Chapter 146

Damien's POV Victoria accompanied William upstairs to rest, the two of them needing some private family conversation. While they spoke behind closed doors, I remained downstairs, my wolf Arthur growling with irritation at being separated from Victoria. Patrick Wagner stood nearby, his smug expression grating on my nerves. The self-righteous bastard clearly believed I had ulterior motives for showing up tonight. Of course I did—Victoria was my mate, whether she fully realized it yet or not. But I hadn't anticipated William's extreme reaction. My wolf and I were genuinely concerned about the elder Alpha's health. I paced the marble foyer, debating whether to leave. Something told me Victoria would come back down, and I needed to see her again. Plus, if William's condition worsened, I wanted to be here to rush him to the hospital immediately. The bond between Victoria and her grandfather was powerful—if anything happened to him because of me, she'd never forgive me. The sound of determine