Claimed by My Ex's Half-Brother-Chapter 163 No problem at al

Victoria’s POV

Patrick fell silent.

"No problem at all, Patrick," Kane said, a friendly smile touching his lips. "We used to play together all the time as kids. Would you like me to keep you company tonight?"

I observed the scene, Nora, my inner wolf, pacing restlessly. The air in the hospital room was thick with the scent of disinfectant and lingering sickness—odors that always agitated my wolf.

Patrick shook his head, his gaze flickering between us. "There’s no need for that. Victoria, could you please ask everyone to leave? I don’t need anyone else here right now. I just need you. As long as you’re here, I’ll be perfectly happy."

"Patrick," I said, my voice firm. Despite the amulet bracelet still on my wrist, masking my true identity, my words carried an undeniable Alpha authority. "You’re not in a state to be making decisions right now. Let Kane stay with you. You mentioned wanting someone to talk to earlier, and Kane is perfect for that, isn’t he, Kane?"

Kane nodded immediately, his loyalty to me second only to his loyalty to my pack. "Of course, Alpha," he murmured, his voice so low only my enhanced hearing could catch it.

"Alright then," I said, picking up my purse. "I’ll leave you two to catch up."

Stepping out of the hospital room, I let out a long, slow breath. The tension I hadn’t realized I was holding in my shoulders finally relaxed. The hospital corridor stretched before me, the harsh fluorescent lights reflecting off the black windows. It was almost ten o’clock.

And then I saw him—Damian Sterling, leaning against the wall, his powerful frame exuding an undeniable Alpha male presence, even as he pretended to scroll through his phone. The smoky cedar scent that clung to him wafted over, sending an excited hum through Nora in my mind.

"You’re still here?" I asked, unable to keep the surprise out of my voice.

Damian looked up, his deep-set eyes fixing on mine with an intensity that sent a shiver down my spine. "It appears I am."

"Well, you should go," I said, waving a dismissive hand, completely ignoring the way my wolf perked up at his presence. "It’s getting late."

"Then I’ll go," he said simply, pushing off the wall with a fluid, graceful movement that betrayed his predatory nature.

"Goodbye," I called after him, for some reason watching his retreating back until he disappeared around the corner.

My grandfather’s condition improved rapidly, and he was cleared for discharge the very next morning. Though William Lancaster was well into his seventies, his enhanced werewolf healing abilities, typical of an Alpha leader of the Crescent Moon Pack, remained remarkably effective even at his age.

As I was handling his discharge papers at the front desk, a familiar sight caught my eye. Marcia Cross and her assistant, Mona, walked arm-in-arm through the lobby, seemingly inseparable. Marcia had been staying at this hospital for nearly a month since Scarlett Sutton’s attack. Throughout this time, Mona had played the role of a dutiful daughter-in-law, caring for her meticulously, even while pregnant herself. From the pleased expression on Marcia’s face, she was clearly satisfied with Mona’s care.

Today was Marcia’s discharge day, and Mona was here for a prenatal check-up. She was only two months pregnant—a developing embryo, yet Marcia protected her as if she were a precious treasure. I had seen Marcia instinctively position herself between Mona and anyone who came too close.

A slight commotion drew my attention. A little girl, no older than five, accidentally bumped into Mona near the water dispenser. The child immediately looked up, her eyes wide with apprehension. "I’m sorry, ma’am," she quickly apologized.

Before I could even process what was happening, Marcia’s hand lashed out, striking the little girl’s cheek with a sharp crack.

"You little brat! Watch where you’re going!" Marcia shrieked, her face contorted with rage.

The child’s cheek instantly flushed crimson, and tears welled up in her eyes, followed by a heart-wrenching cry. I scanned the area but saw no sign of her parents. Just as Marcia raised her hand to strike again, I lunged forward, Alpha instinct propelling me.

I caught her wrist mid-air, applying just enough pressure to make her wince in pain without breaking any bones.

"Marcia Cross," I growled, feeling Nora’s temper rise to the surface. "What in the world do you think you’re doing? Hitting a child? Have you completely lost your humanity?" I flung her hand away in disgust and knelt before the little girl, whose cheek was already starting to swell. Her tiny body trembled with fear and pain.

"Let me see, sweetie. Did she hurt you badly?" I asked softly.

The little girl bravely shook her head, tears streaming down her face. "It’s okay, thank you, Miss."

"What concern is it of yours?" Marcia hissed, rubbing her wrist. "What’s your connection to this little wretch?"

I stood up straight, facing her. "Apologize. Apologize now."

"Apologize?" Marcia’s laugh was grating. "Why? This little brat ran into my pregnant daughter-in-law! What if something had happened to my grandchild? Would this useless child take responsibility? And you’re defending her? Well, birds of a feather flock together!"

My inner wolf let out a low growl, urging me to put this posturing wolf in her place. Despite her connections to the North Creek Pack, her behavior had none of the dignity a wolf should possess.

"She’s just a child," I said, my voice dangerously low. "A child who immediately apologized for an accident. And from what I saw, Mona wasn’t watching where she was going either. It was a mutual bump, your daughter-in-law is clearly fine, and the child apologized. But now you’re acting like a madwoman. Are you in such a hurry to prove to everyone how vile you are?" I had witnessed the entire thing. The little girl had been looking at what appeared to be some medical documents and hadn’t been watching her step. Mona had been equally distracted. If anyone needed to apologize, it was both of them.

"Victoria Lancaster!" Marcia spat my name like a curse. "This has nothing to do with you! Get out of my sight! If you insist on protecting this little girl, I promise you, she won’t be leaving here today. She can either kneel and bow three times to my daughter-in-law and unborn grandchild, or she goes nowhere!"

At the mention of bowing three times, I couldn’t help but chuckle. "Bow three times? Isn’t that a ritual for wolf funerals? Are you cursing your daughter-in-law and grandchild to die? That’s a rather strange way to express your affection."

"How dare you!" Marcia’s face turned purple with rage. "You dare curse my grandchild! I’ll tear your mouth off!" She lunged at me, claws extended, completely disregarding the fact that we were in a hospital with cameras and witnesses. I easily sidestepped her, delivering a precise kick that sent her sprawling to the floor.

"This is a hospital," I reminded her coldly. "Not the Sterling estate, where you can throw tantrums without consequence. Everyone here witnessed what happened. Either apologize to the child, or I’ll call the police. I believe you’re already quite familiar with the inside of a jail cell. A few more days shouldn’t bother you—though I wonder if Mona’s baby will still be around when you get out."

"Are you threatening me?!" Marcia shrieked from the floor, not bothering to get up. Instead, she began to yell dramatically, "Help! Everyone, look! This woman is attacking me!"

A few bystanders exchanged disgusted glances. A man stepped forward.

"We all saw what happened," he stated firmly. "You hit a child and almost hit a second. You’re using your age as an excuse to act like a monster. You should be ashamed."

"Someone should call security," a woman added. "This kind of behavior shouldn’t happen in a hospital."

"Isn’t that the Sterling matriarch?" someone whispered, loud enough for everyone to hear. "I thought her daughter-in-law was Scarlett Sutton? This doesn’t look like Scarlett. Does she have another son? Or has the Sterling heir cheated again?"

"Probably cheated again," another scoffed in response. "Once a cheater, always a cheater. The Sterlings are rotten to the core. And now they’re attacking little children in a hospital? Disgusting!"

The whispers from the crowd grew louder, and I noticed Mona’s face was beet red, clearly mortified. The Sterling family’s reputation had been tarnished once more—though this time, it certainly wasn’t my doing.