Chapter 6

Victoria's POV I was about to leave when Ethan's grip tightened on Scarlett's arm, his voice taking on that patronizing tone I'd grown to despise. "Darling, why waste your energy getting upset over someone so insignificant?" Insignificant. The word hit me like a physical blow, and I felt something inside me snap. Five years. Five years of my life reduced to a single, dismissive word. Nora stirred restlessly beneath my skin, her fury matching my own—though thanks to the enchanted bracelet I wore, no one could sense her presence or my true alpha nature. Insignificant? The bitter irony was suffocating. If I was so insignificant, who had begged her grandfather to pull strings when Capital University rejected his application? Who had spent countless sleepless nights editing his research papers, watching him take credit for work that was half mine? Every "lucky break" in his pathetic career had been carefully orchestrated by me, and now I was insignificant? The rage building in my chest was molten, threatening to consume every shred of composure I had left. How dare he. How dare he reduce everything I'd given him—everything I'd sacrificed of my true self—to nothing. Scarlett wasn't done twisting the knife. "Everyone knows Victoria has a habit of targeting other people's partners. First stalking us to that restaurant, now showing up at this gala? She's just trying to climb the social ladder using Ethan's Sterling name." Stalking? I wanted to laugh at the absurdity. This was my family's ancestral home—the Lancaster estate had been hosting galas here for generations—but somehow I was the intruder. The sheer audacity of this she-wolf speaking to me like I was some common gold-digger made Nora snarl in my mind. I could feel the eyes of other guests turning toward us, their whispers creating a buzzing undercurrent of gossip. Good. Let them feel a fraction of the humiliation he'd put me through. "Not everyone is interested in trash," I said. "Scarlett," I continued, taking a deliberate step closer to her. "Didn't that slap at the restaurant teach you any manners? Or was I too merciful when I crushed Ethan underfoot, leaving you with the audacity to provoke me in public?" Let her remember who she's dealing with. Let them both remember. "Victoria, who do you think you are?" Scarlett shrieked, her carefully composed facade finally cracking like cheap paint. "Security! Remove this woman immediately!" A security guard approached with practiced efficiency, his expression professionally neutral. "Miss, this is a private event. Please show your invitation." I reached into my purse, my fingers closing around the elegant invitation card—the same invitation that bore the Lancaster family crest—when a warm hand settled on my shoulder. The scent hit me immediately: smoky cedar and midnight rose. My mate. "She's my guest. Is there a problem?" Damien. The whispers around us shifted, growing more excited: "So she really was Ethan’s mistress..." "Poor Victoria, no wonder she looked devastated at the restaurant..." Let them talk. Let everyone see what kind of man Ethan really is. Scarlett's face flushed crimson, her composure cracking further. "I'm not a mistress! I'm his wife!" Damien's smile turned predatory. "What mistress would ever admit to her role? Besides, isn't the current Mrs. Sterling Senior someone who climbed up from being a mistress herself? Even managed to get her illegitimate son recognized as an heir." His gaze shifted to Ethan with mock sympathy. "Runs in the family, I suppose." Brutal. I had to admit, Damien Sterling knew exactly where to strike. He understood pack politics and family shame better than most—probably because he'd lived through his own version of it. He leaned closer to me then, his breath warm against my ear, sending shivers down my spine that had nothing to do with the evening air. "This is the second time I've saved you, little wolf. How do you plan to repay me this time?" The pet name made my pulse race—did he suspect what I was? The intimate whisper sent heat flooding through me, and I fought to keep my expression neutral. "I don't need your help," I whispered back, even as Nora practically purred at his proximity. His soft chuckle vibrated against my ear, rich and dark. "Come on." I was just settling in to enjoy the drama when I felt a firm hand wrap around my waist. Before I could react, Damien's arm tightened around me like a steel band. "What are you—let go of me!" I hissed, trying to pull away, but his grip was unbreakable. "You've had enough entertainment for one evening," he murmured against my ear, his voice carrying that authoritative edge that made something traitorous flutter in my chest. Before I could protest further, he'd steered me toward a nearby powder room. The heavy door clicked shut behind us, and I heard the decisive sound of the lock turning. In one fluid movement, he pressed me back against the door, his body caging me in. One hand braced against the wood beside my head while the other settled possessively on my waist. The heat of his palm burned through the silk of my dress. "What are you doing?" I demanded, but my voice sounded breathier than I intended. Being this close to him was affecting me more than I cared to admit. "Having a conversation," he replied smoothly, his alpha authority bleeding through his casual tone, "without an audience." Damien's presence immediately filled every corner of the intimate space, his scent—that intoxicating blend of cedar and midnight roses—surrounding me completely. Even through my carefully suppressed wolf senses, he was overwhelming, like standing too close to a fire that promised both warmth and destruction. I pressed back against the cool tile wall, but there was nowhere to retreat. He moved with predatory grace, closing the distance between us until I could feel the heat radiating from his body."This is kidnapping," I said. Why does my voice sound so breathless? I could sense the solid wall of his chest with each shallow breath I took, could see the golden flecks in his dark eyes that betrayed his wolf's proximity to the surface. "Kidnapping?" His voice dropped to a low rumble that vibrated through me. "That's a strong accusation for someone who didn't exactly resist being led here." Heat flooded my cheeks because he was right. I could have pulled away, could have made a scene, could have refused. Instead, I'd followed him like a moth drawn to flame. His lips curved into that infuriating smile—the one that made him look like sin personified, like temptation given form. When he leaned closer, I caught the hint of mint on his breath, felt the whisper of warmth against my skin. "I told you already. I helped you again, and now you owe me proper thanks." He leaned down, and I thought he meant to kiss me. Instinctively, I raised my hand to cover my lips, my heart hammering against my ribs like a caged bird desperate for freedom. But instead, Damien's head dipped lower, toward my neck. I felt the warmth of his breath against my skin, then the shocking sensation of his teeth grazing my throat—not quite a claiming bite, but close enough to make every nerve ending in my body come alive. He bit down gently, then sucked hard enough to leave a mark—a deep red bloom just above my collarbone. "Are you insane?" I gasped, the sharp sting making me push him away with more force than necessary. The contact sent sparks through my palms where they met his chest. I spun toward the mirror, my eyes widening at the obvious red mark on my neck. I pressed my fingers against it, rubbing frantically, but the mark only grew redder and more pronounced under my touch. How am I supposed to face anyone with this? "You..." I stared at his reflection in the mirror, momentarily speechless. His eyes had taken on an almost golden glow—his wolf was close to the surface. "What's wrong? Afraid Ethan will get the wrong idea?" "I have nothing to be afraid of," I shot back, lifting my chin in challenge. "I'm a single woman, not someone's wife." Something shifted in Damien's expression at my words, his smile turning dangerous and predatory. "In that case, let's give them even more to talk about." "What do you mean—mmph!" My eyes widened as his face suddenly filled my vision, his hands framing my face with surprising gentleness. Damien was kissing me!