Claimed by My Ex's Half-Brother

Brett’s POV

I growled in frustration as I stared at my phone screen. A trending story about a supposed affair involving the third major shareholder of Aurora BioSciences had exploded across social media in just half a day. It took considerable effort from my PR team to get it taken down.

Aurora BioSciences is jointly owned by myself and Silas Hartwell, Lilith’s father. I oversee pharmaceutical research and development, drawing on my medical background. Cassian, my Beta, serves as COO, handling day-to-day operations, while Silas maintains a position on the board since his retirement.

Jacob, my wolf, paced restlessly inside me as I made my way from our research lab back to the corporate headquarters downtown. When I reached Cassian’s office, I kicked the door open without ceremony.

My Beta was leaning back in his chair, rubbing his temples in obvious exhaustion. He opened his eyes and gave me a tired look. "Ever heard of knocking, Alpha?"

I closed the door behind me and stalked toward him. "This affair scandal is blowing up, and you’re just sitting here looking relaxed?"

I slammed a stack of photographs onto his desk with enough force to scatter them.

Cassian didn’t even glance at them. "Sabrina doesn’t believe these rumors. Don’t tell me you don’t trust me?"

It wasn’t that I didn’t trust Cassian. It was Lilith I couldn’t trust.

I sat on the edge of his desk, my long legs crossed at the ankles. From my higher position, I looked down at my Beta.

"You know how Finn is with women," I said coldly. "He never showed interest in any female before. If Lilith hadn’t seduced him, he wouldn’t have touched my mate."

Finn, Cassian and I were once the closest of friends.Despite Finn being the illegitimate son of our rival pack,we had formed an unbreakable bond.I still remember the night a group of rogues attacked our territory’s borders. Finn and I fought side by side, our wolves in perfect sync. When a rogue lunged for my throat, Finn intercepted the attack, suffering a deep wound that nearly killed him. I carried him back to our pack, his blood soaking into my fur. For weeks, I stayed by his bedside until he recovered.

And yet, Lilith had managed to turn us against each other. The memory of that betrayal still burned like acid in my veins.

My face darkened as I spoke to Cassian. "Lilith won’t give up until she gets the research secrets. Be rational and cut all ties with that woman. I don’t want to lose another brother over her schemes."

Finn was already lost to me. Cassian was all I had left.

Cassian let out a cold laugh.

"I understand why Sabrina might be confused. She’s always taken things at face value. But this time,even she trusted me.You, though?" My Beta’s eyes flashed with disappointment. "There’s nothing between Lilith and me."

He stood up, ready to leave. "The world could be full of cheating men, but I would never betray Sabrina. No matter what temptress might try to seduce me. Besides, Lilith has never looked at me that way. She’s suffering, not scheming."

I rose to my feet, blocking his path. "The PR department handled this marriage crisis for you. If anything else happens between you and Lilith..."

"Brett!" Cassian’s face hardened, the Beta showing rare defiance toward his Alpha.

"Five years ago, everyone accused Finn and Lilith of conspiring behind your back, and you believed it," Cassian said angrily. "Now you’re ready to believe the worst again? Both Finn and I were your closest friends.Lilith was once your mate. Haven’t you considered this might be a plot from our competitors to divide us?"

I had considered it, but...

Hatred and pain filled my heart as I spat out, "Lilith wasn’t my mate anymore. She doesn’t deserve that title."

Cassian looked at me like he no longer knew how to reason with me. Too many suspicious circumstances, too many coincidences.

He let out a long sigh. "Brett, you have no idea how hard it’s been for Lilith since she got out of prison, raising a deaf child all alone."

He turned to leave.

"Cassian, be reasonable," I called after him. "Don’t let her fake vulnerability fool you. She’s targeting you because your kind heart is her only way to get Aurora’s research secrets. Can’t you see through her?"

Cassian turned back, his eyes filled with disappointment. "Since the news about Lilith and Finn broke, you’ve changed. Love and hate have made you irrational. I barely recognize you anymore."

He paused, shoulders slumping slightly. "I hope after you marry Vanessa, you’ll find genuine happiness, rather than just marrying her out of spite and gratitude."

After Cassian left, I kicked the desk hard, my wolf snarling inside me.

Who said I wasn’t happy?

Vanessa and I were perfectly content together.

But if that was true, why did my chest feel so constricted, like I couldn’t breathe?

***

I stood in the PR department, gazing out at the city skyline. Jacob paced anxiously within me, always restless these days. The news of Cassian’s alleged affair and marital crisis should have been buried by now,I’d personally seen to it. Yet somehow, it had resurfaced on trending topics just two days later.

This shouldn’t have been my problem. As Alpha of the Blood Moon Pack and head of research at Aurora BioSciences, public relations fell squarely into Cassian’s domain as my Beta. But here I was, handling it personally again.

"Jenkins," I addressed our chief PR officer, a balding, portly man in his forties with asmile. "I need all of Lilith’s photos removed from the media immediately."

"Any that can’t be taken down must be blurred. Most importantly, ensure no photos of Clara appear anywhere. I don’t want this affecting their lives."

Jenkins had an impeccable record,nothing he couldn’t suppress. But this situation was suspicious; someone was clearly pulling strings behind the scenes.

He sighed heavily. "Alpha Brett, five years ago you also intervened to keep Lilith and Finn Blackwood’s affair out of the news. You even pulled strings to get her released from prison early."

"She’s repeatedly tried to manipulate you. Why continue protecting her?"

I felt hatred flash across my face. "I’m only concerned about the child.She’s innocent in all this. It has nothing to do with Lilith. Just handle it, Jenkins. Now."

My lips might say I wouldn’t care if Lilith dropped dead tomorrow, but the truth was more complicated. Despite everything, traces of our history lingered. And regardless of Clara being Finn’s bastard, she was still just a child. Jacob whined inside me at the thought of the little girl, something I refused to examine too closely.

As Jenkins left the conference room, he nearly collided with Vanessal. I caught her vanilla scent before I saw her.

"Professor Hartwell," Jenkins greeted her. "Not in the lab today?"

"I need to speak with Brett about something," she replied with a gracious smile.

"I hear the mating ceremony’s been moved up to May," Jenkins continued. "Congratulations on becoming our Luna !"

Vanessa’s smile brightened. "Thank you, Jenkins."

When she spotted me emerging from the conference room,she approached immediately. My brow furrowed slightly. "Vanessa, what brings you here?"

Her smile faded quickly. "I have bad news. The targeted treatment will likely be delayed entering clinical trials. The latest data shows the drug is highly unstable,its side effects not only kill cells but damage normal bodily functions as well."

The news hit me hard. Aurora BioSciences represented over two decades of effort by two generations of our pack. We kept hitting walls right at the final stages.

"How is Dr. William doing?" Vanessa asked gently.

I’d visited him in the ward just days ago.The memory made my jaw tighten. "Coughing up blood several times daily. The bleeding is severe. He doesn’t have much time left."

Vanessa placed her hand on my arm, stroking it softly as she murmured words of comfort.