Claimed by My Ex's Half-Brother-Chapter 18 Arrange a meeting

Damian’s POV

At the mention of Lancaster Group, my head cocked slightly to one side.

"Lancaster? You talking about Alpha William?" I asked.

ME Group was Blood Moon Pack’s latest power play in the corporate world.

My newest gamble.

The way I saw it, a pack that wanted to survive needed more than sharp teeth and killer instincts—you needed deep pockets too.

So far, the bet was paying off.

My company was crushing it.

Kane shook his head. "It’s the Lancaster heiress. Word is she’s finally stepping up to run the show."

"The ghost who never shows her face?" My eyes narrowed as Arthur stirred restlessly in my chest. Rumors about the mysterious Lancaster heiress had been floating around for years, but I’d never bothered to dig deeper.

Kane nodded. "That’s the one." 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

I leaned back in my leather chair. "Set it up."

ME Group and Lancaster Industries stepped on each other’s toes in plenty of business sectors, but we’d never actually sat down at the same table.

My mind drifted to darker days. After Mom died, Dad didn’t waste time finding a replacement. When his shiny new wife lost the baby, guess who got blamed? The backhand he delivered nearly burst my eardrum. "Get out," he’d roared.

That day, Northstream Pack stopped being home.

Lawrence Sterling was a pathetic excuse for both a father and an Alpha. His second wife’s womb stayed barren for years after that—maybe karma, maybe just biology. Either way, that’s when he started lavishing attention on his bastard son like Ethan was some kind of consolation prize. When wife number two finally kicked the bucket, he made it official with Ethan’s mother, legitimizing his golden boy at last.

While all that family dysfunction played out like a bad soap opera, I was busy building my empire on foreign soil. Only my most trusted inner circle knew that Damian Sterling—the enigmatic CEO making headlines—was actually the Alpha of Blood Moon Pack, running both a Fortune 500 company and one of the most powerful packs on the East Coast.

Two kingdoms. One ruler. And neither my father nor his precious heir had a fucking clue.

Victoria’s POV:

Blood Moon Pack Industries moved fast—way faster than I’d expected. Kane had locked down the meeting for the very next evening, and now butterflies were throwing a rave in my stomach.

My first major business negotiation as Lancaster’s future heir and Crescent Dawn’s next Alpha.

Who the hell was this mysterious Mr. Achilles? Young? Old? Total hardass? The questions wouldn’t shut up in my head as I burned the midnight oil researching everything about Blood Moon Industries. I hammered out a comprehensive project proposal, running on pure caffeine and determination through a sleepless night, then dragging myself to the office for a full day before this dinner meeting.

I showed up early to the swanky international hotel where we’d arranged to meet Mr. Achilles. As the host, being late wasn’t an option. The elegant private dining room I’d booked had killer views of the city skyline.

With time to kill, I wandered out to scope the hotel lobby, scanning for foreign businessmen who might be my appointment. The lobby swarmed with international guests, but I couldn’t pin down who might be the Blood Moon Alpha.

"Well, well. Look what the cat dragged in, little mate," a familiar voice rumbled behind me.

My body went rigid while my traitorous wolf practically purred.

Damian Sterling!

"What the hell are you doing here?" I snapped without turning around, keeping my voice level despite my heart hammering against my ribs. Every damn encounter with this man left me rattled, and I hated every second of it.

Damian’s imposing frame materialized beside me. "I was about to ask you the same thing. After our little marathon session, you pulled a disappearing act."

His voice dropped to a whisper as he leaned closer, his breath tickling my ear. "Is that your usual MO? Hit it and quit it with a business card? I’m wounded."

Heat crawled up my neck. "I’m not your mate. We hooked up. That’s it. You’re a complete stranger to me!"

"No?" His lips curved into that cocky half-smirk. "Yet I’ve got this nagging feeling you’re going to be mine. I just can’t figure out why I can’t mark you. It’s driving me crazy. What did you do?"

Thank witch for the magic bracelet around my wrist. Otherwise, I’d be wearing his mark by now. Talk about a nightmare scenario.

"I’ve got an important meeting here," I said, stepping back. "I don’t have time for your games."

"A meeting? With who?" Damian closed the gap I’d created, his cedar and roses scent wrapping around me like a net. "Maybe I could tag along? I’ve got killer business instincts."

The nerve of this guy! "Absolutely not. This is Lancaster Enterprises’ private business."

At the mention of my family’s company, something shifted in his eyes. "Lancaster? Now that’s interesting. You work for them?"

I bit down hard on my tongue, realizing I’d shown my hand. "I need to get back to my meeting room."

Without waiting for his response, I spun around and power-walked back to the private dining room. Horror washed over me as footsteps echoed behind me. I glanced back to see Damian stalking after me, his predatory gaze locked on like a heat-seeking missile.

When I reached the room, Kane was already inside, staring at his phone with a frown.

"What’s wrong?" I asked, quickly slamming the door before Damian could catch up—but not fast enough. The door swung open again, and Damian strolled in like he owned the joint.

My wolf’s hackles rose at the territorial invasion. This was my meeting, my turf.

"Mr. Achilles just bailed," Kane said quietly, shooting wary glances at Damian. "His assistant called with some emergency excuse."

"What?" Disappointment and irritation crashed over me. "He’s ditching us at the last minute?"

Damian chuckled from where he’d planted himself in the chair meant for our guest. "Power players pull that crap all the time," he said with knowing amusement. "Looks like your evening just opened up."

I shot daggers at him with my eyes. "That’s none of your damn business. I don’t remember rolling out the red carpet for you."

"Yet here I am." His smirk made me want to throw something. "Since you got stood up, why not grab dinner with me? I’m excellent company."

"I’d rather—"

Before I could finish, Damian had already flagged down the waiter and started ordering. "Wagyu steak, medium rare. Bottle of your ’82 Bordeaux. And whatever the lady’s having." He looked at me expectantly.

I gaped at his sheer audacity. Kane shifted uncomfortably beside me, clearly way out of his depth with this situation.

"Kane," Damian said, turning his laser focus on my assistant, "aren’t you going to introduce yourself? Or are you another one of Victoria’s ’strangers’?" The way he loaded that word with meaning made my neck burn red.

Before Kane could open his mouth, I jumped in. "He’s my colleague. This is business."

"Colleague? Not boyfriend?" Damian’s eyes turned predatory.

"I told you, Ethan and I are done," I said firmly. "But that doesn’t mean I’m jumping into bed with someone else."

"Hmm." Damian leaned back in his chair, studying Kane with an intensity that made even me squirm.

"Is it hot in here?" Kane asked weakly, tugging at his collar.

Damian’s gaze snapped back to me, locking onto mine with an intensity that stole my breath. "Is that so?" The question hung in the air, loaded with implications I wasn’t ready to deal with.

My wolf whimpered softly in my chest, confused by the emotional tornado raging inside me. I was single. I had nothing to feel guilty about. Damian’s bedroom skills were off the charts. But that didn’t make me his property. He could never be my mate or boyfriend.