Claimed by My Ex's Half-Brother-Chapter 224 I should be apologizing,

Victoria’s POV

Daybreak finally arrived, bringing with it the first signs of Grandfather’s recovery.

Damien had slipped away from the hospital room without waiting for Grandfather to wake and see him. I understood why - if Grandfather had another emotional outburst at the sight of him, Damien would never forgive himself.

Before leaving, Damien had bought breakfast for me, leaving it outside the door with a text message. What I didn’t realize until later was that he hadn’t actually left the hospital. He’d been standing guard outside the entire time, his wolf’s protective instincts refusing to leave me alone during a crisis.

Grandfather woke early in the morning, and my heart nearly burst with relief. I threw myself into his arms, my wolf Nora whimpering with joy inside me.

"Grandfather, you scared me half to death!" My voice cracked with emotion as I breathed in his familiar scent, thankful it was still strong and steady.

"Victoria..." His voice was rough with sleep and medication. "I’m sorry for worrying you, dear one." He seemed to be taking in his surroundings, realizing he was in the hospital after another heart episode.

"No, I should be apologizing," I insisted, clasping his weathered hands in mine. "I never should have raised my voice to you like that. Please don’t take any of it to heart." My thumb traced the veins visible beneath his skin. "Just stay calm for me, okay? No more getting worked up."

The night had been agonizing - my mind had kept spiraling to worst-case scenarios, imagining life without the man who’d raised me. The truth was simple and clear now: my grandfather loved me and couldn’t bear the thought of leaving me alone in this world.

"Victoria," Grandfather’s voice softened as he reached up with a trembling hand to touch my cheek. "I’m not upset anymore. I just want to look at you properly."

His eyes held nothing but love and a hint of something deeper - perhaps the recognition of how much I resembled my mother, his daughter who had passed years ago. The pack elders always said I had her eyes.

I caught his hand against my cheek, holding it there. "I’m sorry, Grandfather. I won’t upset you anymore. Please focus on getting better, alright?"

"Victoria, about Damien Sterling..." he began.

"Let’s not discuss him right now," I interrupted gently. The mate bond thrummed in my chest at the mere mention of Damien’s name, but I pushed the sensation away. "Let’s just focus on your recovery first, okay?"

"Very well," he conceded with a small smile. "My sweet granddaughter is always so sensible."

"Would you like something to eat? I could go get you something," I offered, already calculating what foods would be best for his recovery.

"I’m not hungry, don’t trouble yourself."

I nodded toward the call button. "Then I’ll have the doctor check on you again."

I pressed the button, and within minutes a doctor arrived to examine Grandfather. The prognosis was encouraging - waking up was a good sign, no major complications appeared present. As long as he remained calm and rested properly, he could likely be discharged after a couple days of observation.

Relief flooded through me. The tightness that had been constricting my chest since his collapse finally began to ease.

"I think I’ll sleep a bit more," Grandfather murmured, his eyelids already drooping.

"Of course," I agreed, pulling the blanket up to his shoulders.

The hospital room felt chilly despite the heating system. Fall had arrived with unexpected ferocity this year, bringing cold winds that seemed to penetrate even the sturdy hospital walls.

I sat watching Grandfather sleep, his chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm. My wolf Nora settled contentedly, no longer pacing anxiously within me. I held his hand, finding comfort in its warmth. As long as there was warmth, there was life, and that was all that mattered.

It wasn’t until afternoon that I finally stepped out of the room. I’d eaten nothing but the breakfast Damien had left. When I opened the door, I was startled to find him still there, his broad shoulders leaning against the opposite wall.

"You’re still here?" I couldn’t hide my surprise. The realization that he’d been standing guard all day sent an unexpected wave of emotion through me.

"How is he?" Damien asked, his deep voice betraying his concern.

"The doctor says he’ll be fine. He just needs rest," I explained, running a hand through my tangled hair. "He woke up this morning but has been sleeping since. I was thinking of getting him something to eat for when he wakes up again - something light he might be able to keep down."

Damien straightened immediately. "Let me handle that. Hospital food is terrible, and the cafeteria isn’t much better. I’ll have my chef prepare something nutritious and easy to digest. Did the doctor mention any dietary restrictions?"

I shook my head. "Just that bland foods would be best."

"Consider it done," he nodded decisively. "You stay with your grandfather. I’ll knock when the food arrives."

"Damien, you don’t need to go to all this trouble. Don’t you have your own matters to attend to?" I felt guilty for monopolizing so much of his time, especially knowing how demanding his position as Alpha must be, even if that was still his secret.

"Nothing that can’t wait," he dismissed my concern with a casual wave. "The company has plenty of competent people. They won’t miss me for a day." His expression softened. "Besides, we’re family now, aren’t we? There’s no such thing as ’trouble.’ Your grandfather is my grandfather too."

He reached out and gently cupped my cheek, his thumb tracing my cheekbone in a gesture so tender it made my wolf purr. "While you’re taking care of him, make sure you’re taking care of yourself too. You’re not just his treasure, Victoria. You’re mine as well." His voice dropped lower. "Don’t waste away on my watch."

I felt heat rising in my cheeks. Even after everything we’d shared, his intensity still affected me. "Enough with the sweet talk," I murmured, trying to sound stern but failing. "I understand. And you too - don’t exhaust yourself. I promised I wouldn’t leave you, and I won’t. Trust that we’ll find a way through this together, past Grandfather’s objections and everything else."

"As long as you don’t pull away from me, I’ll be right beside you," Damien vowed, his gray eyes intensely focused on mine. The mate bond between us hummed with energy, stronger than ever since I’d removed the charm bracelet that had hidden my true nature from him.

I couldn’t resist teasing him a little. "And if I did pull away someday? Would you gracefully let go?"

"Never," he answered without hesitation, his voice a low growl that sent shivers down my spine. My wolf Nora responded instinctively to that sound, recognizing her mate’s claim.

"But people say you can’t force love," I countered softly. "That it has to be freely given."

"I don’t care what people say. You’re mine, Victoria Lancaster, and I’m not giving you up." The conviction in his voice was absolute. His love for me had clearly grown deeper than either of us had anticipated when this began.

I studied his face - the shadows under his eyes betraying his exhaustion. He’d been awake all night, just like me. "You need rest too. Go home and sleep. If you collapse, I won’t be nursing you back to health." The threat was empty and we both knew it.

"You should follow your own advice," he replied. "Your grandfather would be devastated if you made yourself sick worrying about him."

I nodded. "I know. I should get back inside."

I turned to re-enter the room, food container in hand, when Damien called my name. "Victoria!"

"Yes?" I turned back.

Before I could register what was happening, his powerful arms enveloped me completely. I was instantly surrounded by his warmth, his scent of cedar and midnight roses washing over me like a tide. My body melted against his, the mate bond singing between us.

"Damien, what are you—"

"Just let me hold you for a moment," he murmured into my hair, his arms tightening around me.

He held me with such intensity, as though trying to imprint the feeling of my body against his. I could feel his heart hammering in his chest, betraying his fear. Though he held me now, I sensed his terror that once he let go, I might disappear forever.

Until we resolved things with my grandfather, our relationship would always feel tenuous, hanging by a thread that could snap at any moment.

"It’s getting cold out," he whispered against my ear. "Make sure you wear enough layers. Even if you’re staying here overnight, use the blankets they provide. Eat regularly too - don’t give me that ’I’m not hungry’ nonsense. I’ll worry about you."

His tender concern wrapped around me like another embrace. I felt my limbs tingle with warmth that had nothing to do with the hospital heating system.

After a long moment, I nodded against his chest. "I know how to take care of myself. I’m not a pup anymore. I’ll be fine, I promise."

But as I pulled away and our eyes met, I wondered if either of us really believed that.