Claimed by My Ex's Half-Brother-Chapter 52 His fragility

Victoria’s POV:

The noise from next door was so loud I nearly jumped. Heavy crashing sounds—"Bang! Bang!"

Nora immediately became alert.

Was Damian tearing down the house? The noise was continuous—this wasn’t just something accidentally dropped. What was happening up there? Was he fighting someone? My wolf paced anxiously within me, sensing distress from above.

I bit my lip, considering whether I should go check. Damian and I had just met outside Lancaster Company earlier today, and he’d seemed perfectly fine. With his combat abilities and dominant Alpha presence, he surely wouldn’t be at a disadvantage in any confrontation.

After all, in our world, I couldn’t imagine anyone who could truly threaten Damian Sterling. The Alpha wolf within him was too powerful, too intimidating. Even my own wolf, despite being strong, recognized his dominance. So perhaps my worry was unnecessary?

However, every time I went to him, something... intimate... happened between us that left me conflicted. The attraction between us was undeniable—a magnetism my wolf instinctively responded to, despite my resistance. My heart still bore the scars of Ethan’s betrayal, and I wasn’t ready to acknowledge what my wolf already knew about Damian.

I listened carefully. The home above had gone quiet. Was the danger over?

After hesitating for several moments, my protective instincts won out. I rushed toward the elevator without even changing out of my slippers—Nora pushing me forward, worried about the wolf she secretly recognized as a potential mate.

When the elevator doors opened on Damian’s floor, I nearly collided with a furious middle-aged man storming out. His scent immediately hit me—anger, dominance, unmistakably wolf. The scent carried notes similar to Damian’s but darker, more bitter. The man glared at me as we passed, his eyes flashing with recognition before he disappeared into the elevator.

Lawrence Sterling—Alpha of the Northbrook Pack and Damian’s father. I’d never met him personally, but I’d seen enough photos to know who he was. My wolf growled softly within me, sensing the hostility that had just occurred.

Now truly worried, I rushed to Damian’s door, finding it half open. The unacknowledged but daily strengthening bond between us pulled me forward.

"Damian!" I shouted, entering the chaos.

The house was in shambles—furniture overturned, glass shards scattered across the floor, claw marks scoring the walls. This wasn’t a simple argument; this was a dominance challenge between wolves.

Damian sat on the only upright sofa, his powerful frame looking somewhat vulnerable amid the surrounding destruction. When he raised his eyes to meet mine, the raw pain in them made my heart clench painfully. My wolf whimpered, wanting to comfort him.

I walked toward him without hesitation. "Damian, are you hurt?"

I noticed a trickle of blood on his jawline and reached out to gently lift his chin to examine the wound. The touch sent electricity through my fingertips—the mate bond trying to establish itself despite my resistance. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

"I’m fine," he replied, his voice rough.

His eyes were dark pools containing anger and something deeper—old pain. Like a wounded Alpha wolf wanting to retreat and lick his wounds alone, yet too proud to show weakness in front of another.

"Why are you here?" he asked, his gaze intense, his scent—smoky cedar with undertones of midnight roses—enveloping me.

"I heard the noise and was worried. I came to check on you," I said before I could think it through carefully.

"You heard it?" He frowned. "What noise?"

I suddenly realized my mistake—I’d just revealed that I lived in this building. Right next door to him. "I mean," I stammered, "I came to discuss contract details with you and heard the commotion from the elevator. So I rushed over."

Good recovery, I thought—until Damian’s gaze fell meaningfully on my feet.

"You specifically came to see me... wearing house slippers?" His tone was suspicious, though despite his obvious pain, a bit of his usual sardonic humor returned.

I froze, mortified. In my rush to check on him, I’d completely forgotten to change shoes. My carefully constructed walls had just crumbled.

"I..." My voice trailed off into silence, my wolf laughing within me, mocking my transparent concern for this man my human side was trying so hard to keep at a distance.

Victoria’s POV:

I stiffened in Damian’s embrace, his smoky cedar scent with undertones of midnight roses overwhelming my senses. It exploded in my mind like fireworks, making my wolf Nora howl with delight. My entire body went rigid as heat rushed to my ears, turning them bright red.

"Damian," I finally spoke, finding my voice. "This comes with an extra charge, you know. Of course, if you sign that contract, you can hug me as long as you want!"

I think I’ll definitely be a qualified alpha in the future. After all, no matter when, I’m always thinking about my pack.

"How adorable," he chuckled softly, his breath warm against my ear. "I didn’t know your hugs were so valuable, little wolf. Should I start charging for my hugs too?"

His voice sent shivers down my spine. His heated breath tickled my ear, making my skin tingle in response. Nora paced restlessly within me, clearly enjoying his proximity more than I was willing to admit.

"Well, then you can let me go," I suggested, trying to sound nonchalant despite my thundering heartbeat.

But Damian didn’t loosen his grip. Instead, he murmured: "Would you rather have another man hold you like this? What about that young pup today? Has he ever held you this tightly?"

It took me a moment to realize he was talking about Alexander Hayes. My wolf growled softly at the implication.

"There’s nothing between us," I said firmly.

"Are you sure? I thought you might like his strong physique." He pressed, his arms tightening slightly around me.

I shot back: "You see everything through a dirty lens because that’s how your brain works!"

Damian let out a low, rumbling laugh, and I could feel the vibration from his chest. "It seems my mate knows me well. So tell me, which parts of me are so... dirty?"

I froze at the word "mate." Did he know? Despite my magic bracelet hiding my true nature, could he sense the bond between us?

"Think whatever you want," I said, struggling to keep my voice steady. "Can you let me go now, Mr. Sterling?"

I desperately tried to control my heartbeat, not wanting him to detect how his embrace affected me. If I wasn’t careful, his wolf senses could pick up the slightest changes in my scent.

Damian finally released me, and I stood up like a malfunctioning robot, all movements stiff and awkward. "I... I should go now."

I practically rushed down the stairs, not catching my breath until I slammed the front door behind me. Leaning against the door, I placed my hand over my racing heart, trying to calm Nora who was almost dancing with excitement.

This time seemed different—perhaps after confronting his father, he really needed emotional comfort.

When I thought about it, Damian’s life seemed quite tragic. Losing his mother at a young age, his father immediately remarrying, gaining a stepmother who reportedly miscarried several times trying to produce an heir. His father had affairs and fathered at least one illegitimate child—Ethan—who knows how many others. Damian’s relationship with his father was clearly strained; living in that house must have been like walking on thin ice.

While I also grew up without parents, I had William, my grandfather, who gave me all his love. I never felt emotionally deprived like Damian seemed to.

I wondered if he had eaten anything tonight. After confronting Lawrence Sterling, he might have lost his appetite.

I was hungry myself. Maybe I could make some pasta?

I walked toward the kitchen, where fresh ingredients sat unused due to my recent busy work schedule. Now was the perfect opportunity to use them—I would make a delicious ham pasta.

As I skillfully cut the meat and prepared the sauce, I couldn’t help but smile thinking that no one would expect an Alpha heir like me to be so proficient in cooking. All those years I cooked for Ethan—what a waste! The more I thought about it, the angrier I became.

I channeled that anger into my cooking, imagining each cut of the knife was severing Ethan’s betrayal.

After sautéing the meat and cooking the pasta, I realized I had made far too much for one person. I definitely couldn’t finish all of this.

Well, I suppose Damian would benefit from my miscalculation.

...

When Damian opened the door, I was holding two steaming bowls of pasta.

"You made this for me?" he asked, looking amused.