Claimed by My Ex's Half-Brother-Chapter 41 participant in a blind date

Victoria’s POV:

Kane told me that ME had agreed to cancel tonight’s dinner. But judging by the tone of the message, if I wanted to reschedule, it wouldn’t be so simple next time.

I rubbed my temples, feeling my wolf Nora stir restlessly inside me. "Alright, I understand."

I could guess that Damien might be angry. Next time I’d need to bring him a gift and try to figure out what he was thinking. My wolf whined softly at the thought of upsetting him, which was strange considering how Nora usually remained indifferent to most men.

I spent the entire afternoon in meetings, finally finishing around closing time when I prepared to have dinner with Grandpa William. He had texted me the address of an Italian restaurant, and I wasn’t sure why he suddenly had a craving for Italian cuisine.

When I arrived at the restaurant and gave Grandpa’s reservation information, I was led to a private dining room. As I stepped inside, I froze. My wolf’s senses immediately picked up on the scents—there wasn’t just my grandfather in the room.

Beside Grandpa William sat another white-haired elderly man, and next to him was a handsome young man who looked to be in his twenties. I suddenly had a very bad feeling about this dinner. My wolf’s hackles raised slightly in suspicion. This meal clearly wasn’t going to be as simple as Grandpa had made it sound.

Grandpa had specifically said he missed me and wanted to have dinner together. So why were there other people here?

"Victoria, why are you standing in the doorway? Come in, sit down!" Grandpa beckoned with a smile.

I could only force myself forward, taking a seat beside my grandfather. The elderly man beside Grandpa turned to the young man and said, "Alexander, go sit next to Victoria. You young people are about the same age—you’ll have plenty to talk about while Maxwell and I catch up."

My grandfather smiled warmly and made introductions. "Victoria, this is your Uncle Maxwell. Do you remember him? When you were little, I often took you to his house for meals. He even used to hold you. And this is Alexander Hayes, Maxwell’s grandson. You two played together as children. Alexander has been studying in Ireland, and you’ve been in this country, so you haven’t seen each other much."

"Hello, Uncle Maxwell," I said politely, fighting to keep my face neutral.

"Hello, hello! You’ve grown into such a beautiful young woman," Maxwell said enthusiastically. "You and our Alexander make a perfect pair. You young people should chat—don’t mind us old folks." Then he turned to his grandson: "Hurry up and greet Victoria, talk to her. Look how well-mannered she is, while you just know how to play around all day!"

Alexander finally spoke: "Hello."

"Hi," I replied, wiping my sweaty palms on my dress. This was excruciatingly awkward.

But Grandpa William and Uncle Maxwell didn’t seem to notice the tension at all. The two elderly men, not having seen each other for a long time, chatted away happily.

I had no chance to interject, and the awkwardness made my scalp tingle. Uncle Maxwell and Grandpa kept praising Alexander’s virtues. Alexander was slightly younger than me, with a carefree attitude. Though not exactly mature, he was apparently an "impeccable young wolf" by their standards.

As we ate, Grandpa suddenly asked, "Victoria, what do you think of Alexander?"

What could I possibly think? Alexander and I had barely exchanged three sentences between us.

Uncle Maxwell looked at me expectantly, and I could only force myself to say, "He seems nice."

Alexander snorted softly beside me. He was clearly still in his rebellious phase and obviously didn’t appreciate this arranged meeting any more than I did.

Uncle Maxwell secretly kicked Alexander under the table. "Sit up straight!"

Alexander straightened his posture, and Uncle Maxwell continued, "You young people should talk more. Victoria, please help me keep this troublemaker in line. If he could be half as obedient as you, I’d be thrilled. But Alexander is honest and kind-hearted. You two should chat and get to know each other better."

I understood perfectly well what this was—a matchmaking dinner.

I managed a few awkward responses before Alexander excused himself to use the restroom. Uncle Maxwell followed him, presumably to scold his grandson.

Left alone with my grandfather, I finally spoke up. "Grandpa, I thought you invited me to dinner with just you. Why are there other people here? You didn’t mention this beforehand."

Grandpa replied, "If I had told you in advance, would you have come?"

I definitely would have found an excuse to avoid it.

"But you could have at least given me some warning," I protested. "I came completely unprepared."

"What preparation do you need? You’ve broken up with that unworthy mate, and I’m worried you won’t move on. Maxwell’s grandson is a boy I’ve watched grow up—he’s very reliable. Remember I mentioned another friend’s grandson, also surnamed Sterling? You said you didn’t want anyone with that surname anymore. This one is a Hayes, so what do you think?"

"Grandpa!" I exclaimed, Nora growling softly in agreement. "I’m not ready to start a new relationship right now. And clearly, Alexander isn’t interested in me either."

"Feelings develop over time," Grandpa insisted. "I’ve known Alexander since he was a pup, and his character is beyond reproach. Just talk with him for now. Later, I’ll have him take you for a walk outside. I understand that having us old wolves around might make it difficult for you two to chat comfortably. No pressure."

I held back a groan. I didn’t want to chat at all!

"Grandpa, please don’t worry about these things. I canceled important work commitments to be here today."

"What work could be more important than this? Victoria, all your grandfather wants is for you to be happy. If you don’t think Alexander is suitable, I can introduce you to someone else."

I was momentarily speechless. Just then, Alexander and Uncle Maxwell returned from the restroom.

"Victoria," Uncle Maxwell announced, "Alexander just mentioned that he noticed the view outside is quite beautiful. He’d like to invite you to enjoy it together. You young people go have fun while we old folks catch up."

I had no choice but to leave with Alexander.

Alexander was tall and undeniably handsome, like a young wolf in his prime. But I truly wasn’t interested.

We sat down at a table in the main hall and began to talk.

"What would you like to drink, Victoria?" Alexander asked.

"Just lemon water, thank you," I replied. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

After ordering drinks, we sat in silence until Alexander said, "I’m told we met when we were children, but I don’t remember much. My grandfather dragged me here—I had no idea this was a matchmaking dinner. I’m only twenty-three! I don’t understand why my family suddenly wants me to meet potential mates."

He continued casually, "But I’m willing to play along. If you think I’m to your liking, we can announce that we’re dating. We could start going out tomorrow. Where would you like to go?"

I stared at him in shock, my wolf equally startled. I hadn’t expected him to be so casual about this.

We’d just met, and he was already talking about dating?

"Brother, isn’t this moving too fast? Is this how all you young wolves operate these days?" I was genuinely surprised.

I wasn’t much older than Alexander—only twenty-four—but talking to him made me feel like I belonged to a different generation.

"This is what the elders want anyway, right? Does what we think really matter?" he replied with a shrug. "From the moment we’re born, we’re destined to carry certain responsibilities. If not you, my grandfather would arrange someone else for me. I just think you seem decent enough, and importantly, you’re not showing any real interest in me."

I couldn’t understand his mindset at all.

When it came to relationships, I couldn’t be so casual. It seemed irresponsible to me—how could two people who didn’t love each other possibly be together?

Alexander continued, "I’ve seen some interesting drama online recently—a girlfriend tearing apart a homewrecker. That was you, wasn’t it?"

"Yes," I admitted, seeing no point in denying it.

"Don’t worry," he said. "I won’t judge you for it. Your taste in men might be questionable, but rest assured, that kind of situation would never happen with me."

I wasn’t sure how to respond. Finally, I decided to be honest: "I think that we probably aren’t—"

Before I could finish saying "compatible," a hauntingly familiar figure strode into the restaurant.

"Little wolf," came the deep, smoky voice that made my heart skip and Nora instantly alert.

It was Damien Sterling.