Claimed by My Ex's Half-Brother-Chapter 80 My little wolf.

Damien’s POV

I pulled away from Victoria’s trembling body, feeling her pulse still racing against my skin. The sweet scent of her release lingered in the air, mingling with my own muskier notes - a potent combination that made Arthur rumble with satisfaction deep in my chest.

"You’re perfect," I whispered against her neck, my fangs still slightly extended from our passionate coupling. I couldn’t help but run my tongue over the spot where my mark would go if she ever accepted me fully. "My little wolf."

Victoria’s only response was a soft, content sigh as she collapsed back against the sofa, her golden hair splayed across the cushions in wild disarray. I watched with fierce pride as she struggled to regain her composure, her chest rising and falling with each labored breath. There was something primal and deeply satisfying about seeing her like this - knowing I was the cause of her current state.

After helping her adjust her clothing, I retrieved the takeout containers I’d brought earlier and handed her a portion. We ate in comfortable silence, though my wolf remained alert, never taking his attention from our mate. I couldn’t stop my eyes from drifting to the delicate curve of her neck where I’d nearly lost control moments before.

Victoria covered her mouth, trying to stifle a yawn. She hadn’t been sleeping well - I’d noticed the subtle shadows beneath her eyes over the past few days. My protective instincts surged at the thought of her exhaustion.

Just as she seemed about to suggest I leave, my phone rang, breaking the comfortable silence between us.

"I need to take this," I said, moving toward the floor-to-ceiling windows for some privacy. The moon hung low and bright outside, calling to the wolf within me. "Jeff, speak."

It was pack business - some issues with territory negotiations that required my immediate attention. The call didn’t take long, perhaps ten minutes at most, but when I turned back toward the sofa, I found Victoria had succumbed to sleep.

She was curled into herself, looking impossibly small and vulnerable. Her breathing had evened out, her chest rising and falling in the steady rhythm of deep slumber. The fierce, independent woman who kept everyone at arm’s length was completely defenseless in sleep.

Arthur whined softly within me, urging me closer to our mate. I approached silently, my footfalls deliberately quiet as I moved to stand before her. The lamplight cast a warm glow across her features, highlighting the delicate flush of her cheeks and the fan of her long lashes against her skin.

No wonder Ethan couldn’t let her go, even after his marriage. The thought of my half-brother made a growl build in my chest, but I suppressed it to avoid waking Victoria.

Victoria’s POV

I woke up on the sofa, a soft blanket draped over me. The takeout containers from last night had disappeared, along with any trace of Damien’s presence. The apartment was silent, leaving me wondering when he’d slipped away.

I’d slept deeply for the first time in days, my body still humming with the aftereffects of our passionate encounter. As I sat up, I realized with a jolt that I was occupying the exact spot where Damien had sat last night—the same place where I’d straddled his lap while he held that ridiculous lingerie between us.

My body flushed hot at the memory of his hands on my skin, his mouth claiming mine. Nora, my wolf, stirred restlessly inside me, seeking the smoky cedar scent that had filled the apartment only hours before.

"Stop it," I muttered to myself, quickly standing and shaking off the memories. My inner wolf whined in protest, but I ignored her, hurrying to shower and change.

After bringing breakfast to Grandfather at the hospital, I was relieved to hear he’d be discharged soon. His recovery was progressing well, and the pack healers had done excellent work. William Lancaster was not a man easily kept down, even at his age. His white wolf remained one of the strongest in our Crescent Dawn Pack.

My phone rang just as I was leaving the hospital.

"Do you remember the research forum I mentioned?" Professor Mitchell asked when I answered.

"Of course, you said you’d take me along," I replied, feeling a spark of excitement. Despite my years away from research, I missed the intellectual challenge.

"Good. We’re flying to S City tomorrow. Prepare accordingly."

Perfect timing. With Grandfather being discharged, I could attend the forum without worry. I’d spent five years pretending to be an ordinary omega, hiding my research talents along with my true status as the Lancaster heir. It felt liberating to step back into that world.

The next day, Professor Mitchell and I boarded the flight together. Throughout the journey, she shared stories of her former students, insisting that none had my natural aptitude. Her praise warmed me—she’d taken no new students after me, claiming none could compare to my "intuitive brilliance," as she called it.

"You’ve barely touched research in five years, yet you’re already catching up to current developments," she marveled as we discussed recent papers. "I should kidnap you and lock you in my research facility."

I laughed, knowing she was only half-joking. The academic world had been shocked when I’d abandoned my promising career to "play house with some mediocre wolf," as Grandfather had put it.

After checking into the hotel provided by the forum organizers, Professor Mitchell had to attend a preliminary meeting.

"Have dinner with Matthew. Bring me something back," she instructed before hurrying off.

Matthew Crawley—Professor Mitchell’s son—accompanied me to the hotel restaurant. We’d just settled at our table with plates from the buffet when my phone vibrated.

*Have time for dinner?* Damien’s message appeared on my screen, his tone casual yet somehow commanding even in text. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

My heart skipped despite my best efforts. "When?" I typed back.

*Now.*

"Not possible. Already eating." I snapped a quick photo of my modestly filled plate and sent it to him.

His reply came almost instantly: *Hotel food? Who are you sharing a room with?*

I could practically see his smirk through the message. "Is your mind always this filthy? I’d love to crack open your skull and examine what trash you’ve got in there," I fired back, my fingers moving rapidly across the screen.

*I’m in S City on business for a couple of days. No time for dinner with you. Go find another woman to bother.*

*Unlike you with all your male admirers, I don’t have women surrounding me,* he responded.

I rolled my eyes. "What about your VP Catherine? She’d probably be thrilled if you invited her to dinner."

*Would you be jealous if I did?*

My fingers froze over the keyboard. Nora growled softly within me at the mere thought of Damien dining with another female. The possessive reaction startled me—I had no claim on him beyond our physical arrangement.

"Why would I be jealous?" I finally typed, ignoring the way my wolf was pacing anxiously inside me.

When no response came, I found myself staring at the screen, waiting. My inner wolf grew restless with each passing second.

"Victoria? Victoria!" Matthew’s voice finally broke through my trance.

"Hm?" I looked up, blinking in confusion.

Matthew studied me with curious eyes. "Who are you texting that has you smiling like that? I called your name three times."

"Was I smiling?" I touched my face, genuinely surprised. "Just a friend."

"Sure," he replied, clearly unconvinced. "A ’friend’ who makes you light up like that? Must be some friend."

I glanced at my phone again, but Damien hadn’t responded. My wolf whimpered slightly, wondering if he really had decided to take Catherine to dinner instead.

"Get some rest tonight," Matthew advised as we finished our meal. "Mom has a lineup of people wanting to meet you tomorrow."

I nodded, but my thoughts remained on Damien. The memory of his hands on my body last night, the way Arthur had rumbled with satisfaction as Damien claimed me on that very sofa...