Claimed by My Ex's Half-Brother-Chapter 43 Damien stormed off in anger.

Victoria’s POV:

"Hey man, if you’re interested in pursuing Victoria, would you mind taking a number and waiting in line?" Alexander could no longer hold back.

Damien’s jaw tightened. "Who said I’m pursuing her?"

"Exactly. There’s absolutely nothing going on between us," I quickly added, even though Nora whimpered pitifully within me at my denial.

"Well, isn’t that perfect?" Alexander’s grin widened. "In that case, you should go out with me, Victoria. Let’s have a date tomorrow. Anywhere you want, I’ll pick you up."

Damien’s eyes locked onto mine, the message in them as clear as day: *You wouldn’t dare.*

A rebellious surge rose within me.

Normally, I wouldn’t give Alexander a second glance.

But I was thrilled to see Damien annoyed.

So I chose to agree to meet Alexander.

A sweet smile spread across my face as I savored the darkening expression on Damien’s. His scent turned sharp with displeasure.

Damien stormed off in anger.

I barely spoke to Alexander for the rest of the evening. We weren’t close to begin with, and the conversation felt strained.

By the time I got home, regret was already washing over me. With all my responsibilities at Lancaster Corp and the preparations for taking over as Alpha of the Crescent Moon pack, I simply didn’t have time for casual dating. I’d only agreed because Damien was there, his presence provoking me to challenge him.

I pulled out my phone and texted Alexander: "Sorry, I spoke without thinking earlier. I can’t make it tomorrow after all. My apologies."

His reply came quickly: "Is it really because you’re busy, or is it because that Alpha won’t let you go?"

"He has nothing to do with it," I replied, my traitorous heart speeding up at the mention of Damien.

"If there’s really nothing between you, then tomorrow night should be fine. Or the day after, or whenever you’re free. Just name the time."

I stared at the message, unsure how to respond without being rude. Finally, I typed, "We’ll see."

When Grandpa and I arrived home, he asked, "Victoria, what do you think of young Alexander? He’s handsome, reliable, and comes from a good bloodline. You two should spend more time together. Your wolves might be compatible."

"Grandpa, please don’t play matchmaker," I sighed. "I don’t think we’re a good fit." I didn’t feel anything special around Alexander—no quickened pulse, no heightened senses, no instinctual pull from Nora. Nothing like what I felt around Damien, though I wasn’t ready to admit that to myself yet.

"Feelings can develop over time," he said gently. "But if you don’t like him, I won’t push. There are other worthy Alphas and Betas I could introduce you to."

"Grandpa," I groaned, snuggling closer to him on the couch. "You don’t need to worry about me. I’m sure I’ll find the right mate."

He sighed heavily, his experienced eyes seeing right through me. "I just worry you’re not moving on. We both know why you’ve been keeping yourself so busy lately. If you had truly moved past what happened, you wouldn’t be working yourself to exhaustion trying to forget."

"I really have moved on, Grandpa. Why don’t you believe me?" I insisted. "I work hard because I don’t want our pack’s business falling into outsiders’ hands. Crescent Moon deserves a strong leader."

"And I’m well aware we face many crises, not just in business."

"They’re convinced I’m incapable of leading the pack, ready to wage war against me at any moment. I can’t afford to slack off."

Grandpa’s voice held a hint of frustration. "If your parents hadn’t... things would be different. You wouldn’t bear this burden so young."

He shook his head slowly. "It’s all his fault. I introduced your mother to so many suitable wolves, but she had to choose that worthless trash. If not for him, she wouldn’t have..."

In my memory, Grandpa rarely mentioned my parents. He never approved of my father, blaming him for my mother’s death. I was only two or three when they died in the car accident, too young to have clear memories now.

Though I grew up without parents, I never felt emotionally deprived. Grandpa’s love was more than enough.

I hugged his arm tightly. "Grandpa, don’t dwell on that. We should focus on happier things. I’ll always be here with you."

"But I can’t be with you forever, dear," he said softly, his voice trembling with emotion. "I don’t want to leave this world knowing you’ll be alone, with enemies circling our territory, fighting a difficult battle by yourself."

I swallowed hard, the reality of pack politics never far from our minds. The Crescent Moon pack needed allies to maintain our position against the rival packs that had been eyeing our territory for generations.

"You’ll live to be a hundred," I assured him, forcing brightness into my voice. "You’ll be with me forever."

His wise, experienced eyes softened. "Yes, forever."

...

The next day, I arrived at the office as usual. Cain approached me with a concerned expression.

"Victoria, the ME Group just contacted us. Their CEO only has time to meet today. They’re threatening to withdraw from any future cooperation with Lancaster Corp if we don’t meet them now."

I had no other plans for the day, so I nodded. "That’s fine. Let’s arrange it. Today, you’ll be Mr. Lancaster, and I’ll be your secretary."

"Understood." Cain went to make the arrangements, and the meeting was scheduled at the ME Group headquarters.

This time, I entered as a representative of the partner company, through the main entrance for legitimate business. Jeff Parker personally came down to escort us. I noticed Katherine Watson watching from across the lobby, her face twisted with poorly concealed scorn.

As we passed, I could smell her contempt—her wolf was agitated, territorial. As we walked towards the elevator, I heard her muttering, her eyes fixed on the sway of my hips. Her jealousy was obvious; she probably thought I’d gotten my position through my looks.

When we reached the conference room, Damien was already seated at the head of the table. His posture was relaxed yet exuded authority—arms crossed over his chest, legs casually crossed—every inch the powerful Alpha wolf on his own turf.

His scent of smoky cedar filled the room, making Nora stir restlessly within me. My wolf recognized him as our mate, even if I refused to acknowledge it.

His eyes locked onto me the moment I entered. "Well, well. I see the little wolf isn’t with her young suitor today?"

Even though his nickname for me sent tremors through my stomach, I kept my expression neutral. "I didn’t realize the great CEO of ME Group took such an interest in other people’s private lives."

"Just concerned about a friend," he replied smoothly, his face unreadable.

"Is that what we are? Friends?" I couldn’t keep a slight challenge from my voice. "Since that’s the case, as your *friend*, perhaps you’d be willing to sign this cooperation agreement with Lancaster Corp?"

"Business is business, little wolf. Personal feelings are separate." His eyes glinted with something dangerous. "I’ve reviewed Lancaster’s proposal." 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

"And?" The proposal had taken me days to prepare, balancing business interests with the strategic alliance our pack needed.

"It’s terrible," he stated bluntly. "Completely unacceptable. As CEO of ME Group, based on this proposal, I find it very difficult to agree to cooperate with Lancaster Corp."

I froze, stunned. The cooperation wasn’t just about profits—it was about strengthening our pack against common enemies. With Grandpa aging and rivals pressuring us from all sides, the Crescent Moon pack needed powerful allies. The Blood Moon pack, which Damien secretly led—was our best option.

But his words made one thing clear: he was going to make me work for this alliance, in every possible way.