Claimed by My Ex's Half-Brother-Chapter 201 I need to calm down

Damian’s POV

Damien’s breathing was still ragged as the aftershocks of my release rippled through my body. The scent of our passion filled the room, but instead of feeling sated, the beast within me only hungered for more. Arthur, my wolf, paced restlessly beneath my skin, wanting to claim what we both felt was ours.

I gazed at Victoria’s flushed face, her golden hair splayed across my pillow like liquid sunshine. Even after what we’d just shared, I wanted her again. The primal need to possess her completely clawed at my insides.

"I need to calm down," I muttered, more to myself than to her. "Don’t worry, I have exceptional self-control."

Victoria’s lips curved into that mischievous smile that drove me wild. She shifted against me, deliberately pressing her soft curves against my body. "Do you really?" she purred, trailing her fingertips down my chest, inching dangerously lower.

I caught her wrist, my body tensing. "That won’t work, little vixen. I may want you desperately, but I can control myself."

Her eyes sparkled with challenge. "There’s something I need to tell you, Damien." Her voice dropped to a whisper that sent shivers down my spine. "A secret I’ve been keeping." 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

Before I could respond, Victoria reached for her wrist, removing the silver bracelet she always wore. The moment it left her skin, the air in the room changed. A scent—sweet and intoxicating beyond anything I’d ever experienced—enveloped me completely.

Then I saw it. Her wolf. A magnificent white creature, powerful and regal, emanating strength that took my breath away. Nora. And with that vision came the overwhelming realization that slammed into me like a physical force.

"Mate," Arthur howled inside me. "MATE!"

My entire body trembled as the truth crashed over me in waves. Victoria wasn’t just any woman. She was my destined mate. The one person in this world created perfectly for me. The one whose scent should have called to me from the moment we met.

"You..." I gasped, my voice raw with emotion. "All this time..."

Victoria watched me carefully, her eyes reflecting a mixture of vulnerability and strength. "Yes."

"I knew," I confessed, my hands shaking as I reached for her. "Deep down, I’ve always known there was something about you. Something that called to me beyond reason. But this—" I inhaled deeply, letting her true scent fill my lungs. "Goddess help me, Victoria. I’m going to lose my mind."

The wolf inside me was frantic, desperate to complete the bond, to sink my teeth into her neck and mark her as mine for all eternity. Every muscle in my body tensed with the primal need to claim her.

"I need to mark you," I growled, my voice barely human. "Arthur is going wild. He recognizes you completely now. Your sweet scent is driving me insane."

Victoria placed a gentle hand on my chest, right over my pounding heart. "Not yet," she said firmly. "You’re still injured, and marking requires my consent."

With tremendous effort, I nodded, though every cell in my body screamed in protest. Arthur howled in frustration.

"Besides," she added, her voice dropping to a seductive whisper as her hand slid down my torso, "there are other ways I can take care of you right now."

I sucked in a sharp breath. "Victoria—"

"Listen to me carefully, Damien Sterling," she said, her eyes locked with mine. "I want you to understand something. If you ever want to mark me, you need my explicit consent. If you ever disrespect my boundaries or my words, I will walk away. Do you understand?"

Even through the haze of lust and the mating pull, I recognized the steel in her voice. This wasn’t just about passion—it was about respect. About trust.

"I understand," I promised hoarsely. "I will always respect your boundaries, Victoria. Always."

She held my gaze for a moment longer before a smile slowly spread across her face. "Good."

Then, with graceful movements, she shifted down my body. Her golden hair cascaded around her face as she positioned herself between my legs. The sight alone nearly undid me.

"Let me take care of you," she whispered, her warm breath ghosting over my already hardening length.

When her lips finally touched me, I thought I might actually die from pleasure. The wet heat of her mouth enveloped me, and I threw my head back, a guttural groan tearing from my throat. Arthur was going absolutely feral inside me, the double pleasure of physical sensation combined with the knowledge that this was my mate—MY MATE—touching me this way was almost too much to bear.

"Victoria," I gasped, my fingers threading through her silken hair. The contrast of her golden locks against my skin as she took me deeper was the most erotic sight I’d ever witnessed.

Her tongue swirled around the sensitive head, tracing patterns that made my thighs tremble. She hummed appreciatively, the vibrations sending shockwaves of pleasure up my spine. One of her hands wrapped around the base of my shaft, working in perfect rhythm with her mouth.

I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the vision she made—those perfect lips stretched around me, her cheeks hollowing as she sucked. The connection between us, now that her true nature was revealed, amplified every sensation tenfold.

"Goddess," I hissed as she took me deeper, the tip of my length hitting the back of her throat. She didn’t gag, instead relaxing and taking me even further. "Victoria, I can’t—"

She pulled back slightly, her lips glistening. "Let go, Damien. I want to taste all of you."

That was my undoing. With a roar that surely the entire neighborhood could hear, I surrendered completely to the pleasure she offered. Wave after wave of ecstasy crashed through me as she swallowed everything I gave her, not missing a single drop.

When she finally released me with a satisfied smile and crawled back up my body, I was barely coherent. All I could think was that I had found my mate, and somehow, miraculously, she was choosing to be with me.

"You’re going to be the death of me," I managed to say, pulling her close.

She nuzzled against my neck, her true scent now mingling perfectly with mine. "But what a way to go."

I chuckled weakly, holding her tighter. Arthur had calmed slightly, satisfied for now with the knowledge that our mate was in our arms. The marking would come, in time. When she was ready. When we had earned that trust completely.

For now, this was enough. It was everything.

Victoria’s POV

In the end, Damien got what he wanted, while I was left exhausted. Taking advantage of his injured hand to misbehave—he was simply too much!

I genuinely feared reopening his wound, though he showed absolutely no signs of being injured. I worried the anesthetic might wear off and cause him pain, but Damien just smirked and said my kisses would make it better.

The man was clearly suffering from delusions.

When I woke the next morning, I found myself tightly wrapped in someone’s arms. My first instinct was to check Damien’s hand—the same injured hand I’d apparently been using as a pillow all night.

Damien was watching me with adoring eyes, and I couldn’t tell if he’d been awake for hours or had just woken up.

"Your hand!" I exclaimed, my voice still thick with sleep. "How could you let me use your injured hand as a pillow? What if I’d rolled over onto your wound?"

"It doesn’t hurt," Damien replied, his voice a low rumble against my ear.

"Really? What if I pinch it to check?" I threatened playfully.

Damien didn’t move his hand away. The challenge in his eyes suggested he was willing to let me pinch him if I dared. Instead, I leaned down and gently bit his wrist, leaving teeth marks on his skin.

"You didn’t even flinch," I said, examining his arm. "What if I had taken a real chunk out of you?"

His arm was a work of art—his hands large enough to completely envelop mine, fingers long and elegant, nails perfectly trimmed. The veins and tendons stood out prominently against his skin, the muscles defined and strong. Now my teeth marks decorated his otherwise flawless skin.

"Bite wherever you like," Damien murmured, his voice dropping an octave. "My entire body belongs to you. Though you might prefer other places..." He pointed to his lips with his uninjured hand.

Heat rushed to my face, my ears burning. "That’s enough teasing. What time is it? We should get up."

I tried to peer outside, but the half-drawn curtains blocked most of the light, making it impossible to judge the time.

Damien pulled me back against him, refusing to let me rise. "It’s still early. Let me hold you a while longer."

He reached for me, but I pushed against his chest. "Your hand! Stop moving it around. Are you trying to make it worse?"

How could someone with an injury be so restless?

"I just want to hold you," Damien said, his voice softening. "You haven’t forgotten what you said last night, have you? You agreed to be with me. You’re my girlfriend now!"

His eyes brightened as he continued, "And more importantly, you’re my mate. I can hardly believe my luck."

Arthur, his wolf, seemed to rumble with satisfaction beneath his skin. I could sense Damien’s wolf pushing closer to the surface, wanting to nuzzle and scent me properly.

"I only agreed to give us a try," I reminded him. "Dating is mutual, and breakups can happen at any time."

"No breakups!" Damien tightened his hold around me possessively. "Not even an option. Don’t even think about it."

I laughed lightly. "I didn’t say we’re breaking up now. I’m just giving you fair warning. If you ever treat me badly or make me angry, I’ll walk away."

"That won’t happen." As he spoke, he leaned in for a kiss.

Just before his lips touched mine, I raised my hand to cover my mouth. "We haven’t brushed our teeth yet. That’s gross."

"I don’t mind," he murmured, pressing his lips against the back of my hand instead.

The tenderness in his eyes was almost overwhelming, like melted chocolate threatening to spill over.

"Not happening," I insisted.

"So what you’re saying is, after we brush our teeth, kissing is allowed? I’ll go do that right now." Damien started to get up.

I caught his arm. "Didn’t you just say we could sleep a little longer? Can’t your mind focus on anything else? Can’t we just sit and talk about other things?"

"Impossible," Damien replied, his gaze burning into mine. "My mind is completely filled with you. I want to kiss you, touch you, make love to you."

My breath caught in my throat. "Are you always this direct? Do you talk to everyone this way?"

"Of course not. I barely speak to other people."

That was true. In public, Damien was notoriously cold and aloof. He rarely spoke more than necessary.

I decided to change the subject before Damien decided to act on his words. I’d already helped satisfy him last night, yet here he was, insatiable again in the early morning.

"You need to be careful these days," I warned. "I’m worried Ethan might try to get revenge. And what about Lawrence? Now that the Sterling lineage is threatened, won’t he come after you? You’re his only son who can continue the family name now."

If Damien returned to the Sterling family, I wasn’t sure what I would do. I detested everyone in that family. Ethan was there, and I couldn’t bear the thought of seeing those people every day.

"That’s not happening," Damien said firmly. "I’ve never considered myself a Sterling. I just never bothered changing the name. Think of me as part of the Lancaster family. I could be Damien Lancaster if you prefer. How does that sound?"

"Terrible," I laughed. The name Damien Sterling suited him far better.

"Since Mona deliberately terminated the pregnancy," I mused, "I suspect she must have a backup plan. She wouldn’t just eliminate her security without an alternative. Ethan certainly won’t treat her well, and her position as Mrs. Sterling is precarious at best."

I didn’t know much about Mona’s situation in the Sterling household, so I couldn’t guess what her endgame might be.

"She’s already set her sights on bigger prey," Damien revealed, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper.

"What bigger prey?" My curiosity was piqued.

Damien teased, "Kiss me and I’ll tell you."

"I don’t need a kiss to figure it out!" I wasn’t falling for his tricks.

I analyzed the available clues: "Mona hasn’t been married to Ethan long. She wants someone wealthy, but not many wealthy men would be interested in her, especially while she’s pregnant."

"Plus, she’s been confined to the Sterling estate during her pregnancy without many opportunities to meet other ’big fish.’ In the Sterling family, Ethan isn’t even that impressive. For her to abandon her baby so decisively for someone described as a ’bigger fish,’ there’s really only one possibility."

Under Damien’s appreciative gaze, I stated the obvious conclusion: "Lawrence Sterling."

Admiration flickered in Damien’s eyes. I could tell he was impressed by how quickly I’d pieced it together. Nora, my wolf, preened at the silent praise.

And that was part of what drew Damien to me—my mind, not just my looks. The way his eyes lingered on my face made it clear his feelings went beyond physical attraction.