, about the complications of the Sterling family. Here, with just her wolf and the roar of an engine, she was truly free.

As she pulled into the winner’s circle, Victoria knew the anonymity wouldn’t last long. Soon, the racing world would be buzzing about the mysterious female driver who’d pulled off the impossible maneuver. Her grandfather would probably scold her for taking such risks, but the Lancaster Alpha had always had a soft spot for her rebellious streak.

After all, it was that same boldness that had made the Crescent Dawn Pack one of the most powerful wolf packs in the country. And Victoria was just beginning to show the world what she was truly capable of.

The crowd erupted in cheers as the silver car came to a stop. Victoria took a deep breath, savoring the moment before stepping out to claim her victory. This was just one small battle won in the war she was waging to reclaim her life after betrayal.

And Victoria Lancaster never lost a war.

Victoria’s POV:

I could see the digital timer ahead flashing numbers: two minutes. Just two minutes to complete the entire course and claim first place. My wolf, Nora, was practically purring with satisfaction inside me. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

Well done, Victoria Lancaster.

I hadn’t let Grace down, and more importantly, she would get the car she wanted.

Grace Mitchell, my true best friend, was already pulling me toward her new prize, practically bouncing with excitement. Meanwhile, Felix Morgan stood frozen in place, looking completely stunned. Not far away, Scarlett Sutton wore an expression of shock and resentment that I found particularly satisfying. I didn’t spare any of them another glance. They weren’t worth my attention.

"Victoria!" Grace said jubilantly, her eyes sparkling. "Once this beauty is officially mine, we’re going street racing together!"

"Absolutely," I agreed, genuinely happy to see her so excited. Winning this car for her had definitely been worth the effort. My wolf agreed, savoring the rush of victory still coursing through our veins.

Just as we were celebrating, an unwelcome voice interrupted our moment. "Victoria, you must have cheated. My professional driver lost to you? That’s simply impossible!"

Looking up, I saw Scarlett approaching us with that familiar arrogant stride. This mate-stealing bitch never knew when to back down.

Grace’s expression immediately turned stern. "That’s bullshit!" she snapped. "Victoria won fair and square through pure talent. Maybe your so-called professional driver just sucks. Can’t handle losing, can you?"

Scarlett’s lips curled with disgust. "What kind of trash talks like that? So classless."

"I’m your worst nightmare, that’s what!" Grace shot back without hesitation.

Scarlett shot Grace a venomous glance, then turned her attention to me. "Victoria, admit it. You found out my pack would be here racing today. You thought Ethan might come too, didn’t you? Still trying to get his attention, still trying to seduce my mate?"

I felt Nora snarling inside me, furious at the mention of the man who had betrayed us. "Haven’t I made myself clear?" I replied coldly. "Only someone as desperate as you would be interested in that cheating dog."

Scarlett’s mouth twisted into a mocking smile. "Admit it, Victoria. You’re jealous of me."

Grace looked at her incredulously. "Jealous of what? Your shamelessness? Or your professional skill at homewrecking? Do you have any self-awareness? While I’m in a good mood, I suggest you get lost before I lose my patience!"

Hatred blazed in Scarlett’s eyes, but she didn’t argue further with us. The track manager had walked over, providing her with the perfect distraction.

"Miss Lancaster," the manager said with an apologetic expression that immediately set off alarm bells in my head. "We’ve reviewed the race footage and found some violations during your race. I’m afraid we can’t award you the championship title just yet. If you’re willing to participate in a rematch, we can give you another chance."

"What violations? We didn’t break any rules!" Grace immediately protested. "This is ridiculous! Scarlett, this is your doing, isn’t it? You’re deliberately causing trouble?"

Scarlett openly admitted it with a smug smile. "I did question the fairness of this race. If there really isn’t a problem, then you wouldn’t mind having your driver race mine again, right?"

Before I could answer, Grace jumped in: "Fine! Bring it on! You think Victoria is afraid of your pathetic challenge? She’s excellent—you can’t compare to her little finger!"

"Excellent," Scarlett purred. "Let’s see what happens. Try not to be a sore loser when the time comes."

"The only sore loser here is you," Grace retorted. "Just watch! Victoria, don’t let her intimidate you!"

I didn’t feel intimidated at all. But this whole situation felt somewhat off. Why was Scarlett making such a big fuss over this? Was it really just about the championship car?

The car was indeed impressive, but most of Scarlett’s hostility toward me stemmed from Ethan Sterling, my former mate who had betrayed me for her. Simply making me lose a race seemed too... insignificant. There had to be more to her plan.

I got back into the race car, my mindset still calm.