Claimed by My Ex's Half-Brother-Chapter 83 I want to be one of your men

Victoria’s POV

The words had barely left Damien’s lips when I lunged forward, clamping my hand firmly over his mouth.

My heart raced wildly in my chest as I felt his warm breath against my palm. Nora, my wolf, stirred inside me with a mixture of alarm and something else I didn’t want to acknowledge.

"You’re done with your meeting with my professor, right? Then it’s time for you to leave," I hissed, my eyes conveying a silent warning not to say anything about our previous... encounter.

Turning to Matthew who was watching our interaction with obvious suspicion, I said, "Matthew, we’re heading out now. Please call me if there are any changes with the professor. I’ll probably be returning to the city tomorrow—my grandfather isn’t doing well, so I’m afraid I’ll have to leave her in your capable hands."

"Don’t worry about it," Matthew replied, his protective gaze shifting between me and Damien. "Mom will be fine. Just take care of yourself, Victoria. There are too many predators out there just waiting to take advantage of someone like you."

The way his eyes lingered on Damien made it abundantly clear who he considered the predator in this situation. I could feel Damien’s wolf bristling at the implied accusation, his energy pushing against mine possessively.

"I know, Matthew. Thank you. Goodbye!" I said quickly, grabbing Damien’s arm and pulling him toward the exit before either male could escalate the tension.

Once we reached the lobby, I released my grip on his arm and asked, "Did you and my professor finalize the partnership?"

"Not yet," Damien replied, straightening his suit jacket where I’d crumpled it. "Your professor is refreshingly thorough. She won’t grant authorization without a comprehensive project plan. She’s demanding, but I respect that."

"Of course she is," I replied proudly. "My professor isn’t like those heartless businesspeople who rush products to market before they’re ready. Look at what happened with Dominion Tech—they released incomplete technology just to make a quick profit, and people got hurt. That’s irresponsible on every level!"

After a moment, I looked up at him with a slight smile. "So technically, I just helped you secure a potential major partnership. Don’t you think that deserves some sort of thank you?"

What I was hoping for was for him to agree to sign our contract and formalize our arrangement, putting an end to his constant hovering in my life.

"How should I thank you?" he asked, his voice dropping an octave lower.

Before I could react, Damien leaned forward and pressed his lips against mine in a swift, stolen kiss. The contact sent electricity racing through my body, Nora howling in delight inside me.

He pulled back, his eyes darkening with something primal that made my inner wolf respond instinctively. "Like that? Or would you prefer I thank you properly tonight in bed, making you beg for more until you’re the one initiating?"

I stood frozen in shock, unable to believe he’d just kissed me in public. My lips tingled from the brief contact, and Nora was practically purring beneath my skin, betraying my outward indignation.

"What is wrong with you?" I finally managed, glancing around nervously. "That’s sexual harassment! There are security cameras everywhere—I could report you for assault!"

"I was just thanking you," he replied with that infuriating smirk. "Shouldn’t expressions of gratitude between us be a bit more... intimate? Feel free to thank me the same way anytime."

I stared at him in disbelief. The audacity of this Alpha was truly boundless.

After quickly scanning our surroundings to ensure no one had witnessed our exchange, I hurried toward the exit. "Let’s go. Now."

Damien fell into step beside me. "Have dinner with me tonight?"

"I’m flying back to the city tonight," I responded curtly. My grandfather had just been released from the hospital, and I was worried about him. Plus, I had mountains of work waiting for me back home.

"You still need to eat, don’t you? We can have dinner together before your flight," he persisted.

"Are you heading back too?" I asked, surprised.

"I’ve finished my business here. No reason to stay." His voice softened slightly. "If you won’t accept my other form of thanks, at least let me buy you dinner."

After a moment’s consideration, I nodded. I did need to eat, after all. "Fine."

And that’s how Damien and I ended up on the same flight from Silver Bay back to the city. After several hours in the air, night had fallen by the time we landed.

Damien had arranged for a car to meet us at the airport, and we headed directly to the restaurant. The establishment he’d chosen was elegant and exclusive, with dim lighting and private booths designed for discretion.

As we stepped out of the car, another vehicle pulled up behind us. The timing couldn’t have been worse—as we turned toward the restaurant entrance, I heard a painfully familiar voice call out my name.

"Victoria!"

My entire body tensed as I recognized Ethan’s voice. My blood ran cold, and Nora snarled viciously inside me. Ethan Sterling—the last person I wanted to see tonight or any night.

I didn’t bother acknowledging him, keeping my expression carefully neutral as I moved toward the entrance.

Ethan rushed forward, his face lighting up with an eagerness that made my stomach turn. "Victoria, wait! Can we talk? Please, I need to speak with you."

His eyes roamed over me with naked longing and curiosity.

He said, "Wow, I heard your explanation today. It was very surprising."

The shock on his face was almost satisfying; he’d never believed I was capable of anything beyond being arm candy for a wealthy mate.

In all our time together, he’d never bothered to learn what I actually did. He assumed I was working menial jobs, waiting tables or working in factories. I remembered running into him once at a restaurant when I’d borrowed a server’s uniform after someone spilled wine on my clothes. He’d pretended not to see me, too embarrassed to acknowledge me in front of his business associates.

Another time he’d spotted me at one of the Lancaster Pack’s manufacturing facilities, where I was inspecting operations on my grandfather’s behalf. Wearing standard factory gear for safety, I’d been mistaken for a factory worker by Ethan. The disgust in his eyes had been unmistakable—he’d looked at me as if I were beneath him.

Now, facing him again, all I felt was cold revulsion. The bond we’d once shared was not just broken—it had been incinerated, leaving nothing but ashes and contempt.

"I have nothing to say to you," I replied flatly, not even gracing him with eye contact. Then to Damien, "Let’s go inside."

Ethan reached for my arm desperately. Before his fingers could make contact, Damien moved with lightning speed, grabbing Ethan’s wrist and twisting it backward.

Ethan let out a howl of pain that would have embarrassed any self-respecting wolf. "Ahhh!"

"Hearing problems?" Damien said coldly, applying just enough pressure to make Ethan’s face contort. "She doesn’t want to talk to you."

"Damien!" Ethan gasped, veins standing out on his forehead from the pain. His wolf, Leon, was cowering inside him, recognizing the dominance of a much more powerful Alpha. "Victoria isn’t exclusive to you! I saw the photos —she’s been intimate with other men!"

I bet the photos he mentioned were definitely posted by those two self-important women. But I don’t care about Ethan’s opinion.

He turned his pleading eyes to me, his expression a mixture of hurt and desperation that once might have moved me. Now it only disgusted me.

“After all, you’re just an omega, and you must be proud to get so much attention from the males.。”

"If you can be with so many others," he continued pathetically, "why not me too? Victoria, I don’t care about your past with other men. Can’t I just be one of them? What makes me different?"