Claimed by My Ex's Half-Brother-Chapter 227 You’re mine, Alpha.
Author’s POV
After a night of deliberation, William Lancaster finally decided to stop opposing Victoria and Damien’s relationship. Young people deserved to live their own lives after all.
The next day, he had a long conversation with Damien, warning him firmly that he must treat Victoria well.
"If you ever hurt her," William’s steel-blue eyes locked with Damien’s, his voice low and dangerous despite his aging frame, "I will not hesitate to hunt you down myself. The Crescent Dawn Pack protects its own."
Damien understood the message clearly—William was giving them his blessing. He could barely contain his excitement, his wolf Arthur howling with triumph inside him.
When Victoria heard the news, her face lit up with pure joy. Her grandfather’s approval meant everything to her. With William’s permission, they could finally date openly without hiding their relationship.
That night, as they made love in Damien’s sprawling penthouse overlooking the city lights, Victoria finally allowed him to mark her. The moment his teeth sank into the tender spot between her neck and shoulder, completing their bond, Damien felt a surge of power and connection unlike anything he’d ever experienced.
"Mine," he growled, his voice deep and primal as he pulled back to look at his mate with glowing amber eyes. "Finally mine completely."
Victoria’s fingers traced the fresh mark, her own eyes glowing in response. "And you’re mine, Alpha."
Within hours, news of their mating spread like wildfire. Social media exploded with stories about the power couple—the enigmatic CEO of Blood Moon Enterprises and the stunning heiress to the Lancaster fortune. Their union represented the merging of two of the most influential wolf bloodlines in the country.
Despite their obvious disappointment, both Patrick Wagner and Ethan Sterling were forced to accept reality. Patrick sent a formal congratulatory gift basket, ever the businessman maintaining connections. Ethan, however, was seen drowning his sorrows at Felix’s club, muttering bitterly about "what could have been."
Shortly after their mating, Damien approached the Wolf Federation Council with a request for both packs to maintain their independent status. The Council vehemently opposed this unprecedented arrangement.
"This is outrageous," declared Council Elder Morrison, his jowls quivering with indignation during the emergency meeting. "Two mated Alphas must consolidate their packs. It’s tradition!"
Damien simply leaned forward, his expression calm but resolute. "If the Council refuses to acknowledge our independent status, I will formally declare Blood Moon Pack as a subsidiary of Crescent Dawn. Is that what you prefer?"
The threat sent Blood Moon Pack members into a frenzy, collectively pressuring the Council. The thought of being absorbed by another pack, even one as prestigious as Crescent Dawn, was unacceptable to their pride.
After weeks of heated negotiations, the Council finally relented, establishing a new precedent: the mated pair could maintain their separate packs with Victoria continuing as Alpha of Crescent Dawn while Damien led Blood Moon.
With their status secured, Victoria threw herself into her work with renewed passion. She spearheaded innovative projects for pack commerce and territory development, including the creation of wolf-friendly hotels and private airports that catered to shifters traveling in human society—places where they could transform without fear of exposure.
Under her leadership, Crescent Dawn Pack flourished, expanding their business empire across three continents. Her grandfather watched with pride as she fulfilled her destiny as a true Alpha.
A year later, Victoria discovered she was pregnant.
Throughout her pregnancy, she remained dedicated to her work, refusing to slow down despite Damien’s concerned protests. She’d attend board meetings with her hand resting protectively over her growing belly, commanding the room with the same authority she always had.
"My grandmother ran this pack until she was in labor," she reminded anyone who suggested she take it easy. "I’m just carrying on the tradition."
After a particularly long day of meetings, Victoria and Damien returned to their home in the exclusive Wolf’s Ridge gated community—a property that perfectly balanced their need for security with access to running territory in the adjacent nature preserve.
Though their days often followed similar patterns, there was a comforting fullness to their life together. Having found each other after years of loneliness, they treasured every moment they shared.
As Victoria’s due date approached, she remained remarkably calm while Damien grew increasingly anxious. He spent sleepless nights reading parenting books and reorganizing the nursery, terrified of failing as a first-time father.
One evening, as Victoria lounged on their terrace watching the sunset, she turned to Damien with an amused smile. "The big reveal is coming soon. Are you hoping for a boy or a girl?"
Damien looked up from the baby book he’d been studying intently. "I’m hoping for twins—one of each. I want them all!"
Victoria laughed, her hand caressing her rounded belly. "I’m afraid you’re going to be disappointed. The ultrasound tech definitely only found one heartbeat in there."
"That’s okay," Damien replied with a mischievous grin, setting aside his book to join her on the lounge chair. His hand covered hers over their growing child. "We’ll just have to try again later."
The next morning, Damien sat beside Victoria in bed, softly reading from a child development book while she tried to focus on her video conference.
"The baby can’t understand Shakespeare yet, you know," Victoria whispered, covering her microphone momentarily.
"He can hear my voice though," Damien insisted. "Early bonding is crucial—that’s what all the research says."
He’d been obsessively following every prenatal development guide he could find online, convinced that starting early education now wasn’t too late despite missing the first trimester.
Victoria merely smiled and returned to her meeting, directing her team remotely while on mandatory bed rest for the final week of her pregnancy.
In the middle of discussing quarterly projections, Victoria suddenly felt a sharp pain rip through her abdomen. She quickly ended the call with a terse, "Meeting adjourned," and turned to Damien with wide eyes. "Call Dr. Montgomery. It’s time."
Her water broke moments later, and within thirty minutes, Victoria was being wheeled into the delivery room of the private wolf-friendly clinic they’d selected. Damien paced the waiting area like a caged animal, his wolf pushing against his skin in agitation at being separated from his mate during her time of need.
"If I could take her pain, I would," he told Kane Lancaster, who had arrived to support them. "I’d transfer every contraction to myself if medicine allowed it."
After what felt like an eternity, the delivery room doors finally opened, and a smiling nurse stepped out.
"Congratulations, Mr. Sterling. You have a healthy baby boy," she announced. "He’s being taken for standard examinations now. You can either go to the nursery to see your son or visit your mate first." 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖
Damien didn’t hesitate, rushing past the nurse into the delivery room before she could finish speaking. The others, understanding the new parents needed privacy, decided to check on the newest pack member in the nursery.
Victoria lay exhausted on the bed, her golden hair darkened with sweat and plastered to her forehead. The pain had been excruciating, far worse than any battle wound she’d ever suffered as Alpha.
"Never again," she murmured when she saw Damien. "That was absolutely brutal."
Yet when they had placed her son in her arms just minutes earlier, the tiny face with Damien’s nose and her eyes had melted something inside her. The fierce protective love that surged through her was unlike anything she’d ever felt.
Damien knelt beside her bed, taking her hand in his and pressing it to his lips. "Victoria, my brave mate," he whispered, his eyes filled with reverence and concern. "I’m so sorry you suffered. You were incredible. Thank you for our son."
His adoration was palpable as he gazed at her, his wolf sending waves of protective energy through their bond. In that moment, surrounded by the antiseptic smell of the hospital and the lingering scent of their newborn son, Victoria knew with absolute certainty that all her years of hiding, all the heartbreak with Ethan, had led her exactly where she was meant to be.
With her true mate and their perfect little alpha cub.
